THE PROVEN ujk u urn of l Class. Copyright N°_ COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. THE PROVEN CONTINUITY OF LIFE THE PROVEN CONTINUITY OF LIFE ITS RELATION TO JESUITISM AND THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION BY FRANCIS T. MORTON Member of the Massachusetts Bar Author of " The Roman Catholic Church and Its Relation to the Federal Government" RICHARD G. BADGER BOSTON Copyright, 1913, by Francis T. Morton All Rights Reserved f *$ ^ The Gorham Press, Bostox, U. S. A. FEB~7f9/4 ©CI.A36249 2 AUTHOR'S PREFACE The sole object in writing this book, at a time in life when the purity of motive could not admit of a question, is to benefit humanity, and not for ap- plause, nor to gain believers in any doctrine, nor to make war against persons; but against principali- ties and powers, against spiritual wickedness in the church, crime, disease, folly, and craft in the state'; to overthrow things, and institutions, evil, and sub- stitute therefor things just and good. The book contains a comprehensive compilation of but a small portion of works entitled "Antiquity Unveiled," by Jonathan M. Roberts, Oriental Pub- lishing Co., Phila.; the Buddhist Review, Luzac & Co., London; Butler's "Mexico in Transition," Eaton and Mains, New York; "Mexico and the United States," by G. D. Abbot, LL.D., G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York; "The Double Doctrine of the church of Rome," by Baron- ess von Zedtwitz, F. H. Revell Co., New York; "The Age of Reason," by Thomas Paine, and other well known writers, to whom the reader will see I am under great obligations, and acknowledge my obli- gations in this manner rather than by detailed references. "Antiquity Unveiled" contains one hundred and sixty communications from people proving the continuity of life to be a reality, which, with biographical references, comments, and review 4 Author's Preface of Mr. Roberts, shows great research, most pains- taking, interesting, and valuable information rela- tive to the history, character, and standing of those making the communications, and covers over six hundred pages. The book is invaluable for ac- curacy of statement, historical research as to various religions, notably the Christian religion, for fearless advocacy of and consecration to a work compara- tively unknown to the masses, viz., proving the con- tinuity of life and obtaining data of the greatest value to all humanity; a fitting monument to Mr. Roberts' life work; it is regretted time and space prevent giving but a small portion of same. After years of doubt and unceasing controversy it is now claimed the origin and makers of the Chris- tian gospels is settled beyond question; that these are the original Indian gospels from which the Christian Gospels have been fabricated by Chris- tian plagiarists (literary theft), interpolated and changed by Eusebius, the acknowledged forger and interpolater of manuscripts, and others, in the mak- ing of their theological scheme before and after the Nicene conference, 325 A. D. It is also claimed that on account of the proven destruction of valuable libraries and priceless manu- scripts from the fourth to the fourteenth centuries, the Roman Catholic Church has to this time rested in fancied security because of the lack of evidence to disprove the hollowness and falsity of its claims to represent God Almighty; but the cunning and du- plicity of these makers of the Christian religion is now laid bare to the eyes of the world, their chang- Author's Preface 5 ing and interpolations of the gospels acknowledged and proven, and the Christian plagiarism and de- lusion is at an end. It is hoped the reader will consider its contents free from sectarian or religious prejudice, believing and supporting as I do, the right of every person to his opinion or religious belief however dif- ferent it might be to mine; that it is necessary for happiness everyone should be mentally faithful to himself; that there can be no progression without full and unrestrained privilege to reason upon any and all subjects; that no faith or belief not founded on reason will avail anyone. Blinded by zeal, which takes the place of reason, then follows bigotry and untruth. As an illustration, Martin Luther, on his first visit to Rome, says : "Everything seemed true, and nothing was so preposterous or false that I did not accept it gladly." Long afterward, he said: "I was so filled, so intoxicated with the teachings of the Pope that I should have been ready with great eagerness to murder, or at least to assist in the mur- der, of all that did not obey and submit to him in every last syllable." That no mortal can make you what you are, but your own thoughts; that no one can save you but the saving power within your- selves; that purity can only be obtained by right actions; that action with a real purpose for im- provement is the motive power to spirit growth and progression; that you worship no books save the book of Nature; that strength of character, love of truth and reliance on your own efforts alone avail ; that there is no escape whatever from the conse- 6 Author's Preface quence of one's evil or good deeds, for deeds done in the past follow one, even after what is called death, which is merely another form of birth; that is, each one makes his own character and gathers the fruit thereof, alone. It is not difficult to understand how people who have spent the larger portion of their lives in in- tellectual adherence to dogmas and doctrines, whose blood is saturated with a belief in some special mis- sion from the Creator to certain individuals, can have acquired an attitude that leads them with per- fect sincerity to appeal to the scriptures as an au- thority, and not as a mere matter of faith, even if faith should enable them to believe in what to others seems unreasonable. "For instance, in prayer for favors: Some people think it reasonable to sup- pose that when we have violated laws and merit certain consequences, God is going to upset the laws of the universe to make a special dispensation to do us a favor ; to others who believe in a Creator, a Supreme Intelligence, it seems strange that such a system, so contradictory to the character of the person whose name it bears, should ever dare to be called by the sacred name of religion." Perhaps there should be more reason, and less emotion, and perhaps our education is so much at fault that we may be thinking on wrong lines, and so, unable to study and understand things correctly as we might from the standpoint of reason. INTRODUCTION Religion is defined as being any system of faith and worship. It is said that to know religious truth requires rare insight, that no knowledge is possible without morality, and no morality is possible with- out knowledge tried by the standard of right. Ig- norance is always pitiful, and the truth should be broken to the ignorant quickly as possible. Chris- tianity starts with the claim that man was made in the divine image, that our first parents yielded to the seductions of the devil and that the curse of Adam passed to every soul, but divine mercy contrived a scheme of salvation whereby a remnant might be saved. Says the Buddhist Review : "Christianity is responsible in large measure to the belief of its fol- lowers in its sacred literature and the moral value of assent to its theological propositions and the wickedness of denying the same. It is the faith element that has proved the mischief-maker. Chris- tianity is built on the claimed history of a person which naturally appeals more vividly to the imagina- tion." In Buddhism ( from whence come our Orig- inal Gospels before their interpolations and incor- rect translations), Faith is purely the product of knowledge; the origin of Nature it puts aside un- solved, as not tending to edification. "Nature is, that we are of nature and must study her laws if we would be her masters, rather than her slaves." 7 8 Introduction The Buddha never denied the existence of a Deity, for such denial does not come within the scope of his system; he only speaks of things he can prove. In place of the supernatural Buddha has recourse to Law, and this law is Karma, the Law of cause and effect, of action and re-action, which is not a re- morseless tyrant to which man must bend despair- ing. Ignorance is synonymous with illusion; knowledge with truth; the real eternity is with us, in us, as matter; but about God, about matter out- side of relativity, if such a thing is, what is it? The answer is unbroken silence (God being beyond the comprehension of mortals). Buddhism stands on the great principle of evolution; all things are in a state of flux; we cannot strictly speak of being, but only a continual becoming; that behind our thoughts there is a thinker. To a Buddhist, what will become of myself ceases to have any meaning; he wishes to lose himself in the great ocean of life, must show compassion to all beings, and the better he grasps the meaning of existence the more will his compassion grow. Buddha says, "Let us overcome hatred with love, evil with good, the stingy with a gift, the liar with the truth. Cultivate love without measure to all hu- man beings, a heart of love unstinted, unmixed with the sense of opposing interests. The Buddha re- ligion gives not faith, but reasoned hope for future progress and supreme attainment; a religion on observation and attainment, asking of its fol- lowers, not faith, but understanding; devotion to this creed follows because it is so beautiful and true : Introduction 9 empty of dogma and prayer, yet giving the solace prayer so surely brings. It teaches that the cause of sorrow lies in self-desire alone; wherever there reigns no thought of self there lies the path of peace; where wisdom is, is perfect tolerance; Life is regarded as a series of potentialities which only lead to others; only a change of circumstance and desire. None can destroy truth; he but compasseth his own destruction, not understanding he is there- fore more in need of our compassion." Twenty-five years ago the supreme summit of spiritual development was reached by the Buddhists with a following of over two hundred million souls. Christianity owes its origin to Buddhism. Every- thing that would show this has been suppressed by Christian commentators. The time has arrived when the original Buddhistic and Gymnosophic re- ligions will be given to the world, and the Christian delusion at an end. As a nation we are very slow to learn of other nations what they are doing, and our conceit concerning religious matters makes us the laughing stock of the rest of the world, which is wiser from dearly bought experience with the man- agers, the would-be God's representatives, and while the teachings of certain so-called religious organ- izations are known to be false and fraudulent its leaders are allowed to scheme for power, money and public aggrandizement, and to conspire against governments because of their claim to be religious organizations ; glorify our country because it is free even to exhibiting for money the bones of would- be saints, pieces of the Cross, and if interfered with 10 Introduction raise a howl of persecution, on the principle I may hit you, but if you hit back I am a martyr. But the overwhelming desire for a future life is alone suf- ficient to induce belief in doctrines harmonizing with it, and religious conviction is born from the senti- ment of veneration and awe which encourages be- lief in whatever tends to excite them. For centuries the world has been promised par- don of sins with a future home with God condi- tioned on belief in certain creeds; but those creeds have had their day, and the claims of the church are palpably inconsistent with facts known at the pres- ent day: That the gospels containing pretended church authority were not written by the persons to whom they are ascribed ; that they were mutilated and interpolated by designing men has long been known to unprejudiced and thoughtful minds; un- til the nineteenth century the Christian church has resorted more or less to Scripture evidence, and Bible authority to help it out, and though Chris- tians have disputed and wrangled about its sup- posed meaning their position to the world was con- sidered impregnable, as the most valuable manu- scripts, except those now in possession of the Cath- olic Church, have been destroyed by those who for- mulated the Christian doctrines, and though priests and their followers have hidden their tracks well, evidence from a source little expected draws aside the veil and lets the light of Truth shine upon its history, as is fully set forth in the revelations con- tained in following pages, correcting the history of the world and unlocking the mysteries of past ages. Introduction 11 Discredit the source of these communications as you may, but this does not dispose of the subject mat- ter doubly proven by the collateral facts of history. No scholar however learned at the present day, in- deed, the mortal does not live, who, unaided by the higher intelligences, could Ahus have laid bare the facts in this connection. These facts are attested by witnesses from whose testimony there can be no appeal ; testimony irrespective of its source so over- whelming that it not only cannot be disproved, but demands unqualified recognition and challenges proof to the contrary. The value of this testimony, not only to the present generation but to the mil- lions unborn, is beyond expression; indeed, there is nothing of equal value to mankind in any century of the world's history. The managers of the church at Rome, veiled prophets behind the throne, may dissemble and ridicule, but the day of settlement has arrived; they may continue for a season, but there is no escape; their spurious and false claims of "Divine Authority" so long acknowledged through the indolence and ignorance of the masses are no longer to be countenanced or believed; nor their political power be feared or tolerated by the intelligence of the twentieth century. The whole and complete history of their man-made religion, their duplicity and double dealing, interpolating of manuscripts, destruction of libraries containing priceless manuscripts in carrying out their schemes for power and money, all are now laid bare to the gaze of the world and admit of no controversy. The wealth of the nations has been drained for cen- 12 Introduction turies to support this ghastly religious fraud. In France, Spain, Italy, Mexico, and South America already their power is tottering; with an army of seventeen thousand priests in our country to do its bidding, safe vaults plethoric with gold wrung from the poor, with votes of thousands of its ignorant followers landing on our shoes the church is now making in our country its last great struggle for existence. It has largely secured control of the press, and humiliating to admit, prevents books exposing its methods and history from reaching the public libraries and the people. Its vote is for sale, as in foreign countries, for a consideration; and with never before so much money at its control to support its leaders in luxury, and control the policy of governments. The searchlight of Truth now exposes to the American people the practices of this so-called re- ligious organization, this great financial octopus, the greatest and most powerful Trust in existence in its scheming for political power and money. Of the result of this struggle there can be no question, for with the dawn of the new light and invincible aid of the unseen powers there has indeed come a new heaven and a new earth, and with these the liberation of millions of human beings held in men- tal and spiritual bondage. For the Roman Catholics I have personally no animosity, but most kindly regard and deepest sympathy; with the historical pretensions and po- litical aims of the Roman Hierarchy, and manag- ers of the "system," at Rome, called the church, I Introduction 13 have no sympathy;. With their present avocation gone other fields of usefulness may be opened, en- abling them to make some restitution to the world they have injured and thus lighten the load to be borne on leaving the physical body, for there is no rest for them here nor elsewhere, until with good deeds done in spirit life the full penalty is paid. In paying this penalty they will always have our love and assistance, which, when further enlightened, they will the better understand and appreciate the unselfish labors of those instrumental in releasing them from the darkest night of mental and spiritual bondage. CONTENTS PAGE Author's Preface 3 Introduction 7 The Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion, and the Deception and Duplicity of its Makers Laid Bare to the World 19 The Proven Continuity of Life, the Falsity and Interpolations of the Christian Gospels ... 59 The Beginning of Christianity 69 Apollonius of Tyana; Philosopher, Teacher and Public Benefactor 91 The Roman Hierarchy the Deadliest Menace to Our Liberties and Civilization 195 The Danger of Jesuitism 212 The "Public Schools" System 243 Monasteries 264 Convents 271 Definition of Words and Terms 278 THE PROVEN CONTINUITY OF LIFE THE FABULOUS ORIGIN OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION THE DECEPTION AND DUPLICITY OF ITS MAKERS LAID BARE TO THE WORLD THE writer is not seeking to gain believers in any doctrine. All that is asked is that the reader will examine in order to know the truth. Abuse is not argument, nor is honesty in re- ligion necessarily proof of its truth. The question is asked, "Why do you agitate the question, 'did Jesus Christ really exist'?" Ask the millions in slavery to this soul killing doctrine of re- demption by his blood on this earth and in spirit life, whether this question is not of vital impor- tance. Ask the millions who weep when they reach the finality of common sense and reason over what they have reaped from the teachings of Christian- ity. People don't want the truth known, but want only something that accords with their ideas. My arraignment of Christianity may be severe, but not more so than it deserves, the purpose being to establish the ancient history of the world and to correct the many errors into which mankind have been led concerning it by Christian and Jewish writ- ers ; and in embracing a cause it is not necessary one should be fierce in denouncing those who do not agree with us. 19 20 The Proven Continuity of Life We have people who claim to be the accredited agents, the vicegerents of the Supreme Intelligence, called God; and they succeed in making many ig- norant people believe it to be true. When children, the God made in our brains was omnipresent in space, omniscient as a personal, conscious being pos- sessed of intelligence, moral attributes, will and pur- pose. But, is it true such a being exists, or are these only the subjective forms of our thought? It is hardly necessary to say that while God as he is, is unknowable, yet we know his manifestations; the combined forces and laws which are manifest in the universe. "God is the Universe, and the Universe is God." It would seem there is only one religion, and that is the religion of Reason. That no faith or belief not founded on fact and reason can avail anyone; that every man and woman must be their own priest with none to go between, and that it is not necessary for man to have a Savior in order to reconcile him with an offended God, because God, being perfect, cannot want, or be offended at anything; that the Bible is not necessarily a chart to eternal life, a proof of man's dominion over all things, which, as is claimed, God gave him "when he made him in his own image." Flattering to man's vanity ; but when asked how could God, being a spirit, having no ma- terial body, make man in his own image, the so- called Christian shields himself behind the con- venient mandate "Thus saith the Lord." There is no class of men so deep and subtle as our modern priests and so-called religious teachers. Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 21 No man can visit China to-day and not discover that the Buddhistic doctrines and sacred observances are identical with those of Christianity, even to the Eu- charist. In fact, Christianity owes its origin to Buddhism, which existed long before the Christian era ; and if the records of the past had been allowed to stand there would have been no Christianity to- dajr, as the proof is overwhelming that the Chris- tian scriptures are borrowed from the Buddhistic scriptures of India, corroborated as it is at almost every point by undeniable historical facts, interpo- lated and modified to suit the god makers of past centuries. It is well known the principal creeds and tenets of the religious systems of to-day were obtained from the Alexandrian library. For centuries learned men of all nations and religions resorted to Alexandria, and after comparing notes modified and remodeled their respective religions. The Christian religion of to-day is the invention of priests of the fourth century, and much of the Bible has proved a stumbling block in the way of progress. If right then it is right now; if wrong then it is wrong now; Christianity and Paganism are identical, for one is the outgrowth of the other (a Pagan is one who is neither a Christian nor Jew) ; as the following pages will show. There is not a scrap of authentic evi- dence of the Christian era to be found affording any reliable information relative to Jesus Christ prior to 325 A. D. In fact, there is not a priest in Rome or elsewhere who is fully initiated in the secrets of his church who does not know that so-called Chris- 22 The Proven Continuity of Life tianity is a fraud, for in the Library of the Vatican is the evidence that makes that point certain. At Rome are most of the writings of the first four cen- turies embracing all the works of the so-called Pa- gan writers. These have been mutilated but not destroyed, and this, for the reason there is a power in the spirit world controlled by wise men (spirits) , which popes and cardinals know of, and fear. There are writings of the Emperor Trajan in pos- session of the Papal Church which settle forever the question of the personal existence of Jesus Christ. It has the most perfect information relative to all religions that were taught from the time of Alex- ander the Great to the thirteenth century, now in hands of the Jesuits ; the secret archives of the Vati- can contain the forgeries of Leonardo Bruni to make the Edicts of Theodosius appear as part of the decrees of the Roman Catholic Church. There are documents in the Vatican which prove that the old Roman gods, rechiseled by the sculp- tors, are the apostles of the Christian religion ; that the Christians robbed the pagan temples of all those old myths, and basso-relievos, and that all the rites, ceremonies, and vestments are copied from the ob- servances of the priests of Apollo. The church ran- sacked and destroyed all literature that would throw any light on the history of the first five centuries of the Christian Era. Gregory VII burned the Pala- tine Apollo at Rome containing the literature of the preceding eleven hundred years. Celeste, Pope, ordered burning everything relative to the Druid- ical religion, and of Apollonius, about 1075 A. D. Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 23 Anything opposed, and relative to the Christian re- ligion, can no longer be found in ancient writings, having been destroyed by priestly zealots, and to- day, Christians are bowing before a superstition which cunning priests years ago perpetrated for their own benefit. Even the writings of all Phoeni- cian authors of note have been destroyed, but the round-towers of Ireland and Scotland will yet throw a vast deal of light on the religious imposition called Christianity^ The Canons of Buddhism brought from India by Apollonius were the original books from which the Scriptures are derived. Things have been so mixed by designing men that it is difficult to set ancient his- tory in its proper light. All religions that have ever prevailed have been copies of one original re- ligion, more or less varied, to suit the different states of civilization, which they were modified to suit. Christianity has borrowed everything from pagan- ism; that is, the worship of false gods being the youngest of the modifications of the old heathen re- ligions ; its priesthood have been driven to their wit's end to show that Buddha did not live until six hun- dred years after the alleged life, sayings, and doings of Jesus Christ; and that Buddhism is but a heathen corruption of the religion founded by and in the name of Jesus Christ. Whereas Buddhism ante- dates Christianity by a thousand years, for the lat- ter had no existence until the beginning of the fourth century, until the time of Eusebius of Cses- area, the acknowledged forger and interpolater, in the fore part of the fourth century. It was in the 24 The Proven Continuity of Life sixth century that the wholesale destruction of the literature of the Armenian, Pythagorean, Judean, Gnostic and Eclectic writings was entered upon. The God Krishna of India, worshiped before the time of Eusebius, was a black man, and it was Eusebius who changed him into a Jew, instead of a Hindoo, thinking more followers could be had for a white Christ, than for a Hindoo Christ. But, prior to that time, in all the temples erected for the wor- ship of Krishna, he was represented as a Hindoo. There is no creed now extant but that is based on ideal presumption. Almost all the books that make up what is called the Bible are taken from the writ- ings of the older Zoroaster, and were taught by the Armenians, Chaldeans, Samaritans, and Moabites. Why, you ask, do you assail Christianity? Because it claims for itself divine powers, and it has none; because of the disappointed hopes of millions who now and in the past believed and trusted in it; because Christianity is a combination of Indian, Persian, Egyptian, and Grecian mythologies, and all that is claimed as being accomplished by the Man-God Jesus Christ can be found in those myth- ologies, and the Christian Scriptures are borrowed from the Buddhistic Scriptures of India, corrobo- rated as it is in almost every point by undeniable historical facts. There is no Catholic priest who holds any office of importance who does not know the common identity of a ceremony of the Eleusin- ian mysteries in Greece and the Lord's supper. To get rid of the damning fact that there is no historical basis for their theological fictions it is well known Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 25 the Christian priesthood have been guilty of the heinous crime of destroying nearly all trace of the concurrent history of the first five centuries of the Christian era. What little they have permitted to come down to us they have so altered and changed as to destroy its historical value. But the way is rapidly opening to restore to the world the knowl- edge those religious bigots thought they had forever destroyed. No greater curse ever scourged human- ity than religious bigotry. To that religion we owe the long dark night of mental slavery; a religion founded on mythology, with nothing in the so-called revelations in the Christian Scriptures that was not taken from works antedating the time of Christ and containing nothing that was not known to the ancients before that time. Even the Sermon on the Mount is substantially plagiarized from the preach- ing of Apollonius. The cross, forms, ceremonies, church ordinances, and prayers are all borrowed or stolen bodily from India, China, and Egypt, which any traveler in those countries can see for himself. "Christianity is not from the Jews but from the Greeks," says Cyrillus Luchar, Greek Pat- riarch, born about 1568 in Candia. "It is a combination of the Platonic and Alexandrian doctrines, with the doctrines of Apollonius of Ty- ana, the Syrian Christ, about thirty-two years after the birth of the alleged Christ ; out of these, together with the forged letter to the Roman Emperor Trajan from Pliny the younger, A. D. 103, and from the library of Ptolemy Philadelphus has grown Christianity." 26 The Proven Continuity of Life The word Christian was not to be found in it; that word was a forgery. The word used was Essenes, and not Christians. As to the trial of Jesus Christ before Pilate, the learned Rabbi Wise, who went to Jerusalem for the purpose of ascertain- ing if the Gospel account of Christ's trial and con- demnation was true, "searched diligently the rec- ords of the court, which are now preserved, for the trial of Jesus, but it was not recorded. The name of Jesus of Nazareth was not there, and never had been, and no such person was ever tried before Pontius Pilate as claimed by Christian writers." This is not surprising, in view of the fact incon- trovertibly proven, viz., that neither Jesus, Jesus Christ, nor Jesus of Nazareth was ever known or even heard of until at the Council of Nice, A. D. 325, where Constantine, seeking to blend the pre- vailing heathen religions into one heathen system that would reconcile the warring interests of the various priesthoods, adopted the God Hesus, of the Druidical Trinity, of the western provinces, and Kristos (Latin Christos), of the east; in the person of one God, called Hesus-Christos, changed by Eusebius into Jesus Christ, which, whatever it is, is not the name of a Jew. With the foregoing indisputable facts with which the unbiased reader can look the world in the face, facts which cannot be disproved and which no Christian has discovered, or if known dared to dis- close for the last sixteen hundred years; with these fresh in memory let us for the moment turn back the pages of the history of Christianity and fix in mind Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 27 the salient points of a religious fable invented cen- turies ago for power and gold by cunning priests, little thinking the description of their fable God would be seized upon in after ages to perpetuate their fraud, by a then unknown sect calling them- selves Christians. In order to dissect and analyze the salient points in question it becomes necessary for the time being to drop to the low level of the mythical Man-God makers, who in past centuries thought no more of inventing a new god than we of taking out a patent in our day. The making of gods in those days was a business, a profession, high art, and of frequent occurrence. Promises of pardon of sins and never ending happi- ness in heaven was a favorite doctrine because it couldn't then be disproved, and as to-day, inexpen- sive, easily digested, and satisfactory to maker and masses alike. Any kind of bait to bring fish to their nets ; anything to secure followers, power and money to the makers. There was nothing new in the claim that Jesus was born of a virgin because there were fifteen or more gods worshiped at that time in Rome and all claimed born of virgins ; the four gospels are known and proven to be interpolated, unreliable, and writ- ten by other persons than those whose names they bear, but the church claims them the inspired word of God Almighty, that our life hopes and aspira- tions are bound up with the truth of those events which the gospels relate as having happened in the time from which our era is dated; that the life of 28 The Proven Continuity of Life Christ is the center alike of our history in the past and our hopes for the future, and that our knowl- edge of it rests mainly upon the evidence of the four gospels. If they can be shown unhistorical there is little left out of which the story of that life can be put together, and it is upon this issue the contro- versy of the present generation turns and with which we are now concerned. "It has pleased God to give us the whole Bible and it ought to be the ambition of the Christian mind to take complete possession of it. The volume of our joy throughout eternity may depend on the faithfulness and diligence with which we now make use of this precious heritage." With kindly and respectful regard to opinions of the Church above expressed and taking the gospels at face value, there is no question the plan devised for the coming of Jesus Christ was an inspiration. It was unique, unparalleled, and without precedent. Saint Matthew, Chap. i:18, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came to- gether she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." Joseph was told in a dream by an angel of the Lord not to turn her away, but to marry her ; he did as bidden and called her first born son Jesus, by name. This absurd fable told ignorant people nineteen hundred years ago, and fourteen hundred years before the art of printing was known, may have found some believers, but, any boy or girl eighteen years of age of the present generation whose brain is not blinded with doctrinal teachings would laugh at such a ridiculous story, and not Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 29 only deny its truthfulness but would brand it an insult to the intelligence of the community, the maker of it destitute of common sense, weak of in- tellect and to be avoided. And yet, this story has been told and believed for sixteen centuries ; is now, and mothers allow their daughters and sons to read this shameful, disgraceful fable; that everything is possible with God, that it is his inspired word. Mystical truths have a strange superiority over truths of the ordinary kind that they know neither age nor death. A lie unmasked and undenied be- comes in time an acknowledged truth ; but the time has arrived when a large portion of mankind who in the past preferred a pleasing falsehood to an un- pleasant truth now reverence the memory of men whose teachings are based on reason, and who never pretended to be gods. The hour has come when we have to think, act, and decide for ourselves, nor fear to question or with bated breath discuss the merits of a book compiled from a mass of manu- scripts, and by vote decreed to be the word of God, sacred, the inspired word of God, decreed by a body of men called Bishops, in the making of their re- ligion at the Council of Nice, A. D. 325, decreed by their votes to be called the holy Bible; and after sixteen centuries of forgeries, interpolations, changes, and revisions it comes down to us the re- vealed, the inspired word of God Almighty, and anybody who doubts or denies this is an apostate, blasphemer, infidel, atheist, to be abhorred and de- tested of men. The Bible was made by men; it contains many 30 The Proven Continuity of Life beautiful truths purloined by the managers of the Church from manuscripts containing words of wisdom expressed by the Seers, the wise men of past centuries ; it contains much that is good, much that is bad; some very bad; it contains sayings which, under cover of any other book would never be allowed to see the light of day or read in the family of any decent self-respecting community. Whoever says the Bible is the inspired word of God has never read the book, knows nothing of its his- tory or is deficient in mental faculties. Taught from infancy the book was holy, with promised joys throughout eternity, actuated with a selfish spirit to get something for nothing, he swallows it with a gulp, and flies into a passion when doubt is ex- pressed of its holiness or authenticity, content in his ignorance with the worship of the same objects that received the adoration of the heathen Greeks and Romans. Such men, and women, and their name is legion, have sold their birthright for a mess of pottage, are as wax in the hands of designing priests. For them and those who walk by Faith the threat of being cast into the bottomless pit still has its terrors. In a contest between St. Augustine and Fauste, about 400 A. D. the latter says : "The books called the evangelists were composed long after the times of the apostles by some obscure men, who, fearing the world would not give credit to their relation of matters of which they could not be informed, have published them under the name of the apostles, and which are so full of discordant relations that there Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 31 is neither agreement nor connection between them. It is thus your predecessors have inserted in the Scriptures of our Lord many things, which, though they carry his name, agree not with his doctrines. This is not surprising, since that we have often proved these things have not been written by him- self but by his Apostles, but for the greater part are founded upon tales, vague reports, and put together by I know not what, half Jews, but with little agreement between them, and which they nev- ertheless published under the name of the Apostles of our Lord, and have thus attributed to them their own errors and their lies." Thus was the authenticity of the New Testament denied, the books treated as tales, forgeries, when voted to be the word of God Almighty. But, the Church with the fagot bore down the opposition and suppressed all investigation. To return to the birth of Jesus : Mark and John say nothing of it. Matthew and Luke mention differently the story of the angel announcing the immaculate conception. Matthew says the angel appeared to Joseph; Luke says it was to Mary. If a virgin now with child were to declare she was with child by a ghost would she be believed? And if not, the laws of nature being the same then as now, why believe it possible of any other virgin then, or now? Why not once for all call this an error, or if you prefer, a fraud? But why drag a ghost into this undignified episode, and why a holy ghost? Holy is defined as pure, irreproachable; ghost is defined as a spirit, the soul of a deceased person; 32 The Proven Continuity of Life also, as "the third person in the Trinity." But when did this happen, and where, and why after she was engaged to Joseph? Let no one take me to task or think me irreverent, or unmindful of the teachings and feelings of others if in going to the root of this matter the language should appear trifling, harsh, or severe. Far from it, for it is not so intended. Nor would it be necessary but for the priests of past centuries who should have been the friends of humanity, but who have cheated, defrauded and robbed you of your birthright and heritage. Rather look to those who invented this shameful and disgraceful story. This is no trifling matter, no juggle of words. There is nothing funny or jocular about it. Never was I more in earnest in the determination to uproot and expose to the eyes of the world the cause and making of this ludicrous fable by designing god-makers cen- turies ago, which, with its many accessories and mummeries since added has served as the bed rock and part of a religion which has for centuries kept the world in ignorance, caused more blood to flow than all other religions combined, filled the spirit world with demons, and the disappointed hopes of millions who believed and trusted it; a religion which claims for itself Divine powers; for it has none. Benjamin Franklin remarked that experience taught him the way to convince another is to state your case moderately and accurately, then scratch your head, or shake it a little, and say that is the way it seems to you, but that of course you may be Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 33 mistaken about it, which causes your listener to re- ceive what you say, and like as not will try to con- vince you of it, since you are in doubt ; but if you go at him with a tone of positiveness and arrogance you only make an opponent of him. I heartily concur in the above and respectfully ask the indulgence of any who sense a seeming ar- rogance or positiveness, which in writing may some- times appear when not so intended. The Trinity of the Tamils of Southern India consisted of man, woman, and child. Hesus of the west was the savior of the Celtic and Gallic Druids, a thousand years before Christianity was heard of. The Druids had a divine Trinity: Thau, Supreme God; Hesus, human executor of the first; and Hel- enus, the solar light through which all light orig- inated. These were the personified beings of the Divine Trinity. In that Trinity the second person was the Druid God and Savior, Hesus, holding the same position as Crishna (Latin Christos) of In- dia in the Hindoo Trinity. As before stated, when Constantine succeeded to the government of Gaul, Germany and Britain, in order to reconcile the warring elements of Christosism and Hesusism in his dominions, joined the politic Bishops in blend- ing the opposing waves of interest and thought into one God: viz., Hesus Christos, which has been im- posed on the nations ever since by the tyrannical power of rulers and impious priests, and which has come down to us modified by Christian writers as Jesus Christ. Up to 325 A. D. it is proven over and over again that Jesus, Jesus Christ, or Jesus of 34 The Proven Continuity of Life Nazareth had never been heard of. Eusebius, a learned and prolific writer, the acknowledged forger, interpolate^ and destroyer of manuscripts from which the Holy Bible was made (Bishop Gregory says Eusebius spent his whole life inter- polating and destroying manuscripts containing anything against Christianity) , a genius, the central figure and director of proceedings at the Council of Nice, A. D. 325, where most of the religious dogmas now observed in our churches were in- vented, and where he acknowledged the name Chris- tian was only recently known (three centuries after the claimed crucifixion) , in order to conceal and get away from, far as possible, the heathen origin of the Christian religion, especially, that relating to the Trinity of Christos and Hesus. It was then he saw it was imperative to invent a new Trinity, to make three out of one, and with shrewdness worthy a better cause started with this bold, daring form- ula: viz., Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, with plan complete in detail, with claims and specifications defying competition, and incredible enough to sat- isfy the most fastidious of Christians. But all mythical gods were dead gods; the idea of a live God in the form of a man, although a low con- trivance, was new and taking with the masses, and showed great foresight on the part of Eusebius in taking God Almighty into the scheme as silent partner. There was to be one Supreme Infinite God, and to carry out his plan he was obliged to divide him into three sections, viz., Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three divine persons equal in all Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 35 things, having one and the same divine substance and nature ; and, as the Roman Catholic Catechism says, "We cannot fully understand how the three Divine persons are one and the same God, because this is a mystery, and a mystery is a truth we cannot fully understand." But the mystery was here, and to the third sec- tion of his Almighty God, the Holy Ghost, was delegated the indelicate task of performing an act (vouched for by the Scriptures), offensive alike to modesty and common decency, viz., producing a child born of a virgin. Nor can the theory of the immaculate conception stand for a moment on any other hypothesis. In due season the child arrives, and the Scripture says, "Joseph knew her not till she had brought forth her first born son, and he called his name Jesus." This was the first act in the drama. How the child happened to be named Jesus, by Joseph, in view of overwhelming proof that the name of Jesus, changed from Hesus at the Nicene Conference A. D. 325, was not known until three centuries after the child was born, is one of the mysteries best known to the interpolaters and makers of the inspired word of God. Matthew says the name of the boy was Jesus Christ. The name Christ, which is not a Jewish name, has been a difficult one for Christians to ex- plain, or get away from. It looks and sounds too much like Christos, the heathen Savior; and they don't like to talk about it. From the day this child Jesus appeared until his pictured ascension and exit he was made to do and 36 The Proven Continuity of Life say many wonderful things. Eusebius, who wrote a chapter bearing the monstrous title "how far it may be lawful and fitting to use falsehood as a medicine for the advantage of those who require such medicine," and in forgeries of Josephus' writ- ings, says, speaking of Christ, "And when Pilate had condemned him to the Cross, those who loved him did not forsake him for he appeared again on the third day, as the prophets had foretold these, and ten thousand other wonderful things concern- ing him." And in St. John 21:25. "And there are many other things which Jesus did; if they should be written, everyone, I suppose even the world itself couldn't contain the books that should be written. Amen." Eusebius now spared no pains in clothing his God with all the attributes worthy his rank and the occasion. He was made to utter words of wisdom born of other men and other times; loaded him to the gunwale with weak senseless fables called Miracles, and worst of all with interpolations of the gospels, telling the people of earth he came to die for them, and would par- don all their sins if they would worship him. In due course and to enlist sympathy of women he is nailed to the cross. This was the Second Act of the drama. Mark says Christ was crucified at the third hour (nine in the morning) ; John says it was the sixth hour (twelve at noon) ; Matthew says, Chap. 27:51-53, "And behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bot- tom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 37 saints which slept, arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city and appeared unto many." Strangely, Mark, Luke, and John make no mention of the above wonderful happenings; and Matthew does not say who the Saints were that came to life again, nor what kind of clothes they wore, nor what be- came of them afterwards; but, he says, Chap. 28:1: "First day of the week Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the sepulcher." John says it was dark; Mark says it was sunrise, Luke says Joanna and other women were there with them. John says Mary Magdalene came alone. All testifying differently to the same fact. And in Matt. Chap. 28:2: "An angel from heaven rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it." Mark says the angel was in the sepulcher, right hand side; Luke says there were two, and both standing up; John says they were both sit- ting down, one at the head and the other at the feet; Matthew says the angel outside the sepulcher told the two Marys, Christ was risen, and they went quickly away; Mark says they went into the sepulcher, and it was the angel on the right that told them so; Luke says it was the two angels standing up; John says it was Jesus Christ him- self that told it to Mary Magdalene; that she did not go into the sepulcher, but only stooped down and looked in ; and all are supposed to be testifying and differently stating the same facts. As to the resurrection, neither Matthew nor John say anything about this most remarkable exploit. 38 The Proven Continuity of Life Mark says Christ appeared as the eleven sat at meat, gives the conversation of that meeting and closes by saying, "So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into heaven and on the right hand of God Almighty." But, Luke says, "Christ led them out as far as Bethany and was parted from them and carried up into heaven." They tell us that when Christ arose from the dead he left his grave clothes behind him; whether he ascended to heaven without clothes is not stated. Eusebius seems to have been a little careless with this part of the narrative. The last scene was to be the Grand Finale ; it was to admit of no dispute as to Christ's departure, claimed to have been seen by more than five hundred people; who they were and where they afterwards went is not stated ; and to indelibly stamp as a truth the reality and future mission of disciples then to be made, and with teachings later on Eusebius was to clothe them. In this act Eusebius had no further use of him and could easier put words into his mouth after his dismissal; hence the sudden exit of Jesus Christ, the second section of the God Almighty, whose existence then and since was but the low contrivance of a mythical God-maker with a history invented sixteen hundred years ago and three hundred years after Christ is said to have lived. On the plains beyond the Himalayas between twelve and fifteen thousand years ago the Sanscrit tongue, the language of the real sun worship, was invented, and has governed every system of re- ligion since. There is no religion without the Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 39 symbol of the Sun in Aries, or in the first sign of the Zodiac. The Zodiac girdle is an imaginary belt in the heavens, 16° or 18° broad, in the middle of which is the sun's path. It comprises the twelve constellations which once constituted and from which are named the twelve signs of the Zodiac. One sign is called Aries, with picture of the Lamb ; the vernal or spring equinox is when the sun in ris- ing enters the first point of Aries, being about the twenty-first of March; from this is born the fable of the resurrection of Christ and of Easter. The Zodiac is a complete circle in form with certain stars in each constellation; as Taurus (Bull), Pisces (fish), etc. The lamb was the most prominent symbol the early Christians used to represent Christ as the cen- tral object of their faith, and was seen nailed to the cross until 680 A. D. when the sixth Ecumen- ical Council held at Constantinople ordained the figure of a man should be portrayed on the cross, the object being to veil the truth and conceal the heathen origin of the Christian religion, and the substitution of the dying figure of the heathen myth- ical God Prometheus, extended on a Cross with the head and face of Apollonius of Tyana to represent Jesus Christ instead of the "bleeding Lamb of Cal- vary." To get rid of the fact that upon the tombs of Egypt, Greece, and Rome was depicted the same worship of the Lamb, and Christianity a purloin- ing of older religions, the crucifix was adopted as the badge of a new religion. Thus we learn how, 40 The Proven Continuity of Life when, and where the story of the so-called Crucifix- ion of Christ was formulated and how in the fol- lowing century crucifixes multiplied greatly throughout all Christendom; and have to this day, worn by the millions held in slavery to the soul killing doctrine of "redemption by his blood." (See McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia of Ec- clesiastical Literature.) From the fourth to the fourteenth century the most valuable literature of the ancients was de- stroyed by popes, bishops and priests who couldn't allow such evidence of the mythical origin of the Christian religion to exist. The heartless destruc- tion of the library of the Palatine Apollo by Pope Gregory VII in the eleventh century, holding all the writings from early part of the first to the middle of the fourth century; recording facts proving no such person as Jesus Christ ever existed. Greg- ory, Bishop of Constantinople, destroyed many valuable books, fearing some one would discover his fraudulent conduct. Constantine the Great pos- sessed a valuable library but destroyed it when he became a Christian. The whole collection of manu- scripts of Gregory, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea, fell into the hands of Eusebius, who destroyed all he couldn't use. Pope Celestine III destroyed all the documents he could find giving information about Apollonius' version of the Hindoo Gospels. Ptolemy Philadelphus had about 280,000 rolls, or books; it was considered the most valuable library in existence. Three times, efforts were made to destroy it, but not before learned men had founded Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 41 new religions upon knowledge there obtained. The destruction of the Alexandrian library, one of the largest and most valuable libraries in existence, was a crime against high heaven. It was by the wholesale destruction of manu- scripts for centuries that the Church by crushing out all historical evidence of its connection with purloining manuscripts, and with mythical gods, had managed to hide its tracks, and for centuries challenged inquiry. When the French army en- tered Rome the first and principal thing done was to hide all the undestroyed works of the Latin Fathers. Any child could see how the epistles have been interpolated to suit the views of the writ- ers. Meantime, the patent and versatile God of Eusebius had proven a veritable gold mine, and it became necessary to fence him in with new claims and specifications, and without as much as "with your leave," put any and all words into the mouth of his Almighty God as suited his convenience. It is well nigh impossible to conceive the extent of the interpolations, manipulations, and changing of manuscripts conferring absolute power and author- ity on the men he was now to create [and these are the "inspired words of God," on, and from which the Roman Catholic Church claims authority to rule and fool the world]. In Matt. 16:18, he makes his God say to Peter, "And I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." [No description given of any rock, hell, or of any gates.] 