WmmmMmm^^.^. iWV^^WV Wm^m ^.y^^^^'^^m ,,..j^mMMm^^ jwyyyw vwv^'v'vv^g pwww^vv^vggvyQg I LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. I m0)^m jUVUWUyW^^^. ||lmp..4).AL lopsrigM^fa * I UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. | /ygygggyvwwvww^rfgv^^^vv^^^y^v^ Jj^^^^^^^ ii i iAi^ ifyywvvv, VuUW WVWv^jjv :jw^v\;^uuu"^vy^gwv^!?^! '^v^ yv^vuvv im^^'-jmy^ mmmm:r:^':^''^ ,w^vvw\j ^Mm^^MST^'.M.i^y^^''''''^^' '^■'^^uV'^vyOvOuO '^^VVuyyVVVV '^W^'WVV^VWvVVww./' ]VuuVW^' vwuvtji'j^, (V vv'VVV^ /VVV^WV ,u^^W>^^^W^^^w^^\^W «* • • :^'Ju'i;WUUi iW / THE "PhRILLING ^CHO; A Synopsis of Facts Chronologically Ari^anged ; TO BliNEFlT ALL WHO \VISJ[ TO KNOW POSITIVE ARE CONTINUED BEYOND THE GRAVE; WITH Jnsti^ctions how Two of the j^ive Senses y/ill pivE THE Pi^OF ; ALSO, FREE THOUGHT AND FREE SPEECH. By a. B. church, of COLU^IBUS, INDIANA. " Knowledge is power." "Buy the truth and sell it iiot.' \ \ PRICE 25 CENTS. Y- XEW YORK: D. M. BENNETT. 1875. PIIEEATOIIY AND EXPLANATORY. ]My writings show clearly the origin and prcgress of different religious views in connection Vith political power, as gleaned from history. The effect of sucti opinions on succeeding ages will he plainly seen, and that free thought, and its expression, has never been free of bigotry and intolerance! From 250 B. C. to A. D. 490, will be found matters of vast importance to every thoughtful, reflecting mind, worth more than dollars. It will be" seen in place of the gloom, horror, and uncertainty which sec- tarian teachings produce, Ave have the consoling, equitable, reasonable doctrine of compensation, retribution, eternal consciousness, and aliectlon of kindred minds. This is elucidated in my work. Vivid Truths, or Christian Lancet. Other proof can be had, by applying to those answering letters sealed in wax with your own device, or, getting a communication written on the inside of a double slate, locked, the key in your own pocket. More than once I have been rapidly