42 The Proven Continuity of Life Historians aver that it cannot be proven by the New Testament, nor from history, that Peter was Bishop of Rome, or ever saw Rome. There was never any Pope until the sixth century. In 606 A. D., Boniface III declared the appellation of Pope should be restricted to the Roman Pontiff ; in 863 A. D. Pope Nicholas II and Photius excom- municated each other; in 881 Pope John was put to death for his intolerable wickedness; in 896 Pope Boniface VI was expelled before the end of the first month on account of his atrocious lewdness ; in 964 Pope Leo was caught in adultery and slain on the spot by the husband; in 1045 Benedict was banished for his wickedness; Sylvester III was expelled, and Gregory VI elected. Thus, three Popes were liv- ing at the same time at Rome, each expelling the other. Referring to some glaring interpolations of priests and popes contained in the gospels and used with great effect to the present day, it is claimed — Peter received from Christ a primacy of honor, that whoever succeeded Peter obtained the pri- macy of Peter over the whole church ; that because Christ said "feed my sheep" he bestowed the juris- diction of Chief Ruler over all his fold, and then talks about a government established by Christ, the Lord. [In the matter of feeding sheep the inter- polater seems to have again made his God talk in a careless manner, for the business of Christos in early life was that of a shepherd, whose duty was to guard sheep. Jesus is represented as being the Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 43 son of a carpenter, engaged presumably in build- ing enterprises, and had little time or inclination for feeding sheep. But, that name Christos "will come to the front again, spite of all the Church can do to get away from it.] See St. John 10, Christ the good shepherd. In Matt. 16:19: "And I will give unto thee (Peter) the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." To make this fraud doubly sure the interpolater repeats it again in Matt. 18:18. With full power to pardon sins, to send to Heaven or Hell, and yet, these fraudulent and impossible claims have been made by the Roman Catholic Church for centuries, and be- lieved to-day by millions of ignorant followers. The above interpolations referred to are plain as a pike-staff, and are more frequently quoted by Popes and Papists than any other passages in the Bible ; but they are simply broken reeds ; as clearly creations and interpolations of cunning priests, centuries ago, of manuscripts called gospels proven over and over again to have been written by others than St. Matthew, are full of inaccuracies, untrust- worthy, and more than all, are to-day, claimed au- thority from a man it declares to be God Almighty, maker of this and all worlds. But the claim of priests does not make it so. The God they worship was made by Eusebius. His name was Hesus- Christos, changed by Eusebius into Jesus Christ, as is well known to sundry people in the Vatican, at Rome, who have in their possession certain manu- 44 The Proven Continuity of Life scripts which prove it, and which they dare not destroy; and this by order of the higher influences, who won't permit it ; and, being clairvoyant, whom they fear. In the matter of the crucifixion, the interpola- tions are conspicuous enough to suit anybody. The written inscription claimed to have been put over Christ on the cross by the gospel writers, none of whom could have been present, is as follows: Matthew says it was, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." Mark says it was, "The King of the Jews." Luke says it was, "This is the King of the Jews." John says it was, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." It is presumed the writers could read ; why, then, do they testify in seeing the same thing, by giving these different inscriptions, and would a jury of twelve men believe the testimony of such men as these even under oath? Besides, this affair is claimed to have happened A. D. 1. As Jesus Christ had never been heard of before 325 A. D., the use of his name previous to that time was a glaring falsification and interpolation beyond controversy. With his financial arrangements satisfactorily adjusted, with full powers from his Almighty God vested in creatures of his own making, because the "mystery" was here, this gigantic Trust, this great financial octopus, the church "System," began its career, and for sixteen centuries ignorant Popes, Cardinals, and Bishops at Borne and their agents and representatives all over the world have fattened Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 45 with money wrung from the poor ignorant masses, whose deluded mental and spiritual condition both here and in spirit life, words fail to express. This compound God Hesus-Christos, Jesus Christ, the God made by Eusebius and others at the Nicene Conference — this is the mythical god from whom there is no escape, and from whom the Roman Catholic Church claims authority to rule the world ; to create infallible Popes to do its bidding, to be above the civil law, to foster ignorance, to stifle knowledge of its Church, to keep its follower in ig- norance that it may continue to live in affluence and plunder the world; with its hollow pretensions and the votes of its hirelings (which latter now honey- comb and embarrass the nations, great and small, in their efforts to enlighten the world), from which there is no escape until the people are made to un- derstand it has no authority, is a fraud, robbing them of their money through false promises, indul- gences, and the confessional. Eusebius was born 270 A. D. and died 340 A. D., fifteen years after the Nicene Conference. His life disclosed the facts that the Christian gospels in their present interpolated modified forms are the work of cunning priests; that the gospels of Apollonius were in the Syriac, Hebraic or Samari- tan tongue, subsequently translated into Greek by translators to suit themselves; that Christ was the mythical Hindoo God called Christos, worshiped then and now by Christians, to which self evident fact the Christian clergy have shut their eyes, and are determined at all hazards to teach a belief, that 46- The Proven Continuity of Life an Infinite, Supreme Being, whom it is impossible to comprehend, got into the body of a man (now proved never to have existed), and allowed him- self to be murdered in order to appease an angry god and to wipe out your sins. And this sugar coated, tempting bait has fooled selfish, ignorant men and women for centuries ; who, in their hope for a blissful immortality, have been, and now are, de- luded with the idea that they can get something for nothing. Vain hopes; vain promises. Steer clear of any faith or hope in any redemption but your own strength of character, love of truth; discard worship of any book but the book of Nature. Cease praying to mythical gods for assistance; for prayers to your own right arm are soonest an- swered. In view of what is to follow, I desire to say I have no animosity against the Catholics as a people. On the contrary I have for them great sympathy and most kindly regard. For the intriguers, con- spirators of the Roman Hierarchy, the "Curia," the "System," the Jesuit managers, the veiled prophets behind the throne I have pity, but little sympathy. After the death of Eusebius the church (system) became more avaricious and rapacious, devised new ways to lead their ignorant victims, who were, and now are, actuated by the same spirit that moves the swindler, viz., to get something for nothing; and from 340 A. D. to 1870 A. D. invented new claims for power and gold. Whenever the church decrees anything to be done it means that a small body of men at the Vatican (Cardinals), have decided to Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 47' do something for more power and money. The Pope, who is a mere idol, a shadow, a prisoner in the Vatican, who is obliged to assume a contemptible authority, and is a passive creature of the "Curia," who create and annihilate him at pleasure, does as he is bidden, or that mysterious power, the "Curia," is sure to reach him, and whose revenge is fatal. To the American man, woman, and child, distance lends enchantment, and from the pictures of the Pope, now studiously and effectively produced in papers and magazines, he is looked upon as a Superior Being, a representative and vicegerent of God Almighty. This is not true ; he is simply a man, the supreme head of a religious society at Rome ; he has no keys or separate place in heaven or hell for you. The money you pay the priest for pardon of your sins, indulgences, and to get your relatives out of what they call Purgatory is a "base swindle, unadulterated robbery ; and any priest tak- ing such money is a rogue, a sharper, and should be punished as such; and can be, whenever you shall furnish the proper law officer of the state with sat- isfactory proof of money so paid. The Council of Trent was convened 1545, was in session eighteen years, and promulgated a code of church laws as if they were the edicts of the Al- mighty, which ever since have been obeyed by its followers. The result of the new claims then made, and words put into the mouth of Jesus Christ by this band of illustrious gentlemen robbers for power and gold, and which has held the world in mental bondage for three centuries, can scarcely be credited 48 The Proven Continuity of Life by people of this generation. For hypocritical as- sumption, misrepresentation, barefaced untruths, and intentional fraud to deceive, nothing like it has ever been given to the world by any other religious, or other organization. It will be remembered that then, as now, all these claims for power and money are made under the cloak of what is called religion. The poor, igno- rant masses have for centuries been fooled by the successors of the Council of Trent, a band of po- litical conspirators at Rome and their accredited agents in this country who claim to be above the law, and a right to govern the earth. [See Council of Trent — V. Confession.] "The uni- versal church has always understood that a full confession of sin was instituted by the Lord, as a part of the sacrament of Penance, and that it is necessary by divine appointment for all who sin after baptism, because our Lord Jesus Christ when he was about to ascend into heaven left his Priests in his place as Presidents and Judges to whom all offenses should be submitted, that they might pro- nounce sentence of remission or retention of sins, by the power of the keys," and then, threats of pen- ance, indulgences, purgatory, etc., with deliberately planned barefaced untruths. The following decrees of the Council of Trent are given by G. D. Abbot, LL.D., in Mexico and the United States (G. P. Putnam & Son) : It may not be unwise to study these claims carefully, and to form opinions on these important utterances. I. That Jesus Christ constituted Peter as the Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 49 supreme head of the twelve apostles and his succes- sors and vicegerents on earth and that all the other Apostles were subject to him. II. That the Pope of Rome succeeds to all the titles and rights of Peter, who by Christ's appoint- ment placed his seat at Rome and there remained until his death; and that all of Peter's rights have passed regularly down through the line of his suc- cessors to Paul III, and Pius IX. III. That the greatness of the Pope's priesthood began in Melchizedek, was solemnized in Aaron, and was continued in Aaron's sons ; was made per- fect in Christ and represented in Peter ; was exalted in the Pontifical universal jurisdiction and mani- fested in his successor. IV. That the Pope is immaculate, infallible and irresponsible to any earthly tribunal or power. He is judge of all; can be judged by none; kings, priests, nor people. He is free from all laws, so that he cannot incur any sentence, or penalty for any crime. V. The Pope is by divine right invested with all the spiritual powers, and is the sovereign head, su- preme judge in all things relating to religion, faith, or discipline. He is all in all, and above all, so that God and the Pope, the vicar of God, are but one consistory ; wherefore the Pope hath power to abro- gate laws, to dispense all things in regard to mar- riage, divorce, usury, homicide and perjury. He hath all power in earth, purgatory, heaven and hell ; to bind, loose, command, permit, dispense, do and undo. Therefore it is declared to stand upon ne- 50 The Proven Continuity of Life cessity of salvation for every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff. VI. The temporal power is his. The dominion, jurisdiction and government of the whole earth is his by divine right. All rulers of the earth are his subjects and must submit to him. VII. All the earth is the Pope's diocese. VIII. The Pope is supreme over all ecclesiastical authority and councils of the universal church; he has absolute power over them. Infallibility in the Spiritual order and absolute sovereignty in the tem- poral are synonymous and convertible terms. These are some of the assumptions, and prepos- terous absurdities made and maintained in the name of Religion. I marvel indignant humanity did not long ago rise in the Majesty of Truth and sweep to destruction the whole fabric with its agents and abettors. With this Apostolic, immutable, infallible church, in 1190, came the sale of indulgences; in 1215, au- ricular confession; in 1439, Purgatory officially rec- ognized; in 1785, worship of the virgin of Guada- lupe, of Mexico, sanctioned by the Pope. "In the Cathedral of Mexico is the figure of the virgin Mary dressed in the richest embroidered satin, with strings of the largest pearls hanging from her neck to below her knees; around the brow is a crown of gold, inlaid with emeralds. Her waist is bound with a zone of diamonds. The altar is surmounted by a small temple in which rests the figure of the 'Virgin in Remedios,' who enjoys the exclusive rights to petticoats, one embroidered with pearls, Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 51 another with emeralds, and a third with diamonds, value, not less than three million dollars." In closing, Mr. Abbot says : "The Roman Cath- olic Church is a system of ignorance, imposture, in- tolerable despotism which, for centuries, has over- shadowed the nations. It is in vain to close our eyes against the secret designs of this so-called church. They can neither be cloaked nor concealed and be more completely known that we may be on our guard." The immaculate conception was not proclaimed until 1854, over fifteen hundred years after the claimed birth of Christ ; the Mariolatry which exalts the virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven, the sole object of superstitious trust and idolatrous honor. In 1864, the Pope's temporal power was proclaimed, and his Encyclical letter of December, 1864, says: "The Virgin Mary knows nothing which she cannot obtain from the Sovereign Master, sitting as a queen on the right hand of her son, our Lord, Jesus Christ ; I salute thee, oh great mediatrix of peace between man and God; all the three divine persons con- curred to crown thee at thy glorious ascension to the heavens, and then there was conferred on thee ab- solute power over all created in heaven and earth." What are you going to do with bishops or priests, who under the cloak of religion teach this brazen falsehood to the children of your state, and in due season get their money, and control them body and soul? How long can this condition of affairs be defended by any rational man? and the answer is that it cannot be defended for a single instant. The 52 The Proven Continuity of Life imposition of the will of a small band of Cardinals at Rome on the inhabitants of the United States is not to be tolerated. In a Catechism prepared by order of the third plenary council at Baltimore is the following: "Ques. Is the blessed Virgin Mary truly the Mother of God? Ans. The blessed Virgin Mary is truly the Mother of God, because the same divine person who is the Son of God is also the son of the blessed Virgin Mary. Ques. Is the Son God? Ans. The Son is God, and the second person of the blessed trinity." Thus enforcing the old claim made by Eusebius sixteen hundred years ago; viz., that Jesus Christ was God Almighty, their partner in the business and made to say whatever they saw fit. This cruel sop thrown to the women, this deliber- ate falsehood as to the authority and whereabouts of the Virgin Mary, would have a laughable side but for the untold mental misery and spiritual slavery born of it and suffered by them in consequence, which they alone know, and fear to tell even to their husbands. The cunning hand of the priest is seen in small cards handed to young girls, containing prayers and supplications to the virgin with prom- ises of indulgences for one and two years if they come to church a given number of times per week, or month, and in so doing put their money in the box. What punishment do you propose for this deliberate deception to get money from, and other- wise defraud these poor girls and women under the guise and cloak of religion? Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 53 In 1870 papal infallibility was proclaimed. Present 719; 541 of these men belonged to Europe. In July the number was reduced to 535. After days of bickering and discord it was decreed the Pope, a passive creature of their own making, a puppet in the sacred drama of religion, was infall- ible in faith and morals. Faith is a general belief in what the church teaches, and what functions do not fall within the domain of morals? The poison is concealed by the very perfection of Jesuitical arti- fice ; and thus ended the greatest absurdity of mod- ern times. Having made the Pope infallible the "Curia" proceed with their plans on the trestle board, issue their Bulls and Decrees for the Pope to sign; all bishops and priests bow, and make their followers do the same. The effrontery and impertinence to the intelligence of the nineteenth century in de- manding their word should be the law shows either the ignorance of the conclave or the supposed ignorance of its victims who are not allowed to think, when it comes to church matters. It says: "Liberty of conscience and worship is not the right of every man;" that this is not only an erroneous opinion but very hurtful to the safety of the church. Difference of opinion is the one crime the "Curia" never forgives, and opposes liberal opinions with an iron will. The Church, over the entire world, while claiming to maintain religion, peace and jus- tice, has been made the instrument of subverting the liberties of the people and establishing the absolut- ism of its rules. The wealth of nations has been 54 The Proven Continuity of Life drained for centuries to support in idleness the Roman Hierarchy, and with pomp and circum- stance a Pope, a figure-head to do its bidding. The old plea that our people must send more money to Rome for the defense of Christendom and to meet the heavy expenses of the Vatican is made every year, and our national pride is not yet kindled to a fighting pitch from realizing that we are being ex- ploited by a small band of prelates at Rome, with the Governor General of the Jesuits at its head, whose word is law, and who despise us for our very submission. These leaders demand absolute obed- ience of the laity and promise eternal happiness if the latter contribute liberally to their support. This conspiracy against human liberty knows no bounds ; it grows by what it feeds on. After centuries of suffering and retarded growth France severs all state alliance with the Roman Hierarchy, which latter seeks to re-establish mon- archial institutions in every republic of Europe. In Portugal, the people are fighting the system for their very lives. In America the Church has the audacity to make disbelievers of its religion ineligi- ble to office, and demands expulsion from the mails of literature attacking it. For centuries, intellec- tual tyranny has kept the world cramped within the limits of tradition which offered salvation only in obedience to authority. The church knows the religion of woman is primary, determines all the rest; hence religious beliefs determine the history and growth of nations. Its policy is, and always has been, to keep the nations in ignorance, to ally Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 55 itself with great centralized powers, and become a great power above emperors, and kings, holding a controlling influence for centuries over the political affairs of the world. The same forces that gave the church existence are being used to-day. It be- hooves our people to study the source of that power which makes it an increasing public menace mas- querading under its name but always scheming for power and money. It is the old world defying the institutions of the new, in the name of Religion. The issue is the liberation of the United States from priestly thraldom and through her, that of Europe. There is nothing like ignorance for fostering an imaginative belief and mummery which cannot be understood. Popes and bishops live on the images we make of them. They are but figure-heads of the "System," take orders, and obey them. But to the world the order of the "System" is absolute. With a servile people placed in his hands goes all the power tyrants possess. The priests are the collect- ing agents of the "System," and oftentimes prod their helpless victims with a vengeance. After their rake-off, whatever is left goes to those higher up. The priests are to be pitied for not being al- lowed to marry, and for being obliged to ask ques- tions of women at the "confessional" for which the managers at Rome should be imprisoned for life at hard labor. In Mexico the clergy own over two hundred mil- lion dollars of property, while the amount sent to Rome every year from all over the world is well nigh incredible, our country being the second larg- 56 The Proven Continuity of Life est contributor. General Waddy, formerly Ambassador to Mex- ico, says : "As a means of raising money I would not give the single institution of the Catholic re- ligion of 'Masses' and 'Indulgences' for the benefit of the souls of the dead, for the power of taxation possessed by any government." The claim, that priests have any right to own Church property paid for by its members who al- low them to think for them on spiritual affairs is erroneous. In our country the leaders have entire control of Church properties with docile slaves for parishioners. This organization neither co-oper- ates with the state nor satisfies any of its needs ; and while enjoying its confidence has established within its limits a hostile camp, and opposes to it an un- lawful supremacy. It makes no account to the state of its vast accumulations, contributes nothing to the public burdens, and claims all immunities. When thwarted it complains of persecution; and can never forget it was once the State. Are not these representatives and agents of Rome who give our country little if any real support, who at any moment on instructions from Rome can become its enemies, are not these a standing menace to the wel- fare of our country, as to-day in France, Spain, Portugal, and England ? And why is it any foreign organization, religious or otherwise, whose head claims to be above all law, acknowledges no author- ity, should be allowed under the cloak of religion to issue orders to our people and interfere with the rights and lives of American citizens ; ours being a Fabulous Origin of the Christian Religion 5T government of laws, and not of man? When will you awake, and assist in breaking the fetters Rome has forged for the ignorant masses, now servile and slaves by habit, and teach them to say to its repre- sentatives that no longer will they be allowed to abuse the liberty accorded them by using free speech as a cloak for power, money, and public aggrandize- ment? That they fail to understand the spirit of the oppressed people they seek to rule, who are now free men ; no longer recognize force nor tolerate ar- rogance ; that neither Popes nor priests make a na- tion; but men; who no longer will suffer dictation from Rome. Mr. Marcus Bram, Confidential Agent in Eu- rope of the Bureau of Emigration, says: "In a few years the ignorant immigrants coming to this country become voters; the majority are Catholics and are under the control of the Church. If the political welfare of this country is to be preserved the people themselves must preserve it. A wide- spread public sentiment must be aroused and the masses educated to a thorough knowledge of the methods used by the Church to hold its followers in ignorance of its past and present history." There are those who don't care for political or mental freedom, and are quite willing to delegate their thinking to a college of Cardinals ; reason and will are subject to their direction; in making men- tal slavery perpetual. The western civilization of two thousand years assisted by the teachings of Christianity is nearing its end, and the time arrives in the history of every 58 The Proven Continuity of Life nation when the wiser heads discover the fictitious character of the religion which indolence and fear have built, to which they are sacramented, and turn to the religion of reason. On the facts and events claimed in the four gospels the Christian Church is founded, and the Epistles must stand or fall with them. If the story of Jesus Christ is fabulous all reasoning founded upon it must fall to the ground. It would seem the array of claimed facts and events are without a shred or semblance of truth when sub- mitted to Reason. THE PROVEN CONTINUITY OF LIFE, THE FALSITY AND INTERPOLA- TIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN GOSPELS THE circumstances of the world are contin- ually changing; the opinions of men also change. In 1800 A. D. steam engineering, the telegraph, telephone, and railroads were un- known, but before the close of the century the laws governing them were discoverd. We are as yet only on the threshold of what that modern marvel known as wireless telegraphy is destined to accom- plish ; and little is known of the poverty and suffer- ing endured by those making these discoveries. After a few messages over the first ocean cable lines were received there was a break in the cable, and no further messages could be had. The originator, the backbone of this herculean undertaking, who had put his large fortune into the enterprise, re- ceived scant notice from his friends, was ridiculed, avoided, and called a fool for investing in such a foolhardy enterprise. The benefit derived from this experience was, that he learned who his real friends were, and how ready the masses were to deride and ridicule a matter which they knew noth- ing about. Later on, when another cable was suc- cessfully laid and this gentleman had received the thanks of the nation and freedom of the city of New 60 The Proven Continuity of Life York, these fair weather friends with fawning flat- tery sought his friendship and begged to be given a chance to make some money on the ground floor of his enterprise; always knew he would succeed, al- ways said so. And thus it is with every new dis- covery. Of a truth, nothing should be accepted or believed without proof and practical demonstra- tion. The more profound and not easily fathomed the discovery the greater wisdom is required to make it known and understood by the masses. Great minds seldom express opinions of matters with which they are unfamiliar, especially on any un- popular subject of which the masses know little or nothing and have formed a mistaken opinion. To such, ridicule, distrust and ostracism of friends and family await. Before the Civil War a slave was taken down State street, Boston, surrounded by soldiers with loaded muskets, and later delivered to his master on board a vessel lying at the wharf. There is an- other picture of Garrison, the Anti- Slavery leader, with a rope around his neck, being dragged through the same streets by an angry mob, demanding that agitation of the slavery question should cease be- cause it hurt their business. The other picture is the superb monument erected twenty-five years later to his memory, on the most beautiful avenue of the city, coupled with the prayers of ten million slaves released from bondage, many of whom are now leading lives of usefulness to the nation. The voice of the state was awed into silence before this dominating slavery influence then exercising The Falsity of the Christian Gospels 61 power throughout the country. The newspapers with few exceptions were its cringing servants; were obliged to defend slavery or lose financial sup- port of their patrons. To be an Abolitionist in those days required courage born of conviction, nor has any movement for the interest of humanity in our country had the support of as many intelligent, fearless, noble men and women as the early workers in the anti-slavery cause. But, they were unmerci- fully vilified and maligned by the press throughout the entire country, suffering mentally and finan- cially as only they and their co-workers can ever know. Then, as now, the timidity of public opin- ion and love of gain was the disease of the people. An unjust judgment by public opinion is a serious matter, serious enough to deter many good men and women and many honest editors from taking up the hard task of defending what they know to be right. It would seem that everyone is responsible for the result of his opportunities ; no one should be allowed to interfere, as to when any light or truth which has come to him should be made known to the world. That is his affair, and his alone; the more difficult the work the greater the responsibility. The op- portunity is yours. The gate of endeavor swings as easily to let the penitent out, as the worker in, and the strength of the applicant can alone deter- mine which way that gate of endeavor shall swing. In this contest each spirit must go alone. No pub- lic honors await him who takes down the religious idols of a people from their pedestals, and we have come at last to a parting of the ways. We can now 62 The Proven Continuity of Life rely only on the new revelation that is here, rather than the reputed history of others, nor be content with standing on the defensive; we should get rid of mental slavery, or get rid of liberty. From the earliest times we find, the belief that a person separated from the outside world acquired a degree of spiritual insight denied to ordinary mor- tals; that is to say, because spiritually clairvoyant, and clairvoyant (seeing and hearing) , could see and talk with friends out of the physical body, here on the earth plane just the same as when in the phys- ical body, and who have an interest in all that is go- ing on here. Strange and paradoxical as this may seem, there are thousands of people in our country who know and have had proofs of the existence of beloved ones gone before. Many of these people are so afraid of public opinion, of its effect on them socially and financially, that they deny the truth whenever occasion requires ; and when honest medi- ums are hounded by the press and imprisoned, as they were by the church centuries ago, these people who fawned on them are found standing back in the shadows, saying, "I know them not." Few sensi- tives (mediums) have escaped the vulgar notoriety which an ignorant public has attached to them; it is a pearl thrown to swine. The public would see only through its own glasses and weigh with its own ma- terial scales, rather than seek the long opened, but neglected and despised avenues of the living truth. As soon as the people are sufficiently educated to make attacking sensitives (mediums) a losing busi- ness, the same courage and education are ready for The Falsity of the Christian Gospels 63 service to the nation and for higher spiritual truths which, then only, can be given or understood by mor- tals, by reason of capacity to appropriate them. There are honest and dishonest men in every busi- ness and profession. Some steal the livery of heaven for money. There are honest men and women through whom messages are received from friends gone before in obedience to the laws of spirit control, — which laws are at present but little understood except by those who have spent years in investigating this new (old as the eternal hills) science, known and practiced in Egypt, India, China, and Japan centuries ago, and in view of the revelations made known by the late J. M. Roberts Esq., in a book entitled "Antiquity Unveiled" (Oriental Publishing Co., Phila.) , a brief summary of a small portion of which is to be found in the fol- lowing pages, the attention of the whole world is again directed to a subject of greater interest and value from every standpoint than heretofore known to mortals of any country. This new science, proving the continuity of life, has been ridiculed, its followers laughed at and de- rided, while the press, catering to the pampered ap- petite of the masses for anything sensational, has left no stone unturned in its attempts to assail their intelligence, integrity, and honesty of purpose, and this condition of things will probably continue as long as it pays financially. The laws governing spirit control are alone under- stood in their fulness by those spirits controlling the medium; who are ready to sit at our feet and learn 64 The Proven Continuity of Life other ways to give messages whenever we can teach them; until then we should rest content to learn from them how to control the organs of speech of sensitives. There is nothing new in this, and no earthly power is strong enough to withstand or pre- vent in the least degree the completion of this work for the welfare of humanity in the hands of the mighty forces now concentrated by four of the great- est leaders of human thought that ever lived on this planet, viz., First, Hermes Trismegistus, an Egyp- tian philosopher and sage, who lived 1150 B. C. Second, Gautama Sakyia Buddha, the Hindoo sage who is said to have lived about 975 B. C. Third, Zarathrustra, the Persian sage who lived about 800 B. C. Fourth, Apollonius of Tyana, the Cappa- docian sage, who lived from the beginning to the end of the first century. It was those combined spirit forces that made it possible for these series of communications to be given. No one unfamiliar with the laws governing spirit control can fully understand the difficulties attending the giving of messages, especially, as in the present case where opposing forces from the spirit side placed every obstacle in the way to pre- vent their transmission, as, in showing the falsity of their religious teachings it meant the annihilation of their power both in earth and spirit life. Modern spirit communion is simply a continua- tion of ancient spirit communion and should not be allowed to prejudice the human mind. It has ex- isted for centuries, but suppressed ever by priest- craft. The psychological powers and functions of The Falsity of the Christian Gospels 65 the spirit body, subjects interesting and instructive beyond measure, are now made known to the world in spite of past interference of thousands of igno- rant undeveloped spirits on this earth plane who have done all they could to block the way to human progress. You must know that wise spirits in the higher spheres of being know when a people are ready to receive and appropriate spiritual truths, and these truths are sent by Spirit Messengers to trusted spirit workers on the earth plane, who in turn assist in making known those truths through sensitive organisms ; mediums, whose physical bodies from properties therein contained simply serve as the image of a principle; sensitives don't make the principle, which existed before they were born, has always been here but only recently discovered; the result, effect (communication) , is no other than the principle made manifest to the senses. To be told there are millions of spirits out of the body on this earth plane who know but little more than when in the body, often with us in our homes and places of business, who are to be seen in the halls of legis- lation where they often have more to do with affairs of earth life than we do, may seem strange to mor- tals, but so it is, as any clairvoyant can tell you. The stronger the materiality of a spirit body the better able it is to demonstrate itself to mortals ; the less material it is the less it can do, unless supported by spirits of a more material nature ; and even then, only by virtue of their intelligence and spirit power superior to the lower opposing forces can spirits communicate with mortals. 66 The Proven Continuity of Life It is laughable to read of men who promise to come back and tell their friends of earth that they still live. As well try to teach Greek without ever having seen a Greek grammar. It takes some time for the spirit to get its eyes open and adjust itself to the new conditions in which it finds itself, and unless taken by some spirit friend to a medium would not know where to go to send his message any more than a man from the back woods would know where a cable message could be sent, and would deny it could be sent, even when told where the batteries were which made it possible to send the message. He may wish to convince his friends of the proof of his existence as a spirit, but he finds many obstacles standing in the way. On account of the density over our organism compared with spirit organism we have the atmosphere so psychol- ogized that it is very difficult for a refined spirit to come to us at all. To do so is like a strong swim- mer almost exhausted by buffeting a swift current, and for a refined spirit to force itself back to earth and manifest itself through a sensitive medium, pre- suming it knows the laws governing spirit control, which have to be learned same as anything else, is in every way more exhausting. Roman Catholic and other Christian spirits are so shut up in their earthly acquired dependence upon their priests that they cannot ascend as spirits out of that condition, and are forced back to the earth : no ascent is possible for them while thus held and they react upon mortals with disastrous force. Nature has given us all the materials for every kind The Falsity of the Christian Gospels 67 of work and progress, but not comprehending we deny their uses, while the discoverer is mocked and laughed at ; it was always there to be employed, but the world prefers its own way and takes a hundred years to discuss, deny, and finally accept it. We bar knowledge by obstinacy, and refuse to be taught even by those who best know the laws of spirit con- trol. The church says there is a spiritual body and teaches the communion of saints ; it proves neither ; the new science proves both. It proves that there is no death, that promises of heaven and forgive- ness of sins made by cunning priests, of a mediator Jesus Christ, a belief in whose death wipes away your sins, are designedly untrue. It proves you take up life as you leave it, here, suffer for your shortcomings, now known to all, as you are seen as you really are, and not as you pretended to be when in earth life. It is only through kindness, charity, love, good will, search for truth, perseverance, spirit power and meditation we find the desired and only heaven, which is within ourselves waiting to be made and recognized. There are thousands of spirits in spirit life still waiting for Christ to come ; know no more than when in the body, and can be seen in our churches on Sunday tier upon tier; cannot ascend from the earth plane, have learned nothing, because they allowed designing priests to do their thinking for them, and rely on their false teachings for de- liverance from earthbound purgatorial despair. These spirits have been taught they can communi- cate with mortals, hence their bitter opposition to any teachings which prove the falsity of church dog- 68 The Proven Continuity of Life mas. This same church influence is, and has been, one of the most powerful influences to overcome, both in spirit and earth life, in giving these mes- sages : Once their corrupt church practices are laid bare their power is gone, and the contempt and ex- ecrations of the thousands they have wronged awaits them. Like other mortals, priests want power and gold; they have had both during the past sixteen hundred years. That chapter is now closed; with fear and dismay the managers at Rome view the coming storm; but there is no escape; the evidence is here; and there is now an influence among progressed spirits that forces all evildoers to come back here and show just where they lived and where they told the truth ; and none know this bet- ter than the clairvoyants at the Vatican. THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY THE following is a brief compilation of a small part of a portion of the communica- tions referred to in the book entitled "An- tiquity Unveiled," which will enable the reader to fix in mind the salient points of what is to follow, together with some of my own reflections on subject discussed. Those herein selected refer more par- ticularly to the mythical gods Hesus, Christos (Greek Kristos), Hesus-Christos, Prometheus, Jesus Christ, the Cross, and the making of the Christian gospels in the fourth century by Bishops, Kings, and Priests, at the Council of Nice, 325 A. D., where the religion of to-day was first promul- gated through forgeries and interpolations of cun- ning, untruthful bishops and other makers of reli- gions, and Man-Gods, whose methods for power and gold are little understood by the present gener- ation in our country, and now laid bare to the whole world. There was nothing new in claiming Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. At that time fifteen or more different gods were being worshiped. All claimed to have been born of virgins overshadowed by a god, and gave birth to a divine man. The maker of any new religion in order to secure power, money and a following must have a god born of a virgin; clothed with all the attributes mind could 70 The Proven Continuity of Life conceive. Manuscripts of the past containing say- ings of wise men were ransacked and pillaged for anything that would add to the wisdom, beauty and grandeur of the man-made mythical god. In due course, as before stated, the making of gods became a high art. Forgery, interpolating, and deceit were at a premium. Christianity had no beginning until the first half of the third century, and was a com- bination of the Platonic and Alexandrian doc- trines; that is, the Pythagorean, Platonic, Essian, Gnostic, and Eclectic, which latter combined the principles of all the rest. Thirty-two years after the death of Apollonius of Tyana, who brought the original gospels from India, 45 to 50 A. D., Marcion (St. Mark) found certain manuscripts of Apollonius at Antioch and took them to Rome, 130 A. D. These are the orig- inal gospels from which the canonical gospels have been fabricated by Christian plagiarists and are known as the Christian Gospels; changed and in- terpolated by Eusebius and other bishops early in the fourth century at the Council of Nice, 325 A. D., eliminating every mention of Apollonius, or Kristos and substituting the Christ idea, which work became the better assured in proportion as the original writings and traces of them were destroyed. In other words, the Council of Nice established the canonical scriptures of to-day. Almost all the ideas embodied in the Christian Testament were taught at Antioch in the first century, but not in their present form. There is hardly a paragraph which does not contain evidence of a modified repro- The Beginning of Christianity 71 duction of some doctrine prevailing at the time of their production, or in the reign of Augustus. The systems of China, India, Persia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Palestine, and even the Druidical system of northern and western Europe were drawn upon to make up the Eclectic (choosing from the works of others) system of religion founded by Potamon, which, for more than a hundred years after he died in exile, was suppressed, and then revived as being of divine origin, and attributed to les, the Phoeni- cian name of the God of Bacchus, or the Sun per- sonified; meaning "I," the one, and "es," the fire, or light, or as one word, "les," the one light; and this name is to be found everywhere on Christian altars, Protestant and Catholic; thus clearly showing that the Christian religion is but a modification of the Oriental sun worship attributed to Zoroaster. The same letters I. H. S., which are in the Greek text, are read by Christians Jes, the Christian priesthood adding the terminus, making Jesus the name of the fictitious author of the eclectic system of Potamon. To return to the gospels: The gospel of St. Matthew was the gospel of the Armenians, adopted by the priests of Catholicism, who, in or- der to gain over the Armenians to their side, about 350 A. D., inserted it in the Sacred Scriptures. Copies of manuscripts of Apollonius were made by Hegesippus, a Greek, of Athens, 170 A. D. (wrongfully set down in history as a converted Jew) , from translations in the Hebraic- Samaritan tongue. In the fourth century Ulphilas copied a set of gospels and epistles from manuscripts of 72 The Proven Continuity of Life Hegesippus, changed and used the names his Chris- tian employers wanted at the head of their different books, for which he was well paid and made a bishop ; Eusebius, the self confessed forger and in- terpolator, produced the Latin Vulgate Bible in the fourth century, on which the Roman Catholic Church now stands in fancied security, and which is the basis of what is called the Holy Bible. The ninth century produced the Anglo-Saxon; the four- teenth century the Wickliffe ; the sixteenth century the Tyndale, Cloverdale, Geneva, and Great, Bi- bles; the seventeenth produced the authorized, and the nineteenth century the Revised Version. The original manuscripts are claimed to have been lost; nobody knows what has become of them, — or if known would never tell. Strange the title deeds should have disappeared in such a mysterious man- ner, and the church will now doubtless be very glad to know what became of them. It is not agreeable to have one's religious belief questioned, though belief and unbelief are mere empty words. It is why we believe or do not be- lieve that concerns us. Even as children, on find- ing our best friends have deceived us as to Santa Claus, William Tell, and Robinson Crusoe, we suf- fer from the rude awakening, and although tracing the misrepresentation to its source we still cling tenaciously to our early teachings and beliefs. We want and must have them real, spite of absolute proof to the contrary. But, a lie with a good back- ing, with centuries the start, and become a recog- nized truth, is a formidable antagonist, especially The Beginning of Christianity 73 when the priests get plenty of money and the igno- rant votaries are satisfied with hollow and unful- filled promises. Therefore the reader need not feel hurt to be told that while many people feel the need of, and believe in, the Jesus Christ mentioned in the Bible, there are others who, as they think with good reason, believe him to be a mythical, man-made god. And why? Because many unprejudiced, eminent writers, philosophers, and emperors of his time, and since, declare they never heard of him. Men who lived where Jesus is said to have lived, deny it, and say they never heard of such a person. Aside from all other considerations, these are facts and proof conclusive that cannot be brushed aside, side- tracked, hidden, or otherwise done away with. Such proof or testimony would be conclusive in any court of law, and it would seem any man or body of men would agree that it would have been possible for such a remarkable man as Jesus Christ to have lived and the eminent men and writers not have known and made mention of him; and while we have great respect for the opinions and feelings of those who differ, we press on for further informa- tion in our efforts to free mankind from these ap- parently cruel delusions born of ignorant men centuries ago for power and gold. The following distinguished men, historians, well known personages, viz., Josephus, in his history of the first century says there was no such man as Jesus of Nazareth, although a copier of his history fraudulently interpolated a passage in which he said he (Josephus) referred historically to such a man. 74 The Proven Continuity of Life Had such a man lived at that time a full descrip- tion of him would have been given; Pliny, the younger, Agrippina, Celsus, Elder, Plutarch, Sue- tonius, Seneca, Lucian, Judacus, Juvenal, Plotinus, Porphyry, Felix Antoninus, Herod Agrippa, Antipas, all well known writers, historians, men of note, citzens of the same empire, but never heard of Jesus. Marcus Aurelius, the best Emperor Rome ever had, denounced Christianity; Julius Florus, a Roman historian, says, 125 A. D., neither Jesus Christ nor any of his Apostles ever lived; Porphyry says no mention was ever made of Jesus Christ in any of the books of the so-called Christian era; even Abbe Loisy, one of the acknowledged modern authorities, a skilled exegetist, says "that whereas there is no vestige of historical validity to any of the gospels, yet the myth which they relate is beautiful enough in its spirit to animate all men, and that historical accuracy is unessential to the liv- ing truth which they contain." He arrived at his convictions with all sincerity and was indifferent to the effect his book would produce at Rome. Some think Christianity cannot be disproved as it lies in a sphere beyond human inquiry; while Rome obliges Protestants to uphold the historic validity of the Scriptures because it knows its religion (Protes- tant), like its own, is a fraud. Is it possible, or even probable, all these dis- tinguished men should have intentionally lied in say- ing they never heard of Jesus Christ, that he never existed, and that the story of his life is a despicable fraud made years ago by ignorant, designing men The Beginning of Christianity 75 and practiced to this day? A good clergyman says: "Although the author of a certain book does tell of Prometheus (a mythical god crucified on the rocks for sympathy with mankind), a pow- erful suggestion of the sacrifice of later years, it is a very poor book compared with that book which we hug to our hearts because it contains our only guide in life, our only comfort in death, and our only hope for a blissful immortality." Is it not as- tonishing that in this age, people of intelligence are bowing before the superstition which ignorant, cun- ning priests of centuries ago endeavored to perpet- uate for their own benefit? Well may Bishop Car- acalla say, "Enlightened men of to-day must be fools to follow the teachings of such dishonest barbarians as we were ; that at the Council of Nice, 325 A. D., as is not generally known, it was agreed among the bishops there assembled to destroy all writings showing the mythological origin of the Christian religion." From the fourth century in the making of the theological scheme by Eusebius of Cassarea most of the manuscripts relating to Apollonius and Hesus-Christos have been destroyed by Popes and Emperors. They have hidden their tracks with great skill, but are now discovered, and the priestly deception of centuries laid bare; valuable libraries containing priceless manuscripts have been destroyed because containing facts which proved no such person as Jesus Christ ever existed, letting few as possible know what the real contents of these libraries were. Euthalius, a Greek theologian; 76 The Proven Continuity of Life Eusebius, of Caasarea; Constantine the Great; Gregory, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea; Hormisdas; Pontiff Euxenus, a Pythagorean philosopher; Junianus Justinus, Latin historian; Johann J. Griesbach; Procopius; Eunominus, the great Aryan leader; Sotion, teacher of Seneca; Saint Declan; Leonardo Bruni; Montacute, Earl of Salisbury; Pope Nicholas IV; Radbod, King of Friesland; Charles Martel, King of France; Win- fred — St. Boniface; St. Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva; John Asser, Abbot of Sherburn, England; Jacob Capo; Clement Alexandrinus ; Constantinus Pogonatus; Hemas, an Apostolic Father; Cauea- des, a Greek philosopher; Pythagoras, the Samian Sage; Ammonius Saccas, Alexandrian philosopher; Caius Valerius Maximianus Galerius, Roman Em- peror; George Deyverdun; Heinrick Paulus; Sat- urnius, Essian philosopher; Pontius Pilate. Cyril- lus Luchar, Greek patriarch; Quintilian, Latin Grammarian; Julius Lucius Florus, Roman his- torian; Urban VIII, Roman Pontiff; Phraotes, King of Taxila; Cardinal Sancta de Caro; Bod- hishormah, Buddhist priest; Lucius, of Cyrene; John F. Gronovins ; Innocent III, Pope of Rome ; Mesrob, or Mesrop, Armenian theologian; Paul- inas; St. Germain, Bishop of Auxerre; Aronamar, Persian name of Zoroaster; all the above not only deny that Jesus Christ ever existed, but also give incontrovertible proof that the so-called Christian religion is a fraud ; when, where and by whom con- cocted; showing there is not a rite, ceremony, or prayer used by Christians but what was taken from The Beginning of Christianity 77 the religious teachings of India, and China, cen- turies ago; that the whole of the narratives of Christ were derived from the Egyptian and Greek Man-God makers ; that there is no antiquarian but understands that all historic religions, either through relics, monuments, or scrolls have their ori- gin in the Sun. Have all these historians and scholars deliberately falsified in saying they never heard of Jesus Christ, or do you believe somebody else has lied? And can any man familiar with ancient history and the reputation of these writers refuse to accept such proofs of the non-existence of Christ as conclusive? One or two historians might lie about it, but not all of them; neverthe- less, in spite of all testimony to the contrary, so- called Christians filled with superstitious beliefs instilled into their minds in childhood, before old enough to form independent judgments must and will have a Jesus Christ at any and all hazards; and rightly so until something more satisfying is wanted and found. Let us turn for a moment to find where the God Hesus came from: Eusebius says the name of Christian was only recently known, in 823 A. D. The Indian Savior Chrishna, Greek Kristos, was then worshiped in the Eastern portion of the Roman Empire. Little had been known up to that time of the God Hesus, of the Western Empire Druids. As before stated, Constantine was at York, Eng- land, when his father died and knew all about the mythical God Hesus, the second person of the Druidical Trinity, and conceived the idea of con- 78 The Proven Continuity of Life ciliating the subjects of the Western provinces by adopting their God, as well as the Kristos (Latin Christos) of the East, and broached the subject to some of the leading gnostics at Alexandria, then the center of learning of the world. Alexander became its strenuous supporter; Arius set his face firmly against the suggestion and was banished. Constantine then summoned the recognized leaders of the worshipers of Kristos to meet at Nicea, in his palace, in number over three hundred, and sub- mitted his scheme of adopting the Saviors of the Eastern and Western sects in the person of one God, to be called Hesus-Kristos, to combine the characteristics of the Hesus of the West and Kristos of the East. At the Council of Nice 325 A. D., the assembled bishops voted to adopt the scheme of Constantine. Prior to this Council there was no- where to be found any mention of Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Son of God, Son of Mary, or any such person as the Christian's God, and it was not until after the Council of Nice the name Jesus was given to the god, coupled with Kristos (Christos), the latter being nothing more or less than the combination of the names of the heathen gods Hesus and Christos, the combined name being substituted for that of Kristos (Chris- tos) which had been the name up to that time by which he was known to his followers ; and thus was fastened on the world the most accursed and irra- tional form of heathenism that ever held the human mind in bondage. Mr. Roberts says, "It was a master stroke of gov- The Beginning of Christianity 79 ernmental policy on the part of Constantine to blend the prevailing religions of his time into one heathen system that would reconcile the warring in- terests of the various priesthoods who kept the peo- ple in one constant scene of turmoil." Jumanus Justinas, Latin historian, says, "In my day it was Hesus-Christos ; Eusebius made it Jesus Christ." Procopius says, "The Crishna of India before the time of Eusebius was a black man, but Eusebius changed him into a Jew, instead of a Hindoo, think- ing more followers could be had for a white Christ than for a Hindoo. Radbod, King of Friesland, says, "Hesusism began at least eight hundred years before the Christian era and gained a great ascend- ency in Ireland and Gaul and was ardently taught by St. Patrick, and others." Leonardo Bruni says, "Eusebius changed the whole Apollonius version to suit the Hesus-Christos doctrines; the Council of Nice appropriated 'I. E. S.', the sun god of the Phoenicians, making it 'Jes.' The Druid religion was the worship of the sun under the designation of the God Hesus. The Christians' worship of the sun was under the designation of the God Kristos ; hence Hesus-Kristos." St. Declan says, "The Sun was designated by us T. E. S.,' a designation we received from the Phoenicians, but it was corrupted by the Scandinavians into i Hes,' meaning the Sun- Man, or Sun of God; three hundred years later Augustine followers introduced into Ireland the Christos religion of the East." Declan was a Druid follower of Iesus (Hesus), the sun personified: I. meaning one, and E.S. 80 The 'Proven Continuity of Life meaning fire: the one fire, the sun: I.E.S. was pro- nounced "Hes," by the Druids, u.s. was added after- wards. Having learned where the gods Hesus and Kris- tos came from and how utilized by the makers of the Christian religion, let us turn to the matter of the "Cross," and the Crucifixion, of which so little of truth is known. In 680 A. D. Constantinus Pogonatus presided at a council of prominent men holding the highest position in the Christian Church. A change of base was necessary to veil the truth. They adopted a religious symbol because thought to be the best and the least known; viz., the figure of Prometheus (mythical god) , dying on a cross, instead of a rock. The form was that of Prometheus, but the head and face was that of Apollonius. From 680 A. D. that symbol has been the badge of the Christian Church. It was ordained that in place of a lamb the figure of a man should be portrayed on the cross. After 680 A. D. worship of a Lamb on the Cross was prohibited, and a man substituted in its place. By these items of history we learn how the story of the so-called crucifixion of Christ was formulated. For five hundred years, from 130 A. D., when Marcion (St. Mark) took the Epistles of Apol- lonius from Antioch to Rome, to 680 A. D., the ob- ject of Christian worship was a Lamb on the Cross, and not a crucified man, and this latter was to con- ceal the heathen origin of the Christian religion. In adopting the crucifix as a new badge of re- ligion it was to get away far as possible from the The Beginning of Christianity 81 positive truth that on the tombs of Egypt, Phoeni- cia, Greece, and Rome was depicted the same wor- ship of the Lamb, and that Christianity was but a plagiarism of older religions. (Refer to McClin- toch and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Ecclesiastical Lit- erature.) Hormisdas says, "In my day Jesus Christ was worshiped in the form of a Lamb, and shortly after this symbol was altered by Constantinus Pogonatus to conceal his astro-theological origin. That Romanism is simply Paganism, changed into Chris- tianity." M. Attilius Regulus says, "The famous Grecian God Prometheus dying on the Scythian crags was acknowledged as the savior of man 256 B. C, then a pure invention, much as Jesus Christ is now." Lucius Appuleius, an ancient writer, says, "That in the dramatization of his great work, 'Prometheus Bound,' he drew his materials from all the gods he knew of, and was to a great extent the writer of the Gospel of St. Luke." M. Cocceius Nerva, Emperor of Rome, says, "In my day there were about fifteen gods taught, among which was Prometheus, of the Greeks, Horus, of the Egyp- tians, and Hesus, of the Scandinavians, all based on the same theological theory ; viz., a woman (over- shadowed by a god) who gave birth to a divine man born of a virgin. The tragedy of 'Prometheus Bound' was played on the stage at Athens centuries before the Christian Era, and which subsequently suggested to the formulators of Christianity the tragedy of what is called the Crucifixion of the Christian Savior, of which it was not only the pro- 82 The Proven Continuity of Life totype, but also the Christian symbol of the man on the cross." So, there is evidently nothing new in the claim that Jesus was born of a virgin. Why, you ask, did the ancients worship mythical gods? It was because the makers of religious creeds and man-gods centuries ago in order to have followers were obliged to have their gods born of virgins, and clothed them with all the attributes imagination could conceive. Mankind has always needed and insisted on having some god it could call upon and flee to in the hour of trial; knowing its limitations and distrust of man, it is true that no man has seen God at any time, but is essential in his theory of the universe. In his petty conceit he says, "Man was made in the Divine likeness," and it is the basis of his whole system of morals and hope for the fu- ture. The Christian believes God is a spirit, whom he cannot even comprehend; also, believes he is a personal God, of sex a male, but cannot describe just what he is, or looks like. Now, why is this? The reply would seem to be, do you not believe for the most part what you were taught in infancy, and have you not in your own mind pictured and made a supreme being, and is not his existence in the brain, and not in a place called heaven, and, in the end does he not turn out to be an idealized man? In other words, have you not really created him, and without ever realizing you have done so; not even thinking enough about the matter to admit you have mentally done so? But mankind needs and must have, to satisfy the heart yearnings, in obedience to early teachings a super-human being who has om- The Beginning of Christianity 83 niscient knowledge. In other words, it would seem at first sight that the Christians' God is the mere idea of the worshipers corresponding with the in- ward need and desire. What can you know of the Infinite Mind, of that ever beyond the reach of comprehension? Think for a moment how little we can possibly know of the Supreme Intelligence ; maker of this, and all worlds. Is it not by the exercise of reason that we can dis- cover God? For if reason is taken away would we be capable of understanding anything? Plato lays down four principles of information in the human mind: "First, intuition of self-evi- dent truth; second, demonstration by reasoning; third, belief on testimony; fourth, probability, or conjecture." The mind of man wants to know the truth ac- cording to the most infallible certainty which the nature of things can yield. You pray because you were taught in infancy to do so. To whom do you pray? Why, to God, of course. Is it not that you pray to a God you, nor anybody knows any- thing about, and because you want, or are afraid of something? And what makes you think your words are heard by a supreme being you can't even conceive? Why not let all that go? Do we learn religion as we would a trade, or by reflection, medi- tation, and does this arise on things heard, seen, or read? Should we not appeal to our own strength, rely on our own efforts, realizing that each is re- sponsible for his own actions, and plans his own 84 The Proven Continuity of Life destiny? that God requires no mediator; and that religion must be grounded in experience ? The ship goes down spite of beliefs and prayers of priests and passengers; lightning crashes through the church steeple while the little flock are praying for it not to happen ; proving prayers are not answered when really wanted; that their God is no respecter of persons; that belief in man-made gods makes no difference ; that everything on this earth is governed by law; that work with hand and brain is the best prayer, because always answered ; that their god is not the Supreme Intelligence, maker of all worlds ; beyond comprehension. Truth never envelops it- self in mystery. The supernatural is crumbling away before the certainties of Spiritual truths now made manifest; and because modern science fails to recognize the existence of spirit matter (body) , through its material glasses declares its conception a relic of savage superstition. "What you are ac- quainted with consider that you know it ; what you do not understand consider that you do not know it ; this is knowledge." In the higher realms of spirit life there await spiritual truths little dreamed of by mortals and which will be poured down upon you as soon as you make the conditions possible. By reason of the density of our organism compared with spirit organism, the atmosphere is so psychologized that it is most difficult for a refined spirit to come to the earth plane, and, as before stated, still more exhausting for a sensitive spirit to force itself back to earth and manifest through a sensitive (medium) , The Beginning of Christianity 85 whose organism and brain construction make it pos- sible to be used by the higher intelligences in the transmission of communications. After death, mem- ory, intelligence, and will (spirit power), becom- ing more acute than ever, so tinge the atmosphere around them with their own life that the air around these living principles takes apparent shape and form, and thus becoming a semblance of the original body is endowed with all the human faculties. When the attention of thinking minds is given to the subject of spirit control, when they are content to begin at the beginning, to acknowledge they know nothing about it, wish to learn, observe, and study conditions under which messages are given, and not dictate how messages must be sent, instead of sitting at feet of senders and learning how only they can be sent, assuming to know it all, and so, learning noth- ing; then, and then only, can progress be made. There are few books to guide the investigator. In the beginning patience and perseverance are neces- sary to understand the methods used by different spirits in controlling different organisms. The knowledge of knowing how to control and use the organs of speech of a mortal (known for centuries, and through whom all great truths from the higher spheres have always been given to mortals of this earth, as yet not far advanced in intelligence) . The forming of batteries composed of the finest filmy gossamer substance and their uses in controlling, whether for materializations or otherwise, is alone a science in itself. Dematerializing solids into liquid form, carried hundreds of miles in a crucible 86 The Proven Continuity of Life and put back into their original form; speaking in the direct voice. These are but physical manifes- tations, easily proven, and serve the purpose of proving to the beginner the existence of an intel- ligence not yet recognized by so called science. The new science proves the immortality of the soul, the continuity of life; and that there is no such thing as death. It teaches the object and purpose of this life and brings us in touch with wise and advanced spirits through what is termed mental phenomenon. It proves the false and hollow pre- tensions and promises of the church, and shows the penalty paid by mortals on entering spirit life for the infraction of nature's laws, intentional or other- wise. The power and strength of what is termed psy- chic force exercised upon persons and things by spirits out of the body is beyond present human con- ception. That they can and do control mortals for good or evil is well known to clairvoyants and sensi- tives. Psychology is the main instrument used by designing spirits to lead those astray who seek to give the truth as to spirit communication with mor- tals, to the world. By this psychological power so exerted they confuse the senses of individuals and cause them to act in ways that will lessen or destroy their influence. They are, and have been for cen- turies, adepts in the use of this power and often carry it to the extent of obsessing and taking pos- session of the bodies of spirits as well as mortals whom they feel can obstruct the propagation of their views. Low and undeveloped spirits often The Beginning of Christianity 87, take possession of men under the influence of liquor, and commit crimes. Guiteau was obsessed by an ignorant spirit and murdered President Garfield, spite of his prayer for help to dispossess the spirit. Mortals often use psychological powers over those they desire to use to promote their ends and without understanding, or fully conscious of the power so exercised. Advanced and wise spirits can, and do, by reason of the accumulation and storage of this psychic force, compel other spirits guilty of wrong doing in the forging, interpolating, and destruction of priceless manuscripts centuries ago, to return to the earth sphere and make full confession to mortals for the injury to mankind in their wicked scheming in the past to invent a new religion giving them fol- lowers, power, and gold; and thus for centuries keeping the world in mental and spiritual bondage. The powers of evil are now trying as never before to interfere with those, who in order to do this work must step out of the ranks and stand alone in the open. It is no easy task to proclaim to a world sunk in darkness a doctrine not only difficult to grasp, but also repugnant to the ordinary mind. All such, from experience alone must have a genu- ine conviction and speak from their own hearts against guilty dogmas, which are an offense against the intelligence and moral sentiment of the com- munity. There are those who are ready to laugh at you and block the way of your progress. Are you strong enough to endure the mental strain which will be put upon you by vulgar and ignorant opposition? ''Be thou simple, frank, chaste as ice, 88 The Proven Continuity of Life pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny." Each man and woman must make their own destiny ; the same way of life is open to all ; adapt yourselves to the forces of nature and use them when necessary that each may find the possibilities, finite and in- finite of their own entity. With health and com- mand of one's self every man with the breath of the Creator in him is a master, and not a slave, makes his own destiny here and hereafter. There is noth- ing new in spirit control. Thousands of business men are now in the habit of seeking mediums through whom they meet and converse with friends gone before on business matters, just the same as when in the physical body. Why not ! Going out of the body makes no difference to the understand- ing. The same law of attraction takes the spirit back to the banking house, manufactory, or bar- room, there to remain until satisfied, and the condi- tion outgrown. These business men act upon ad- vice given, the same as if the spirit was in the phys- ical ; and if asked by a fellow church member if they believe in spirit communion will deliberately deny it; many know of it and its usefulness, and there is really nothing so very terrible of receiving abso- lute proof of the continuity of life and talking with those near and dear to us. Of the truthfulness of the communications com- ing to Mr. Roberts there can be no question and to the world they are invaluable. In reading them, all prejudice should be laid aside, as well as the idea of a personal God. The question of a Su- preme Being is not under consideration, whether The Beginning of Christianity 89 God, Creator, or Natural Law; and it is only by man's spiritual unfoldment and capacity to compre- hend and appropriate them that these revelations are now brought to the attention of the world. They are here given as received, but small portions only. The biographical references, and the reviews by Mr. Roberts in "Antiquity Unveiled," are un- fortunately only partially included ; the book is full of most interesting and valuable information about the history of past ages and religions. I know of no book of greater importance at the present mo- ment to our countrymen ; it should be in every pub- lic library in the United States. The communica- tions are invaluable. They are Mr. Roberts' legacy, his monument to this and coming genera- tions. Few mortals can appreciate the difficulties he encountered in securing these priceless messages (over 160 in number), nor the disadvantages the spirits labored under in giving expression of thoughts through the organism, the brain of a medium of limited education, with adverse forces in many instances trying to prevent their delivery. The quotations from "Antiquity Unveiled" are but a tithe of many others with biographical refer- ences, and instructive reviews by Mr. Roberts. His examination of every communication with crit- ical eyes, his references, wide reading and deep re- search, examination of authorities and deluge of proofs submitted show the Christian religion as now taught to be founded on Paganism. I have no pe- cuniary interest in the book, and say without hesita- tion, that if "Antiquity Unveiled" could be in every 90 The Proven Continuity of Life household of our country one year the intelligence of the world would be advanced a century in growth. It should be in every library in the United States. No such information can be found in any other book, and should be read by everybody, irrespective of religious belief. APOLLONIUS OF TYANA PHILOSOPHER, TEACHER AND PUBLIC BENEFACTOR HISTORY shows that those men who utter the highest and most beneficial truths to mortals are the saviors of their time — for instance, Confucius, Pythagoras, Plato, Zoroaster, Buddha, Apollonius — and that experience must be the guide and reason the teacher. Such a man and savior was Apollonius, of Tyana, in Cappadocia; born February 16, 2 A. D., and died at Ephesus 99 A. D. A philosopher, teacher, and public bene- factor, with a material body containing more spirit than the most highly developed of men, he never desired to be worshiped nor taught such a doctrine ; he never claimed pre-eminence over any one ; never- theless, he was deified after death and was wor- shiped centuries thereafter. It was not through any physical qualities he possessed different from those of other men that he accomplished what he did, but it was through the spiritual body, and power within, and with him. He gave his large patri- mony to his poor relatives, and after years of dis- cipline and in the pursuit of knowledge went to Antioch and began his great mission by teaching philosophy to a number of his disciples and to the people. He made two journeys to India; the first from 36 to 38, A. D. ; the second from 45 to 50, 91 92 The Proven Continuity of Life A. D. On the latter journey he was accompanied by his friend and disciple Damis when he went to farther India, and at Singapore found Iarchus, chief of the wise men and of the reformed religion, and through the kind offices of Phraotes, king of Taxila, (who gave him the following letter of intro- duction: viz., "Phraotes, to Iarchus, his master, and the wise men that are with him, send greeting: Apollonius being himself a very wise man, but thinking you to be wiser, is coming to you that he may be acquainted with your discipline. Send him therefore away from you instructed in whatever ye know, as being assured that none of your learn- ing shall be lost. He is the most eloquent of all men and hath an excellent memory. Let him also see the throne whereon I sat, when you, Father Iarchus, gave to me my kingdom. Furthermore, his companions deserve much praise, in that they love such a man; Farewell.") obtained from him the reformed Hindoo gospels of Deva Bodhisatona, in relation to the Hindoo God Kristos, which he after- wards used in propagating the Essenia Faith, since interpolated and modified into what are now called the Christian Gospels. The originals of the Gos- pels, treating of the four stages of the life of Bud- dha, were obtained through Hiram Ermaudi, of Taxila, who took Apollonius into farther India. It is well known that the Christian Gospels above re- ferred to were appropriated, interpolated, and changed by Eusebius of Csesarea, and other bishops early in the fourth century in the concocting of their theological Christian scheme, eliminating every Apollonius of Tyana 93 mention of Apollonius, and substituting Paul for Apollonius and the Christ idea, which work became the better assured in proportion as the original writings and the traces of them were destroyed. Indeed, history has been so changed and mutilated by eliminations, forgery, and interpolations in the interests of Christianity as to render it unreliable and misleading. In fact, what is called the Chris- tian religion depended on the destruction of truth contained in ancient writings and the substitution therefor of the interpolations invented by priest- craft, to substantiate their false claims, and this, to an extent well nigh incredible to the present gen- eration. Apollonius was known as the son of Apollo, — Apollo meaning the Sun; the same as "Sol" abbreviated into "Pol." In the book of Acts those names are changed into Saul and Paul, to conceal the fact they related to Apollonius, the ex- pounder of the Hindoo theology set forth in the Christian Scriptures, no part of which has any re- lation to any Jew, whatsoever. To the brief portion of communications from Apollonius and other wise men of the past, and to Jonathan M. Roberts, Esq., whose labors in the cause of humanity, and whose patience, wisdom, and knowledge of spirit control made it possible for these communications to be given to the world the attention of the reader is respectfully invited. MEMOIR OF JONATHAN M. ROBERTS Jonathan M. Roberts, Esq., was born in Mont- gomery Co., Penna., December, 1821, and was a 94 The Proven Continuity of Life man of fine education as well as marked ability. He studied law and practiced it for some years, from which he retired previous to his taking up the editorial pen. Prior to the war, he was an active Abolitionist, and being a man of strong tempera- ment and positive convictions, he became one of the leaders of that party. Subsequently he became an active Republican, and spoke effectively during several campaigns. About 1873 he was convinced of the truth of Spiritualism through receiving com- munications from his father, who, when in earth life, was prominent in national affairs, and a mem- ber of the U. S. Senate. In 1878 Mr. Roberts started Mind and Matter, a weekly journal, de- voted to the interests of Spiritualism and as its able editor gained a well earned reputation as a journal- ist and writer. He was a great student in ancient religious history, and made extensive researches therein, prompted by the revelations received from many ancient and modern spirits. Thus amidst his untiring labors for the good of others, he passed to spirit life February 28, 1888, at his home in Bur- lington, N. J., in the 67th year of his age. On March 26th, 1880, Mr. Roberts, then editor of Mind and Matter, received through the medium the communication from Potamon, the founder of Eclecticism, which opened this regular series. This was followed by communications from other spirits upon the same subject. These continued until 1886, 1 and were printed in a weekly journal as re- i In stating that the first communication of the regular series was received in March, 1880, we do not wish the reader to infer that none were received prior to that date. On the contrary, Aronamar, the Apollonius of Tyana 95 ceived. They contain in a small space a vast amount of knowledge, most of which was unknown to the world before. It is this valuable informa- tion, with the comments by Mr. Roberts, which we now place before our readers. The object of publishing these important and startling revelations is not only because they are of universal interest, but to preserve them to the world as well as meet the popular demand of progressive minds in all civilized lands, civilized not by Chris- tianity, but through education and intelligence. The corroborative evidence embraced in them dem- onstrates conclusively that Apollonius of Tyana was the Jesus of Nazareth, the so-called Saviour of the Christian Scriptures. 2 This great teacher now returns to earth, and inspires a medium through whom he explains the mysteries which have sur- rounded the origin of so-called Christianity. This work differs from all others preceding it from the fact that it is dependent upon history only so far as to identify the individuals giving the com- munications, and to bring to notice collateral facts bearing upon their testimony. 3 presiding spirit of the band under whose ministrations they were all given, communicated with Mr. Roberts as early as April, 1878, as will be seen from the following extract. Mr. Roberts in his notes says: "Little did I think when I received the communication from Arona- mar, April 25, 1878, what was to follow it two years later through the same medium. On March 26, 1880, I received the communication from Potamon, the founder of the Alexandrian or Eclectic school of philosophy, which opened this remarkable series, since which time I have never received any communication which referred to myself per- sonally, but all were in the line of this work." 2 Many of these spirit witnesses could not deliver their testimony in the order arranged by the spirit guides of the medium, for the reason that conditions were unfavorable. s It is clearly proven in these pages that history has been so mu- 96 The Proven Continuity of Life Many of these witnesses now return and contra- dict the assertions of Christian writers, viz.: that they taught and upheld Christianity while on earth. Others testify that they have learned in spirit life the fallacy of the teachings of Christianity. Still others testify, as they did in earth life, that they knew the teachings of Christianity were not in ac- cord with truth, but were composed of fragments gathered from the decayed religions of the past, and molded by skillful minds into the shape best suited for their purpose; after which all traces of their ancient origin were destroyed as far as possi- ble, that they might appear as a direct inspiration from God. Hence we cannot expect to find the root of the Christian religion at the comparatively recent date of eighteen hundred years ago, but back through the dim vista of the Oriental ages. Many of these spirit witnesses it appears, fearing for their lives, withheld the truth while on earth. Though Mr. Roberts was a well-read man of great intelligence, he had heard of but very few of the authors of these spirit communications until they introduced themselves to him through the medium. He was, therefore, greatly surprised at receiving such startling historical disclosures, and found it necessary to continually refer to encyclo- paedias, biographical dictionaries, etc., in order to establish their identity, and obtain as much evidence as possible of the correctness of their statements. This required the labor and research of years. tilated by eliminations, forgery and interpolation in the interests of Christianity, as to render it unreliable and misleading in the extreme. Apollonius of Tyana 97 Many of the historical sketches of these spirits had to be translated from other languages into English, and in cases where there were no historical records extant, their statements had to be tested by the light of collateral evidence. The historical accounts that could be obtained of others were evidently mutilated by writers in the interests of Christianity to an ex- tent that rendered such records as history unreli- able, as well as unjust to the subjects thereof. No scholar living on earth at the present day, however learned, unaided by spirit intelligence, could thus have laid bare the facts in this connection, and certainly not one who, as an individual, was a marked illustration of how the ignorant and un- lettered are chosen by the "powers that be" to con- found the wise. The spirit messages are given ver- batum as received, but the biographical references are inserted in a few instances only, as it would make the volume too large. For a similar reason the comments of Mr. Roberts are only partially in- cluded. Enough of the latter, however, are given, to show the reader how deeply he entered into this vast subject, and also give him some idea of the labor required to consummate this work. At many of these sittings other individuals, in com- pany with Mr. Roberts, were present, hence there is no lack of evidence that the communications were received through the medium and carefully re- corded. During the time these interviews were in progress, many questions were put to the spirits which were suggested by their statements. These were answered with a promptness and facility which 98 The Proven Continuity of Ldfe proved their ability to elucidate any point bearing upon the subject under consideration. If the me- dium had been simply a pretender, instead of a passive instrument under spirit control, these ques- tions would have remained unanswered. Some readers of this work, not knowing the es- sential facts connected with its history, and moved by their prejudices, born of a false education, may attempt to make it appear that the contents were produced through collusion between Mr. Roberts and the medium regardless of their misleading effects. No greater mistake could be made. From the evidence herein set forth, it appears that too much collusion has already been practiced by the Church authorities in the past for the good of mankind, the evil of which seems now in a fair way to be corrected by witnesses from whose testimony there can be no appeal. In regard to Mr. Roberts, no shadow of suspicion could reflect upon him as to collusion in this matter, for he was known to be a man of the highest integrity, whose record would bear examination even by his opponents. His abil- ity, scholarly attainments, intelligence and earnest- ness, evinced in his exhaustive labors upon this sub- ject to discover the truth, are apparent throughout the entire work. Those who are unfamiliar with this mode of spirit intercourse, will scarcely comprehend the difficulties to be surmounted before these spirits were able to accomplish their self-imposed task. It seems marvelous to those who understand the laws governing these manifestations, that these spirits Apollonius of Tyana 99 should be able to return and deliver so coherently this vast array of evidence, while controlling a phys- ical organism so unlike their own ethereal organism. The consistency with which these individuals who lived on earth, not only in the remote ages of an- tiquity, but down through the centuries, present their testimony, every vital part in coherence with the other, is among the most remarkable events in the history of our world. In this instance the dif- ficulties were largely augmented by the presence of a great opposing force from the spirit side, com- posed of those who from the very inception of the Christian religion have been engaged in promul- gating its teachings, borrowed from heathen myth- ology and galvanized with the name and sentimen- talism of Christianity. These spirit enemies of truth evidently knew that the result of these reve- lations reaching the world meant annihilation of the power they had gained, therefore every obstacle they could control was placed in the way to prevent their transmission. These witnesses were mostly the learned men of their time, embracing rulers, prophets and histo- rians. They step to the front in the nineteenth century to reflect light on history's pages, by point- ing out the criminal errors caused by interpolation and elimination, thus showing how the records of the past have been mutilated and the truth misrep- resented for selfish ends. In doing this they have fearlessly laid bare the parts where personal am- bition has prompted changes foreign to the truth and misleading to mankind. The light they bring 100 The Proven Continuity of Life includes not only what they acquired on earth, but also the clearer knowledge gained in spirit life. To close readers of the history of man's spiritual unfoldment, it must be evident that these revela- tions were brought to the attention of the world as soon as the state of man's growth enabled him to comprehend and embrace them. That the great and good in the spirit realms have been struggling for centuries through adverse conditions to consum- mate this great task, no unprejudiced reader can doubt. That they have failed many times in the past is equally true, consequently all efforts in that direction had to be abandoned from time to time until man had progressed to a condition which rendered success possible. Destiny, it appears, awarded that period to the latter part of the nine- teenth century. The following is a small portion of the communi- cations received from Apollonius of Tyana, and other illustrious and learned men of the past: "I was born February 16, 2 A. D., at Tyana, in Cap- padocia, of wealthy parents, and educated until my 26th year in general philosophy and literature. I served for six years under Euxenes of Heracleia learning the Pythagorean philosophy, then went to Antioch and from there to Jerusalem, where, on account of some physical manifestations of spirit power through my then young mediumship, which persons living in Jerusalem had heard of, my en- trance was hailed as has been alleged the entrance of Jesus of Nazareth was hailed, with hosannas and Apollonius of Tyana 101 songs of praise to one who came in the name of the Lord : Never did I desire during my mortal life to be worshiped after death, nor teach such a doctrine : but I was deified after my death : Nine epistles were made a present to me by Phraotes of Taxila, India. Those Epistles contained all that is embraced in the present Epistles claimed to have been written by St. Paul ; and from what I have learned as a spirit I conclude I am both the Jesus and St. Paul of the Christian Scriptures: — Flattering enough to my vanity, but the ruin of my happiness. I desire to speak of the ultimate of spirit power on earth: Materialists claim it is impossible to restore that which is dead to life. Upon my own knowledge, I assert that if you have developed your body into a holy, trusting love, with a heart that beats for hu- manity, if such a person comes in contact with a young body from which the spirit has been driven out before it could accomplish its mission, take that body by the hand, and with mighty will, arrest that spirit, he can force it back to the body it once in- habited and make it fulfill its mission. The spirit addressing you is not confined to the limits of the form you see before you, but extends far around it, as well. It was through the spiritual power within me that I accomplished what I did. Those men and women who utter the highest and most bene- ficial truths to their fellow mortals are the Saviors of their time, and the highest sensitive mortals in any generation who are living nearest nature's di- vine law of truth, will bring forth a child who may be the so-called Savior of that generation. I was 102 The Proven Continuity of Life neither ostracized nor banished for anything I did, said, or had written; but retired voluntarily to the same island to which, as is alleged, the St. John of Revelations went, 69 and 70 A. D., and there I wrote an identical story with that attributed to the so-called St. John, the Revelator. The Anti-Ni- cene Library contained documents (some still ex- tant), that fully warrant you in challenging the translators of to-day as to correctness of their pro- duction, as they are erroneous in many particulars. I declare the Christian gospels were preached by me at Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, Athens, Philippi, Rome, Alexandria, and at Babylon; I healed the sick, restored sight to the blind and raised the dead ; I claim no pre-eminence over any one, and only say, that my body contained more spirit than the aver- age of men at the time I existed in mortal flesh. All the Christian gospels are borrowed from the books I brought from India, obtained in part from Phraotes. I think those books were used by the Platonists, Eclectics and Gnostics of Alexandria, about 150 years after I died at Ephesus A. D. 99. The originals of the Gospels I obtained through one Hiram Ermandi, of Taxila, who took me forward into farther India. They were written on thin, tough paper, and treated of the four stages of the life of Buddha; viz., birth, childhood, mature life, and death. These books I obtained at Singapore, between India and Sumatra. One Hegesippus made copies from my translations and modified ver- sions of the originals in the Samaritan tongue, and Ulphilas copied from the manuscripts of Hegesip- Apollonius of Tyana 103 pus. I wrote in the Hebraic-Samaritan tongue, the language of my country." The above is but a small portion of communica- tions given. Refer to Penny Cyclopaedia, London, A. D. 1834, as to life of Apollonius. In "An- tiquity Unveiled," Mr. Roberts devotes thirteen pages to the history of Apollonius and a review of above communication, both highly interesting and instructive, but which lack of space prevents repro- ducing here; and the same rule unfortunately ap- plies to all subsequent communications herein con- tained. He says: "The total silence of authors of the first and second centuries regarding Apollonius can be ac- counted for on but one theory; viz., That it was a necessity to ignore Apollonius and his teachings, that the so-called Catholic religion could gain a foot- hold. Besides, the fragmentary remains of works of first three centuries reaching us had to pass through the hands of Eusebius, that prince of forgers and interpolators Pope Sylvester I, and their successors, who, from the fourth to sixteenth century, interpolated, mutilated and destroyed every trace of evidence possible that showed the real origin and nature of the Christian religion. In the Codex Beza the name is not Apollos, but Apol- lonius ; but even this positive clue to the identity of Apollonius with the St. Paul of the Christians was attempted, to be obliterated by substituting Apollos for Apollonius, as it originally stood. The tell- tale confession from 1st Epistle to the Corinthians stands; viz., "For while one saith I am Paul, and 104 The Proven Continuity of Life another, I am of Apollos, who then, is Paul and who Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed ; I have planted; Apollos watered but God gave the in- crease," etc. Paulina, Pompeia, wife of the Roman Emperor Trajan, says: "Apollonius preached in Rome under the name of Paulus, or Paul, in the reign of the Emperor Domitian, thus identifying Apollo- nius with the Jesus and Paul of the Christian Bible." Damis, the friend and disciple of Apollonius of Tyana, says : "All subordinate conditions of an in- ferior character must give way where a great object is to be obtained. The spirit of opposition to what I am here to say is of the most intense character. Everything possible has been done to prevent my coming here. I was born at Ephesus, the chief city of worship of the great Diana of the Ephesians. Apollonius made two journeys to India, and not one as generally supposed. The first was from 36 to 38 A. D. ; the last one was from A. D. 45 to 50. From the latter he brought back the Indian gospels in relation to the Hindoo God Christos. Apollo- nius first attempted to introduce the religion of Christos at Nazareth, a small village near Gaza. The most important part of the life of Apollonius extended over the reigns of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, Nerva and Trajan. I wrote memoirs of Apollonius from about 34 to 80 A. D., and died 90 A. D. The Greek followers of the mythical god Prometheus, mutilated those memoirs. They were greatly op- Apollonius of Tyana 105 posed to the introduction of the Indian Christos among the Greeks. Apollonius was founder of the Nazarite sect, and was the real Paul. I was twice at Rome with Apollonius, 41 and 63 A. D., and was at Alexandria, Egypt, when Apollonius was tried before Domitian. Marcion and Lucian obtained mutilated copies of my Memoirs concerning Apol- lonius and used them in shaping their gospel trag- edies." The Nouvelle Biographie Generale says : "Da- mis was a Greek historian, an inhabitant of New Nineveh : he accompanied Apollonius and wrote an account of his journeys, which served as a basis of the life of Apollonius by Philostratus." The Biographie Universelle says of Damis: "He was versed in languages of the East, and a faithful companion of Apollonius as long as he lived. Damis bequeathed writings concerning his master to one of his relatives, which at a later period became the property of Julia, the wife of Septimus Severus. This Princess entrusted to Philostratus, an eloquent sophist of high reputation, the duty of editing the life of Apollonius, of Tyana." Through this testimony of Damis we have been taken to India, the source of Christianity, and in- stead of its having any relation to Jesus Christ, or Jesus of Nazareth, it relates to the Hindoo Savior Christos, and was carried to the Roman Empire by Apollonius of Tyana about the time it is alleged the mission of Jesus Christ began. It will be remembered that about the beginning of the third century A. D. in the reign of Septimus 106 The Proven Continuity of Life Severus, Philostratus wrote his life of Apollonius, taking the facts of his history from the memoirs of Damis, from his birth to the beginning of the second century and from Mceragenes to the time of Euas- thenes, and from their works wrote his history ; but every effort was made by succeeding Popes and emperors since the reign of Constantine the Great, A. D. 837, to destroy what he (Philostratus) wrote. At that time Philostratus says there was no such thing as the Christian religion, and no one knew of such a person as Jesus of Nazareth, nor could any of the scripture narratives of the life of Jesus Christ so nearly analogous to the events he related con- cerning Apollonius have been in existence. That in the third century at Rome, the special and orig- inal seat of the Christian church, Apollonius was worshiped as the savior of men at the very time he (Philostratus) wrote his biography. Had Jesus of Nazareth been so worshiped at that time what reason would there have been in the Emperor Sev- erus and his subjects to have worshiped Apollonius as a savior. The latter was then deified by the Romans, and his statue set up in the temple of Jupiter. Had Jesus Christ and his Apostles been living when Apollonius lived and labored, Damis, who was with him much of that time, would have made some mention of such people, either favorably, or unfavorably. That he did not do so is of itself sufficient proof that Jesus Christ, his apostles, nor the Christian Religion had an existence before or during the period, which was the only time they could have had a real existence. Apollonius of Tyana 107 One of the greatest proofs Christians bring for- ward to establish the historical existence of Jesus is the letter of Pliny the Yiounger, to Trajan. There was such a letter but the word "Christians" written thereon was a forgery. The word used was Es- senes, not Christians. Pliny says, that as early as the beginning of the second century, A. D., no such person as Jesus Christ was known, and no such people as Christians had ever been heard of. Ori- gen, claimed to have been a Christian Father, says there was not a scrap of evidence to be found as late as A. D. 180, showing the existence of the so- called Jesus Christ. The whole narrative relative to such a person came from the Greek and Egyp- tian god-makers. Josephus wrote nothing of Jesus of Nazareth because no such person lived in the only period of the world's history in which such a man could have lived, and says there were no Chris- tians in A. D. 100, in the reign of Trajan. Any person of ordinary comprehension can see that the passage in which it is said he referred historically to such a man was fraudulently interpolated by some Christian copier of his history. The Nazarites were held in the greatest contempt by the Jews, and it was for that reason the Christian priesthood chose that obscure village of Judea for the scene of Jesus' abode : Agrippina, mother of Nero, 12 to 59 A. D., left voluminous writings, but never mentioned the name or existence of Jesus. Pliny the Elder never men- tioned Jesus in his history (37 volumes), dealing largely of things in Palestine. Celsus wrote vol- 108 The Proven Continuity of Life uminously, 150 A. D., showing Jesus was a myth, and the New Testament a forgery. Plutarch wrote more than 100 lives of distinguished men but never mentioned, nor even heard of Jesus of Nazareth. Seutonius, and Seneca, both wrote voluminously, histories and biographies, but neither mentioned, nor heard a word about Jesus Christ. Lucian, Ju- venal, Philo Judacus, born in Bethlehem, Plotinus, Porphyry, never heard of Jesus. Marcus Aurelius, the best Emperor Rome ever had, denounced Chris- tianity as a fable. Felice Antoninus, Herod Agrippa, Herod Antipas, all citizens of the same empire, but never heard of Jesus. Julius L. Florus, a Roman historian, says: "Neither did Jesus Christ ever live, nor were any of his so-called Apostles known, A. D. 125." Porphyry, who wrote 15 volumes, says: "In the earliest books and manuscripts of the so-called Christian Era, there was no mention made of Jesus Christ, ex- cept as a kind of Sun-god." Pope Gregory says: "No such person as Jesus of Nazareth ever existed." Pausanius, 150 A. D., traveled through Syria, and left ten books of history and never heard of Jesus. Even Flavius Josephus failed to make mention of Jesus of Nazareth, the twelve Apostles, or any of the claimed founders of the Christian religion, or any religious sect as Christians. In the face of such evidence as this is it not useless to pretend such people lived and acted, as is represented in the Christian Scriptures, spite of the forging, in- terpolating and destruction of manuscripts by Eusebius and his accomplices? Apollonius of Tyana 109 Long before, as well as after the so-called Chris- tian era, all gods were born of virgins, so there was nothing new in the claim that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, for it was of frequent occurrence. There were fifteen such gods worshiped at the same time Jesus Christ was said to have been born, and as M. A. JRegulus says, "the priests finding the masses would not worship anything that was not covered by a veil of secrecy resorted to gods born of virgins; a fundamental principle in nearly all re- ligions now existing, with the sun as the central pivot, which sun has been corrupted into son." John Asser, Abbot of Sherburn, England, says: "Among the manuscripts of Alfred the Great there were about fourteen crucified gods treated of. They were all performers of miracles, all born of virgins, and all were crucified, or killed in some other way." M. C. Nerva, Emperor of Rome, says : "The foundation of the history of the fifteen gods worshiped in my day, was the theory of a woman, overshadowed by a God, who gave birth to a divine man, born of a virgin." (Refer to Bi- ographie Universelle.) Varro, a Roman writer, B. C. 28, says: "All Gods worshiped were typical personations of the sun, and simply the creation of men; and to hold the masses, they were compelled to have something tangible to worship; gods and saints with all kinds of heads." Lucian, the Greek satirist, says : "One and the same idea ran through the religion of all nations as to their gods having been born of virgins, that in Sicily, this idea had in the past become so common that death was imposed 110 The Proven Continuity of Life upon women who claimed to have been impregnated by god, or gods." (Refer to Chambers 3 Encyclo- paedia as to Varro.) It is impossible to judge how far the writings of Apollonius, who died in the year A. D. 99 at Ephe- sus, came into the hands of Marcion and Lucian, (the St. Mark and St. Luke of the synoptical gos- pels) in their orignal shape, in A. D. 130, or to what extent they altered them before coming into the hands of Eusebius, and his coadjutors of the Coun- cil of Nice, A. D. 325. But, whatever the changes there is nothing original connected with it as an original religion. Marcion, a native of Cappa- docia, the father of Christianity, says he changed and interpolated the Pauline Epistles to suit him- self ; that he obtained them at Antioch, and brought them to Rome; that they contained facts not known to the world at large and presented an opportunity to make himself great; that these Epistles were copied from the originals by Apollonius, (Apollos, or Paulus), and to disguise the identity of their author, Apollonius of Tyana, he (Marcion) inter- polated that description of Paul that was after- wards copied by Lucian; that the foundation of those Epistles was the sign of the Zodiac, known as Aries, the Ram, or Lamb ; that the early Christians all worshiped a Lamb, instead of a Man, on the Cross; that the Epistles were written in the Cap- padocian or Samaritan tongue, and that he was the first person to introduce these Epistles to public notice in A. D. 130. "Mr. Roberts says: "From the above it would Apollonius of Tyana 111 seem that the Epistles attributed to St. Paul by the Christians were certain Epistles of Apollonius of Tyana, found some thirty-two years after his death at Antioch, by Marcion, who copied, altered, and took them to Rome, A. D. 130 and was the first to introduce them to the public. That Mr. Charles B. Waite in his priceless history of the Christian religion to A. D. 200 shows conclusively that the gospel of Marcion is the original from which the four Canonical Gospels have been fabricated by Christian plagiarists, that it was the Sanscrit Gos- pels of Deva Bodhisatona, obtained and modified by Apollonius in accordance with his philosophic views, and still further modified by Marcion in the Gospel he preached at Rome, again modified by some writer thirty years afterward, and labeled the gos- pel according to St. Luke. The author of the gospels of Marcion, and St. Luke, and the Pauline Epistles being one and the same person, and that person none other than Apollonius of Tyana, the only Apollos, or Paulus, or Paul that ever had an existence. Marcion was the compiler of the first complete gospel, collector of the Epistles of Paul, editor and publisher of the first New Testament, but his works have shared the common fate of those of the so-called heretics of the second century, none of which works in their original form have been permitted to come down to us." (Refer to works of Dr. Lardner.) Lucian says, "He merely followed the statements of Marcion, never thinking his description of St. Paul would be seized upon by Christians in after 112 The Proven Continuity of Life ages to perpetuate their fraud ; that it mattered not what events he sought to use, sacred or historical, so he could make them suit his purposes ; that all men are selfish, so far as securing the comforts of life and gaining prominence over their fellow men is concerned." In those days, no more was thought of bringing a new god into existence, so long as he was born of a virgin, than in these days of issuing the prospectus of a gold mine; power and gold being the object in view in both cases; the one telling the biggest lies, miscalled miracles, secured the most and best paying followers. Euthalius, a Greek Theologian, says: "The Pauline Epistles were brought from India by Apol- lonius. The gospel of St. Matthew is not original, but is of Armenian origin. The gospel according to St. Mark was left by Apollonius with the Thessa- lonians. The gospel according to St. Luke is a modified version of the legend of 'Prometheus Bound,' as rendered by Lucian and Marcion at Rome. The gospel according to St. John was writ- ten by Apollonius toward the later part of his life on the Island of Patmos ; that the canonical Epistles were all derived from the writings of Apollonius and were appropriated by Eusebius of Csesarea to make good his theological scheme; that he (Eu- thalius) put these Indian writings into his own shape, eliminating from them every mention of Apollonius, or Krishna (Latin, Christos), and sub- stituted therefor the names of Paul and the Christ idea ; that the work of Eusebius and himself became Apollonius of Tyana 113 the better assured in proportion as the original writ- ings and the traces of them became destroyed." In fact, from the fourth century, in the making of the theological Christian scheme by Eusebius of Csesarea all manuscripts and documents relating to Apollonius and Hesus, Christos and other Gods have been destroyed by Popes and emperors except certain manuscripts in the private keeping of the Roman Catholic Church and monasteries; the priests of past centuries have hidden their tracks well, and to-day the church rests in fancied secur- ity, from the fact that so much evidence in support of those records has been destroyed, — knowing, that but for the destruction of the records of the past Christianity would not have existed to-day. The doctrines taught by Apollonius were of such a char- acter that the Christians could not afford to let them be known, and they perished in the first cru- sade against the contents of the Alexandrian Li- brary. Pope Gregory VII, by whose order the library of the Palatine Apollo was destroyed, con- taining priceless manuscripts from the first to the middle of the fourth century, gives as a reason for this heartless destruction of invaluable literature that there were recorded in that library all the facts that would prove that no such person as Jesus of Nazareth ever existed, letting as few as possible know what the real contents of that library were. (Refer to Chambers' Encyclopaedia.) Hierocles, in the fourth century, boldly charged upon the Christian priesthood their plagiarism of the teachings of Apollonius; but Eusebius, the 114 The Proven Continuity of Life champion interpolator and destroyer of manu- scripts, took good care to destroy the testimony of Hierocles and his arraignment of the Christian priesthood, and thus prevented it from coming down to us. Eusebius said the Christian religion did not originate with Jesus Christ, and Christianity, as such was new, as late as 325 years after the pre- tended birth, and admitted the whole story about Jesus Christ was mythical and intended to gain power for himself and his Christian coadjutors. A great many old books and manuscripts are still at Rome, kept hidden from the world, but the time will soon come when they must become known. Clement Alexdrinus says of Eusebius, of Cses- area: "All his translations of my writings are in the main forgeries; but hopes his (Clement's) writ- ings, of which true copies as they originally read are now in the possession of the Maronite monks of Mt. Lebanon, Syria, and may yet be forthcoming; these once in possession of the moderns and the whole fabric of Christianity will be stamped as a forgery." To ancient astronomers it was well known that the theological gods of every people, not excepting the Christian world, were the allegorical legends of the Sun's career in his annual route through the heavens. The ancient Christians worshiped the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries, the Lamb, or Ram. In 161 A. D. the renowned priests of the East and West throughout the civilized world assembled in Council at Alexandria, and adopted as a symbol of common worship the body of the Grecian God, Prometheus, suffering for mankind on the Scythian Apollonius of Tyana 115 Crag, to which should be attached the head of Apol- lonius of Tyana. Christianity did not have a beginning until the first half of the third century. Until 350 A. D. the gospel of Matthew was the gospel of the Armen- ians, when, in order to get them to adopt their Christian doctrines it was adopted by the priests of Catholicism, who then inserted it in the sacred scrip- tures. Christocism was changed into Christianity between the fourth and fifth centuries, in order to meet the wave of Christian doubt through the "Hesus" element of Western Europe. The reason why the founders of Christianity destroyed so many manuscripts written prior to A. D. 250, was because they showed that the Pythagorean, Platonic, and Essian, Gnostic and Eclectic religious systems, to- gether formed the basis of Christianity as it now stands. Eusebius, almost the sole authority for the earliest facts concerning Ecclesiasticism, was the Christian Church historian. He was most prominent in the Council of Nice, A. D. 325, that established the Canonical Scriptures of to-day; which erected a myth, and then, and ever after- wards have cheated their fellow men with their god- man, shielding themselves behind that mandate, "Thus saith the Lord," and combining church and state. Lucius Appuleius, an ancient writer, says: "If the works of Lucian had not been interfered with there would have been no necessity for the spirit communications you are now receiving. For, in the dramatization of his great work 'Prometheus 116 The Proven Continuity of Life Bound,' Lucian prefaced it by expressly saying that he drew his material not only from iEschylus, but from the gods of all nations he knew of, and this, because of the similarity of their teachings." (Re- fer to Chambers 3 Encyclopaedia.) Carneades, a Greek philosopher, says: "The character and career of the mythical god Prome- theus were almost identical with those of the Christos of India; the story of Prometheus being nothing more than a plagiarism by the Greeks of that relating to Christos. All the god-systems, or Christs born in the flesh, grew out of the heathen idea of sacrifice as a propitiation for sin." (Refer to Smith's Greek and Roman Biography.) Cardinal Caesar Baronius, Librarian of the Vati- can Library, prior to 1607, says: "The old manu- scripts showed that Christianity did not have a be- ginning until the first half of the third century, and that one Papius, a priest in Syria, was the origin- ator of that religion. That the Christian story was derived from a Grecian tragedy, the hero of which was a dying God ; and the first man that taught such a doctrine was Apollonius of Tyana, who got the idea in India from the narrative regarding the Hin- doo God Crishna, who is in reality the Christ of the Christians; that the documents to which he al- ludes the Catholics have not destroyed, but the originals are in the hands of the Order of Jesus, and no priest is allowed to read them unless he takes the oath of eternal secrecy. That there is not a learned Catholic in the priesthood, to-day, but knows that Christianity is nothing more than an old Apollonius of Tyana 117 pagan idea revived, but as it gives them power their lips are sealed." (Refer to Nouvelle Biographie Generale.) Eusebius of Caesarea, Palestine, was born 270 A. D. and died 340 A. D. Toward the end of the fourth century many errors had crept into the old Latin versions that the churches were in danger of losing the pure scripture of the Apostolic days. Just at this crisis there returned to Rome one of the greatest scholars and holiest men of the day, Eusebius Hieronymas (St. Jerome), and his high reputation pointed him out at once as the man to undertake this important task. His revision of the New Testament was completed in 385 A. D., and later the Old Testament. No other work has had such an influence on the history of the Bible. For more than a thousand years it was the parent of every version of the scriptures in Western Europe. It was called revolutionary and heretical, an im- pious altering of the inspired word of God; but at the famous Council of Trent, a thousand years later, eighteen years in session in making new and infamous doctrines that have since held mankind in mental bondage many centuries, they decreed the old Latin Vulgate should be considered correct, and to this day their church has refused, and dare not advance farther. Eusebius says in his confession: "I yield under protest ; I hate both my mortal and spirit life. The prince of interpolators, forgers, and plagiarists now inhabits the organism of this man before you. Curse you, and your book; I have fought these 118 The Proven Continuity of Life spirit powers during two long years before they got me here to-night. I am not the forger of the pas- sage relative to Jesus Christ, in Josephus ; I merely copied it; Justin Martyr did it, in his Epistle to Antoninus Pius, begging that he wouldn't perse- cute Christians, on account of the similarity of the Christian with the Pagan God." In chapter 2 of his ecclesiastical history Eusebius says: "The epistles and gospels of the ancient Therapeutee are those of the present day; and another thing I was compelled to say in my history, was, that the gospel of Jesus Christ was neither new nor strange; that there is no Archbishop, Cardinal, nor Pope that has not tampered with everything that could throw light upon Christianity. It had its origin, and was founded by Apollonius of Tyana. All the epistles and gospels are in reality the creation of the Chris- tian priests. Some were named in the second cen- tury, and others not until the fourth century. The epistles of Apollonius were in the Syriac-Hebraic tongue and the Greek writers translated them to suit themselves. The original (if ever there was an original) Jesus Christ was a Hindoo God, known under the name of Christos, or Krishna, the modern way of spelling it to disguise the truth, and was worshiped in the temple of Mathura, on the Jumna, 1200 B. C. I don't come here to confess anything willingly, but am trapped by spirits who know more than I do. I hate to give this communication ; it is a surrender of power. No man likes to give up power. I have confessed only what their power made me confess: I have had to do it. But to me Apollonius of Tyana 119 this is the worst experience I have ever had to un- dergo. I would rather have spent a hundred years in hell than to have acknowledged what I have done here." Eusebius wrote a chapter bearing the monstrous title, "How far it may be lawful and fitting to use falsehood as a medicine for the advantage of those who require such a method." (Refer to Smith's Dictionary of Roman Biography.) Gregory of Constantinople, says: "I was one of the principal parties who placed the Christian scriptures in their present shape. Every priest knows Apollonius was the original Jesus Christ; the latter a myth ; I come not of my own will ; I am forced to tell what I know about Christian interpo- lations, robbery, and lying. I deceived, because it gave me power. I tampered with the books that have been described here to-day. I substituted names in them that were not in the originals, and helped all I could to destroy the idea of man per- forming any good work of himself, and to induce people to rely entirely for the atonement of their sins, on Jesus. I also destroyed many valuable books, for fear some one would discover my fraudu- lent conduct. If you must have a savior I do not see why you should not have the right one. It is better to build on a reality than a myth ; Apollonius, in spirit life has a noble school of philosophy for spirits who desire to be educated. One of the most consummate villains that ever lived, and who did more to retard learning the truth regarding this Christ, than any other, was Eusebius, for he spent 120 The Proven Continuity of Life his whole life in interpolating, mutilating and de- stroying everything that was against Christianity, and the first, Pope Sylvester I, was also guilty of a similar destruction of those books." (Refer to Nouvelle Biographie Generate.) Constantine the Great, a Roman emperor, says: "I possessed a valuable library, became a Christian fanatic, and destroyed it. The four gospels were originally Buddhistic gospels, and were written by Deva Bodhisatona, in an ecstatic state. They were mingled with Platonism, by Potamon; this is the true account of the Christian New Testament." (Refer to American Cyclopaedia.) Gregory, Bishop of Neo-Cassarea, says: "I was a collector, and interpolator of manuscripts. My whole collection fell into the hands of Eusebius who destroyed all he could not use. I lived at same place as Eusebius, and one of the most important manuscripts he destroyed was 'The History of the Initiated,' the other was 'The Syntagma.' " Mr. Roberts says, "Where, think you, would Christian- ity be to-day had 'The History of the Initiated' been saved from this duplicity?" (Refer to Bio- graphie Generate.) Hormisdas, a Roman Catholic Pontiff, says : "I knew that Eusebius was a forger upon the writings of Apollonius. Romanism is Paganism, changed into Christianity. I helped destroy copies of writ- ings of Apollonius, Damis, Basilides, in order to secure power. This power I have held for thirteen hundred years, but am now forced to tell the truth." On leaving he asked, "Was either of you ever com- Apollonius of Tyana 121 pelled to tell the truth while assembled thousands looked upon your disgrace?" And further, "I united the Greek and Roman Churches after they had once separated and I lay all the folly of these infidels to the fools who afterwards broke that union. If what I labored for had been fol- lowed up by my successors your infidels would not have dared to send your bold, daring, and vindictive spirits over here to fight us. Curse the Truth. I would lie to you but I cannot." (Refer to Bio- graphie Generale.) Euxenus, a Pythagorean philosopher, says: "The doctrines of Apollonius were of such a char- acter that the Christians could not afford to let them be known, and they perished in the first crusade against the contents of the Alexandrian Library. Apollonius of Tyana, I know from personal obser- vation and knowledge, was the Jesus of Nazareth of the Christians, and fully established by writings of Saturninus, Basilides, and Valentinus, all gnos- tics, and the two latter of same city, and those who followed them in the second and third centuries. Truth is greater than falsehood. I have long de- sired the time to come when I could obtain this op- portunity to testify that Apollonius of Tyana, whose memory and renown were hilled through Eusebius at the Council of Nice, was the real Jesus of modern Christianity." This is but a brief notice of the long and most instructive communi- cation from Euxenus; the comments of Mr. Rob- erts thereon and his deep research in every instance carries with it a fund of valuable information. 122 The Proven Continuity of Life (Refer to Smith's Dictionary of Roman Biogra- phy.) Junianus Justinus, a Latin historian, says: "I copied that portion of history (Trogu's) which re- lated to Christos. That portion of my history which related to Apollonius was allowed to stand, but the name of Apollonius was dropped and the Christos was altered into Christ. In my day it was Hesus Christos. In the days of Eusebius it was made Jesus Christ. The Christians never allowed any- thing I wrote to stand unless it sustained their scheme of deception. The male and female prin- ciples in nature, and their product, the universe or the child, represented the trinity in all created life. This was the trinity taught by the gnostics in my day. The false trinity was started by Eusebius and assumed its present Christian form three centuries later." It would seem therefore that there was a worship devoted to "Hesus Christos" before Jesus Christ was ever heard of, which shows whence the latter name was derived, and will be shown more fully in treating of the Druidical and Hesus Christos episodes. (Refer to Smith's Greek and Roman Biography.) Johann J. Grieshach: "Translators of manu- scripts from the time of Eusebius, translated to suit themselves. I knew of five ancient testaments. First, the Brahminical Testament of Christos, be- ing the gospel of St. John, of after times ; second, the Zend Avesta of the Parsees; third, the Testa- ment of King Babeka, being a revision of the writ- ings of Gautama Buddha, made at the Council of Apollonius of Tyana 123 Asoka; fourth, the Testament of Apollonius of Tyana; the Greek Version was issued at Antioch about A. D. 56; fifth, the Testament of Jesus Christ, originated by Eusebius of Cassarea. These various Testaments began with passages which when translated are nearly the same as the first chapter of the gospel of John, which chapter con- tains the key to the zodiacal interpretation of all religions. The title 'Above All' was applied to Apollonius. I translated incorrectly the manu- script (Greek Testament), forwarded from Eng- land to me at Jena, making it to conform to what we believed. Seventeen pages had been torn out of it, which were replaced by interpolated matter. This testament of Eusebius was afterwards greatly interfered with by Greek scholars in the fourth cen- tury." McClintoch and Strong's Cyclopaedia says: "The part taken by Eusebius in the Council of Ni- casa is described by Valesius as follows: Tn this greatest and most celebrated council, Eusebius was far from an unimportant person ; for he had the first seat on the right hand, and in the name of the whole synod addressed the Emperor Constantine, who sat on a golden chair between the two rows of the op- posite parties. When there was a contest amongst the bishops as to a creed, or form of faith, Eusebius proposed at once a formula, simple and orthodox, which received the commendation of both the Em- peror and Bishops.' At this Council A. D. 325 was established the dogmatical canon of what is called the Christian religion. In that work no one 124 The Proven Continuity of Life had a more prominent hand than Eusebius, and in making the Holy Scriptures of their 'Lord God,' Jesus Christ." ( Refer to McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Theological Literature.) Procopius, Greek Secretary of Belisarius, says: "The principal period of my life was from A. D. 534 to 565; I wrote a history of the Emperor Jus- tinian, and this is the only part of my writings that has not been concealed, or destroyed. I had no sympathy with either of the parties in the conten- tion that was carried on by Eusebius, Pamphilus and others, of that and subsequent times. The 'Krishna' of India, who had been worshiped before the time of Eusebius, was a black man, and it was Eusebius who changed him into a Jew, instead of Hindoo. He thought more followers could be had for a white Christ than a Hindoo one. But prior to that time, in all the temples erected to the worship of Krishna, he was represented as a Hin- doo. In my time, the god idea meant something great, immeasurable; something mortals could not comprehend, and with whom only spirits could con- verse." (Refer to McClintock and Strong's Cy- clopaedia.) Mr. Roberts says, "Procopius exposed the corruption that reigned at the Court of Justin- ian, The Biographie Universelle gives a full his- tory of Theodora, his wife ; Procopius did not dare to make known in his history facts which would have cost him his life, but wrote for after generations. This shameless and degraded courtesan, Theodora, Empress of the Roman Empire, converts the palace into a brothel, and while leading a life of shame Apollonius of Tyana 125 becomes the builder and endower of Christian Churches, and the flattered patroness of the Chris- tian religion." (Refer to McCUntock and Strong's Cyclopaedia.) Eunomius, the Great Arian leader, says: "There can be no peace while Christianity exists, for it is the religion of persecution and death. What fools we were to fight over the respective tenets of our ideal creeds, for there is no creed now extant but is based upon ideal presumption. I was a rabid Arian. The Arian and Athanasian contro- versy was simply a fight over the Christos of the East, and the Hesus of the West." It is said that all the works of Eunomius were destroyed by imperial edict. The Catholic Church as late as the beginning of the fifth century could not afford to have his views understood. Why? Because they proved that orthodox Christianity was a monstrous imposition, forced upon the igno- rant masses by the combined power of the civil and priestly rulers of the nation. The Arian contro- versy began at Alexandria, early part of the fourth century. Prior to that time although there is fre- quent mention of Kristos, the Hindoo deity, by Jew and Gentile writers, there is nowhere to be found any authenticated mention of Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Son of God, Jesus the Son of Mary, or any such person as the Christian's God; and it was not until after the meeting of the Council of Nice that the name of Jesus was given to the God, who, up to that time, had been known to the Greeks as Kristos, and to 126 The Proven Continuity of Life the Latins as Christos. Why, think you, was the name of Jesus coupled with Christos from that time forward? Eusebius wrote his Ecclesiastical His- tory between 325 and 340 A. D. He says the Christian religion did not originate with Jesus Christ, and the Christianity was new as late as 325 years after the pretended birth of Christ, and that the Christianity attributed to Jesus Christ was not the religion of that Jesus Christ, but was adopted and promulgated in his name by Eusebius and his coadjutors, at the time, or after the Council of Nice. It was the Hindoo Christ who was a shepherd and not the Jesus Christ of Judea, who was the son of a carpenter, and who it is alleged worked at his father's trade. The Roman Empire had been di- vided into the eastern and western provinces: Hesus of the west was the savior of the Celtic and Gallic Druids, and especially venerated by the Gauls as their protector. Up to 323 A. D. little if anything had been known of the God Hesus, of the Druids. Constantine, on the death of his father at York, Britain, succeeded to the government of Gaul, Germany, and Britain. He knew of the popularity of the God Hesus in those provinces and conceived the idea of conciliating the subjects of his western provinces by adopting their God, as well as the Kristos of the east, and submitted his plans to Alexandra, and Arius : The former wishing to curry favor with the emperor supported this plan, but Arius firmly refused to do so. Constantine then summoned the recognized leaders of the wor- shipers of Christos to meet at Nicea, where he as- Apollonius of Tyana 127 sembled 300 or more in his palace and submitted his scheme of adopting the saviors of the eastern and western sects in the person of one God, to be called Hesus Christos, who was to combine the character- istics of the Christos of the East, and Hesus of the West. Under the lead of Athanasius, who was made Bishop of Alexandria next year, for his serv- ices, the assembled bishops voted to adopt the scheme of Constantine at the Council of Nice. Arius and a few others who refused were excom- municated and banished. This was the real question which was settled in the first Christian Council that was ever held, and Eusebius was forced to admit shortly thereafter, that the name Christian was then (after A. D. 325) only recently known. In view of the foregoing can any one doubt that the Jesus Christ of the Christian Scriptures was simply the combination of the names of the heathen Gods Hesus, and Kristos? Kristos was frequently mentioned by Greek and Latin authors prior to the Council of Nice, but nowhere is there found any mention of Hesus, or Jesus Christ. In the govern- mental policy of Constantine to blend the heathen religions into one heathen system in order to recon- cile the warring interests of the various priesthoods, he fastened upon the civilized world the most in- consistent and accursed form of heathenism that has ever held the human mind in bondage, and in spite of well known historical proofs to the contrary, this monstrous imposition would have been allowed to continue but for the overwhelming proofs and evidence now given to the world by the higher in- 128 The Proven Continuity of Life telligences, in their determination to make known the truth, and to free mankind from heathen bond- age. (Refer to Smith's Greek and Roman Bio- graphical Dictionary. ) Sotion, the teacher of Seneca, philosopher and grammarian, says: "I was engaged in the active affairs of life principally between 15 to 40 A. D. Before the time of Eusebius, 325 A. D., Christian- ity was Christosism, and the Christos of India was the God known as the Savior of Men throughout the period I have named. I come specially to prove this. Diana was supposed to be the virgin who brought Christos into the world, and was supposed to occupy the same relation to the incarnate god Crishna that the Virgin Mary occupies in your Roman Catholic Church of to-day towards Jesus Christ. You have heard it said 'Great was Diana of the Ephesians.' I was a follower of the Great Gymnosophist Calans." (Refer to Smith's Greek and Roman Biography.) St. Declan, an ancient Sun Worshiper. Declan flourished at Ardmore, County of Waterford, Ire- land, and lived in the fourth century. He says: "Our religion was the Druidic, embracing the secret meaning of all the round towers in Ireland. Our books were all written upon scrolls, our whole teach- ings and practices had their origin among the Phoenicians, who visited and traded in Ireland and Britain one thousand years before the Christian era. The sun was designated by us as 'ies/ which we received from the Phoenicians, but corrupted by the Scandinavians into 'H,E,S,' meaning the Apollonius of Tyana 129 Sun-Man, or Sun of God. Three hundred years later Augustin's followers introduced into Ireland the Christos religion of the East. St. Patrick taught the same sun-worshiping Druidical religion that I did. When the Christosite priests gained a foothold in Ireland and Britain, finding they could not de- stroy the respect for our religious teachings, they called us saints, and said our sanctification had all come from Rome. You will find Herodotus and Pliny speak of the Phoenicians trading with Britain long before their times, and went there to obtain tin, hence they called Britain the Tin Island." St. Declan was a Druid follower of "lesus," or "Hesus," and was not a follower of the Jesus Christ of the Roman Catholic Church as is claimed. Chris- tianity was not established in Ireland in his time, nor until about 100 years later. That the church canon- ized the Druid priest Declan, and his successors as Christian saints, shows the close connection of Cath- olic Christianity with Druidical heathenism, chris- tening their new venture Hesus-Christosism, being content to put Hesus before Christos in order to carry their point. (Refer to History of Ireland, by M. l'Abbe MacGeoghegan, Paris, 1758, Vol. I, 159.) Leonardo Bruni, an Italian author who died at Florence, A. D. 1444, says he was engaged prin- cipally in literary matters and was Secretary of Government of Florence; that he copied and en- dorsed half a dozen of the most absolute forgeries which are now among the secret archives of the Vatican Library at Rome. They were intended to 130 The Proven Continuity of Life make the edicts of Theodosius appear as part of the decrees of the Roman Catholic Church, when this was not the case. The second manuscript of the six I copied bore upon the life of Apollonius, and purported to be by Philostratus, but it was evident that Eusebius had changed the whole of that work to suit the "Christos" and "Hesus" doctrines. The third, was an old Carthagenian document, which showed the Council of Nice had appropriated the "Ies" of the Phoenicians and made it "Jes." The fourth, was an attempt to prove that Peter was the first Pope, when the word Pope in that document clearly showed it was not until the time of Con- stantine it was known, and then only as applied to bishops. The fifth, showed that shortly before 1180 or 1190 A. D., Pope Celestine III, destroyed all the documents he could find that gave direct in- formation about the Iarchus, or Apollonius version of the Hindoo gospels, and what was not destroyed had been rewritten to suit the Christian ideas of his time. The sixth manuscript I had in my hands was a copy of the Druidical religion, beautifully writ- ten; and showed positively the Druids were strictly sun-worshipers, and had certain rights peculiar to themselves." (Refer to Biographie Universelle for account of Bruni. ) Mr. [Roberts says: "While Bruni held office, and the three preceding centuries, the Catholic Church ransacked and destroyed all literature that would throw any light on the history of the first five centuries of the so-called Christian era. This vandalism was begun by Gregory VII, who Apollonius of Tyana 131 burned the Palatine Apollo at Rome with all its precious store of information, a library founded by Caesar and containing the literature of the pre- ceding eleven hundred years. In this way did the church try to conceal the imposition they were seek- ing to fasten on the minds of humanity, for truth. Pope Celeste III was Pope in 1191 A. D. and hoped to destroy all trace of the Hindoo origin of Christianity when he ordered the burning of the Palatine Apollo library, about 1075, A. D. and which Innocent III followed up with much earnest- ness and zeal. The church was as careful to con- ceal everything relating to the Druidical religion as they have been to destroy everything relating to Apollonius. Anything opposed to the Christian religion can no longer be found in ancient writings, having been destroyed by priestly zealots, and Christians are to-day bowing before a superstition which cunning priests years ago perpetrated for their own benefit." (Refer to Biographie Uni- verselle.) Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, says he conquered the Isle of Man in 1343 A. D. and according to the priests, in the year about 400 A. D. the God "Hesus" was introduced on that island. He told the priests of his (Montacute's) religion to let them have their "Hesus," and try to make that name identical with Jesus, which they did. That the Hesus religion came from Ireland through a priest named Columbkille. St. Patrick, St. Declan, and a score of Irish saints called Christians were all teach- ers of Hesusism, which was of Phoenician origin. 132 The Proven Continuity of Life The writings of all Phoenician authors of note have been destroyed ; but the round-towers and other an- cient edifices of Ireland and Scotland will yet throw a vast deal of light on that religious imposition called Christianity. (Refer to History of Isle of Man, by Rev. J. G. Cummings, London, 1848, Ap- pendix B. pages 277-278.) Pope Nicholas IV says: "The possession of power always makes you arbitrary, because, how- ever far you may go, you will be supported by the ignorant masses. He certifies that the twelve Apostles of St. Peter's, Rome, are copied from the 12 gods transported from Olympus to Rome in the days of Emperor Hadrian, and back of the Apos- tles are the 12 signs of the Zodiac. From these connections it is proven they mean the same things. There is a place now in Rome known only to the priesthood, called the tomb of the Palatine Apollo, which contains the scroll writings from the time of Marcion in the second century to Eusebius in the fourth century, which contain the secrets of the Roman Catholic Church. I abjure and curse that church for the slavery I have gone through in spirit ; I was Pope in 1288, A. D." (Refer to De Feller's Dictionnaire Historique for account of Nichols IV. ) It would seem the burning of the Library of the Palatine Apollo by the great Gregory, in the eleventh century, did not result in entire destruc- tion of its contents, but that some of the manuscripts it contained were secreted and preserved. (Refer to De Feller's Dictionnaire Historique. ) Radbod, King of Friesland, says : " 'Hesus' "Apollonius of Tyana 133 was not the god of their religion; that Hesus brought the same Hindoo gospels to Marseilles about B.C. 800; that He (Radbod) was a mer- chant and became a propagator of the doctrines of Hesuism. As the name of Pauline Epistles was given to writings of Apollonius, so the name of Hesus was given to similar writings, and carried by his disciples all over Northern Europe. There- fore, Hesuism began 800 years before the Christian era; Christosism began in Western Europe 700 years after that era." The Druids worshiped Hesus until the fourteenth century. Hesuism had gained a great ascendency there, had some of the finest schools in Ireland, and was ardently taught by St. Patrick, and others. (Refer to Biographie Universelle, article Charles Martel, for account of Radbod. Winfred, or St. Boniface, a so-called Christian Saint, says : "Catholics of to-day claim me to-day as having been one of the expounders of their doc- trines. They are wide of their mark. I was a priest of Christos; born in 680 A. D., died 736: I had a good deal with influencing the zeal of the Christosite division of Charles Martel's Army. I believed in reformed Christosism, and as taught by me it was set forth in the books that were rejected at the Council of Nice. About the only remnants of my teachings now extant, as they were before they were changed and interpolated, are to be found among the Maronites of Mt. Lebanon. The books rejected at the Council of Nice were of more impor- tance as defining Christosism than those which were 134 The Proven Continuity of Life adopted. I was a Briton; born near Durham." (Refer to Encyclopaedia Americana for account St. Boniface.) Charles Martel, King of France, says: "I was a warrior; not a priest, the grandfather of Charle- magne, and secretly, a materialist in my belief. In overcoming the Saracens in battle I believe my victory kept spiritism back a thousand years, for which I am heartily sorry. My army was in three divisions, each of which had to be kept sep- arated from the other, or they would have killed each other about their different religious beliefs. The first division worshiped Jupiter, and their standard an imitation of your plow; the second, were worshipers of Christos : their standard bore the figure of a Lamb; the third, were worshipers of Hesus ; their standard an evergreen tree. You may imagine the difficulty I labored under to control these hostile forces, and to use them without allow- ing them to intermingle. Their religious hatred of each other would have overcome them much sooner than the enemy could have done it." (Refer to Nouvelle Biographie Generale.) Mr. Roberts says: "As late as A. D. 741, the Hesus and Christos followers in Martel's army were so hostile to each other, that they would have cut each other's throats if allowed to come together. That Christianity as established at Council of Nice had no place in the countries whence Martel drew his forces. That if those rejected books of the Council of Nice could be reproduced the religious fraud called orthodox Christianity would soon be a Apollonius of Tyana 135 thing of the past, never again to be repeated in any other form." (Refer to Nouvelle Biographie Generate.) St. Francis De Sales, a Bishop of Geneva, says : "I wish to ask you, how you, a small body of people, in so small a minority, expect successfully to beard the powerful Catholic Church? What if you do know of Apollonius, or Crishna, Hesus, or the other gods? You forget that all the valuable manu- scripts concerning them are in possession of our church. You will need proof to show your stand- point is correct; and like many of the Protestant Churches (all of which are nothing more than bas- tard churches), it will appear it has nothing more to support it but the sayings and doings of a lecher- ous monk. You may know that when I tried to convert the famous Theodore Beza on his deathbed, to the Catholic faith, that I was in earnest about propagating my religion when here, and I am yet so, in spirit life. The priests of my church have hidden their tracks, well, and it will cost an immense amount of money and time, to prove that these apostate spirits have been communicating to you the truth. You cannot do it, and I challenge you to the trial.'* (Refer to McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Theological Literature.) Mr. Roberts says: "This spirit is a fair representative of the church at large. The proof is here, and not from a lecherous monk ; your tracks are easily seen, and exposed at little cost; we can prove the truth, and your challenge for the trial is already accepted. There can be but one result: Truth will prevail." 136 The Proven Continuity of Life Jacob Capo, Architect and Designer, says: "I was a designer and builder of Roman Catholic Churches at Florence in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. I am here to testify to what I did to con- vert the stones of Pagan Temples into Christian Churches, and pagan statues into Apostles of Chris- tianity. The mute marbles of Florence will testify to what neither Catholic nor Protestant Christians can deny. The Catholics say the cause of so few pagan gods are standing in the ruins of Thebes, Ephesus, Athens, and Rome, is because they were destroyed in times of war. This is untrue, because no soldier would wantonly destroy, in the Middle Ages anything that represented to him a god. Those statues of the gods of Antiquity, as changed by the sculptor, are the finest representations of the twelve Apostles. Nevertheless, those pagan gods now represent at Rome, Padua, Florence, Venice, and Geneva, the disciples of Jesus of the Christian religion. In 1240, A. D., I helped to mount at their great church at Florence, the statue of Hesus, of the Celtic Druids, brought from Brit- tany. I testify to the identity of the materials of the statues of Jesus and the twelve Apostles as be- ing merely pagan divinities, carved and modified to suit Christian requirements. I feel my con- science much lightened by what I have said, and have long desired to fulfill this duty." M. Atilius Begulus says : "The famous Grecian God Prometheus dying on the Scythian Crags who was acknowledged the Savior of man. A pure in- vention; a myth in those days, as much as Jesus Apollonius of Tyana 137 Christ is a myth in this day. No spirit however ex- alted has any saving power except as it can impress spirits and mortals to do right ; nothing but a clear PROMETHEUS BOUND The above engraving represents Prometheus, bound to the Scythian Crag, and according to the ancient legend dying for mankind to ap- pease an angry God. The tragedy of Prometheus was played upon the stage at Athens, centuries before the Christian era. These ancient spirits claim that the legend of Prometheus suggested to the formu- lators of Christianity the tragedy of the crucifixion of the Christian Saviour of which it was the prototype. It was well known in past centuries and is regarded as true by some in our day that the legend of Prometheus, the dying god, not only suggested the story of the crucifixion but also the Christian symbol of the man on the cross. conscience will pass as a voucher in spirit life. I was consul for the Roman Empire in the First Punic War. I am here to unveil what priests have 138 The Proven Continuity of Life The above engraving of the lamb nailed to the cross represents the Christian symbol prior to 680 A. D., though this fact is not generally known. At the Sixth Ecumenical Council held at Constantinople in that year, it was ordained that in place of the lamb, the figure of a man should be portrayed on the cross. This has been known and recognized since that time as the Christian symbol. After the decree of the council in 680 A. D., the representation and worship of the lamb on the cross was prohibited, and that of the man was substituted in its place. By these items of history, we learn how and at what period the story of the so-called crucifixion of Christ was formulated. The decree of the council prohibiting the representation and worship of the lamb as the Christian symbol, as translated from the Latin, is as follows: " In certain representations of the images of the saints, a lamb is portrayed, etc. We, therefore accepting the old forms and shadows as signs of the truth and as traditional symbols of the church, prefer Grace and Truth, which we accept as the fulfillment of the law. So, that which is perfect, let us place in pictures, even before the eyes of all. We have decreed that that Lamb, which taketh away the sins of the world, Christ our God, ought to be portrayed henceforth in human form in place of the Lamb." — In the Roma Sotteranea of Antonio Bosio Dell, concerning the image of Christ under the figure of a lamb. attempted to palm upon humanity as religion. All religions in my day were copied from the Egyptian Osiris, with this great light (the Sun) as the central Apollonius of Tyana 139 pivot; which Sun has been corrupted into Son; because priests rinding the masses wouldn't worship anything that was not covered by a veil of secrecy resorted to gods born of virgins as the fundamental principle in nearly all the religions now existing on this mortal plane. There never would have been that decline in the Roman Empire if the people had listened to the voice of its orators, instead of the church which absorbed it and them; I lived 251 B. C." (Refer to Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography for account of Regulus.) Clement Alexandrinus says: "At Alexandria the most renowned priests of the East and West over the then civilized world assembled to compare notes. They formed that idea, which was after- wards put in operation by Constantinus Pogonatus, of the body of the mythical god, Prometheus, to which was attached the head of Apollonius, but which the ancient Christians would not accept and continued to worship the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries, the Lamb, or Ram. The former idea did not find its proper place until the sixth century. The whole account of those who met in Council at Alex- andria, A. D. 161, was written by me; and true copies of my writings are now in possession of the Maronite monks, Mt. Lebanon, Syria. These once in possession of moderns and the whole fabric of Christianity will be stamped as a forgery." (Refer to McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Ecclesi- astical Literature.) Constantinus Pogonatus says: "He presided at a council of prominent men holding the highest 140 The Proven Continuity of Life positions in the Christian Church in A. D. 680. That mankind had progressed to such an extent a change of base had become necessary in order to veil the truth. Written on ancient tombs in Egypt, Phoenicia, Greece and Rome, was the worship of the Lamb, and it was necessary to change this symbol. After long debate a religious symbol was adopted which we thought was the least known; viz., The figure of Prometheus, dying on a cross, and not on a rock, which we thought would disguise the origin of it. But the form represented was really that of Prometheus. The head and face we adopted were those of Apollonius of Tyana, and since then that symbol has been the badge of the Christian Church." (Refer to Smith's Dictionary of Greek and (Roman Biography for account of Constantinus Pogonatus.) The following is from McClintoch and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Ecclesiastical Literature: "The Lamb was the most prominent among the many symbols the early Christians used to represent Christ as the central object of their faith. In the beginning of the sixth century the Lamb bears a triumphal cross ; then it is lying on the altar at the foot of the cross ; then it appears with blood flowing from a wound, in its side and feet. By the end of the century a Lamb is painted in the center of the cross where the body of Christ was later placed. The 6th Ecumenical Council ordered that Christ should be "represented with his proper human body, and thereafter crucifixes multiplied throughout all Christendom." Apollonius of Tyana 141 Mr. Roberts says: "It is very evident the real object for which the 6th Council of Constantinople was called was to get away as far as possible from the fact, that, for five hundred years, from the time Marcion took the Epistles of Apollonius from Anti- och to Rome, A. D. 130, down to the convening of the 6th Council, the object of Christian worship was a Lamb, and not a crucified man. It was to conceal the heathen origin of the Christian religion, and to get rid of this positive proof that Christianity was but a plagiarism of older religions, that the crucifix was adopted as the badge of the new religion. After the decree of the Council in 680 A. D. the worship of the Lamb on the Cross was prohibited, and that of a man substituted in its place; before that time the Lamb nailed to the cross represented the Chris- tian symbol. Thus we learn how and at what period the story of the so-called crucifixion of Christ was formulated. So it appears, that in A. D. 680 the Christian prelates assembled at Constantino- ple by Constantinus Pogonatus, adopted that iden- tical symbol as the emblem of the Christian religion. The adoption of this compound effigy of a heathen god and a heathen philosopher was to confess the heathen origin and nature of all that is connected with it; and to-day in every Christian Church the people in their ignorance are worshiping the same objects. Who has ever seen a picture of Jesus, the alleged Jew, that had not every lineament of the highest Greek ideal of human perfection ? To com- bine the ideal beauty of Prometheus, the Greek Savior with the renowned Apollonius in one emblem 142 The Proven Continuity of Life was all that was divinely adorable." Marcion says the foundation of the Epistles was the sign of the Zodiac, known as Aries, the Lamb, or Ram and the early Christians all worshiped a Lamb, instead of a man, on the cross until 680 A. D. Hennas, an Apostolic Father, says "he was one of the founders of Christianity, and knew that this Christian religion was nothing but a new version of the old story of Prometheus dying on the Scyth- ian Crags for atonement of sins, and to appease an angry god. The founders of Christianity (and in saying this I impeach the honesty of every one of them) took that whole story from a tragedy, played upon the Grecian stage at Athens five hundred years before the alleged Jesus. This god of myth- ology was the principal one from which the story of Jesus originated; and why was this? Because the birth, life, miracles, and suffering of this Greek god was set forth in such plain terms and vouched for in my time by so many pagan authors that we could only hope to win them to our religion by duplicating the old story. But in working for my own popularity I had no idea that this Christian re- ligion would ever become as powerful as it is to-day. I lived from A. D. 30 to 90." (Refer to Nouvelle Biographie Generate. ) Pythagoras, the Samian sage, says : "All sages in ancient times were more or less mediums; that to understand the properties of life in matter we can understand the materialized demonstration of it, but we cannot understand how it combines, and Apollonius of Tyana 143 how surrounding atoms coming together produce thought. There are spirits in my sphere who un- derstand this thing, but the knowledge of it cannot be forced upon the matter of this planet as long as there is a determined opposition to spiritual things, and that there is no way to find out the elements of mind in any better manner than by seeking the god principle within yourselves; that there is an approach of the noblest, highest, and purest intel- ligences in the spirit world toward this Earth, but between you and these spirits lies the magnetism of ignorance which hampers every intelligent spirit, and keeps it from expressing what it really wishes to, when it does control a medium ; and this magne- tism is thrown off daily by mortals, and intercepts progression ; and although you stand forward in the strife, you will find a few at the present day with intelligence enough to comprehend what spiritual phenomena they get. And why should they care for more, when they will not understand that which can be demonstrated? Priestcraft always stands in the way of progression. The more ignorant the hearers of a priest the less work he has to do. Therefore, you will always find these teachers of superstition enemies to progression. It has grieved the spirits of my day to look from their schools of philosophy in spirit life and see the progress of those superstitions that kill the souls all over this great planet. It is almost impossible to uproot them un- less you commence with the child in the mortal form. The great difficulty with most spirits is, that they are so imbued with superstition that even if they 144 The Proven Continuity of Life reason themselves out of them at maturity, when they come to what is termed death the earliest im- pressions are the most vivid, and marked the deepest upon their spirits, holds them in the meshes of super- stition for long years after, in spirit life. Even the impress of superstition is marked upon the seed that makes the infant in the mother's womb. Six hun- dred years before the Christian era these points were well understood, but they have been lost in the Babel that followed afterward. The principal power in the fostering of superstition has been men's ambition to rule by any means whatever. They cared nothing for truth, and it was a set, 'what I promulgate, or die.' ' : (Refer to Thomas' Dic- tionary of Biography for account of Pythagoras.) Ammonius Saccas says: "At the time I lived at Alexandria, in Egypt, there was a general in- quiry into the religion of all nations, and the presen- tation of their different creeds and beliefs, and the object of this was to accumulate the utmost wisdom possible in the smallest space. Therefore, Brah- mans, Buddhists, and followers of Apollonius of Tyana, and Potamon, and all the Roman schools met to compare their ideas of God. Our principal guide book was a book compiled for one Marcion, and this man had taken its contents from a follower, or disciple of Apollonius of Tyana, one Damis. Christianity was not first taught at Antioch, nor was it taught in the first century, but about 225 A. D. and was taught at first under the name of gnosticism. Gnosticism was taught by a gnostic named Basilides, nearly similarly to what is con- Apollonius of Tyana 145 tained in the Christian gospels, and his books came into the hands of those named as the first Christian bishops, by Eusebius. But you need give no credit to Eusebius, or very little, except what relates to his time, and fifty years previous. The writings of Apollonius were altogether written in the Syriac- Cappadocian tongue, and not in the Greek, as the translators of the Christian Scriptures pretend they were. These books cannot now be reached, because the Catholic and Protestant priests have hidden them in their libraries, what is left of them. But I have stated enough here to-day to make plain the origin of Christianity." (Refer to McClintoch and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Ecclesiastical Literature, and Dr. Lardner's work, for account of Ammonius Saccas.) Mr. Roberts says: "It is amusing, but pitiful to read such theological flounderings as that of the learned Dr. Lardner to argue away the facts that Ammonius Saccas, the Alexandrian philosopher, and the founder of the Neo-Platonic School of Theology, was the author of the 'Evangelican Can- ons' which Eusebius of Caesarea afterwards fol- lowed ; and that Neo-Platonism, or the Eclectic sys- tem of theology and philosophy, not only antedated Christianity, but was the groundwork upon which the Christian system of superstition was erected. If Eusebius, who is the almost sole authority for the earliest facts concerning Christian Ecclesiasticism, was so stupid as not to know what Ammoncus it was whose 'Evangelican Canons' he followed in establishing the canonical books of the so-called 146 The Proven Continuity of Life Christian Scriptures of to-day, then is the Christian Bible of to-day without any authentic basis what- ever; for, if Eusebius, the Christian Church his- torian, could make such a blunder as to attribute the 'Evangelical Canons' he followed to a heathen phil- osopher, then the whole foundation of Christianity must necessarily rest on heathen mythology. . . ." As what is called Christianity is nothing more or less than the teachings of the "Heathen" philoso- pher Ammonius Saccas, it was entirely proper for Eusebius,whose labor was directed especially to con- ceal the pagan source of Christianity, to call him a Christian. What Ammonius wrote in the way of "Evangelical Canons" we can only infer, for they have been concealed, lost, or destroyed ; but as they were followed by Eusebius, and as Eusebius was most prominent in the Council of Nice, 325 A. D. that established the Canonical Scriptures of to-day, we may infer that the Evangelical Canons of Am- monius, and the Canonical Christian Scriptures are the same. Ccdus Valerius Maximianus Galerius, a Roman Emperor, says: "However new this may be to moderns (I mean the demonstration of the fact of a departed spirit manifesting itself through the physical or natural form of another), it was old when I lived. . . . Christianity is made up of the theories the Christians stole from all Pagan mythology and precepts, and combined them to construct that damnable refuge of theirs, to throw their sins upon an innocent person; that is, they erected a myth, and then cheated their fellow- Apollonius of Tyana 147 men with their god-man. In spirit life, where can you find in all the spheres of all religions that ex- isted, such a nest of hypocrites as the so-called Chris- tians? Because, not open to controversy, like the pagan priests, they shielded themselves behind that damnable mandate 'Thus saith the Lord,' and wanted to combine Church and State, ... The destruction of Rome was achieved through Chris- tianity, and I, a Roman Emperor, feel it my duty to say, that these scoundrels, the Christians, were begging favors for their religion in every court where they could get an entrance. For all men of intelligence knew the story of Jesus Christ was nothing but the old story of Christos, or Krishna, of India, revived, and when called upon to show what they believed they could show nothing but the writings of Marcion, and Lucian, Romans who stole the writings of Apollonius of Tyana. There is now an infusion of spiritualized matter in the air you breathe upon this planet that foretokens the de- struction of Christianity." (Refer to Thomas' Dic- tionary of Biography for account of Galerius.) Mr. Roberts adds, "It would seem that the Roman Catholic priesthood have undergone but little change in all the centuries that have since rolled away, for we have them to-day plotting to overthrow the republican and liberal institutions of this country, as they did the then most advanced and beneficent institutions of the Roman Empire." (Refer to Thomas' Dictionary of Biography.) George Deyverdmn says: ". . . The Eleusin- ian Mysteries helped to make up Christianity as at 148 The Proven Continuity of Life present set forth, and those mysteries were com- posed of books commemorative of the Grecian harvest home, and at the harvest time they ate or drank the blood of Bacchus in the juice of the grape in conjunction with eating the bread or body of Ceres, the Goddess of Corn; and here you have the real foundation of the supper of Jesus. An in- vestigation into the ancient Greek will satisfy any person of the truth of what I here assert. The title of one book was 'iEneas, the Lawgiver of the Eleu- sinian Mysteries.' It is extant, but very rare. In the mouth of this iEneas are put the words that signify 'I am the bread and the life.' He acts as the hero in the tragedy, or affairs of life. The book is one of Gibbon's works, but difficult to find. The clergy, after the death of Gibbon, bought up all copies but what were in the hands of a few indi- viduals to prevent it from becoming public." (Re- fer to Biographie JJniverselle, for account of Dey- verdun.) Heinrich Eberhard Gottlob Paulus says: "I never could find an original gospel of St. Matthew, which was a very different gospel from the other three, and originally was written in the Hebraic — Samaritan tongue. It is of Phoenician origin and embodies the Phoenician idea of a god — Savior, and in that tongue was known by the title of Mathieuo. The 'Ma' meant spirit or life as it exists, in the human form; the 'thieu' is analogous to the Greek 'theus,' and 'o' is the everlasting circle; and the whole word Mathieuo meant, the spirit of God working in an eternal circle; and it was so under- Apollonius of Tyana 149 stood in the days of Basilides, the gnostic, about 200 A. D., whose writings were extant in the days of Faust, or Faustus, and were published by him. Indeed, this was one of the reasons why the priests incarcerated him, and levied upon his property, and sought to suppress the publication. A few copies are still extant, however, one of which came to my notice, ... It was the digest of the sixteen gos- pels of Deva Bodhisatona, all teaching of gods or god; men who were regarded as saviors of man- kind; . . . This Phoenician version of the life, ad- ventures, and career of Christos was accepted as sacred, and applied in their worship of their Sun- god, or god of fire, by the Phoenicians. This Phoenician St. Mathieuo account of 'Christos' fell into the hands of the Armenians, and became their sacred gospel as far back as the days of Abraham, and continued so until A. D. 350, when it was adopted by the priests and rulers of Catholicism, who, in order to get the Armenians to agree with, or follow their doctrines, inserted it in the sacred scriptures, and this is the origin of the gospel of St. Mathieuo as I read it in the Armenian tongue. The Armenian gospel which came into my hands I obtained from a Greek, Constantius by name. He had obtained it at a town in Armenia, near the foot of Mt. Ararat, and he showed me that it was of Armenian origin. I found an Armenian at The Hague, in Holland, who understood the an- cient Armenian alphabets as they had been handed down from his ancestors, who explained their mean- ing to me, and I translated it into German, but it 150 The Proven Continuity of Life was never published on account of the opposition of my children. I think the original and the trans- lation could still be found by applying to one of my relatives, who has them in possession at this time. I died at Heidelberg in 1851." (Refer to McClin- tock and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Ecclesiastical Lit- erature for account of Paulus.) Mr. Roberts says: "The claim that Matthew, ever wrote a Greek gospel is preposterous ; for, be- ing a Jew, as is claimed, he could not have written in Greek, being uneducated even in the learned Hebrew tongue . . . Thus do modern Christian divines labor against truth and reason, and common prudence to conceal the fact, that the gospel of Mathieuo was the original of the comparatively modern Greek canonical gospels according to St. Matthew." Saturninus, the Essene philosopher, the pupil of Ignatius of Antioch, the Master of Basilides, the founder of gnosticism, one having a philosophical knowledge of the Christian Religion: "Peace and happiness be with you all; I lived and taught at Antioch from about A. D. 50 to A. D. 125; I am set down by moderns as a gnostic ; and this mistake has been made purposely, in order to hide and de- stroy my real teachings. I was an Essene (a sect remarkable for abstinence), and was taught by Ignatius, of Antioch. At the time I lived and taught, the Essenes were the Christians, and the only Christians that existed at Antioch. I met, conversed, and exchanged philosophies with Apol- lonius, of Tyana, and Damis, his disciple: we were Apollonius of Tyana 151 communists, and all that you find set down as the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth were taught by me. They were obtained from Apollonius, who gave them to me in exchange for what I knew of the Gymnosophists about A. D. 65. It was the re- vised statutes or mixture of Brahminism, and Bud- dhism, as established at the great council of Asoka, in India, and it took place before my time about two hundred and fifty years. The man who built up gnosticism the year after my death in A. D. 126, was Basilides, the Egyptian, who fell heir to all my writings, and he laid the foundation of Gnos- ticism out of these writings. I visited Gallata, and Corinth and at both places found Apollonius teach- ing under the name of Paulus, or Paul, and always accompanied his discourses with spiritual phenom- ena that you often see amongst your modern mediums, such as curing cases of paralysis by lay- ing on of the hands. Forms used to appear like misty faces looking over his shoulders at the audi- ence, similar to what the spirits are now trying to perform under the name of etherealization. This Apollonius was met at the temple of Diana, in Ephesus, by the priests of that temple, who asked him to hold forth there; and he did so; and he taught there with such power that the priests grew angry for fear of losing their power; and he had to quit Ephesus in the night time for fear of being murdered, or losing his life in some way . . . The real truth in relation to all these writings, and all the story of Jesus of Nazareth, as now handed down to moderns, to the mixed systems of the Brahminic, 152 The Proven Continuity of Life Buddhistic, Jewish, Essenian, and the gnostic teachings ; and these various systems all taught that every four hundred years a philosopher arises who combines the highest agglomeration of intelligence of his day and generation. That is, his brain be- comes more susceptible to spiritual things, and therefore he becomes a keener analyzer of them." By Mr. Roberts: ["Then Buddha, following Hermes; Zoroaster, following Buddha; Plato, fol- lowing Zoroaster; and Apollonius following Plato were such instances as you refer to, which were recognized as starting new eras of religious thought and speculation?"] "Certainly, that is putting it plainer than I could do, and it is strange to say that, of all the people living at that time, and down to the time of Eusebius and the final over- throw of those ancient religions by Christianity, all the most valuable manuscripts bearing upon the ancient gods, and philosophers have to be looked for amongst those of the Greek Church, and not the Roman. The Catholics have a few, but very few of them. Pope after Pope destroyed them in their religious fanaticism, and what the Catholics do hold of them are held by obscure individuals, and are very hard to find. I left a document translated from the Syriac-Cappadocian tongue that I trans- lated verbally as it was given to me by Apollonius, at the time of my meeting with him at Antioch; a mixture of Hebrew and Armenian, was the language used at Antioch in those days; I took it down as it fell from his lips in the Syriac-Cappa- docian language. He (Apollonius) through his Apollonius of Tyana 153 superior spiritual insight, held direct communica- tion in my presence with the spirit of Gautama Buddha." ["Do I understand you rightly? You were present when Apollonius was controlled by the spirit of Gautama Buddha?"] "Yes." ["Please state what the nature of the communica- tion was."] "This Gautama went on to say, through his instrument, that all he received was given through the spirit, or the overshadowing of the spirit of Krishna; that this Krishna said he re- ceived it from Zoroaster, the Elder; and Zoroaster the elder said he received his notions of Ormuzd, the Light, . . . but that all their followers had cor- rupted their sayings, and claimed they received them from God himself; and so, there was a con- nection in the control of this Gautama Buddha with ancient spirits occupying 16,500 years, through Apollonius, and these systems or spirit teachings were all cases of originating religions in isolated civilizations; that is, at the time of their being taught they had reached their height of grandeur, and then came on their decay, and their writings were stolen by barbarians. And now I must bear witness to the principal point of my com- ing here : I knew of no Jesus who lived at that time and was killed, with the exception of one who was run through with Koman javelins for being a ban- dit. There were other men named Jesus, but they were not killed." ["You lived during the time when it was said Jesus of Nazareth taught, which was about from 32 A. D. to 36, or 37."] "I lived shortly after that. I commenced teaching at the 154 The Proven Continuity of Life age of twenty-one. The Apostles of this Jesus I never met. If they had existed at all I certainly should have met them ; . . . I have one more word to say: It is a reflection upon a man now living in whom the greatest trust is placed as to what he says, and whose translations you can challenge with perfect impunity, and that man is Max Miiller. He is too much identified with the Christianity of to-day to give the ancient religions a fair chance of being understood; yours for the truth, Saturninus." (Refer to the Biographie JJnwerselle; also to McClintock and Strong's Ecclesiastical Cyclopaedia for account of Saturninus.) Mr. Roberts adds : "What would not the trans- lations of the writings of Apollonius be worth to the cause of truth could they be had to-day? To have the assurance of the spirit that they once ex- isted, and have been destroyed or concealed, is enough to show it was too important for the per- petuation of falsehood to be allowed to be pre- served." Pontius Pilate, Procurator of Judea, says: "There never was brought before me such a man or so-called God as the present Christian system claims. Of the renowned Jesus I know nothing whatever. Christians to-day cannot prove any- thing about their Man-God. All their hopes would have been overturned but for the destruction of the Alexandrian Library. I was Procurator in Judea in the fourth year of the reign of Augustus, and held the position nine years and died at Trieste, Austria." Apollonius of Tyana 155 The learned Rabbi Wise went to Jerusalem ten years after this communication was given to find out if the gospel account of Christ's trial before Pilate was true. He says he made diligent search of the Records of Pilate's Court for the trial of Jesus, but it was not recorded; that the "name of Jesus of Nazareth was not there, and never had been." It would seem, therefore, that what is taught in the Christian churches of to-day relating to the so-called personage Jesus Christ is without any foundation, and devoid of truth." Cyrillus JLuchar, Greek patriarch, says: "I was born about 1568 in Candia. Christianity is a combination of the Platonic and Alexandrian doctrines with those of Apollonius, of Tyana, the Syrian Christ, about thirty-two years after the birth of the alleged Christ; out of these, with the forged letter of the Roman Emperor Tra- jan, from Pliny the Younger, A. D. 103, has grown Christianity. Deny these facts who can. That he (Cyrillus) sent a copy of the Scriptures known as the Alexandrian manuscript to Charles the First, King of England, transcribed from the writings of Potamon of Alexandria, about 475, by Thecla, and out of that copy has their celebrated manuscript grown." Mr. Roberts says: "Proof positive, that Pota- mon was the author of above named original writ- ings; it is no wonder giving the message was cun- ningly resisted by interfering priestly spirits. The same Jesuits who sought the death of Cyrillus be- cause he possessed the secret of the origin of the 156 The Proven Continuity of Life Christian religion in which they had corruptly at- tributed to a man called Jesus, might well fear the disclosures of that returning spirit." Hecla paid the penalty of her Erudition with her life. (Refer to Encyclopaedia Britannica. ) Quintilian, a Latin grammarian, says: "I lived at Rome, A. D. 40, to A. D. 90; was teacher of Pliny the Younger, saw Apollonius, and heard him speak at Antioch; he preached the very same ser- mon or nearly so that is called Christ's Sermon on the Mount. There is not a rite, ceremony, or prayer but what has been stolen almost bodily from India, or China, which any traveler in those coun- tries can see for himself." Cardinal Stefano Borgia, Cardinal of Rome from 1806 to 1819, says: "The atonement of the Roman church is approaching, and its power will go down in a night of blood. I feel it my duty to say, that those persons spoken of in the New Testa- ment never had an existence, and this is well under- stood by us priests. I was the leader of the Cath- olic Church at Rome when the French entered that city. The first and principal thing done was to hide all the work of the Latin Fathers. Why? Because Christianity cannot stand the blazing light of the Originals when placed in the hands of schol- ars, and free-thinkers. A child could see how the Epistles have been interpolated and changed to suit the views of the writers ; and the foolish ceremonies these writers are advocating show this." (Refer to American Cyclopaedia.) Cardcalla, Archbishop of Nice Media, says : "It Apollonius of Tyana 157 is astonishing to see you in this liberal and enlight- ened age bowing before the superstition that such men as myself endeavored to perpetuate for our own benefit. I do not believe that at the Council of Nice there were three persons present who be- lieved in the truth of what was set down. There was one thing that took place there that I think has not been recorded for the benefit of humanity: It was agreed among the bishops there assembled to destroy all books that threw any light upon the mythological origin of the Christian religion, and this has been carried out as thoroughly as possible. At that time there were nearly one hundred dif- ferent versions of the gospels, so-called, and each writer and bishop interpreted them to suit them- selves." (Refer to McClintock and Strong's Cy- clopaedia of Theological Literature.) Phraotes, King of Taxila: "I belonged to what was termed the Diamond Circle. I recognized but one master on Earth; his name was Iarchus, enig- matically called 'the Sun of Truth.' On leaving Babylon and Nineveh for Taxila the coming of Apollonius was announced by couriers who repre- sented him to be a good and wise son of the diamond circle, because he performed all the signs required of a member, and showed the spirits were with him in great power. I introduced him to the learned of my court and sent him forward to Iarchus, who resided in a place called the Mountain of the Wise. He was then about 47 years of age, and carried back with him the Sacred Testament of the 'Moun- tain of Light Circle' and all the Evangelical books 158 The Proven Continuity of Life but one, which book had been taken south by way of Ceylon to Singapore. This book was obtained by Armenian traders from Singapore two hundred years before the time I speak of, and they would never return it. It is therefore in Armenia you must seek for the true version of Matthew." (Re- fer to McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Theological Literature.) Cardinal Sancto De Caro, who lived in the thir- teenth century, says: "I was selected by a council of priests to prepare the Latin Vulgate in more readable form, and had five different copies to write from. First, a copy of Marcion, copied by Chrysostom; second, a version by Ulphilas; third, a copy of the Monks of Mount Athos; fourth, a copy similar to the Codex Alexandrinus ; fifth, a Samaritan copy supposed to have been written by that Great Essene, Ignatius of Antioch. The last named was the original of them all, and said in a preface that the writings that followed it were transferred by a disciple of Ma-Ming to Apollo- nius, and by him were given to Ignatius of Antioch. That this Marcion of Pontus, instead of receiving the original writings of Apollonius, received the copy of Ignatius, with notes made by him, and Marcion managed to make St. Mark a substitute for himself. Luke is Lucian ; Matthew was a man in the third century, an Essene of Cappadocia; the original St. John was Apollonius, of Tyana. "The first interruption of the original copy writ- ten by myself was made by Tyndale, in his sixteenth century Bible. He dropped all the marginal notes Apollonius of Tyana 159 with the exception of those manufactured by priests, and also destroyed all the preface. It was not so much his fault, for his life would have paid the forfeit." (Refer to McClintoch and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Theological Literature.) The five pages of Comments by Mr. Roberts fol- lowing the above communication and all others as well are exceedingly interesting and instructive and would be given but for lack of time and space. In fact, the historical research, and information ob- tained and given by Mr. Roberts in connection with the history and lives of persons making these com- munications, with his thorough knowledge of the Bible, makes his book, "Antiquity Unveiled," a necessity to the whole world which now yearns for the truth and light it contains. Bodhishormah, a Buddhist priest, says: "As the Buddhist religion, its writings, precepts and morals have been given to modern readers they have not been allowed to show their influence in forming the Christian religion. Everything showing this has been suppressed, first by Christian fathers, Jerome, Chrysostom, and Eusebius, of Csesarea, and afterwards by the writers who followed them, who did all they could to veil the connection be- tween Buddhism and Christianity. The Penta- teuch, Psalms, and Proverbs of the Old, and of the New Testament, from John to Revelation, were originally in the hands of the Buddhists, and were taught in my day, A. D. 340. But Christian au- thorities have set me down as about A. D. 495 in order to cover what I had of Buddhistic writings 160 The Proven Continuity of Life then extant, and to make them appear to be copies instead of authentic originals. The religion of Buddha was not an offshoot of Brahmanism. It is derived from the teachings of Zoroaster and from Osiris, an Egyptian, and was not of Indian origin. In the five subterranean chambers called the Pauch Pandore, at the village of Bang, in Bombay, I taught. These chambers give the date of Buddha as about nine hundred years before that time. Christian commentators want to bring all religions within the Mosaic period; and that biases their judgment and leads them astray. The Ancient Gymnosophic, Sun Worship, was identical with Buddhism, the latter being a reformation of the former. The books from John to Revelation, and New Testament, were borrowed from the Buddhist visions of Deva Bodhisatoua. The Buddhists in my time were what you call spiritualists. The Nir- vana meant simply a place where the spirit re- gained its power after leaving the mortal form, and, after a longer or shorter time, having recuperated in strength, it passed on through those spheres of spirit existence you spiritualists speak of. The Gymnosophists taught that the spirit went straight to God. That was the essential difference between the two teachings." Lucius of Cyrene, the secretary of Damis, and the St. Peter of the New Testament : "I was a dis- ciple of Apollonius. Had three different names, owing to different languages in which written. Lucius, Lucas, and Luke. I was the writer of the life of Apollonius as dictated by Damis, and helped Apollonius of Tyana 161 him to write all those Epistles in the New Cove- nant. The four gospels were translated from the Sanscrit by Apollonius, and were sent out by him in the Greek, Roman, Armenian, and Syriac-He- braic languages. The Apocalypse was written by Apollonius himself. The other books were in the form they were dictated to me by Damis, and as transcribed by me. I copied them in the Cappa- docian tongue. I am referred to at first as Lucius of Cyrene, in Acts XIII :1; secondly in Rom. XVI :21, and Col. IV:13 as Luke the beloved Phy- sician, and Phil, verse 24, as Lucas. It was Lucius the Satirist who afterwards placed these things in their present shape. Marcion, and Lucien were the St. Mark and St. Luke of the Scriptures. Ap- ollonius was deified by the Romans, and his statue set up in the temple of Jupiter." (Refer to McClintoch and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Theolog- ical Literature for account of Lucius of Cyrene.) Mr. Roberts says: "It would seem the Memoirs of Apollonius were written by Damis after he was consecrated by Apollonius as 'the rock' on which he was to build his church. What those memoirs were we cannot know, for even those portions Philos- tratus used have not been permitted to come down to us. There is a gap of twenty years in his life of Apollonius which covers the part of it during which he was most active, and acquired great renown as a preacher, and worker of miracles; and this gap covers nearly the whole of what was called the period of the teachings of Jesus Christ, which the Apostles continued. Had the memoirs of Damis 162 The Proven Continuity of Life and Philostratus come down to us as they were written there would not be a vestige of the Chris- tian superstition in existence to-day. The one has been entirely destroyed, or suppressed, and the other mutilated in the most diabolical manner. The confusion of critics concerning the Epistles and New Testament, is, because they have started out with the fatal error of supposing them to be what they are not, and refusing to understand any- thing that does not square with their erroneous as- sumptions." John F. Gronovius, a critic of the seventeenth century, says: "I occupied the chair of belles-let- tres in the University of Leyden. The real text of the letter of Pliny to Trajan proves he was not speaking of the Christians, but of the Essenes. A great many other passages have been interpolated. You will never get the truth as long as Christians fill professorships in your colleges, and control your libraries. The soldiers of Alexander the Great, at Thebes, and Egypt, found their God Chrishna and fell to worshipping him. It is therefore preposter- ous to pretend that Chrishna was born 600 years after Jesus. The great trouble has been, and ever will be, that Christian writers cannot get over the identity of the name of Christ with Christos, who was the object of divine worship by soldiers of Alexander more than three centuries before it is pretended Jesus Christ was born." (Refer to Biographie Universelle, as to Gronovius.) Innocent, Pope of Rome, says: "I am caught in the working of my own trap. There are two Apollonius of Tyana 163 kinds of Psychology : One in which it is necessary that a mortal shall perform the operation; in the other, a spirit is the operator upon a spirit through a Medium. Myself and other spirits have been using this latter phase of psychology to defeat all efforts in the direction of what you call progression. To-day, I am such a psychologized spirit, held by four minds, viz., Aronomar, Liebig, Franklin, and Jefferson, and I have to speak the truth. In regard to the copy of scripture sent by Cyrillus Lucaris to the King of England, certain portions of this were taken away and copied by Albert of Cologne. Those pages and the marginal notes established the fact that that book was a Plotinian Manuscript combining the Apollonian and Christosite systems, and contrary to our sacred books, which, in reality, were but copies of the writings of Marcion and Lucian in relation to the Greek God Prometheus. The latter were preferred because there was no historical evidence to disprove them, except what was in the hands of the Roman Catholics. The Ap- ollonian system was so well supported by historical evidence in my time, 1216, that it could not be dis- puted. But the Marcion-Lucian system was also in such a position, its enemies could not bring any- thing against it, historically. It was the Marcion and Lucian system that Hildebrand and myself sought to establish beyond any power to overthrow it. Psychology is the main instrument used by spirits to lead those astray who seek to give the truth of spirit intercourse, with mortals, to the world. By our power we confuse their senses, and 164 The Proven Continuity of Life cause them to act in ways that will destroy their in- fluence. As spirits, we are adepts in the use of this power, and which we use when it serves our pur- poses, even to obsessing and possessing those who obstruct the propagation of our views." (Refer to American Cyclopaedia.) Mr. Roberts says : "What is the great lesson this communication teaches? Nothing less than the laws of psychology are used by spirits to control the actions of men, by inspired delusions in the minds of those whom they desire to use. It is the spirit of this man Innocent III, who a captive, is now compelled by a similar but greater psycho- logical power to return to earth, and through the organism of a medium testify that for 668 years, he and his Roman Catholic spirit coadjutors have been using, as adepts, a vast power over the minds of the community of which it has been wholly uncon- scious. This power which has ruled the world with a rod of iron for centuries, and would have con- tinued to rule but for the powerful spirit forces that have made Modern Spiritualism a possibility. As late as 1216, A. D. the Apollonian system was so well supported by historical evidence that it could not be disputed; which shows the willful deception practiced in the name of Jesus Christ by the Roman Catholic Church of the thirteenth century. Greg- ory VII previously confessed through this same medium that he ordered the Library of the Palatine Apollo, at Rome, to be burned (about 1080), in order to destroy the historical proof there collected of the Apollonian origin and character of the Chris- Apollonius of Tyana 165 tian religion. Referring to the Alexandrian man- uscript, while the gospels of Mark and Luke are given in full, in the Alexandrian version, a large portion of St. Matthew is gone, and a very impor- tant part of John, as well ; which gospels contained the teachings of Apollonius in the first century; while the Marcion and Lucian gospels were in no sense original. The lesson is, that friends of truth should be ever on their guard against this subtle, hostile power, and studiously avoid condemning mediumistic sensitives for words and actions less their own than those of their spiritual enemies who seek to degrade them by the exertion of their infer- nal influence over them. In closing, Innocent III was conscious his power was gone to effect further deception, and left, cursing those who had been the means of breaking it." (Refer to American Cyclo- paedia for account of Innocent III.) Mesrop, or Mesrob, Armenian Theologian, says : "I am here to throw light on what Philostratus failed to explain, viz., the Testament of Apollonius of Tyana, the Coptic or Egyptian version of the Scriptures containing the Pentateuch, Psalms, Proverbs of the Old Testament and the New, to Revelation. I was a Targum writer; I published an Armenian version of the Scriptures entitled 'the holy Invocations,' or the actions of the Great Son of God, Apollonius of Tyana, who was well known in India, Armenia, Abyssinia, Egypt, Cappadocia, Judea, Greece, Rome, and Asia Minor, and per- formed his miracles in all those countries; He was worshiped as a Divine Being as late as A. D. 275. 166 The Proven Continuity of Life Later, the title of my Armenian version, was, 'Apol- lonius, the Son of God's teachings and morals,' which title was altered by Paulinus, archbishop of York, A. D. 622." (Refer to McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature.) Mr. Roberts j who comments at great length (ten pages) on the above communication, says: "The Codex Beza, next to the Coptic version and its Ar- menian translation by Mesrob, is an important proof of the Apollonian origin of the so-called Holy Scriptures. It is certainly from Egypt, where Apollonius taught, and not from Judea, or Greece, the oldest versions of the Scriptures were obtained. Should a translation of Beza be made it will doubt- less be found that the alleged interpolations, espe- cially the six hundred in the Acts of the Apostles, show that no Jesus Christ or his Apostles had any- thing to do with the Christian scriptures, and that Apollonius was the real compiler." (Refer to McClintock and Strong's Encyclopaedia.) Paulinus, Archbishop of York, says : "I entered spirit life A. D. 645. I tampered with Mesrob's Armenian version of the Testament of Apollonius, and also from Upper Egypt. I also made altera- tions in the Latin version; that is, the Council of Nice version. I substituted, as did Eusebius, Jesus Christ of Judea for Apollonius of Tyana, and made them to correspond with version of Eusebius. My Saxon version was revised by Rede, and after- wards by Thomas a Becket, and afterwards by Archbishop Whately." (Refer to McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia.) Apollonius of Tyana 167i St. Germain, Bishop of Auxerre, says : "I held at one time a copy of the original remaining writ- ings of one Moses Chorensis, and the original is now in possession of the Maronite Monks of Mount Leb- anon, but no one sees it, and it is guarded as a sacred work by their Patriarch. Those manuscripts once exposed to the world will prove the original gospels were written in Cappadocia, in the Syriac-Hebraic tongue, and not in the Greek, and were copied into the Armenian by this Moses Chorensis. These Ar- menian gospels set forth St. Paul as Apollonius of Tyana, with Jesus Christ as a modern typiflcation of Krishna, of India, and making Apollonius the disciple, instead of the real Master." (Refer to Novelle Biographie Generate.) Ahulpharagius, Bishop of Guba: "The whole secret of what is called Christianity is made plain by the New Testament, and the book of Daniel. This Daniel lived at the Courts of Darius Hys- taspes, and Cyrus, and was known as the Younger Zoroaster. These ancient spirits are gathering their forces, and are determined to show that Chris- tianity is a fraud. Your enemies and opposers will resort to subtler and more desperate measures to obstruct you than heretofore; and you must be on your guard. Their proceedings will not be so ap- parent, but more dangerous. The Jesuits of the Roman Catholic church are supplying the opposi- tion with money to impede you. So, keep all your lights burning on the watchtowers of truth." (Re- fer to McClintoch and Strong's Cyclopaedia of Theological Literature.) 168 The Proven Continuity of Life Aronamar, Zarathustra, Zoroaster: April 25, 1878, the following communication was received from Aronamar, the presiding spirit of the Band, under whose ministrations the great work herein presented has been laid before the world : "Kingdoms and Empires have passed away since I was on earth. Revolutions, bloodshed, wars, and pestilence; and still the human race advances one step nearer to the Great I AM. It is vain for mortals to struggle to keep back the light that spirits are bringing to this world. Men and women when they reach the sphere I have gained are purged of all vices. It is difficult to come back here, but it must be done; spiritual food must be supplied, and who can supply it so well as those who have gained it by experience. To enjoy happiness is to know its opposite. What do I know of the Infinite Mind ; of that ever beyond the reach? New beauties unfold from day to day, and he who drinks from the fountain of Eternal Truth shall never thirst. May the good spirits aid and keep you in the right, and sustain you in the work you are en- gaged in, and when your task is done may you cross the stream to those beautiful realms beyond. I lived about two hundred years before Alexander the Great, and until shortly after the death of Cyrus. I was a Persian, and known as an Astrol- oger, Aronamar." Mr. Roberts says: "On July 1, 1881, I learned from the guide of the medium that Aronamar wished to control the medium, and must avail him- self of the present opportunity, or he might be pre- Apollordus of Tyana 169 vented for centuries from saying what he desired to say to me in person at that sitting. Here the guide yielded the control, and the spirit of him who had been known to me as Aronamar took possession of the medium. The following communication was then given : " 'I salute you, sir; you have heard from me from time to time; — once I communicated direct with you. I am Zarathustra, Zerdusht, or Zoroaster, the Daniel of the Jewish scriptures. It is impor- tant I communicate with you at this time. In mak- ing up, or closing your book I ask you to give this communication as the last, as by arrangement of the spirits with whom I am acting I am to close these communications. The Jewish Book of Daniel was stolen bodily from the books written by myself, or through me, concerning Ormuzd and Mithra. Conditions I could not control were neces- sary in coming to you, and could only be obtained by a power outside of and beyond myself. That power has been exerted and I am now able to come to you, otherwise I might not have been able to give this communication for five hundred years to come, did I not do so now. Y^ou will understand the importance of this. It will be difficult to find evidence of the truth I impart in any books now ex- tant. This is because anything opposed to the Christian religion can no longer be found in ancient writings; all such evidence having been destroyed by Christian priestly zealots. Only evidence favor- ing Christianity has been allowed to escape destruc- tion. I desire you will give this point particular 170 The Proven Continuity of Life attention. The Hebrew book called the Book of Daniel contains the earthly experiences of Zoro- aster at the Court of Nebuchadnezzar, and other kings already named. All that is mentioned in the book of Daniel occurred through myself as a me- dium, and has no relation whatever to a Jewish Daniel; but solely relates to Zarathustra, of the Persians. ... I was known as Aronamar at the Court of Cyrus, and in the position of a philosopher, who, having reasoned on the law of cause and effect, could stand at any court, or any other condition of life. "In the reign of Darius Hystaspes I went through the ordeal of being cast into a lion's den, but I was a medium, and was attended by a power that pro- tected me from physical injury; a superior mes- meric and psychological power. I received this power from other powerful spirits, and through it was enabled to calm the fury of the lions. It was I, Zarathustra who read the handwriting on the wall in the days of Belshazzar, through the power of spirits. ... I was the original Daniel, and the Jews appropriated my works ; there was a religious teaching attributed to Hermes Trismegistus that a child should be born of a virgin. This was a com- mon belief at that time ; . . . Back of me lies what is known as the Phallic religion, which taught that the forces of nature express themselves in an indi- vidual unit. Back of that was the philosophical religion taught by Hermes Trismegistus. This re- ligion was derived from the Planetary and Stellar systems, and embodied the principle known as cause Apollonius of Tyana 171 and effect. Back of, and beyond that, was a Hin- doo-Chaldaic religion, which took its rise at the base of the Himalaya Mountains. There was also a very ancient religion (Phoenician). The Great Western Continent (America) was progressing at one time side by side with the Eastern Continent, and a man named Bochica taught all the laws of cause and effect in Bolivia and Peru, long before Manco Capac and wife appeared there. ... I want this fact impressed on the reader, viz., that we spirits are not working for applause, nor to gain believers in any doctrine; but for the good of hu- manity that the spirits I have brought to you have been compelled by my power to tell the truth; all we ask is, that you will examine, in order to know the truth." Mr. Roberts says: "The spirit forces with which Zarathustra was working were four-fold, the leaders of which were, first, Hermes Trismegistus, the Egyptian philosopher, who lived 1150, B. C, second, Gautama Sakyia Buddha, the Hindoo sage, who lived about 950, B. C. ; third, Zarathustra, the Persian sage, who lived 650, B. C; fourth, Apol- lonius of Tyana, the Cappadocian medium and sage, who lived from 2 to 98, A. D. It was the combined forces, millions of spirits, animated by the spirits of those four great leaders of human thought, that made it possible for these communications to be given. Sixteen hundred years ago the Christian church was organized for the purpose of presenting the old heathen, mythological, allegorical, and priestly deceptions of all the preceding religions in 172 The Proven Continuity of Life a new disguise. So well did these priestly schem- ers profit by the experiences of their wise predeces- sors that they managed to organize a system of sup- pressing inquiry, and perpetuating ignorance never before known. The millions of ignorant spirits now on the earth plane have been doing all they could to prevent mortals from knowing truths of the after life, but this barrier is now broken by ad- vanced spirits and this series of communications has been the result. Zarathustra says he was the author of the Zend-Avesta, and founder of the the- ology in relation to Ormuzd, and Mithra." "We worship," so runs one of the prayers in the Fravardin Yasht, "the rule and the guardian angel of Zarathustra Spilama, who first thought good thoughts, who first spoke good words, who first per- formed good actions, who was the first priest, the first warrior, the first cultivator of the soil, the first prophet, the first who has given to mankind nature, and reality, and word, and wealth, and all good things created by Mazda, which embellish reality; who first caused the wheel to turn among gods and men, who first praised the purity of the living creation and destroyed idolatry; who con- fessed the religion of the living god against the devils. Through his knowledge and speech the waters and trees become desirous of growing, and all things created by the Holy Spirit are uttering words of happiness." Mr. Roberts says: "What more sublimely grand and comprehensive has ever been said with such beauty and perfect adaptation of words to Apollonius of Tyana 173 thoughts in relation to any being, mythical or real, or both? Zarathustra, who lived 650 years B. C, was a deep and great thinker, far above his contempo- raries, and the most enlightened men of subsequent centuries. Even the Greeks and Romans held him in the highest estimation ; . . . and now these mud- dled and confused Jewish and Christian questions are about to be solved; we now have the key that unlocks the vaults and we find Gustasp, friend of Zarathustra, to be none other than Darius I, suc- cessor of Belshazzar and founder of the Persian Empire. This fact would not have been questioned had not Herodotus blundered as to proper place of Darius in Assyrian history, and had not the plagi- arizing Jewish writer sought to conceal his literary theft, followed Herodotus, and thus convicted him- self of the pious fraud he was perpetrating. Had Daniel been the author of that book he would not have made so great a mistake as to make Darius suc- ceed Cyrus, when he was in fact his predecessor, and reigned more than half a century. Thus are the errors of history corrected by this communication. Zarathustra says at one time civilization of our Western continent was progressing side by side with that of the Eastern continent of Asia. Chris- tianity has performed the same part in arresting the civilization of this Western continent as in Asia, Europe, and Africa. But for the art of printing that religious curse would have continued to block the way to human freedom and progress." (Re- fer to Chambers 3 Encyclopaedia. ) The Biographical references and comments 174 The Proven Continuity of Life of Mr. Roberts on the above communication covering twenty-one pages, are intensely inter- esting and instructive. In fact, the same can be said of the various comments, reviews and bio- graphical references in his book containing one hundred and sixty communications and covering nearly six hundred pages, and which give some idea of the labor and research required to finish this great work; of which the foregoing communications can give but a small and imperfect idea, as they are but brief extracts from same, and mostly referring to the gospels and Christian religion. Few people can fully understand without its perusal the great historical value of this work and the difficulties sur- mounted in this self-imposed task, augmented by a large opposing force from the other side, who realized these communications given, meant the death knell of their power. The extent of this op- position from opposing forces pertains not only to the work in hand, but to the work of individuals in every day life. Low and undeveloped spirits have an army of followers on the earth plane to assist them in doing evil; hence the concentrated power as shown with mobs ; where spirits out of the body, ten, yes, oftentimes fifty to one in the body can be seen and carry a corresponding force for do- ing evil. The time has now arrived when it is not possible for the Christian priesthood, or in fact any- body else, to challenge or successfully question the truth and authenticity of statements made in these communications; and we are assured that further falsehoods will be disclosed by spirit friends of truth Apollonius of Tyana 175 and justice, who now have the power to compel it, as well as to assist and defend their co-workers in earth life in so doing. The following contents of Antiquity Unveiled is given complete in order that the reader may under- stand the great value of the information contained in this work. Apollonius of Tyana, the Nazarene. — Born A. D. 2, died A. D. 99 — His history and teachings appropriated to formulate Christianity — The orig- inal gospels of the New Testament brought from India. Damis, the pupil of Apollonius. — The Epistles of Timothy written to Damis — India the source of Christianity. Deva Bodhisatoua, a Buddhist Prophet. — The original gospels as understood by the Hindoos — Received from spirit sources through Bodhisatoua as a medium. Plotinus. — The testimony of Ulphilas, Apollon- ius, Vespasian, Deva Bodhisatoua and others con- firmed — The scriptures of Buddhism and their re- lation to Christianity. Pope Gregory VII. — His reason for destroying the library of the Palatine Apollo — The manu- scripts contained therein would prove the non-ex- istence of Jesus Christ. Euthalius, a Greek Theologian. — The teachings of Apollonius of Tyana mutilated to make good the Christian scheme — Euthalius substitutes Paul and the Christ idea for Apollonius and Chrishna in these writings — The Acts of the Apostles, Pauline and 176 The Proven Continuity of Life Catholic epistles divided by him into verses. Potamon, the great Alexandrian Reformer. — His attempt to purify the existing religions leads to exile — The Eclectic School of Philosophy — The teachings of Potamon drawn upon to fabricate Christianity. Vespasian, a Roman Emperor. — No such person among the Jews as Jesus of Nazareth — The books of the Jews — Disease produced by spirits — Apol- lonius a great medium. Felix, Procurator of Judea. — Alcibides, an Egyptian priest and not Paul, as recorded in Acts, arraigned before Felix. Pliny the Younger. — His letter to Trajan re- ferred to the Essenes and not to the Christians — The word Christians a forgery. Origen. — Christianity and Paganism identical — The narratives relating to the person Jesus Christ derived from the Greek and Egyptian god makers. Flavius Josephus, a Jewish Historian. — The ref- erence to Jesus of Nazareth fraudulently interpo- lated by some Christian copier of his history — No such person as Jesus of Nazareth existed in the time of Josephus. Flavius Philostratus, biographer of Apollonius of Tyana. — The non-existence of the Christian re- ligion in his day — Apollonius worshiped in Rome as the savior of men — Every effort made by Popes and Emperors to destroy the history of Apollonius. Cosmas Indicopleustes, the great Antiquarian. — The symbols or kej^s of the Christian religion found on the Adulian marble — Fraudulent plates being Apollonius of Tyana 177 manufactured by excavators to support the Old Testament. Jean Jacques Barthelemy, a French Scholar. — The modern Christian religion under the form of symbolic worship written upon all the temples and tombs of antiquity. Henry Salt, an eminent English Traveler. — All historic religions have their origin in the Sun — Blinded by Christianity while on earth. M. Servillus Nonianus, a Roman Consul. — The Christian Jesus none other than the Chrishna of the Hindoos — No Christians nor Christianity in the time of Nero, A. D. 45 to 68. Ptolemy Philadelphus. — The Alexandrian Li- brary — Where the principal parts of the creeds and tenets of all religious systems were obtained. Pontius Pilate, Procurator of Judea. — He knew nothing of the Jesus of the Christians — Jesus Onanias, a robber, tried before him and crucified by the Roman soldiers — This testimony positively cor- roborated in our own times. Cyrillus Luchar, a Greek Patriarch. — The Alex- andrian manuscript — The infamy of Christianity — Millions of ruined souls in the after-life because of its teachings — Christianity not from the Jews but from the Greeks. Quintilian. — Denies the existence of Jesus Christ — The cross has been the symbol'of various religions ever since the days of Rameses II of Egypt. Julius Lucius Florius, a Roman Historian. — The spirit of progress buried beneath Christianity 178 The Proven Continuity of Life — Jesus and his so-called apostles not known in Rome A. D. 125. Urban VIII, a Roman Pontiff. — Facts in regard to the mingling of Paganism and Christianity — The bronze decorations of St. Peter's at Rome — Where obtained. Aquila, a Cappadocian Philosopher. — Neither Jew nor Christian — Not the translator of the Greek version of the Old Testament as recorded in history. Symmachus, a Grecian Statesman. — The Chris- tian religion a duplication of the Eleusinian mys- teries. Pomponius Mela, a Roman Geographer. — No Christians at Antioch A. D. 54 — The goddess Di- ana worshiped. Cardinal Stefano Borgia. — Christianity cannot stand the blazing light of the original writings of the Latin Fathers if placed in the hands of scholars and free thinkers. Caracalla, bishop of Nicomedia. — The Council of Nice — All works pertaining to the mythological origin of Christianity to be destroyed — Biblio- mancy. Hegesippus, a Greek Theologian. — The attempt to make a new religion out of the old religions — The struggle between learned scholars and pagan priests. Ulphilas, a Catholic Bishop. — The source of the Codex Argenteus — The Brahminical gospels of Apollonius translated from the Samaritan tongue in the Fourth Century — The names changed to suit his Christian employers. Apollonius of Tyana 179 Abgarus, a Grecian Priest. — The famous letter to Jesus Christ a forgery by Christian writers — He corresponded with Jesus Malathiel, a Jewish priest — Eusebius responsible for the circulation of this falsehood. Gregory, bishop of Constantinople. — Destruc- tion of many valuable books — Jesus interpolated for Apollonius in history — Eusebius spent his whole life in mutilating and destroying everything that militated against Christianity. Eusebius of Csesarea. — An unwilling witness — The power of truth — All Epistles and Gospels in reality the creation of Christian priests — Justin Martyr the forger of the passage in Josephus in re- lation to Jesus Christ — Eusebius admits copying it — Dr. Lardner's arraignment of Eusebius — What Gibbon thinks of Eusebius. Alciphron, a Greek Writer. — The story of the "Wise Men of the East," a theological legend brought from India by the Gymnosophists. Sir Thomas Bodley, founder of the Bodleian Li- brary. — The Anti-Nicene library — Collection of manuscripts against the Council of Nice — Missing leaves of the Cambridge manuscript. Marcion, the Father of Christianity. — The Pau- line Epistles appropriated by Marcion — He changes them — The description of Paul interpo- lated to disguise the identity of their author, Apol- lonius of Tyana. Lucian, a Greek Satirist. — The insignificant measures used to formulate the Christian Gospels — The St. Luke of the Gospels — Apollonius the 180 The Proven Continuity of Life Apollos of the Greeks — The original works of Lueian mutilated — Who St. Paul and St. Mark were. Constantinus Pogonatus. — The sixth council of Constantinople A. D. 680 — Prometheus of the Greeks adopted to represent Jesus Christ — Lamb worship changed to man worship — Lamb worship a relic of paganism — The edict prohibiting the wor- ship of the lamb on the cross. Constantine the Great. — Fettered by the truth — The Buddhistic gospels mingled with the teachings of Potamon. Epaphroditus, a Latin Grammarian. — Josephus a member of the Ancient Order of the Initiated — Why Josephus did not mention Apollonius in his history. F. Nigidius Figulus. — Connection of astrology with Christianity. Vellius Paterculus. — The Signs of the Zodiac the key to all religions. Gregory, bishop of Neo-Caesarea. — Apollonius worshiped in the Temple of Apollo — Valuable manuscripts destroyed by Eusebius. Ummidius Quadratus, Governor of Syria. — The feast of the unleavened bread a blood purifying cer- emony — The carefully concealed secrets of the Es- senes — Travels in India. C. Cornelius Tacitus, a Roman Historian. — The Essenian Brotherhood — Spirit manifestations — Never heard of the Christian Jesus nor of Chris- tianity. Manetho, an Egyptian Priest. — The god Osiris Apollonius of Tyana 181 of the Egyptians — Materialization as understood by the ancients — The Sun personified, the revered savior of all nations. Varro, a Roman Writer. — The celebrated litera- ture of the ancients destroyed by the Christian hier- archy — His "Key to Ancient Religions" destroyed by order of Constantine the Great. Ignatius of Antioch, Patriarch of the Essenes. — Apollonius of Tyana investigated the religion of the Essenes — The sacred writings of the Essenes blended with those Apollonius received from India. Titus Livius, a Roman Historian. — The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as por- trayed in the annual passage of the Sun through the constellations of the Zodiac. Q. Veranius. — The God of the Britons identical with the God of the Christians — The idea of being saved by a man born of a virgin, established among barbarous people centuries before the Christian era. Porphyry, a so-called Heathen Philosopher. — None of the early Christian Fathers, so-called, were Christians in reality — The gods of all religions have arisen out of astronomy and astrology. Marcantonio De Dominis, a Heresiarch. — The old Roman gods, re-chiseled by the sculptors, are the Apostles of the Christian religion — The vest- ments of the Roman Catholic priesthood copied from the priests of Apollo. Sejanus, the favorite of Tiberius. — New light on the story of the crucifixion — The obliterated por- tion of the Alexandrian Codex. Aloysius Lilius, an Italian Savant. — The con- 182 The Proven Continuity of Life nection of the life of the so-called Jesus Christ with the gods of antiquity — The doctrines of the Chris- tian Trinity based on the Pagan Trinity. Pompaeius Saturninus. — The secret meeting of the Sons of the Sun or the Initiated — Ancient Spiritualism. Carra. — The inscriptions on the Adulian Marble relate to the life and miracles of Apollonius of Ty- ana. Clement Alexandrinus. — His writings mutilated by Eusebius — interesting revelations concerning the Christian cross — The Council of Alexandria. Hermogenes, the Essenian rival of St. Paul. — Astronomy the key to the Book of Revelation — To understand the symbolism of Christianity read the stars. Jean Sylvain Bailly. — What can be found at An- cient Tyre — An important book. Cardinal Caesar Baronius, Librarian of the Vati- can. — The Hindoo god Chrishna, in reality the Christ of the Christians — Sworn to eternal secrecy. Rufus Quintius Curtius. — The Jewish legends borrowed from Persian mythologies — The breast plate of Josephus. M. Atilius Regulus. — The Greek and Roman re- ligions copies of the Egyptian religion of Osiris or the sun personified. Robert II, of France. — The Great Infinite has marked out no set of religious rules for men to be governed by — The effect of too much religious be- lief — All pictures of Jesus Christ copies of those of Apollonius of Tyana. Apollonius of Tyana 188 Pythagoras, the Samian Sage. — The god princi- ple within us — In ancient times all sages were medi- ums — The effects of erroneous religious teaching of children almost ineradicable. Ammonius Saccas, the pupil of Potamon. — The Book of Revelation written under spirit control by Apollonius — Christianity known under the name of Gnosticism. Galerius, a Roman Emperor. — Why Diocletian issued his famous edict against the Christians. George Deyverdun. — The Last Supper taken from the Eleusinian Mysteries — Gibbon's book s "iEneas, The Lawgiver of the Eleusinian Mys- teries," destroyed by the clergy. Heinrich E. G. Paulus.— The Gospel of St. Mat- thew — A remarkable communication. Sigebert Havercamp. — The writings of Damis in existence as late as the Eighteenth Century. Charles De Brosses. — The worship of the Fetish gods — Christianity a mixture of all preceding re- ligions. Christian Thomasius, Jurist and Philosopher. — Luther knew that Jesus Christ was a myth but dared not acknowledge it — The true cause of Ma- terialism in Germany. Saturninus, the Essenian Philosopher. — The founder of Gnosticism — The story of Jesus of Naz- areth, and the Christian Scriptures the mixed sys- tems of Brahmanic, Buddhistic, Jewish, Essenian and Gnostic teachings — Apollonius heals by the laying on of hands. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine. — Compelled to tes- 184 The Proven Continuity of Life tify by the disappointed hopes of millions who be- lieved and trusted in Christianity — Refers to the portrait of Apollonius — All should know who the real Jesus was. Hormisdas, a Roman Catholic Pontiff. — De- struction of the Pauline Epistles — Eusebius a scoundrel — Jesus Christ worshiped in the form of a lamb — Romanism is Paganism changed into Chris- tianity. Appian, a Roman Historian. — His writings de- stroyed by the Christians — The Hindoo Chrishna changed into the Greek Christos. John Fidenza, St. Bonaventura. — The doctrines of Apollonius in the hands of the Maronite Priests on Mt. Lebanon, Syria. Annius of Viterbo, a learned Dominican Friar — Startling revelations — The manuscripts saved from the Alexandrian library — The key to the old Egyp- tian manuscripts found at the entrance of the an- cient temple of Apollo at Rome. Mizraim, the Chaldaic king of Egypt. — The wor- ship of Egyptians — The signs of the Zodiac — New facts in history — Mizraim the name of a king and not the name of a country as claimed by historians. Euxenus, a Pythagorean Philosopher. — The teacher of Apollonius — Explains the seven Pyth- agorean principles as taught in his day. Jean Baptiste Colbert, Prime Minister of France. — The inscription on the marble throne at Adulis, referred to Apollonius of Tyana — The Armenians fire worshipers — The ancient Egyptian virgin Isis identical with the Christian Virgin Mary. Apollonius of Tyana 185 Godfrey Arnold, a German Mystic. — The com- munication of Euthalius confirmed. August Von Schlegel, a German Philologist. — The Tamil language more ancient than the Sanscrit —The Tamil idea of the Trinity. Bodhishormah, a Buddhist Priest. — The hooks of the New Testament from St. John to Revelation parodied from the versions of Bodhisatoua — The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke derived from ancient Gymnosophic religions. Servius Sulpicus Galba, a Roman Emperor. — Who the Jesus of Nazareth was that created such confusion at Jerusalem, A. D. 34-35. Junianus Justinus, a Latin Historian. — More works mutilated by Christian writers — Hesus Chris- to changed to Jesus Christ in the days of Eusebius. Plotina Pompeia, wife of the Emperor Trajan. — The famous letter of Pliny the Younger to Trajan — What the light of truth reveals — Ancient copies still in existence fraudulently interpolated in order to manufacture proof of the existence of the Christians at an early period — The worship of Apollonius at Rome — The historical proofs of the existence of Jesus disappear under the light of these communications. Facilidas, King of Abyssinia. — Some interesting testimony in regard to evolution. Father Amoit, a French Jesuit. — Christianity cannot stand before unbiased thought and reason — All deistical ideas inconsistent with the laws of life and organization of matter. Charles Francis Alter. — Interesting philological 186 The Proven Continuity of Life discoveries — The mystic symbols of the school of Ammonius Saccas. Herennius, a contemporary of Plotinus. — The first writing or tablets of man's history were found in Ethiopia — Christianity contains all the cere- monies of the ancient pagans combined with a god that never existed — Plans for the formation of the highest and noblest system of religion ever known overthrown by Constantine the Great. Amelius, a disciple of Plotinus. — Why Eclecti- cism was checked in its infancy — Pagan priests pre- ferred to see their ceremonies continued through the Catholic church rather than have them become obsolete. Strabo, Historian and Geographer. — "If the records of the past had been allowed to stand there would be no Christianity to-day" — Confirmatory proof that the portrait of the Nazarene is a true representation of Apollonius. Phraotes, King of Taxila. — The visit of Apol- lonius to India — Receives the sacred Testament of The Mountain of Light Circle from Iarchus — Light upon the Book of Matthew — Millions of spir- its would rather cease to exist than that these reve- lations should come to mankind. John Frederick Gronovius, Critic of the Seven- teenth Century. — The works of Pliny, Livy and Sallust, very much changed in order to conceal the real origin of Christianity — Confirmatory proof in regard to the forgery of Pliny's letter. Abulpharagius, bishop of Guba. — Christianity essentially the Sun Worship taught at Babylon by Apollonius of Tyana 187 Zoroaster — The Jesuits supporting the opposition to the truth as revealed from the spirit world. Minucius Felix, a Montanist Patriarch. — Where civilization originated — Christianity an outgrowth of Buddhism — Sun Worship and Egyptian Osir- ianism one and the same thing. Griesbach. — Zodiacal interpretation of all reli- gions — The five ancient Testaments — The incorrect translation of the Greek Testament. Haigo, the great Armenian King. — The Jewish legend of the Tower of Babel disposed of in an ef- fective manner — The Old Testament belonged to the Armenian people and not to the Jews — The secret chambers of the Pyramids of Ethiopia. Montanus, the Phrygian Ecstatic. — The teach- ings of Montanism — Their books the canons of Buddhism — Materialization in ancient times. Akiba, a Jewish Rabbi. — Chronological forgeries resorted to in order to make the Jewish religion ap- pear ancient. Lucius Appuleius, a Satirist. — The difference between the teachings of Apollonius and Potamon — The Greek and Egyptian divinities identical with older gods. M. Cocceius Nerva, Emperor of Borne. — Fif- teen other gods besides the Hindoo Saviour Christos worshiped at Rome — History of them all based upon a god-begotten virgin-born man who was to die to save the world. Herodes Agrippa II, King of Judea. — The true version of the trial of Paul before Agrippa as given in Acts. 188 The Proven Continuity of Life Rabba Joseph. — The writings of Gamaliel tam- pered with by Christians. Moses Maimondes. — The Augian Codex — Ab- solute proof that Apollonius of Tyana was St. Paul. Procopius, the Secretary of Belisarius. — Euse- bius changes the Hindoo Chrishna into the Jew Jesus Christ — Julian the Apostate did not recant upon his death-bed. Eunomius, the great Arian leader. — Whence came the name Jesus Christ — Why the Council of Nice was convened — The attempt of the Emperor Constantine to blend the prevailing heathen reli- gions. Carneades, a Greek Philosopher. — Christosism converted into Christianity in the Fourth Century — The philosophy of Plato a combination of the doctrines concerning Christos and Prometheus. Sotion, the teacher of Seneca. — Diana of the Ephesians supposed to be the virgin mother of the sun god Christos in the time of Sotion — A fatal mistake. Septimus Geta, a Roman Emperor. — Rivalry ex- isting between the followers of Christos and the worshipers of Apollo. Jacob Joseph Von Gorres. — The plagiaristic na- ture of the Scriptures — ~No Hebrew literature until after the Babylonish captivity — The ancient Jewish history taken from the writings of Zoroaster. Frederich Gesenius. — The Hebrew languages derived from the ancient Chaldean tongue — Ety- mology of the name Moses — The scribe Ezra re- vises the account of Daniel. Apollonius of Tyana 189 St. Chrysostom, a Christian Father. — All sys- tems of religion amount to misunderstood spirit control — The important document contained in the Ambrosian Library. Ananias, a Jewish High-priest. — Apollonius and not Christ accused before Felix — The only Christ preached in Judea was the Christos of Apollonius. Charles Martel, King of France. — The worship- ers of Jupiter, Hesus and Christos. Radbod, King of Friesland. — Similarity between Christosism and Hesusism. Winifred or St. Boniface. — Not a Catholic Chris- tian but a priest of Christos. — The books rejected at the Council of Nice. Lucius of Cyrene, the Secretary of Damis. — The Apocalypse written by Apollonius. Severus, Patriarch of Antioch. — The Monophy- sites — The attempt to make Hesus Christos a Jew. Agabus. — The folly of religion as a means to spirit happiness — Mediums used to propagate the Apollonian system of religion. John Biddle, an English Theologian. — The per- secutions ordered by the Christian churches respon- sible for the overthrow of their power — Persecuted for denying the truth of the Trinity. St. Francis De Sales, a Bishop of Geneva. — A defiant spirit — All proof in the hands of the Cath- olic church — The priests have hidden their tracks well — His challenge accepted. Silas or Silvanus, a Disciple of Apollonius of Tyana. — Interesting facts concerning the systems of Apollonius and Chrestus — New light on the 190 The Proven Continuity of Life Scriptures — Marcion and Lucian appropriated the theological labors of Apollonius. Frumentius, an Abyssinian Bishop. — The Ethi- opic version of Christosism — The founders of Chris- tianity claim the solar Christos of Frumentius to be identical with their Jesus Christ. Chrestus, the rival of Apollonius. — The subject of the disputed passage in Suetonius, not Jesus Christ but Chrestus — The teachings of Chrestus. Aronamar. — The difficulties attending spirit in- tercourse — The Council of Nabopolassar — The first Talmud — No Targums of the books of Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah — Targums of those books would have shown their Chaldean origin. St. Declan, an ancient Sun Worshiper. — St. Pat- rick a sun worshiper — The round towers of Ireland — The literature of the Druids destroyed. Leonardi Bruni, Papal Secretary. — The forger- ies in the secret archives of the Vatican — Mutila- tions by Eusebius — The destruction of documents by Popes Celestine and Gregory. St. Dominic De Guzman. — The Catholicism of spirit life — The persecution of the Albigenses. Louis the Pious, King of France. — The mystic teachings of Dionysius the Areopagite — Jupiter- ean-Christosism. Celestine III, a Roman Pontiff. — Suppressed manuscripts — What can be found in the library at Florence. John Asser, Abbot of Sherburn. — The manu- scripts of Alfred the Great — Fourteen crucified saviors — Jesus and Hesus preached alternately. Apollonius of Tyana 191 Innocent III, Pope of Rome. — An unwilling witness — The mutilation of the Alexandrian manu- script — The missing leaves — The psychology of spirits used to lead mortals astray. Albertus Magnus. — Astrology furnishes the key to show who the real Jesus was — A pathetic state- ment. Socrates Scholasticus, an Ecclesiastical Histo- rian. — The communion service taken from the Eleu- sinian mysteries — Bacchus the god of wine, Ceres the god of com — Where proof of the truth of these communications can be found. Gabinus, Roman Governor of Judea. — History of the Jews a mixture of the traditions of the Chal- deans and Armenians — Abraham a Chaldean. Apianus. — The teachings of spirits in the Six- teenth Century — A pupil of Paracelsus. Marcellinus. — The doctrines of the Trinity — State policy, not religious impulse caused Constan- tine to adopt Hesus Christos — Relation of Gym- nosophism and Eclecticism to Christianity. Lactantius. — The doctrine of the Trinity in ex- istence in India 1600 years before the Christian era — An important communication showing the iden- tity of Christianity and paganism. Hermas, an Apostolic Father. — His suffering in spirit life — The Greek myth Prometheus the prototype of the Christian Jesus — The honor of the founders of Christianity impeached. Iamblicus, a Syrian Philosopher. — The Sun the central object of the Christian theology — The con- cealed key. 192 The Proven Continuity of Life Belzoni. — Symbols of the Christian religion found on the Tombs of Ancient Thebes. Ammonius the Peripatetic, an Alexandrian Phil- osopher. — Religious symbols — History of Jesus a re- deification of older gods. Anastasius, Librarian of the Vatican. — No evi- dence to show that Jesus Christ ever existed — The pictures of Jesus taken from those of Apollonius — The Christian religion the outgrowth of the teach- ings of the Alexandrian schools. Jonathan Ben Uzziel, one of the Writers of the Targums. — Moses a creation of Jewish priests — The legends and traditions of the Jewish people extend no further than Ezra the Scribe — Jewish and Chaldean history identical — Every man and woman their own redeemer. Saadias-Gaon. — The Jews had no history as a people anterior to 450 B. C. Arnold, Abbot of Citeaux. — The persecutor of the Albigenses — Terrible remorse of a spirit. John Bainbridge, an English Astronomer. — The significance of the astronomical and astrological signs. Charles Hardwick, an English Theologian. — India not the mother of civilization nor the origin- ator of all religions. Mesrop or Mesrob, an Armenian Theologian. — • The Testament of Apollonius of Tyana — The Cop- tic or Egyptian version of the Scriptures — Apol- lonius worshiped as a god. Paulinus, Archbishop of York. — His mutilation of the Scriptures — In spirit life he finds Jesus Apollonius of Tyana 193 Christ to be Apollonius of Tyana — He copied after Eusebius. St. Germain. — The original gospels written in the Syriac-Hebraic tongue — Copied into the Ar- menian tongue by Moses Chorensis — The Maronite monks of Mount Lebanon have valuable manu- scripts in their possession. Montacute. — The Druid worship of the God Hesus prevailed as late as the Fourteenth Century. Francis Anthony Flemming, a Roman Catholic Priest. — St. Patrick not a Christian but a Druid priest. Jacob Capo, an Architect. — The stones of pagan temples converted into Christian churches — The statue of Hesus of the Celtic Druids mounted in a church at Florence — The statues of Jesus and his twelve Apostles are pagan gods re-carved and mod- ified to suit Christian requirements. J. S. Semler. — Dying gods of virgins born, a mythical idea 15,000 years old — Corroborative evi- dence to be found in the encyclopaedias of the Chi- nese and Japanese nations. Cardinal Sancta De Caro. — Interesting account of the original gospels — When the first bible was printed all marginal notes on manuscripts were dropped except those manufactured by the priests — The Samaritan copy of Ignatius of Antioch. Pope Nicholas IV. — The difficulty of communi- cating in the English tongue — The opposition of spirits — The twelve apostles of St. Peter's in Home copied from the twelve gods transported from Olympus to Rome in the days of the Emperor 194 The Proven Continuity of Life Hadrian — Terrible conflict in spirit life. Zoroaster. — Startling disclosures — The Jewish Book of Daniel contains the actual earthly expe- riences of Zoroaster — Zoroaster, not Daniel thrust into the lions' den — His works appropriated by the Jews — The Book of Revelation and the Book of Daniel open up the secrets of antiquity when prop- erly interpreted and understood — A description of the ancient religions — Confounded in history with the elder Zoroaster — The disputed question, "Who was the Darius mentioned in the Book of Daniel," settled at last — Corrections made in history. THE ROMAN HIERARCHY THE DEAD- LIEST MENACE TO OUR LIBER- TIES AND CIVILIZATION NO greater service can be done the world as a whole than to teach it that a blissful immor- tality in Heaven is not secured as a matter of course by speculation or superstition; that un- sound religious enterprises with promoters' prom- ises coming from Rome are to be avoided. A sys- tem of government by men and not by law has reared itself by reason of the people's hypocrisy. For some years it has been permitted to encroach on our system of government and the system (church) is becoming military. Unassailed, this Financial Octopus is a marauding, unsatiable mon- ster. It looks like a real fortress, but it's only a house of cards and collapses when you put your shoulder against it. Attacked, it fawns on the hand that throttles it and retires behind the bulwark of Christian ethics; professes the gospel of Jesus Christ and thus deludes its adversaries. Rome ex- ists the present moment as the enemy in our coun- try; a vulture gnawing at her vitals. History teaches it is impossible for mankind to enjoy peace as long as the pontifical power is tolerated; then, as now, it is a struggle between a powerful secret order, with organized crime at its back, and the law- abiding citizens of the Republic. Our people are 195 196 The Proven Continuity of Life so interested in making money that they leave re- ligious claims to a body of ignorant men under whom there has grown up a system of machine con- trol of the ignorant masses. How contemptible we are as a nation to allow a small body of ignorant foreigners at Rome controlled by the Jesuits, to make such fools of us. They bleed the country, enjoy privileges and exemptions which make them as a body even more important and more powerful than the state. What has their organization done for the community? I will tell you in one word what it has done, viz., Nothing! Juggling the formula under which it pretends to act it has grown more and more insolent in its demands. The church question as it stands to-day in our country is a question of national morals. The people must get down to the study of religion, now so highly un- popular, and learn why Rome not only orders what we may eat, and wear, but also how and when (if at all) we shall be allowed to think. It is better and wiser that Rome should not be allowed to think for our people. It is always better to tell the truth, anything less is deceiving the public, a dishonest policy. The Roman Catholic Church uses her great so-called spiritual influence in everything civil and temporal in Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, England, as a political force and always against the liberties of the people. When I look upon these priests and see them trample on the rights of their fellowmen at the bidding of the veiled Hierarchy at Rome I record here my testimony against the invasion of my native state by ignorant foreigners, The Roman Hierarchy a Menace 197 servile tools of the Church, and soon to become vot- ers in its behalf. It is not law, but despotism to which you are bowing. The Pope claims to be above the civil law. In a government of law no individual, no combination, can be above the law; outside of that is either anarchy or tyranny; or, one is followed by the other. In the present case we are not dealing with a person but with a strong and powerful organization openly at war with gov- ernments of its choosing, boldly defiant in the defi- nition of its attitude and challenging society with its question, "What are you going to do about it?" As before stated, Italy, in regarding the church as a political conspiracy and in safeguarding the country against its intrigues, reads England and the United States a lesson, for both obstinately and foolishly shut their eyes to this aspect of the Papal church and persist in regarding it from the stand- point of religion and have not yet realized the utter hopelessness of creating an educated people if edu- cation is left in the hands of the Roman Catholic Church. A small band of clericals in Rome administer the business as though it belonged to them; and it does. It is a business the law ought to stop, and can if it will ; the people are being very subtly dealt with, and this political conspiracy must have our attention whether we like it or not ; and by open speech only can we learn or make known what the facts are. When the people realize that these grasping, self- seeking, cunning clericals at Rome with an army of followers are eating into the very vitals of our 198 The Proven Continuity of Life country, the question is not whether to attack this financial octopus, but how. We are unfit to be called a free people if we surrender the right to shape our destinies, and place this right in the hands of any religious or other association not responsible to us. Their brazen defiance of civil authority is based on a supreme contempt for governments. Skilled in the art of concealing the real object in view, mistaking generosity for weakness, they have convinced themselves that their cunning outmeas- ures the intelligence of the community they abuse and that their deceits will never be exposed. The hour has arrived when self-preservation requires measures carrying certainty and sureness of results, nor is it necessary or advisable to meet this matter in the same spirit of compromise and cowardice that the nation met the problem of slavery. It is a mis- take for men of intelligence to wait until a crisis comes before speaking out. Men who know the truth ought to stand up and tell it and without a thought of popularity, political, or social. You believe, but seldom speak, explain, or defend. The question which faces us is, which shall rule — the church or the people? Educated and patriotic free men, or the feudal serfs of a self-made, effete mon- archy which holds together and controls the votes of its ignorant followers coming from countries in Europe where this same church has for centuries kept the people in mental and spiritual subjection? Already here at home it has trifled with the sover- eign power and insulted the state and nation. The crack of the slaveholder's whip was heard in Boston The Roman Hierarchy a Menace 199 when the late U. S. Senator Robert Toombs boasted the day would arrive when he would call the roll of his slaves on Bunker Hill. That roll call failed to materialize ; and now, the crack of the Ro- man clerical's whip (the church) resounds through- out the land through its accredited representatives. Usurpers as a rule take no responsibilities and have no conscience. In the North American Review,, March number, 1909, Cardinal Gibbons tells "what Catholics will do if parochial schools are interfered with, that they believe in sacredness of conscience." And in a recent address at Baltimore in presence of government officials and others gathered there to do him honor, again we hear the crack of the Roman clerical's whip, and this same Cardinal Gib- bons, who, sad to relate, was slightly remiss in fail- ing to observe the proprieties of the occasion, made an open attack on our schools; characterized our system of education as "imperfect, vicious, and de- structive to the religion of youth." (Vicious is de- fined as corrupt, depraved, wicked, refractory, foul, and bad.) He would have done much better to have spared the country his insults ; in view of the many attentions and favors shown the Cardinal by our public officials and others, and the power of the clericals to successfully control in great measure the public Press, no longer the mouthpiece of the people when the interests of the Papacy are in- volved, the public indignation for the above gra- tuitous insult to the country and impudent attacks on our system of education failed to find expres- sion. I regret to say the insolent and impertinent 200 The Proven Continuity of Life interference with our schools and characterizations of the Roman Catholic clergy is only equaled by their misrepresentations, and must no longer be permitted. Attacking these encourages the un- dermining of our government, exerts a baneful in- fluence throughout the state, and weakens the power of the government both at home and abroad, as is well known to the Cardinal and his associates. Nor need any future candidates for the Presidency of the United States ever expect to reach port, who, in catering for the Catholic vote allow their coun- try and its institutions to be dragged in the mire without a dissenting note, or voice. Such men de- serve, and justly, the execration of all honest men. As to "sacredness of the Cardinal's conscience," Baroness Von Zedtwitz says in her book called "The Double Doctrine of the Church of Rome": "The Church of Rome as an organization has never tolerated individualism amongst its members. It at once affirms and denies the individual conscience, inasmuch as that conscience must ever be sought in the dogmas and direction of the Institution." This is already well known to those conversant with, not the claims, but the practices of the church, and its misleading, untruthful utterances. In other words the conscience of the Cardinal may be very sacred, but it is safely anchored in the breast of the Roman clericals; held by the church and subject to her direction. The book of Baroness Von Zedt- witz (Fleming H. Revell Company, New York) should be read by every young girl and mother of our country. Also "The Priest, the Woman, and The Roman Hierarchy a Menace 201 the Confessional," by Father Chiniguy (A. Craig & Co., Publishers, Chicago, 111.). Hearing a con- fession and claiming power and authority from God, by a priest to pardon sins should be made a state's prison offense, and is one of the first things our whole country must prohibit. The enormous sums of money wrung from the poor ignorant masses to support this army of re- ligious pretenders, together with that sent to Rome, is scarcely credible. Witness the large number of Catholics holding intimate and responsible positions in the departments at Washington, D. C. ; and why so many in the government printing office? Wit- ness the large buildings and enormous holdings of this great trust, this financial octopus, with values running into the millions, and increasing rapidly every year. Where do all these millions come from? They come from the poor, in return for lying promises. Why these citadels of strength of a foreign authority, an acknowledged enemy to Republican governments and so treated by Euro- pean governments? Why are they allowed in Washington, the Capital of our country? Why allowed that monastery with all its underground passages in northeast part of its holdings; and which should not be allowed to stand twenty-four hours? It is because you refuse to take warning from France, and Italy, priestridden for centuries, when they tell you from dearly bought experience, "That they regard the Roman Catholic Church in the light of a political conspiracy ; and in safeguard- ing the country read the United States of Amer- 202 The Proven Continuity of Life ica a lesson for foolishly shutting her eyes to this aspect of the Papal Church and persists in regard- ing it only from the standpoint of Religion. The results are, their interests abroad are betrayed, their subjects persecuted, and when redress is sought in court are mocked by a miscarriage of Justice." The Roman clerical political conspirators are already sufficiently aired, and disposed of. Whatever my opinion of the danger to, and the conceit of the nation, that of Italy and France should be heeded, if the country is wise, and would avoid trouble in the future ; of which a reasonable amount is not lack- ing at this writing if I read aright the signs of the times. The Archbishop is made to say "The church is the sole living Christian authority" (was, but not is) ; "that she has the power to speak and an organization by which her laws may be enforced ; to make America Catholic our hearts leap with crusader enthusiasm." No question the church has exercised authority enough, and probably more than it ever will again. A strange fatality seems to at- tend the reasoning process of some Catholics who labor under the hallucination that certain writings, claims made for selfish purposes by Roman cler- icals calling themselves the "Church," are laws; that they are really laws carrying the force of laws made by duly constituted and recognized govern- ments, whose wisdom and industry feeds and clothes unproductive Popes, Archbishops, Priests, and makes it possible for them to live. Such so-called laws are of no more significance to the United States of America (who officially do not know of The Roman Hierarchy a Menace 203 your existence, and ignore the presence of your divinely authorized functionaries who with flowing robes and ecclesiastical importance will demand recognition for the voters they control soon as they dare) than the claims of any other organization, much less a foreign organization. By reason of the absurd claim of divine authority to rule and govern, to set aside laws regularly made by constituted law- making authority, and not by intelligence, wisdom, brains, this organization, an open enemy of Italy, now paralyzed at Rome, as far as power goes, the Pope, and the church existing only through the desire and efforts of his abettors outside of it for power and money in our country, not content with a free hand, with greater advantages allowed and enjoyed than elsewhere; advantages denied and not allowed it in any other country in the world, espe- cially where its practices are known. "Drunk with the wine of swift success," with never so much money from ignorant followers; with marked hos- pitality from inmates of the White House, who of course liked them for their personal qualities, and not for the votes they could control; and yearning for power and the flesh pots, is it any wonder their "hearts leap with crusader enthusiasm to make America Roman Catholic"? The insinuation, the veiled threat of an organization to enforce church "claims" is another matter; nor need it be considered impolite or improper to remark that the country has borne with great patience the attacks on our public schools, and the unnecessary, wanton insults and threats of Roman clericals by their represen- 204 The Proven Continuity of Life tatives and abettors in our country, and want no more of them. It also has power to enforce its laws, and purposes, whenever occasion requires. Under the guise of religion this organization now assails our institutions and "openly declares its pur- pose to secure political power," to govern; what are its qualifications? Shorn of its power in France, defying the civil law, caught red-handed plotting against a Republican form of govern- ment, this church organization which for thirty years the Republic had to fight in self-defense, not a spiritual influence, but as a political institution, which from 1871 to 1875 had the whole control of France ; in possession of every public office ; officials of every grade at their beck and call ; but found to their cost that the will of the nation could not be thwarted with impunity; and in 1877 were driven from power by an outraged nation; "that to give lib- terty to govern these people is about as safe as to give it to mad dogs." Then the Republic rose in its wrath and deprived them of control over the education of the nation. To-day, as in our coun- try, Rome assails the public school system of France, warning parents to shun the schools, re- fusing sacraments to those allowing their children to attend them, and to offset the school teachings has fixed the age of seven years for the first com- munion, and monthly afterwards until the child is eleven, in Paris, and twelve in the Provinces. "In 1867, the clericals fearing the vengeance of the government, and an outraged people, fled from Mexico and when allowed to return were told politi- The [ Moman Hierarchy a Menace 205 cal Romanism was dead; that henceforth they must keep their hands off the nation's affairs, mind their religious work, and that alone." Their power is crushed in Italy, and growing less in Spain. Bis- marck declared the Papacy was a political power which, with the greatest audacity, had interfered with the affairs of the world. In Austria the super- vision and direction of education have been taken from the church and restored to the hands of the state; the same is true of Mexico. In Switzerland public opinion is against any private schools, and no religious association is permitted to decide as to the education of its children. There will be no peace until the state takes supervision of every school, within its boundary, private, parochial or otherwise. The teaching of the children by the "church" is a direct interference with the liberty of the individual, never should have been allowed, and must not be left with the clergy, if you would have citizens independent of thought and loyal to our government. Attendance of schools should be absolutely independent of church control; compul- sory, and for all. No Bibles or religious teachings to be allowed within the precincts of the school- room. Why not come out into the open and say frankly once for all, that the state is quite compe- tent to attend to its affairs without the assistance of any foreign organization, religious or otherwise, and will no longer permit its children to receive or obey orders from any organization or government, as to their education or morals? Believe all the religions you like, but their shadow is not to cross 206 The Proven Continuity of Life the threshold of the public schools supervised by the state. And why? Because Divine ignorance with its false claims and pretended authority, which for centuries and up to this time has been placed above human knowledge, is about to find its place, and these spurious church claims called by their right names. The intelligence of the twentieth century denies children can be born of virgins without an earthly father, or that a man called the Pope is the viceger- ent of God Almighty, or has any delegated author- ity from him; or can even conceive of such a Su- preme Being. That the claims of bishops and priests to absolve, to forgive sins, to send to heaven or hell, are all barefaced frauds, deceitful lies, made and concocted by wicked deceitful men centuries ago, and floated under the guise of religion, with many and singular other knowingly untruthful and misleading sayings. The possession of power makes these priests ar- bitrary, because they know however far they may go they will be supported by the ignorant masses who venerate and make them think themselves great, whether they are or not. Such popularity, due to ignorance and concentrated in the hands of a few men, poisons the sources of national supremacy and destroys public confidence. The accumu- lation of power is the very essence of despotic gov- ernment. For the making and practice of these fraudulent claims, priests should be sent to jail for obtaining money under false pretenses. As before stated, it is not necessary to prove a priest took The Roman Hierarchy a Menace 207 money under the guise of rescuing a woman from hell, but by common habit and repute, took money from his victims, and in so doing was guilty of un- lawful practices. It is quite time the nations should awake and declare, that all these belongings of the church have nothing to do with any religion; that they are rank frauds and deceitful lies to get money and power; have for centuries been a curse to hu- manity, and that it is the duty of every loyal citizen of our country to awake, and without mincing mat- ters crush the power of the Roman Hierarchy (the clerical political conspirators, at Rome), now hold- ing the country in its grip, controlling the Press which is too often fooled and duped by the tactics and clever dialetics of the Jesuits, lending credence to their claims and giving them wider currency, wondering how men can be truthful and good with- out their assistance. For centuries the world has been held in the meshes of religious deception of the most high- handed character. Every friend of truth and jus- tice should take hold of his religious mind and decide for himself whether or not he believes the teachings of the Roman Hierarchy, and tactics of the Roman Cardinal political conspirators with their abettors, are a menace to the liberties of the Ameri- can people and dangerous to the welfare of the Republic. The people don't fully realize the dan- ger on account of the stealth and secrecy with which they work. They are especially dangerous because they are taught and believe that they can commit no sinful act where the interests of the 208 The Proven Continuity of Life church are involved. For a thousand years super- stition and ignorance have throttled mankind. Be- ing the enemies of liberty of thought they hate America for her enlightenment, and to gain polit- ical power they are now bending all their energies ; are secretly and insidiously working as never before to dominate the state, destroy civil law and personal liberty. To those in touch with the situation the danger is only too real. Any Catholic who vows to obey Rome through the Church is a slave to the Church, cannot remain a true and loyal American, and is an enemy to his country, say what you will. The accursed auricular confession, one of the main props to hold woman in bondage; the fraudulent claim of priests that they can forgive sins and ab- solve from punishment for any sins committed are base, lying frauds, and known by them to be such. These frauds, for centuries existing under the guise of religion, now properly named, tagged, and lo- cated, must no longer be tolerated or allowed to exist; and special laws should be enacted to this end; priests and other violators to be punished by fine and imprisonment. Their methods to get money and power are now better understood. In fact, it is the duty of all nations to combine and crush out this insatiable financial octopus. Other- wise they will crush you, and make you their slave. To begin, and for self -protection alone, additional reform laws should be enacted to teach these con- spirators their place in our state; and like Italy and France (who no longer permit them to pose as mar- tyrs) define their status, compel obedience to our The Roman Hierarchy a Menace 209 laws, nor suffer insolence or threats from individ- uals or asssociations, religious or otherwise; that religion has nothing to do with it ; that it is simply a question whether Divine darkness administered by Rome, or the intelligence of the twentieth century, is to hold in its keeping and control the happiness, education, and destiny of not only this generation, but of millions unborn ; our Governor should ascer- tain why Mexico, after years of suffering under Catholic yoke, issued reform laws which may be of equal benefit to our state, viz. : 1. — Monastic orders not permitted, nor establish- ments ; 2. — Association of Sisters of Charity suppressed ; 8. — Religious processions are forbidden in the streets ; 4. — Clerical vestments are forbidden in the streets. 5. — Pulpit discourses advising disobedience to the law ; 6. — Marriage is a civil contract, and to be duly registered ; the religious service may be added ; 7. — No one can sign away their liberty by con- tract or religious vow; 8. — Cemeteries are under civil inspection and open for the burial of all classes and creeds ; 9. — Education in the public schools is free and compulsory; and, last but not least; 10. — Jesuits are expelled, and may not return; To these should be added the 11. — Abolishment of that debasing and deadly auricular confession; 210 The Proven Continuity of Life 12. — Discontinuance of fasts, and abstinence from meat; 13. — The sale of indulgences here, or by Rome, and forbidding the public Press to print paid no- tices of same. 14. — Forbidding communications of any nature whatsoever from Rome or any other foreign source, or power, claiming or exercising any authority whatsoever over American citizens or others resid- ing in our country. Foreigners, and others tagged by Rome, now burdening the country with their ignorance born from infancy of priestly teachings, must not be suf- fered by the state to be used by any leaders of the church in conspiring against its autonomy, or using their liberty to destroy that of others. Which means, as demonstrated in France, that they should not be caught red-handed plotting against our gov- ernment. A word to the wise is sometimes suf- ficient. For millions of followers without adequate knowledge or voice in the management of church affairs has been substituted the control of the most aggressive type of individualism. To these lead- ers holding millions of dollars' worth of church and other property in our country, we say openly and without equivocation, that we note your protesta- tions of loyalty and fidelity to the state and nation, but judging from the earliest history of your or- ganization, its promises and practices to the present day, we find your loyalty holds good as long as it serves your purpose, because you can't help it; not strong enough to get anything better; until with The Roman Hierarchy a Menace 211 votes, money, or both you shall attempt to govern us, for that is your purpose. There are those who think the state is doing fairly well and not advisable just now to make any change; besides your record for governing in France from 1871 to 1875 is not flattering. The world likes honest men, and hates traitors, liars, and cowards ; always has, and always will ; of the latter let us hope we may be neither. I have many Catholic friends and acquaintances for whom I have great respect and sympathy; for Roman Catholics individually I have no ill will, but respect and most kindly feelings; for the Roman Catholic organization at Rome, and its intrigues for power, I have little respect or sympathy; with a hope my words may not appear unnecessarily harsh and trusting they give no offense for such is not in- tended. God helping me I will make my business that of freeing and ennobling my country. THE DANGER OF JESUITISM JESUITISM was legalized by the Pope, 1540, A. D. The Jesuits soon acquired vast power and ruled their masters, as to-day. They have always been disturbers of the peace of nations, af- firm that liberty of the press is the source of all evil, and lay their hands on all civil relations. Its power is boundless, absolute; the general Superior is supreme; has greater concentrated power than any king. By its ramifications it penetrates the secrets of families and nations alike. Its emis- saries and spies honeycomb the nations, are every- where present. Men of the world are careful of speech and acts by reason of the power of this organization now felt in our country in the halls of legislation and various walks of life. One of their doctrines is "Never embark upon the stormy sea of deliberative assemblies nor surrender your absolute character and authority." (Wisdom which our representatives in Washington, D. C, would do well to observe.) Protestants have al- ways bitterly opposed the Jesuits on account of their militant activity in politics, church, and schools. "They (Jesuits) saved the Roman church from ruin and are the heart and spirit of the whole system." Even Rome dare not repudiate their moral teachings which contain vile doctrines con- demned alike by public opinion, universities, and 213 The Danger of Jesuitism 213 courts of justice. The spirit of domination is the soul of Jesuitism; it is arbitrary despotism; irrecon- cilable with public liberty. It crushes out indi- vidual independence and human character. Its spies must go on any service promptly and without hesitation; observing unqualified obedience; which, imposed on all subordinates annihilates will, and centralizes the forces, which, as in case of the church, gives it and them the spiritual and psychological power exercised for centuries, and without which neither could exist a single decade. Twin sisters: Jesuits, and Roman clericals; the former with brains; the latter (with few exceptions) with ig- norant followers for many centuries; ignorant, be- cause intentionally kept so. The church with this running mate has become bold and intolerant. ~No other church openly meddles with the political affairs of nations. The former by covering, and doubling on their tracks have eluded pursuit to this time. Their wings have been clipped in Europe, where their cut and dried methods for robbing the ignorant masses are well known; and when these same ignorant men flock to our shores they are pur- sued and pounced upon by these cormorants, these sister vultures, and after robbing them here, and with more money than they ever dreamed of having, these twin sisters have decided to give the United States of America to the Roman Hierarchy, the Church, and make it a Catholic country. If the fables in the Bible would only hold good another century, and the interpolations and graft of its God makers (in the making of their proven fraudulent 214 The Proven Continuity of Life religion of divine prerogatives), had not been laid bare to the eyes of our people, such a plan might have met with some success. But not now; every dog has his day, and they will have theirs. To get votes for money to build Dreadnoughts, Germany has restored rights to the Jesuits (taken from them by Bismarck) , both of which will prove disastrous to the empire in the end. Mr. Red- mond introduced a bill in the House of Commons repealing the acts prohibiting residence, acquisition of property, and holding high offices by the Jesuits and other monastic orders. Premier Asquith, it is said, spoke early in the debate and gave his cordial support to the object of the bill; notwithstanding, it is proven over and over again, that Jesuitism and Romanism are inimical to liberty and a conspiracy against the state. Knowing this, why this action on the part of England and Germany? It was to get the Roman Catholic vote (always for sale) of an organization that contributes nothing to the pub- lic burdens, claims all immunities, and makes no ac- count to the nation of its vast accumulations; but the twin sisters play well their cards, and are get- ting firmer in the saddle in England, and Germany, through the women, who, it is said, have taken very kindly to the confessional which every self-respect- ing woman should shun ; and of which, least said the better; one would suppose England's past experi- ence with Rome was sufficient for ordinary pur- poses; a power sought as an ally and feared as an enemy may do things with impunity and very little censure, as those two countries will find to their cost. The Danger of Jesuitism 215 "But for Magna Charta," says Sir William Blackstone, "the priests would have engulfed all the real estate of England ; it took centuries to pro- tect the nation against their rapacity and schemes to avoid the statutes." Says Lafayette: "If ever the liberties of the United States are destroyed it will be by the Romish priests." The attention of the reader to the foregoing is to show how the twin sisters, church and Jesuits, manage these affairs in foreign countries, where in the past they played nations against each other and traded for power and money. They are playing their cards with great skill in our country; and it remains for you to say to what extent they shall be allowed to exploit our country and its institutions ; whether to be their slaves or free men. Read Dr. Butler's "Mexico in Transition" (Eaton and Mains, New York), and learn something of the atrocious, shocking, revolting cruelties practiced for three centuries by the twin sisters, Church and Jesuits, in Mexico. In all the history of crime nothing more disgraceful and disreputable has been recorded. In 1873, A. D., the Jesuits were ex- pelled from Mexico and told never to come back. "For their crimes, intrigues, and conspiracies they have been banished from various countries again and again. The report then showed 2,377 mem- bers of this order; 1,130 in the United States, and a large portion of the remainder in England." Dr. Butler gives dates of expulsion of Jesuits as will be seen by the following table, compiled from "A Short Sketch of the Jesuits," also from the "En- 216 The Proven Continuity of Life cyclopaedia of Chronology," by B. B. Woodward and William L. R. Cates, and from other trust- worthy authorities. JESUITS EXPELLED FROM Saragossa 1555 La Palinterre 1558 Vienna 1566 Abignon 1570 Antwerp, Portugal, etc. 1578 England 1579 England again 1581 England again 1584 England again 1586 Japan 1587 Hungary and Transyl- vania /..-.. 1588 Bordeaux 1589 The whole of France . 1594 Holland 1596 Touron and Berne . . . 1597 England again 1602 England again 1604 Denmark, Venice, etc. 1606 Venice again 1612 Amura, Japan 1613 Bohemia , 1618 Moravia 1619 Naples and Netherlands 1622 China and India 1623 Turkey 1628 Abyssinia 1632 Malta 1634 Russia | 1723 Savoy 1724 Paraguay 1733 Portugal Sept. 3, 1759 Prohibited in France . France again Spain, colonies, and Sicilies and Naples . Parma and Malta .... All Christendom, by bull of Clement XIV, July 21, France again ..,.!.... Canton Grisons Naples again France again Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Canton Soleure Belgium Brest (by the people) . Russia again Spain again Rouen Cathedral (by the people) Belgian schools France, 8 colleges closed G't Britain and Ireland France again . From entering Saxony Portugal Spain again Rheims (by the people) From entering Lucerne Lucerne again 1762 1764 1767 1768 1773 1776 1804 1804 1810 1816 1816 1818 1819 1820 1820 1825 1826 1828 1829 1831 1831 1834 1835 1838 1842 1845 The Danger of Jesuitism 217 France again 1845 Mexico (by the vice- Switzerland ,. 1847 roy) 1853 Bavaria and Genoa . . . 1848 Mexico (by Comon- Papal States, by Pius fort) 1856 IX, Sardinia, Vienna, Mexico (by Congress) 1873 Austria 1848 New Granada . . since 1879 Several Italian states . 1859 Venezuela 1879 Sicily again 1860 Argentine Republic . . . 1879 Spain again 1868 Hungary 1879 Guatemala 1871 Brazil ; 1879 Switzerland 1871 France again 1880 German empire ( . 1872 "These are the gentlemen, polite, plausible, and trained, the spies, the vassals, the sworn minions of a foreign despot, who, having been expelled from all Catholic countries again and again by popes, princes, and kings, both Catholic and Protestant, now swarm into England and America, and, under the protection which the influence of an open Bible gives to honest men, are proceeding to destroy the public schools, de- bauch the government, and work the mischief which has ever been their legitimate business." The clearance which Mexico made of all monastic orders was so complete that I once asked a Mexican gentleman if it was really necessary to be thus thorough and expel even the "Sisters of Charity." He promptly replied that the nation so regarded it, adding : "Do not mistake us. We are not opposed to religion, as such; far from it. But we have learned by bitter experience that the ultimate object of these confraternities and sister- hoods is not religion. Religion is only a means for reaching the ends which they aim at. Their object in being here is to work for the subjugation of our people to a foreign despotism that has its seat at Rome. We have suffered so much from this source that we want no more of them." 218 The Proven Continuity of Life The El Monitor Republico published an article bearing the title, "Jesuits, Farewell!" "In this hour of your departure we have no sympathy or compassion for you. We reserve both for the people among whom you will now fix your homes, and with whose social, civil, and religious life you will endeavor to tamper, as you have tampered with ours, with similar results of misery and distress." Standing back in the shadow, the Jesuits work un- seen day and night for their purposes. By the use of the confessional they can lay their hands on every secret of social and personal life in every fam- ily where they have a representative of their re- ligion. As to politics and public men, no power in this world is so debasing as that of Jesuitism. "The laws of Mexico now sanction no monastery, nunnery, sisters of charity, or Jesuits within her bounds." As to this subtle and poisonous influence the following may be of interest: On the authority of Thurlow Weed, a story is told which illustrates the devilish influence and power of the Romanist hierarchy in American politics. Said Mr. Weed, in the course of a conversation concerning Arch- bishop John Hughes, first archbishop of New York: (From the Truth Seeker) "Well, the archbishop and his friends were very much in- terested in a proposed piece of legislation. This legislation had been referred to the committee of which a Senator Smith was chairman, and one day the archbishop called upon me and said that he had been trying to find out what the committee was going to do with that bill, but had been unable to get any information. The Danger of Jesuitism 219 "I told the archbishop that I would try to find out the com- mittee's attitude toward the bill, and I did make the effort, but I was compelled to tell the archbishop the next day that it was impossible to get the slightest hint from Senator Smith. "You should have seen the fire in the archbishop's eye when I told him this. His indignation was superb. " 'Mr. Weed,' he said, 'there are only two things which I cannot forgive in a public man. One is lying, and the other is cowardice. This man Smith is, in my opinion, a coward. And he does not dare let me know whether the bill will be re- ported at all or not. That is cowardice !' "Then the archbishop sat down beside me and spoke in a low voice: 'Mr. Weed, I think I can promise that you will not be troubled with this senator another year. You mustn't ask any questions, but when you see the result of the vote upon election day you may recall what I am now saying to you.' "I kept my own counsel. I never hinted to any one what the archbishop had said to me. But, at the next election, the returns showed that the senator in question had been com- pletely annihilated, politically, and that the work had been done so secretly that he never dreamed he was in danger of defeat." Be it noted that this tale is not told by an enemy of the papacy, nor in the spirit of condemnation. It is quiet narrative, and simply illustrates the per- nicious power of the priest in politics, despite the lying pretense of non-interference by the hierarchy. And to-day the peril from this subtle and poisonous influence has enormously increased. Is it not time to wake up? \ Also the following newspaper clippings : "Since I entered politics I have chiefly had men's views con- fided to me privately. Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid 220 The Proven Continuity of Life of somebody, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere, so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so persuasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it. "I lay it very close to my own conscience as a public man whether we can any longer stand at our doors and welcome all newcomers upon those terms." NEED CATHOLIC STATESMEN Archbishop Ireland Says They are Too Few in America (Special to The New York Sun) DETROIT, Mich., Jan. 27-— "I wish the number of Catho- lic laymen holding positions of trust in our Government and occupying seats in Congress and in the Legislatures of the States were far greater than it is," said Archbishop Ireland in an address to the students of the University of Detroit to- day. "If I were to ask how many Catholics are in the State Sen- ate the reply would not be very gratifying. If I go to Wash- ington, I find but three or four Catholic Senators and fifteen or sixteen Catholics in the House of Representatives. "There should be more engaged in building up the Nation in its ideals," he declared. "The Church can never have its own until this comes to pass." Archbishop Ireland in 1889 is said to have remarked: "The Catholic church is the sole living and enduring Christian au- thority. She has the power to speak; she has an organization by which her laws may be enforced. . . . Our work is to make America Catholic. Our cry shall be, 'God wills it,' and our hearts shall leap with crusader enthusiasm," and Froude says: "So much only can be foretold with certainty, that if the Catholic church anywhere recovers her ascendency, she will again exhibit the destestable features which have invariably attended her supremacy." The Danger of Jesuitism 221 This pleasant gentleman, Archbishop Ireland, is doubtless sincere in his wishes, but it is feared the "own ideals" of the church as exemplified in foreign countries, while pleasing to his masters at Rome, would fail to materialize in a country whose soil is too rich, and not especially adapted for a religion of authority and fixin's. Besides, why does the church in "having its own" seek political power? I will answer for you: It is because the Jesuits who run the business are past masters in the political arena; not for principle, but for profit; and we are grateful for so openly showing their hand with that blundering diplomacy which has characterized them through all their history. Mark well, men of the past presidential campaigns who trafficked our lib- erties and disgraced our country in crawling for the votes of men who pledge and swear true allegiance to the Roman Pontiff, claimed Vicar of Jesus Christ; men, who in turn are owned by the irre- sponsible twin sisters; mark well the newspapers whose owners allow their columns to be used by the puppets of the Jesuits in stifling the press, magni- fying the power of the Pope, a prisoner in the Vat- ican, and strengthening the hands of clericals both here and abroad, who count upon the votes of igno- rant men to make you their mental slave ; and who, when ordered by Rome, will turn against the gov- ernment, as exemplified in foreign countries time and time again; and do you know what that slavery is? or must you learn through suffering and mental subjection in order to support and maintain in idle- ness not only a foreign hierarchy, but cardinals, 222 The Proven Continuity of Life archbishops, bishops, convents, monasteries, and fif- teen thousand priests in our country. (Think of the number of confessions these priests hear from women, every week, obliged by Rome to ask ques- tions unmentionable, and you will readily under- stand the power over the human race wielded by the twin sisters the past five hundred years.) It's the key to the position, and our people must be made to see it, and by lawful means stamp out this in- fernal traffic, which has held woman in bondage for centuries. The following newspaper clipping con- tains a brief notice of Baroness von Zedtwitz: (By Baroness von Zedtwitz) THE DOUBLE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH OF ROME A Work Which Shows That the Catholic Church Has One Teaching for the Misleading op Outsiders, and Another for the Instruction of the Initiated The Baroness von Zedtwitz was one of the initiated. She was Miss Mary Elizabeth Caldwell, of Louisville, Ky., who, with her sister, the Marquise Monstiers-Merinville, made a stir several years ago by renouncing the Roman Catholic faith after having been conspicuous in its support. She died at Frankfort, Germany, December 16, 1910. The daughters of William Shakespeare Caldwell, of Louis- ville, and educated at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, at Manhattanville, the sisters were, upon their father's death, left with a large fortune as wards of Bishop Spaulding, of Peoria, 111., and soon became known throughout the country for their gifts to the church. The elder sister, Mary Gwen- dolin, gave $300,000 to found a divinity school in the Catholic University at Washington. The younger sister gave $50,000 for a chapel for the school. In 1904 the marquise (Mary Gwendolin) announced her withdrawal from the Catholic The Danger of Jesuitism 223 Church, and the baroness (Mary Elizabeth) joined her in the renunciation, and wrote the book called "THE DOUBLE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH OF ROME," in which she set forth her reasons. In her preface she said: "In childhood and early girlhood, without palliating the un- christian conduct of almost all the prelates with whom I came in contact, I never ceased to hope and believe that when womanhood had ripened my judgment the apparent incon- sistencies would be fully explained and the truth become evi- dent to me." Her hope was not realized, and admission to the inner workings of the system only confirmed her unfavorable im- pression of the church, which placed its own rules before those of morality, and whose priests proved to be a greedy and immoral lot of self-seekers. Her renunciation of Cathol- icism and her exposure of its double doctrine were the result given in this book. She blamed the Jesuits for the temporal activity which was unpalatable to her. In another part of her book she de- clared that influence of the church on the public life of this country had been very pernicious. She attributed to it much of the scandal in business affairs. She said: "The pursuit of money is the chief method now used by Rome to regain her lost power; and she permeates the at- mosphere wherein she thrives with a spirit of greed." The baroness attacked vehemently both the morality and the veracity of the clergy. She was obliged to bring out the book on account of the hostile attitude assumed by the church in its efforts to deny, and then belittle the sincerity of her renunciation of their system; that her repudiation of its two-fold system was final. Such things as the following, found in this book are not disowned by Rome, viz., "Sinning is not a crime" if you direct your motive; that homicide is 224 The Proven Continuity of Life fully justified when committed to avenge an affront, has never yet been officially disowned by Rome; that the moral theology of Sanchez relative to dueling has never been condemned. "It is even preferable not to employ the means of dueling against an enemy if you can hill him secretly and in that way finish the affair, for by so doing you can at once avoid risking your own life in the combat, and besides the participation in the sin which your enemy would commit in dueling." That Liguori says, "The priest has the power of the keys, of de- livering sinners from hell, of making them worthy of paradise. And God Himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of His priests, and either to par- don, or not, according as the priests refuse or give absolution, provided the penitent is capable of it." He further says, "Every kind of equivocation or quibbling which just comes short of lying, but is intended to deceive the hearer, and does in fact deceive him is always lawful for a just cause. Thus, a man, asked if a particular thing be true which he knows to be true, but does not wish to ad- mit may lawfully reply 'I say, No,' meaning thereby only 'I utter the word, No,' and not, 'I declare that the thing did not happen.' Reason and will are held by the church subject to her direction. Not only is strict injunction imposed to refrain from private interpretation of the scriptures, under pain of eternal damnation, but the power of the citizen to use freely his rights in dealing with civic matters is curtailed by Rome when not used to promote her interests." The Danger of Jesuitism 225 Again the snap of the clerical whip is heard abroad in the land — as per the following news clip- ping: Mgr. Vaughan, in 1906, declared in the Sunday Herald, of Boston, Mass., that "the Catholic Church is the servant and the menial of no earthly sovereign and of no temporal govern- ment." "So long as the civil government confines itself within its proper sphere, it will find no more devoted subjects than Catholics. But when it breaks through its proper boundaries and attempts to trample under foot the rights of conscience and the laws of God, then we all admit that obedience in those matters would be but another name for perfidy and apostasy, to which death itself is greatly to be preferred." Mgr. Vaughan will please note, that the law of our state is its own measure of right and wrong, of what it permits, or forbids; and under no circum- stances can church, or other association law be set up against it, unless inviting disaster. Pray, who is the Catholic Church, and who is this gentleman who arrogates to himself the right to speak to the State as a spiritual superior, setting up a rival law against the State in its own domain and claiming title to coercive means of enforcement? He, a foreigner, not responsible to the law (in his own opinion) is to decide when in his opinion the State has gone wrong. In the State, but not of it, proclaims himself a foreign body in its composition? A small band of cardinals at Rome called the church with the general superior of the Jesuits at its head, and its mouthpiece Mgr. Vaughan, claim- ing authority over the State and the morals of its citizens. With impudence born of political con- 226 The Proven Continuity of Life spirators these men now come into our State and have the audacity and impertinence to announce through their abettors, the public press, what they will and won't do "so long as the civil government confines itself within its proper sphere," "don't trample under foot the rights of conscience, and the laws of God, when death is preferred," etc. The voice of the State is hushed and awed into silence before this priestly power now claiming authority to govern, from their supposed God. When there comes a prophet among the people telling them their laws are of no avail, to the extent he is listened to and believed when he says this, he breeds anarchy. Where are the law officers of the State that they allow this cunning band of foreigners, masquerad- ing under the guise of religion, to pollute our city and press in their scheming for power, personal ag- grandizement, and last but not least, for money wrung from the poor ignorant followers they know- ingly, intentionally, and willfully plunder and rob, under the cloak of what for centuries has fraudu- lently been called a religion. Under our bill of rights a subject may enjoy freedom of religious belief and liberty of speech within limits not prejudicial to peace and order and not antagonistic to their duties as subjects. As fully proven in the foregoing pages there is nothing of religion in the claims of the church (the Roman Hierarchy), of divine authority, power to forgive sins, send to heaven or hell, purgatory, miracles, penance, abso- lution, indulgences, masses, confessional, and sacra- ments, all the work of cunning men of past genera- The Danger of Jesuitism 227 tions for power and gold, than which no baser frauds ever afflicted humanity. With this under- standing let us proceed. As far as conscience, will, and reason are con- cerned the priest and cardinal have none; they are held by the church, and subject to her direction. In our country the church has always had a free hand. In Europe, governments know better from bitter experience than to give it, and for self-protec- tion alone fences it in with laws for their preserva- tion as nations, remembering, as Italy says, that it is simply and alone a political conspiracy and should always be so considered and regarded, together with a few cunning leaders, the managers, who know of the fraud, and an enormous number of ignorant followers who support them in idleness. It is with the Roman clericals we now have to deal. This is supposed to be a free country, but not free enough to allow ignorant foreigners to publicly conspire against it or to use their liberty to destroy that of others, as evidenced in the Papal designs upon America, now so manifest that even the dull- est citizen can see the hand of the Jesuit. The God of the universe is not the God of the Roman Catholic Church and its man-made laws. The Creator of the universe, even at the behest of Rome, does not produce children born of a virgin, nor otherwise violate natural laws ; nor is the fable of the immaculate conception believed to-day by thinking minds. Trample under foot the laws of God? Why this assumed authority, this false, con- temptible presumption of knowing something, or 228 The Proven Continuity of Life even anything, about God and His laws? Be good enough to understand this act of the drama is rung down, your vice-gerent of God has retired to his dressing-room, never again to appear before the intelligence of the twentieth century, which now knows of his fabled divine prerogatives, the past history of the church and its hollow pretensions ; has taken the measure of Roman Cardinals, Jesuits, their agents and abettors, and invites speech and demeanor respectful to the state in the future, if freedom is of value. Great reforms are not easily brought about because of the indifference and ig- norance of the masses to the methods of the church, but the gospel of self-respect and American man- hood is making its way and the day of priestly fear is passing. Sixteen hundred years ago the Chris- tian Church (the system) was organized for the purpose of presenting the old heathen, mytholog- ical, allegorical, priestly deceptions of all preceding religions in a new disguise and managed to organ- ize a system of suffering, inquiry, and perpetuating ignorance heretofore unknown and little under- stood by the present generation. Words fail to ex- press the low, dastardly methods of the "system" for power and money. The pursuit of money is the chief object Rome now has in view to regain her lost power, and the United States offers facilities to that end never before enjoyed. The "confessional" is the indispensable vehicle of the business transacted by priests and bishops and without its use this trade could not long continue. By the use of the confessional they can lay their The Danger of Jesuitism 229 hands on every secret of social and personal life in every family where they have a representative of their religion. It is one of the deadliest con- trivances to gain ascendency over its victims, a con- spiracy against human liberty, given a political and social power to the priest which he can use to further the political purposes of the church as well as his own ends. One of the worst effects of the confes- sional is to deaden the morals and obscure the in- tellect of both priest and confessor. The scaffold on which liberty has always perished is the confes- sional-box. Father Chiniquy says: "America will see her dearly bought liberties destroyed the day the con- fessional-box is universally reared in her midst ; she must sweep away the confessional or she is doomed to perish. It is a citadel and stronghold of Mor- monism, a real pit of perdition, a worm biting, polluting, and destroying the roots of civil and religious society, contaminating, debasing and en- slaving woman; the confessional-box is the place where our wives and daughters learn tilings which would make the most degraded women of cities blush." Father Chiniquy was an honest man, loved and respected by all who knew him. He has related facts in his book of such a nature that it is a marvel any man should allow his wife or daughter to go to what is called the confessional. They never would dare to tell their husbands the nature of questions propounded, nor of events happening; but they are frightened with the accursed dogma of absolution 230 The Proven Continuity of Life which holds them like a vice. He says: "Can a man be free in his own house so long as there is another who has the legal right to spy all his actions, and direct every thought of his wife and children? Can that man boast of a home whose wife and chil- dren are under the control of another? Is not that unfortunate man really the slave of the ruler and master of his household? And when a nation is composed of such husbands is it not a nation of de- graded slaves?" Here, the laws of common de- cency strictly forbid to enter into details. "It is strange our modern nations allow their most sacred rights to be trampled under foot, and destroyed by the Papacy, the sworn enemy of liberty, through a mistaken respect and love for that same liberty." The infernal teachings and practices connected with the confessional should be made known to the governors of every state in the Union, and Father Chiniquy's book be placed in the hands of every member of Congress, and members of State Legis- latures. A law should be enacted making the con- fessional punishable by fine, and state prison, or both. Through the confessional, since the thir- teenth century, the little gang of prelates at Rome has ruled woman, and through her the world — take that away, with indulgences and money received from masses, the financial backbone of the octopus is broken; and if every state would live, these are the duties now confronting ; and will have to be met sooner or later, whether we will or no. You think the danger magnified? Perhaps you do not know these gentlemen called the Jesuits. The Danger of Jesuitism 231 You will, if you live long enough; and like many- others you let yourself drift down with the stream, buoyed up with selfishness, taking no interest in try- ing to benefit the human race, and accepting the sit- uation in a spirit of resignation, and unprepared for the rude awakening which usually follows. The fact is, the nation is asleep, upon a volcano. You can hear the rumbling of the coming eruption with- out putting your ear to the ground. As before stated, Rome has established a hostile camp within the limits of the state and opposes to it an unlawful supremacy ; if its policy is prolonged another decade at the same rate of volume and venom Protestants might be content to hold their tongues altogether. Our leading politicians in bending the knee for Catholic votes have disgraced us as a nation. No wonder Rome considers us too easy game ; half lunatics ; with bishops and priests as keepers. It is the indolence, the carelessness of the people that allows this ignorant and corrupt power to rule, and is one of the greatest crimes his- tory has recorded. It has intimidated public men and political parties from the President down; and the worst feature is that we are not sufficiently con- scious of our danger. We burn the midnight oil and with lamentations bewail our country's plight. The press is controlled by the Church, and we are tied hands and feet. Liberty? There is none. The nation must first awake from its sleep. We must tell our people about this Roman Hierarchy (the Church), the "System" at Rome, which promises its followers a future of everlasting hap- 232 The Proven Continuity of Life piness and pardon of sins. It can give neither. We must show them the system by proof conclusive to be nothing but a foreign body of blackmailers, full of big promises; a mighty force until subjected to close examination. Once under inspection it turns out to be an aggregate of criminals, fattening on false pretense and the gullibility of its victims; that little has been done to educate our people in the matter of unsound religious beliefs and creeds ; and that the ignorance of the masses is appalling. We must show them the great waste and misery to the nation this organized swindling involves, and that it is for them to say how much longer our country shall permit a strongly intrenched band of clericals at Rome, through its agents and abettors in this country, to plunder our ignorant, uneducated public to the tune of millions every year; that the truth of this feature of the situation has not been fully grasped by our government, to say nothing of the general public; and their loyalty to the gov- ernment both Protestant and Catholic is to be proven by faithful, devoted service in its behalf, and interests. Should you turn to Rome, the symbol of the Union shall be a ring in the nose, and I pro- nounce you master and slave. As showing the condition of the church in Italy, an Irish bishop says: "I, for one, never desired the overthrow of the Pope's temporal power, for, as long as that lasted the world possessed in Italy an object lesson of the degradation to which a domi- nant Roman Catholic church reduces a country, and a people. There is no' personal liberty. An in- The Danger of 'Jesuitism 233 famous system of espionage like a great network, overspread the whole country, and its meshes were closest and strongest in Rome, and in the Papal states. Not a man, not a woman, not a child but what was entangled in it. No sick, or dying person was permitted to see a physician until he had first seen a priest and taken the sacrament. All wills were invalidated which did not contain legacies to the church. There was no justice. Prisoners were tortured and drugged; people of proved innocence were executed. There was no sanitation. Rome was a dust heap, and worse. There was no system of drainage. Commerce and industry were dis- couraged. Agriculture was at a standstill. Pov- erty, pauperism and beggary abounded. Brigand- age was part and parcel of the machinery of the Papal church. In Italy the papacy exists at this present moment as the enemy in her citadel, as the vulture gnawing at her vitals." The position of the Pope to-day is simply that of a slave to the Jesuits ; he has to do what he is bid. The General of the Jesuits, "the black Pope," is the real and only Pope. The one who bears the title is but the figurehead. It is the Jesuits' policy he pursues, their voice that speaks to him, their hand that guides him. In minor matters he has a certain amount of freedom, but the moment he dares to act for himself in important matters against the will of the Jesuits he runs the risk of being got rid of, and the means the Jesuits threaten to use is one so in- delibly associated with their name and history: poison. And one time-honored medium for the giv- 234 The Proven Continuity of Life ing of the poison is of course the sacramental wine. The poisoned chalice is a byword in Italy. This, then, is the ecclesiastical position of the so-called Vicar of Jesus Christ, the slave of a class of men whose very name is a synonym for moral obliquity and depravity. King Victor Emmanuel is be- loved; the Pope is despised, and the latter is re- garded as the arch enemy of Italy, as one who, if he had the power, would upset the throne, take from the Italians all their rights and liberties, and rein- state that reign of espionage and terror, of igno- rance and injustice characteristic of the temporal rule of his predecessors. He is not only the as- sassin of a citizen but the assassin of a nation. His presence in Rome is a tremendous embarrassment to the Italian government, and is vastly aggravated by the fact that Roman Catholics in other lands own the Pope as their sovereign. Protestants are too apt to wrong Italy by their anxiety to see the Pope and to be present at the ceremonies in St. Peter's. Every recognition to see the Pope is an insult to the King of Italy, and an act of ingratitude to the country that is giving them hospitality. Garibaldi, speaking of Caprera, his island home, said: "One of the special blessings of this place is the absence of priests, and if Italy does not occupy the place it ought, it is on account of that black race of priests, a worse plague than the cholera morbus. We don't attack religion, we are anti- Catholic, anti-clerical." Gladstone said: "There has never been any more cunning blade devised against the freedom, The Danger of Jesuitism 235 the virtue, and the happiness of a people than Ro- manism;" and Dr. Arnold, speaking of what he calls the pretended conversion of the kingdoms of the world to the kingdom of Christ, in the fourth and fifth centuries, says : "It was one of the great- est tours d' adresse that Satan ever played, except his invention of Popery." There is a book which is the standard one on morals in the Roman Catholic Church, the "Theo- logia Moralis" of Alfonso Maria de Liguori, which, from cover to cover is an incitement to sin. He asserts that a Christian does not sin gravely who proposes to commit every one of the venial sins, shows how Catholics can steal, cheat, commit adul- tery, perjure themselves, and kill, even, with im- punity. If a woman is charged by her husband with adultery with her confessor, she can deny it, for, having obtained absolution it is the same as if she had not committed it. Liguori does not hesi- tate openly to advocate laxity of morals on the ground that by making religion easy the Roman Catholic Church will gain adherents. He con- demns a strict morality as positively evil, because tending to make religion odious. Thomas Carlyle said of the system of Ignatius Loyola, of which Liguori is the exponent: "Men had served the devil, and men had very imperfectly served God, but to think that God could be served more perfectly by taking the devil into partnership — this was a novelty of St. Ignatius," which holds good of that of Liguori. English and American Roman Catholics when 236 The Proven Continuity of Life talking or writing of their church always assume it should be looked at exclusively from a religious standpoint ; but this is altogether defective and mis- leading, and drops into utter insignificance in view of its political character. Wherever the Roman Catholic Church has been in the ascendant it has been a political institution, and when out of power it has been a political conspiracy. In Italy, until 1870, the only character it assumed in the face of the world was that of a political institution, and as such was one of the most despotic, most cruel that ever depressed and degraded a people, and the sovereign Pope was known as "the Jailer" and the Butcher of Italy. The whole world may be thank- ful that the temporal power of the Pope and his priestly government have been destroyed forever. Since 1533, when England declared that neither Pope nor priest had any jurisdiction within the realm of England, the church then, as now, became a political conspiracy, and the Treason Act had to be passed to deal with the rebel bishops, and priests, monks, and nuns, and their accomplices; the Pope intriguing for the murder of King Henry and promising indulgences to anyone who would kill the English heretic. In 1584, Pope Gregory XIII promised riches here and heaven hereafter to anyone who would make way with the heretical Queen Bess. One has only to glance at Ireland to see overwhelming proof that, as Protestantism and loyalty march hand in hand, so Roman Catholicism and disloyalty are indissolubly connected. Why is it, that Roman Catholic priests are hated The Danger of Jesuitism 237! by the Chinese? It is because of their assumption of political power. In Italy, it proclaims itself un- blushingly as the uncompromising enemy of the state, and is dealt with as such. Says Signor Crispi, in 1892, to be a sincere Catholic and a friend of Italy is to the Italians a contradiction. To-day the Vat- ican is literally the headquarters of a nefarious con- spiracy that has ramifications in every quarter of the globe. There, the Pope, and "Curia" plot and intrigue against the independence of Italy. The priests serve their leaders eagerly ; those who resent are infallibly punished by the "Curia." The Vat- ican takes pains of the arrival in Rome of Protest- ant travelers of wealth and social position, in order to bring them into contact with the Pontiff. Agents frequent the best hotels, for the lists of travelers, are given tickets for great ceremonies at St. Peter's, and have young priests to guide them in Rome. These agents make use of their position to insinuate all kinds of evil things against the King and all in authority, extol the Pope as the popular idol, to whose allegiance the people would gladly return. The press is also used to damage the country. The Vatican subsidizes newspapers and magazines that will support an anti-Italian attitude. The old Doge of Venice, Leonardo Donate, told the Papal Nuncio, who remonstrated with him for having imprisoned certain seditious priests, "Go back to Rome and tell your Master that there is never a deed of shame done in any part of the Re- public but some worthless priest is at the bottom of it." 238 The Proven Continuity of Life Italy no longer allows the church a free hand, as it enjoys in England and the United States. It has learned that a free Roman Catholic Church in a free state meant a church free to damage and de- stroy that state. Hence the church in Italy has had to be tied down by penal statutes, by "Disabilities Acts," such as England with foolish magnanimity has erased from its statute books. Priests in Italy are now shut out of all civil spheres ; priest- teachers have been banished from all public schools; priest- chaplains in the army and navy were found tam- pering with the loyalty of soldiers and sailors of the King and they and their officers went, like the university theological faculties ; priests were seeking to influence and control elections by the exercise of spiritual terrorism. The new penal code threatens severe, but just, punishments to those priests who shall abuse their office to the damage of the nation and its free institutions, and punishes same with fine and imprisonment. Clause 174 says: "A priest who, abusing the moral power derived from his of- fice, incites to the setting aside of the institutions and laws of the state, or in any other way to the neglect of duties due to the country, or who dam- ages legitimate private interests, and disturbs the peace of families, renders himself liable to fine, im- prisonment, and temporary or perpetual suspension from office or from the endowments of his office." Priests sometimes call upon the parents of chil- dren who attend Protestant schools and threaten them with spiritual pains and penalties if they do not withdraw them. The fathers are indifferent, The Danger of Jesuitism 239 but the mothers become frightened, and urge their husbands to yield. This is called the "Act disturb- ing the peace of families," and the father has but to lodge a complaint with the authorities, when the priest has to desist, or suffer the penalty. Every- body knows priests have been notorious at all times for impoverishing the people and enriching them- selves, to the damage of the state. In Italy, the evil has been stamped out. The people for centu- ries have been in the habit of leaving money for the poor, in order to save their own souls. All these moneys were in the hands of the church, which used them to advance its own political ends. In July, 1890, the "Pious Works Bill" became a law by which these funds passed out of the hands of the church into those of the state. They now yield an annual income of fiv e and a half million pounds sterling, which the state administers for the relief of poverty, building of hospitals, and orphanages, and carrying out of other works of charity. Italy, in regarding the Roman Catholic Church in the light of a political conspiracy and in safe- guarding the country against its intrigues, reads England and the United States a lesson; for both obstinately and foolishly shut their eyes to this aspect of the Papal church, and persist in regarding it only from the standpoint of religion, allows men to sit in her houses of legislature and to act as her ambassadors at foreign courts, and her representa- tives in her dependencies, who "avow an allegiance to an alien and hostile power," and regards such with favor and indulgence. The results are, their 240 The Proven Continuity of Life interests abroad are betrayed, and their subjects persecuted, and when redress is sought in court are mocked by a miscarriage of justice. England and the United States have not yet realized the utter hopelessness of creating an edu- cated people if education is left in the hands of the Roman Catholic Church. Such an education, as shown in Ireland, Malta, and the French parts of Canada, means a shriveling up of the intellectual and moral fiber of a child so it is unable to think, and has to unlearn in after years. I know of no means that can be adopted so well calculated to deteriorate boys and girls and render them utterly unfit for life as to place them for their education in schools man- aged or taught by priests or nuns ; and when a na- tion's children are so placed no counteracting influ- ences that may be used in after years will avail to save that nation from being anything better than a blot and blemish on the face of humanity. Count Cavour said: "Woe to the country, woe to the class which shall entrust priests exclusively with the education of its youth. The government claims as its prerogative to determine the kind of teaching every child in the country should receive up to a certain age, 6, and 9. A system of national education; free, compulsory, secular, and lay; church books of all kinds should be banished from the schools to prevent them falling into the hands of the children. The Roman Catholic and Protestant chaplains in the army and navy should be discharged. In foreign countries the former are caught tampering The Danger of Jesuitism 241 with the loyalty of the soldiers, and even our own soldiers during the Mexican War were enticed to desert our flag by the Catholic priests, as shown in the following report contained in "Butler's Transi- tion in Mexico," viz. : " 'In 1850,' says Major-General Casey, who led in the storming party at Cherubusco, Mexico, where the American army suffered its greatest loss, chiefly by the treachery of its own soldiers ; 'on the 20th of August the battles of Contreras and Cheru- busco were fought. At the latter place the princi- pal point of attack was a fortified convent and the American army lost 1,000 men in killed and wounded by the obstinate resistance. This was caused by the presence of more than two hundred deserters from the American army composed mostly of Catholic Irish, who had been persuaded to desert by the instigation of the Mexican Catholic priests. Fifty of these men were afterwards cap- tured and hung, the drop at the gallows falling just as the American flag went up on the Castle of Chapultepec. When the final assault on the city was made by the causeway, at the extremity of which the Castle of Chapultepec was situated, we had but little more than six thousand men.' " Says Dr. Butler: "The sectarian treacheiy of the Irish deserters might have proved to be overwhelm- ing. As it was it cost nearly one-seventh of their whole number. A few months before a similar act of treachery had occurred in General Taylor's com- mand at Monterey, by the same class of men desert- ing to join their co-religionists on the other side of 242 The Proven Continuity of Life the river and help them fight the Americans. On some occasions yet to come the celebrated order of General Scott when in Mexico, 'Put none but Americans on guard to-night,' may need to be re- peated, in view of the public utterances of Catholic bishops and priests and their well known power over their ignorant followers. Our government should keep its eye on the men higher up, agents in our country of the band of political conspirators at Rome seeking our downfall, and hold them person- ally responsible for overt acts committed by their followers." THE "PUBLIC SCHOOLS" SYSTEM A COUNTRY'S first duty is to see to its children, as they are its most precious national asset. The foundation for the growth and perpetuity of our institutions and country is the education of children in the public schools. The constitution recognizes the child as a ward of the state from conception, and is under its protection to recog- nized citizenship. As citizens of the state it is our duty to safeguard the rights and mind of the child until old enough to decide for itself faith or belief in religious creeds, nor longer suffer their minds to be twisted and corrupted by the petrified dogmas of a lifeless faith, or taught their future is secure in repeating things they cannot understand. The religious growth of our country will evolve in pre- cise ratio with the intelligence of the nation. The individual man, woman, or child are the conscience makers of the nation, are its greatest benefactors, and the ultimate concern of the state; education should be free and compulsory; better the school without a Bible than sectarian control with it ; edu- cation is the supreme task of statesmanship, and the supreme need of the people. In our public schools the children are taught morality born of honesty, obedience, truthfulness, industry, the duties of good citizenship, and to acknowledge no 244 The Proven Continuity of Life authority in our country as superior to the Presi- dent of the United States. The ever watchful Romish church looks on the spread of knowledge with an unfriendly eye and loses no opportunity to crush it. It is an open enemy to this people, to the prosperity and welfare of the state and nation, and should be treated accordingly. The destinies of this country are not to be controlled by any political arrangements made in Rome, and any concessions mean abandonment of popular government and liberty of conscience by the people. The church wants education in its own way, as it once had in Italy, Mexico, Spain, France, South America, with results too shameful to even mention. In attacking our public schools the Vatican seeks to undermine our government. This band of political conspira- tors are unfortunately beyond the reach of our courts, nor will they come out into the open where we can get at them, and as always in the past have thrust their abettors and priests to the front to col- lect money, to deceitfully claim power to forgive sins, and to their everlasting shame, be it said, to ask questions of women at the degrading confes- sional, which, sooner or later will land them where they belong, viz., behind the bars. A foreign band of clericals, an illegal combina- tion, citizens of a foreign country not subject to su- pervision of the state or nation, masquerading under the guise of religion, now seek with their followers here to interfere with the education of our children, to dictate what books shall be read, to openly attack and denounce our public school system, under the The ''Public Schools" System 245 false pretense of being godless. The prohibition of reading, or not, certain books, is a conspiracy to restrain freedom of individual judgment and action, and exercises a baneful and dominating influence over the ignorant masses. No greater danger confronts the country than this public ex- hibition of the power of the "Curia," the servile tool of the Jesuits at Rome. For centuries the educa- tion of all nations has been dominated and inter- fered with by the beguilements and greed of this autocratic power. It is largely due to the indiffer- ence and apathy of the people, and control of the public press by this band of conspirators that the attacks on our public school system are now being made, as well as to divert attention from their parochial schools where the children are kept in ignorance of past history of their church, and to obey orders from Rome when transmitted through bishops and priests. These boys are instructed to shun our public schools, and such teachings exert a baneful, unpatriotic influence throughout the state. The nation has borne these insults with great patience, these assaults made by a small band of clericals in Rome through their accredited agents in this country, an act of base ingratitude to the country giving them hospitality, who are now known, and seen as they are. The fake and flimsy pretense of divine authority which has fooled the world for centuries is worn threadbare, and the world wants no more of it. In our country, the man or religious organization which approves of anything that is openly or secretly opposed to our 246 The Proven Continuity of Life public school system, the bulwark of American lib- erties, is practically an enemy to it, and so of the country, whatever they may claim to be the con- trary. In future let these leaders be held to a strict accountability, both for their words and ac- tions ; and further, be compelled to obey the laws of the state in which their ignorant followers reside whose confidence they have gained only to betray it for power and money. Our countrymen must be satisfactorily shown that the Vatican at Rome is, and has been for centuries, the headquarters of a nefarious conspiracy that has ramifications in every quarter of the globe. It is the avowed enemy of Italy, which no longer allows the church a free hand, as it enjoys in England and the United States. It has learned what we refuse to learn, viz., that a free Roman Catholic Church in a free state means a church to damage and destroy that state. Priests in Italy have been banished from all public schools. They are punished if they threaten with spiritual pains if Catholics don't withdraw their children from Protestant schools. It very prop- erly regards the Roman Church in the light of a political conspiracy, and in so doing reads England and the United States a lesson ; for both ignorantly and foolishly shut their eyes to this aspect of the Papal Church, and persist in regarding it only from the standpoint of religion. They have not yet realized the hopelessness of creating an educated people if education is left in the hands of the Roman Catholic Church. There is no means to render children so unfit for life as to place them in schools The "Public Schools' 3 System 247 taught by priests or nuns ; and when so placed noth- ing afterwards will avail to save that nation from being a blot and blemish on the face of humanity, witness Ireland, Spain, Malta, Mexico. Count Cavour says to our country, "Woe to the class which shall entrust priests exclusively with the education of its youth; church books of all kinds should be banished from the schools to prevent them falling into the hands of children." The Indo- American Magazine says: For it is a fact that any impressive teaching of faith, fear, or superstition will imprint itself upon the plastic child mind so effectively that it is difficult to dis- lodge or surrender. Given an array of infant chil- dren, and absolute authority over their intellect, conscience and education, and an army of obedient soldiers is already on the march. And this is why the Catholic Church places such enormous value upon the parochial school and insists upon attend- ance of young children until they are "safely indoc- trinated." With a perfected system of Sacramental and in- dissoluble marriage, with a dogma of "multiplica- tion of children" by subjected women, and an increasing parochial school, the Catholic Church in this country is entirely justified in its confident hope of "making America Catholic," provided the balance of our fellow citizens and legislators can be kept asleep while the commission is being executed. The following newspaper clippings serve to show the cowardly, insiduous attacks of ignorant priests on our schools : 248 The Proven Continuity of Life PRIEST CONDEMNS SALEM HIGH SCHOOL Salem, June 26. — The Rev. Timothy J. Murphy, pastor of the Immaculate Conception church, in an address to the graduating class of St. Mary's parochial school forbade the pupils from attending Salem high schol, claiming certain exist- ing conditions there might not be for the best interests of the children to encounter. His statements delivered to an audience of more than 1000 parents, relatives and friends of the grad- uates, created a sensation. Members of the Salem school committee de- clared there was nothing the matter with the high school, that a strict investigation showed there was absolutely no ground for comment. Michael J. Reardon observed if Fr. Murphy wished to pay the tuition of the parochial school graduates at a college, there was no reason why they should not accept. "The common schools of this country are sinks of moral pollution and nurseries of hell." — Chicago Tablet. "I frankly confess that Catholics stand before the country as the enemies of the public schools." — Father Phelan, editor Western Watchman. "She (the Roman Catholic Church) has the right to deprive the civil authority of the entire govern- ment of the public schools." — Pope Pius IX, in Syllabus, Dec. 8, 1864. "Education must be controlled by the Catholic authorities, and under education the opinion of the The "Public Schools" System 249 individual and the utterances of the press are in- cluded."— Catholic World, July, 1870. "Unless you suppress the public school system, as at present conducted, it will prove the damnation of this country." — Father Walker. "The common school system of this country is the worst in the world." — Cardinal Manning. "The Roman Catholic Church has a right to in- terfere in the discipline of the public schools, and in the arrangement of the studies of the public schools, and in the choice of the teachers for these schools." — Pope Pius IX. "Confessors are hereby forbidden to give absolu- tion to parents who, without permission of the Archbishop, send their children to non-Catholic schools." — Archbishop Elder, of Cincinnati, Aug. 8, 1904. "Before many decades the public school system will come prominently before the public. Let Catholics be prepared to take the right step when this occurs." — Speech by M. P. Mooney, of Cleve- land, before the Convention of the Federation of Catholic Societies of Wisconsin held in Milwau- kee, presided over by Bishop Messmer. The Catholic Church favors only so much educa- tion as will make a Catholic. "Get the public schools and you will get the children; get the chil- dren and you will get the nation," said a prominent Catholic priest in a sermon before the municipal election in Milwaukee this spring. The agitation against Mormon domination is no doubt justified in a degree, but, had the alarmist 250 The Proven Continuity of Life been looking for real dangers, he might have dis- cerned a greater shadow lowering upon the future of this Republic, a more poisonous viper, extending from Rome, with a trail of blood and a history of persecution behind it which must make the worst page in Mormon history read like a virtuous tale; its coils already encircling the politicians, with its 15,000,000 worshipers, its fangs in the shape of 13 archbishops, 88 bishops, 16,550 clergy reaching out for our public school system, with its 13,204 churches, 83 seminaries, 217 colleges for boys, 709 academies for girls, 4,486 parishes with schools with an attendance of 1,237,000; with its Federation of Catholic societies numbering 3,000,000, organized to foster Catholic interests, representing 19 dif- ferent national organizations with headquarters at St. Louis; a Briareus in the center of the nation reaching out with a hundred hands, the umpire of our national politics; this constitutes a menace be- side which the power of the Sleek Prophet of Utah pales into insignificance. ILLITERACY IN BELGIUM In some parts of Belgium 60 per cent of the pop- ulation cannot read or write. Education is not compulsory, and the government, which is clerical, opposes the bill which the Liberals and Socialists are endeavoring to secure for compulsory educa- tion. The question is now before Parliament. The government insists that the child belongs to his parents entirely, and that they cannot be forced to give him any education without infringing their The "Public Schools 33 System 251 rights to freedom of action. — Brussels correspond- ence London Standard. "Education must be controlled by Catholic authority." — Catholic World. "We must take part in the elections, move in a solid mass in every State against the party obliged to sustain the public schools." — Cardinal McClos- key. "The public schools have produced nothing but godless generations of thieves and blackguards." — Father Schauer. This ignorant, insulting maligner of our schools ought to be put in jail. The church has a larger population, proportionately, in the penitentiaries, than outside of them, Catholics forming about a sixth of the population of the country, by their own estimate, furnish three-quarters of the criminals. To slander the school is treason to the Flag. Every true American has in the public school the bulwark of his own liberty and the hope of his children. The God of the universe is not the God of priests. In that respect our schools are god- less, and ever will be. It is a Catholic principle that education outside the church is damnable heresy. (Pope Pius IX.) Parochial schools are formed chiefly to implant doctrinal teachings in the mind of the child at an early age. Without these teachings there would be no parochial schools. These schools are hotbeds for the destruction of mental freedom; their teachings are hostile to the best interests of the State and Nation. It is now only a question of whether you will raise these chil- 252 The Proven Continuity of Life dren to your level, or allow priests to drag you down to theirs. You are either freemen, or slaves ; for once the seeds of Catholicism are planted in the soul of the child he seldom changes, and with few exceptions can never be wholly loyal to our govern- ment, for in vowing to obey the church, he transfers his allegiance to Rome; deny this as you may. That our people and the government should awake to an early realization of this fact is the part of wisdom. I am not an alarmist, but the danger is here, and now. The clericals are old hands at the business, and our people don't realize the menace, the danger the Vatican is to our country to-day. Italy, France, Spain, Portugal are driving Jesuits, priests, monks, and nuns from their shores, most of whom come to our country where, as tools of the clergy, they do the same thing for which Europe expels them. We have in our midst an insidious, treach- erous enemy which seeks to elevate itself on the overthrow of our government. Free expression of thought in our country is now obsolete, and the pursuit of money is the chief method now used by Rome to regain her lost power. Jesuitism is the life of the whole system. For their intrigues and conspiracies the Jesuits have been banished repeat- edly from nearly every nation in the world. Who is it that assails our public schools, the best in the world, the very life and soul of this great country? It is the Jesuits, working through an absentee Fope (a prisoner in the Vatican) with his agents and representatives in our country, who con- The "Public Schools" System 253 sider a decree from the Vatican more potent than one from the President of the United States. Do you propose to surrender this splendid structure, or even allow it to be tampered with by a band of clericals and Jesuits at Rome, who, under the guise of a proven fraudulent religion of divine preroga- tives now use us as a plaything to exploit our coun- try for power and gold, and insult the highest officers of our government with impunity? Or will you expel these mischief-makers without further delay, and compel all private or special schools, as in Switzerland, to be under the control and super- vision of the state, subject in every respect to the rules and regulations of the public schools? Let it no longer be said, as Prince Metternich re- marked to George Ticknor: "You have no pre- ventive legislation against this church, always scheming for political power and money, and you Americans must suffer for an evil before you can apply a remedy." This is virtually true; but until the Jesuits are expelled from our country and all private schools, parochial included, are under the control and super- vision of the State, there will be no peace, growth impeded, and a continued conflict, with results dis- astrous to the Nation. It is not a religious conflict ; it has nothing to do with religion. The false claims of authority to represent God Almighty as his vice- gerent and to forgive sins, the mummeries, indul- gences, holy water, masses, purgatory, auricular confession, no longer deceive thinking people and have no terrors. Like Italy, we are to 254 The Proven Continuity of Life treat this matter, not like a religion, but as a political conspiracy, and like her, pass laws to protect our women from the rapacity of the priests. This is supposed to be the land of re- ligious liberty; the day of religious inquisition is over. We want a President of the United States who is man enough to notify that little band of clerical conspirators at Rome to cease their re- ligious persecution, if they would longer be tol- erated to retain intercourse with our people and institutions, and that all bulls, decrees, or orders from Rome to citizens of this country will no longer be tolerated, and must cease. In the March number, 1909, North American Review, in a paper entitled "The Church and the Republic," by Cardinal Gibbons, he says: "If the State should forbid Catholics to continue our parochial schools we should resist to the uttermost ; that while the State can compel her future citizens to receive a certain degree of education she has no right to deprive them of the daily religious in- fluence which we deem necessary for their spiritual and eternal welfare, and proper training in the du- ties of citizenship. In any such essay by the State to establish Csesarism (that is to say if laws are enacted bringing parochial and all other private schools under supervision and control of the State) , Catholics would not think it necessary to await instructions from any source." The public act of a cardinal or priest is the act of the Roman Hierarchy, the veiled prophets behind the throne we can't reach by criminal process. It The "Public Schools" System 255 is criminal to conspire to induce people to break the law or to set up a government intended to su- persede that which the law imposes. The criminal law punishes not only completed acts, but also acts which bring about the prohibited result, acts of con- spirators included, of which Cardinal Gibbons and associates should take due notice and govern them- selves accordingly. Also to please note that the State which is alone responsible for order in its borders is alone competent to determine what is to take place within its limits, nor can it allow any out- side authority, claimed spiritual or otherwise, to interfere under any pretext whatsoever, or seek to determine as to the morals of its citizens; that neither the wisdom nor the moral propriety of its own acts or those who obey its orders and com- mands is questionable, that it is the final interpreter of the principles of reason and morality for its sub- jects and is absolute; that sovereignty is the power without which a State cannot exist, and is the test and criterion of its existence, and that no self- respecting State will tamely submit to dictation or intimidation. The State is a sovereign power, superior to any and all religious associations ; it cannot endure half- slave and half -free ; it will become all one thing or the other. Nor can either State or Nation long endure or remain in power if it doesn't promptly resent insult to its laws. It is with the divine teach- ings of parochial schools for centuries in France, Italy, Spain, and Mexico, where a large portion of the inhabitants can neither read nor write that the 256 The Proven Continuity of Life cardinal has the misfortune to come into our State, and with aggressive effrontery, born of ignorance, demands the establishment of parochial schools and tells us what the church (Roman clerical conspira- tors) will and won't allow, and how far the State has any authority over the morals and education of its citizens. The State denies the right of any Pope or other personage to speak to it as a superior in any sense. IKTor does it know or recognize such person; the Pope is but a figurehead, a foreigner, in the State, but not of it, proclaiming himself a foreign body in its composition, and violent in his opposition to anything opposing clerical control of education. There are no separate rights in single, or in combi- nation of persons which give them right or title to act this way or that ; nor do we need the assistance of the Cardinal in making our children good citi- zens. The State has a right and duty to interfere when its own security is involved or endangered. In the present instance the Cardinal should be ar- rested whenever he comes into the State as a con- spirator. Who is this authority that constitutes itself the grand inquisitor of our public schools? Are the children subjects of the Pope, or of American cit- izens? Is any other foreign country allowed to openly attack our public institutions? And if not, why do you continue to allow it to be done by these irresponsible cowards? The life of a nation depends to a great degree on the intelligence of its citizens. The claim is that The "Public Schools" System 257, the Pope is the vicegerent of God Almighty, or that the Saviour granted the church a doctrine against which no human law can prevail, and that the Pope is above all law. These hollow pretenses, divine prerogatives and falsehoods, all the work of schem- ing priests of past ages, are no longer believed, and have no terrors. The world now knows him to be simply a figurehead of a great financial octopus at Rome whom the Cardinals oblige to do as they order; that the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and parochial schools are a fraud, because they claim divine prerogatives. The church has none, and never had any. When there comes a prophet among the people telling them their schools and laws are of no avail, to the extent he is listened to and believed when he says this he breeds an- archy, is an open enemy to his country and should be treated as such without fear or favor. This open declaration of war on our public schools by the Cardinal is but a step in the carefully prepared program of Rome to dominate the State whenever with the votes of its ignorant followers now coming to our shores it has the power to enforce it. There is nothing of religion in it. It is simply the work of a political organization under the guise of re- ligion engineered by a small band of clericals at Rome, assisted by its tools, its representatives in this country that is the open enemy of our schools and government, and which for centuries has meddled with the education of children and affairs of governments for political ends. It is with regret, the Cardinal, for whom we have 258 The Proven Continuity of Life kindly feelings, in a recent address at Baltimore, where, flanked by a President and ex-President of the United States, and many worthy and distin- guished men who had come to do him honor, dazzled, flattered, and doubtless emboldened by this pres- ence, should have neglected and failed to observe the proprieties, in seizing that occasion (knowing full well the regard the Nation has for its public school system, its cornerstone, and very life), to characterize our system of education as "imperfect, vicious, and destructive to the religion of youth." (Vicious is defined as corrupt, depraved, wicked, refractory, foul, and bad.) But the occasion, the opportunity to snub the President and throw a challenge in the teeth of the country was too good to let slip. Nothing like it had ever before hap- pened in our country, and all kinds of good and pleasant things were said to, and of him. To look at him one would have thought he never heard of such things as indulgences, the confessional, masses, purgatory, money and power, but, bound to the dying body of the church and to emphasize his independence, importance and authority, not only to the women and children of our country, but also to the whole world ; to show his official contempt for us as a people, for our pitiful surrender and servile subordination to Rome, officially, his masters, as well as to the Catholic voters of America, delib- erately slaps the Nation in the face, which, then nor since has not taken him to task nor dared say its soul was its own; in view of the coming elections. This address, this public act of ingratitude to the The "Public Schools" System 259 country giving him and his followers hospitality not to be found elsewhere in the world, was followed by loud applause and hearty congratulations. In return for the many kind acts for the benefit of the Roman Catholic Church and its leaders (and they are many) by Mr. Taft (one of the best of Presi- dents), whatever his purpose or motive, real or imaginary in so doing, he now rests peacefully — high and dry in the bosom of an ungrateful Repub- lic, and under the sheltering elms of old Yale. At the same time there are those fifty-two women, more or less, teachers in the Indian schools, who are wearing the Catholic garb by reason of his order, and against the wishes of the people at large, and possibly against the statute in such case made and provided. They are an object lesson to the chil- dren, and with prejudicial results it will take more than one generation to overcome. The sooner he asks President Wilson to remove these teachers (who would have no business there under any cir- cumstances but for certain unlawful rulings of past administrations), the better for the country. The church calls the parochial schools free public schools. This is intentionally misleading. They are private schools, and like all other private schools are not supported by the State and have no right whatsoever to the school money. There are now said to be in the region of seventy-five thousand children in the parochial schools of Massachusetts. All private or special schools should be henceforth conducted by and under the State's control and supervision, the same as in Switzerland; subject in 260 The Proven Continuity of Life every way to the same rules and regulations as the public schools, and under no circumstances should any teachings not in line with the educational sys- tem of the State and nation be permitted in either public or special schools. Better schools without reading of any Bible than to be under sectarian jurisdiction. It is not necessary to mix up moral- ity, God, and soul with rites, theories, and cere- monies, as they really have nothing to do with these. The citizens of to-day are sovereigns of to-morrow. In fifteen years or less, many boys brought up on Roman Catechism and now in the parochial schools of the State will be voters. Any question how ninety-five per cent will vote when the church calls? The money now raised in Boston for foreign mis- sions should be spent on the ignorant children of the north end of the city who are being hounded by priests to join the schools there and be taught the Roman catechism and now in the parochial schools utilize the votes of these children in the future, to control a portion of the common school funds of the State for the children in the parochial schools, and from the effects of which it will take the State years to recover its former prestige for the intelli- gence of its citizens, for liberty of thought and con- science, and freedom from religious persecution. The church is not afflicted with the disease of modesty. Its aim is national, viz., to control the people and nation. A small body of religious pre- tenders, through their agents here, proclaim they will resist to the uttermost, interference of parochial schools ; that they will obey the civil laws up to the The "Public Schools' 3 System 261 point where the law does not violate the rules of its religion. In other words, they will be loyal to the country as long as a small body of political con- spirators at Rome who make church laws tells them to be, and no longer. The lines are now clearly drawn. History teaches us there will be no peace in any country as long as parochial schools exist. If the State would live and flourish the parochial and all private schools must come under its juris- diction and control. The menace is that you have to deal with ecclesi- astical conspirators who dominate the middle classes, and through them the politics of the coun- try. You are dealing with a political conspiracy of foreigners, and should denounce either political party for yielding domination of the church, or allow it to dictate the teachings of our children in the public schools. The issue is whether the civil power of this great country is to submit to the Vatican or its claimed representative of God on earth, or repudiate him and his fraudulent pretenses publicly. Rome will put up with toleration and equality so long as she is not strong enough to claim anything more. In Catholic countries this is dis- carded. Its material advance is the first sign of decadence. Its efforts to impress the people of its power both here and abroad will avail nothing. Its warfare against the advance of scientific truth has resulted in ignominious defeat; and the idea of its God distributing bliss or punishment, or that God sent anybody to redeem all mankind from the effect of having eaten an apple, that man was made 262 The Proven Continuity of Life in the image of God, that the Pope is the represent- ative of God Almighty, all these fables taught by the church are fading away. No wonder Bishop Caracalla says, "Enlightened people of to-day must be fools to follow the teach- ings of such dishonest barbarians as we were. It is astounding to see you in this enlightened age bowing before the superstition that such men as myself endeavored to perpetuate for our own benefit." The fault lies with the "system" which permits priests to betray the laity, who give respectable form to religious robbery. We are beginning to get our teeth into this Vatican conspiracy, the same way the country disposed of the slavery question. When once the people understand the situation they will drive the priests from control, and take measures to secure from the Vatican that respect for the United States Government to which it is entitled. We commend these considerations to Cardinal Gibbons when he vociferates and vents his artless denunciation of our educational system upon the public ear. It is difficult to absorb the details of this most extraordinary performance of the Roman Catholic Church and not see the coming storm. Let us hope it will awaken our people to their peril and arouse them to united action. To prosecute criminally all leaders or teachers who instruct their pupils "to re- volt against the laws if the Pope orders them to do so," as in France, or, "that in undermining our institutions they commit no sin when the interests The "Public Schools" System 263 of their church are at stake" ; that punishment swift and sure awaits disloyalty to the nation in any form whatsoever. In this contest forced upon the country by a foreign band of clericals at Rome with the co-operation of their associates in this country it is for us to tell those men with whom we are deal- ing what it is their business to do ; for we are their masters; they are not ours. In this business men strong of body and spirit having the courage of their convictions, won't think it necessary to await instructions from any source. "Truth forever on the scaffold," Wrong forever on the throne, Yet, that scaffold sways the future And from out the dim unknown Standeth God within the shadow Keeping watch above his own. — James Russell Lowell. MONASTERIES THE Reformation abolished customs and institutions which for twelve centuries cor- rupted the morals and impoverished nations ; notably, monastic institutions, holding in their grasp a large portion of the wealth wherever mo- nastic life prevailed. The number of monks and nuns in France after the Reformation was over was two hundred and fifty thousand. There were seventy-five thousand in England when Henry VIII suppressed the monasteries, while one Pontiff boasted he had twelve thousand monasteries at his command. They were instituted by, and devoted to, the Court of Rome, and independent of civil authority, as are those in our country to-day. The Popish clergy, especially the monastic orders, were a spiritual army dispersed throughout all Europe with movements directed by one hand, each detach- ment independent of the sovereign of the country wherever quartered, but dependent on a foreign sovereign at Rome. These institutions absorbed a large portion of the national wealth. In England the church acquired estates never afterwards alien- ated. As their revenues increased the public was impoverished. England would have become a na- tion of monasteries but for the famous statute of Mortmain, enacted by Edward I, prohibiting dis- posal of estates without his consent, to societies Monasteries 265 which never die. In France before the Revolution one-half of the property of the kingdom was in the hands of priests and monks. Aside from revenues derived from their lands enormous sums were niched from sales of relics. The girdle of the Virgin Mary was shown in eleven different places ; three heads of Saint Ursula, and lace of female saints, all claimed to drive away the devil, and heal all diseases. From these and offerings the monks became possessed of enormous wealth; the jewels, plate, furniture in convents and abbeys amounted to a prodigious sum; the crucifixes, images and candles were of silver and gold. In return for all these gifts the monks promised to exert all their heavenly influence in behalf of the souls of their ignorant and superstitious devotees, whose future happiness was to be secured by giving the luxuries of life to those who had bound themselves to live in abstinence, and sworn to live forever poor. But, the mere absorp- tion of property was not all the positive evil that in time would have ruined society. It was the moral influence they exerted that rendered them pre- eminently infamous, for they ruined every country in which they prevailed. Monastic life is unnatural in supposing the duties of life can be better per- formed in a cell and seclusion. Their existence is a crime against the Creator, and the duties we owe to society and the world. The habit of implicit obedience to the will of a superior with the frivolous duties of the cloister extinguishes all generosity of spirit or sentiment. After centuries of mental and spiritual subjection 266 The Proven Continuity of Life France, in order to exist, has abolished monasteries and convents, taken the education of the children into her own hands, and is no longer subject to a foreign despotism, with a seat at Rome. After suffering for three centuries, Mexico no longer sanctions monasteries, nunneries, Sisters of Charity or Jesuits within her boundaries. The monks own over four hundred million dollars worth of houses and lands in Mexico. Forty years ago the monasteries and nunneries were obliterated, clericals forbidden to appear outside the churches in their garb of office, images of all kinds on exterior of buildings were effaced, and the government re- cruited its first treasury by despoiling the churches of their gold and silver ornaments and precious stones, of everything not necessary to the conduct of public worship. The rules laid down in 1870, are still in force. In Portugal the State will be greatly enriched by the confiscation of property of the congregations. The Jesuits own property of enormous value, especially real estate ; but the monasteries and other religious houses also contain quantities of gold and silver plate, ornaments and jewels. Many of the congregations' cellars are filled with valuable old wines. A formal decree was recently promulgated by the provisional government expelling the Jesuits and confiscating their property. The same decree orders the expulsion of foreign monks of all orders. All history shows the less the people have been controlled by the Roman Church the greater their prosperity; that monasteries, convents and nun- Monasteries 267 neries have been a curse to every nation wherever they gained a foothold, and as such have been abolished. Monks, friars, and nuns of every age have been the strongest pillars of the papal supremacy. Their vows of secrecy and servility render them the most abject tools of Rome. They fleece the na- tions to sustain the papal throne and weaken the temporal potentates. They have uncontrolled dis- posal of all property obtained for their orders (which is exempt from taxation) , to augment their inordinate wealth. In Protestant countries the oaths of homage and fealty are irreconcilable with their vows of canonical obedience and their subjec- tion is nullified by their engagements to maintain their order and the Popedom. The exemption of monasteries and nunneries in our country from the civil authority is prejudicial to the national security. Those now in existence should be subject to the legal power of the state with frequent inspections until torn down. With the history of all nations relative to the baneful influence of monasteries and convents staring you in the face it behooves every state in our country to abolish them without delay, and their properties secularized for support of the citizens of the State and Nation, to whom they rightfully belong. But our people have not yet drunk of the cup which the rest of the world see they nevertheless must drink of. With assur- ance born of the ignorance and inexperience of our people Rome loads our country with a burden she knows is injurious to us as a nation, and of which 268 The Proven Continuity of Life she knows every foreign nation has rid itself. Our country is now honey-combed with monasteries and convents, each a citadel, a stronghold, a fortress for our friends (the enemy) , in the conflict for suprem- acy in our country now forced upon us by Rome to make the United States a Catholic country, in which the policy of the church is but a political conspiracy masquerading under the guise of religion, and as such its sun will go down in defeat as always in the past after the people have taken its true measure. In the past, the underground workings, the subter- raneous passages, similar to those under the mon- astery at Washington, D. C, N. E., could be used for storage of arms and imprisonment of enemies. This building is a menace, of no good use to any country, whatever its real or pretended purpose, and should be demolished; our country has no use for them. In Washington the church has property running into the millions; it is the financial center for this great financial octopus where it is erecting enormous buildings from money wrung from the poor and ig- norant masses. The Governors of every State should cause careful and frequent inspection of all Catholic citadels, monasteries, and convents, sub- ject to their jurisdiction. This may be a free coun- try, but it won't be for long if the power of these political conspirators of Rome is allowed to expand as in the last twenty years, and the machinations of their abettors in our country allowed to go un- challenged and unpunished. Their impudent as- sumptions of authority have become intolerable, Monasteries 269 and we are fools to longer permit or submit to their attacks upon the institutions of our country. Mon- asteries and convents should be abolished, wiped out of existence. Both are tentacles of the church, created to enslave women, to use them for selfish purposes. It is for power and money they exist, religion has nothing to do with them; and this fact must be driven home to the people. That our coun- try, like France, Spain, Italy, and Portugal, may crush them out of existence and no longer allow our women to be their slaves, that they are vultures, sapping the life of the country, vampires, taking everything, and giving nothing. This is the first important step to be taken in driving to the wall that band of political clericals at Rome, the head- quarters of this nefarious conspiracy, together with their abettors in this country, with a Jesuit at their head, who, under the influence an open Bible gives to honest men, now seek to destroy our public schools, debauch the government, filch millions from the poor, exploit our country for money and polit- ical power, toy with our people and institutions, and like the fools we are, treats us with the supreme con- tempt we deserve. With the removal of monasteries and convents two important tentacles of the church "Octopus" are disposed of, and this can easily be accomplished by showing your legislators, First, that all nations have found them a constant drag, a dead weight upon the state ; an expense, of no benefit to it. Sec- ond, that they hold men and women who live upon the industry of others, who are non-producers, and 270 The Proven Continuity of Life who should work for their bread and butter, and last, but not least, that the real object in their being here is to work for the subjugation of our people to a foreign despotism with headquarters at Rome, by whom they are owned and controlled. Always re- membering that religion has nothing to do with it; that the Roman Catholic Church under the control of Roman clericals is a political conspiracy masque- rading under the guise of religion and now making war upon our institutions. Whatever its creed, we look to its practices; whatever has transpired in monasteries and convents in the past, the fearful record remains to be seen of men ; for the intentional fraudulent claims of priests to forgive sins, to send to heaven or hell; the sale of indulgences; for the claimed power to absolve ; money received for these, and for the hellish auricular confession, and other methods to obtain money under false and fraudulent pretenses, the courts of every State should hold re- sponsible both principals and abettors, whenever it suits its convenience. In doing away with monas- teries the State destroys one of the tentacles, one of the working tools of the system, deprives it of a citadel of power which no longer can serve Rome, nor suck the life blood of the State and Nation. CONVENTS IN all Roman Catholic countries restrictive laws and state supervision are exercised over all monastic institutions, while the Governors of our States have not hitherto seriously considered the matter. These alien ecclesiastics who are per- mitted without restriction to teach our children and compete industrially with our people come from European countries where convents are under state control and strict supervision. It would seem the selfish celibacy of nuns and clergy, with consequent ecclesiastical interference in family life, have been, and are, mischief -breeding blunders, fatal alike to morals and health. Is a life of perpetual prayer with scourgings of the flesh, and penances, sur- render of conscience, freedom of thought, a surren- der of soul and body to the superior of her order, which recognizes no state authority, and to whom the nun yields unquestioned obedience; are these conducive to the best interests of the child, state, or nation? From the moment she gives her per- sonal property to the head of her order, and goes behind bolts and bars she is a prisoner and not per- mitted to see even her relatives with but rare ex- ceptions; is dead to the world. She cannot make known her wishes to her friends, may long for lib- erty in vain ; the habeas corpus act cannot be utilized for her benefit. Should young, innocent, inex- 371 272 The Proven Continuity of Life perienced girls be allowed to sacrifice youth, friends, motherhood for an empty religious, selfish ideal? How little they know what these long years of self- imposed suffering mean; but, once ensnared, for them there is no escape. Some realize their mistake after a few months' trial; their cries are unheard by their friends and their longing to escape is un- known ; they are prisoners, and without the protec- tion given even to inmates of prisons and asylums. Such imprisonment is not only illegal, but should be located and visited with severe penalties. The following newspaper clippings may prove of service in preventing other young women from isolating themselves from the rest of the world; living behind a screen, and whispering prayers. Separation from family and friends, poverty, and living wholly for self, hardly contributes for spiritual unfold- ment. It would seem that a little less care for the possible burning of souls these girls have to un- dergo in a future world, and more care exerted to prevent the roasting of their bodies in this would more usefully occupy the energies of these man- agers of convents. NUN'S PLEA AVAILS Her Dead Father to be Taken to Convent so That She May See Him The body of James P. Long, who died in Brook- lyn on Thursday in his eighty-fifth year, will he in state for half an hour this morning in the public chapel of the Convent of the Good Shepherd at Convents 273 Hopkinson avenue and Pacific street before being taken to the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, where the funeral will be held. The body is to be taken to the convent chapel so as to give Sister Mary, a cloister sister, the daughter of the deceased, the only opportunity she has had in thirty years to see her father's face. Thirty years ago she took the vow of seclusion, and although her father has frequently visited the convent and talked with her through the shaded wicket of the cloister door they never saw each other. It was on the sis- ter's urgent plea that the diocesan authorities re- laxed one of the most stringent rules of her order. Mr. Long was born in Ireland and for many years was a clothing merchant in Savannah, Ga. Ten years ago he retired from business in order to come to Brooklyn and be near his daughter. Among the conditions of the life which Sister Mary of the Tabernacle has chosen are an almost constant fast, never eating any meat, long hours of prayer, severe silence except for an hour or so of ''recreation" daily, lying on a hard board, exten- uated by the thinnest of mattresses, and other severe flouts to natural inclinations. A rather ugly wooden fence twelve feet high and lead colored sur- rounds the grounds, which include a not too pretty garden and a vegetable garden. Miss Mary Frances de Chantal Stapleton, sister of Supreme Court Justice Luke D. Stapleton, took final vows yesterday afternoon that make her a member of the Order of the Sisters of the Visitation 274 The Proven Continuity of Life of Holy Mary. The vows were said in the chapel of the order at Bay Ridge. While a great congregation of relatives, friends and lifelong acquaintances listened tearfully from behind an iron grill at the entrance to the cloister, Miss Stapleton, unseen by them, repeated after the venerable Mgr. McCarthy the words which shut her in for the rest of life, make her only a voice behind a screen, whispering of prayer, meditation and sac- rifice. The ceremonies of reception were conducted at the chapel of the Carmelites on Mt. Pleasant ave- nue, Roxbury, and were of great beauty. The chapel of the convent was beautifully dec- orated with Easter lilies, white carnations, rosebuds and Bride roses. The young woman, who is but 21 years old, looked very beautiful in her gown of white brocaded silk and tulle veil held in place with orange blossoms. She carried a lighted candle, which was decorated with orange blossoms. At the end of the mass the young novice passed through the sanctuary to the door of the cloister and turning bowed a last farewell to her friends of the outside world. Then she passed into the cloister among the nuns who awaited her, holding lighted candles and with faces covered with black veils. Convents 275 PUBLIC SERVICE IN MONASTERY Sisters of St. Clare Honor Founder of Order Religious services in honor of the founder of the Sisters of St. Clare took place yesterday in the chapel of the monastery, 36 Bennet street. Apart from the devotion inspired by the simple chapel of the strict religious order, the singing of the nuns, all of whom were concealed by the grating that separates the outside auditorium from the cloister, gave the service a deep religious character unknown in the larger and more ornate churches where figured music is heard from mixed choirs. In the afternoon at five o'clock there was a Vesper service with benediction of the Blessed Sac- rament, and a sermon by Rev. Fr. Corrigan. In his sermon Rev. Fr. Corrigan spoke of the life of St. Clare and her devotion to prayer and retirement. He described the rule she left for her followers and which demands of them not only entire separation from the world, but also absolute poverty, separa- tion even from family and relatives and an absolute obedience to their superiors. Liberties surrendered lightly are afterwards to be reclaimed with terrible struggles and agony. The training of girls, and convents, are a prolific source of accession to the ranks of the church. Religious opinions formed before a girl is twelve years of age are difficult to change, or eradicate, and when grown to womanhood the children born of this woman are brought up in the same faith, and 276 The Proven Continuity of Life under the thumb of the priest. Thousands of these young girls are shipped out West every year to marry and populate the country in the interests of the church. Many are adopted by Catholic fam- ilies — but they won't allow Protestants to adopt them. And here you see the long arm of this octo- pus reaching all over the country. The ultimate of sisterhoods is not religion; it is only a means for reaching the ends. Monasteries, convents, parochial schools and priests are but parts of one "system" under control of the Roman clericals, which seeks to rob us of the reward of our industry and pervert our government from a repre- sentative democracy to a plutocratic tyranny. It is a huge secret society existing very largely for selfish purposes. That the great majority of its members, especially the women, are entirely sincere and conscientious does not alter this fundamental fact. The church knows the highest exercise of power is that which forms the conscience, influences the will, controls the impulses of men; and there to-day woman is supreme; woman rules the world; and for centuries by keeping woman in mental bondage the church has ruled woman. With the accursed auricular confession, indulgences, masses, purgatory, etc., this church has deceived and held woman in spiritual bondage for sixteen centuries; the whole secret being to control the child of tender years with doctrinal teachings, and through her the family, with its money. It is not by crucifixion of the body or retirement from the world, but by the direction of our energies Convents 277 into the right channels that true happiness and spiritual growth is assured and may be ours. It is only by self-discipline, self-effort wisely directed that one can work out one's own salvation, and not through words of penance and self-mortification, rites, and ceremonies. It is in making your life as much as possible a contribution to the common good, to the happiness of the living creation. This can hardly be done by retiring ourselves from the so- ciety of the world and spending a recluse life in self- ish devotion. No woman should be allowed to sign away her liberty by contract or religious vow; and no nation can ever be really free if the women who give it its men are not free, strong, and self-reliant. The nation is the matrix of the race. Strong, brave, self-reliant mothers put those marks upon their sons. This is the core of a growth of centu- ries which only time and patience can destroy. From the injustice, brutality, and greed that fat- tens on the slow death of young girls in convents it is the duty of every state to interpose and release the inmates soon as they can be suitably provided for elsewhere, and forbid the existence of convents within its limits, as foreign nations have been obliged to do for self -protection alone. In so doing the State at the same time destroys another of the tentacles, one of the working tools of the "system" of the political conspirators, and rescues woman from its clutches; the beginning of the end of its downfall and existence in our country. DEFINITION OF WORDS AND TERMS Apollo. — A Roman Deity. Apollonius. — A philosopher, teacher, and public benefactor. Atheist. — One who denies the existence of some god. Brama. — The first person in the trinity of the He- brews. Christos. — The God of the Hindoos. Essenes. — A sect remarkable for their abstinence and strictness. Eclectic. — One who selected from various religious beliefs. , Gymnosophist. — An East Indian philosopher. Gentile. — A race as distinguished from the Jews. Gnostic. — One claiming to have a deeper wisdom; that all natures are derived by emanations from the Deity. Hindoo. — A native inhabitant of Hindostan. Heathen. — Worshiper of idols. Hegesippus. — Made copies of translations of writ- ings of Apollonius; also wrote his life. Hermes Trismegistus. — An ancient philosopher; teacher of religion known as cause and effect. Hesus. — The god of the Gallic Druids. S78 Definitions of Words and Terms 279 Hebrew. — One of the ancient inhabitants of Pal- estine. Infidel. — One who denies the divine origin of Christ. Kristos 1 One of the claimed incarnations of the Krishna J Hindoo god Brahma. Mercury. — A fabled god called Hermes by the Greeks. Melchizedek. — A priest after the order of the sun. Parsee. — A Persian follower of Zoroaster. Prometheus. — A fabled god bound to Mount Cau- casus with a vulture to prey upon his liver. Pythagoras. — The founder of a system of astron- omy, and the Italic sect of philosophers. Philostratus. — A philosopher, and writer of note. Platonist. — One claiming a conception of the laws of the universe and who believes God to be a wise, powerful spirit. Pharisees. — A pretentious Jewish sect, separated from other Jews. Plagiarist. — One who purloins the writings of another. Psychology. — A science conversant with the phe- nomena of the mind. Pagan. — One who is neither Christian, Mohamme- dan, nor Jew. Sadducees. — A Jewish sect who denied the resur- rection. Sabaism. — Worshiping the sun, moon, and stars. Satrap. — Governor of a province. 280 The Proven Continuity of Life Spiritualist. — One who believes in communications from departed spirits through the agency of a medium. Trajan. — A Roman emperor. Ulphilos. — Copied and wrote his Bible from the manuscripts of Hegesippus. Zodiac. — The twelve constellations, from which are named the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide Treatment Date: Nov. 2004 PreservationTechnologies A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Township, PA 16066 (724)779-2111 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS I! II IIIM II I 012 903 157 8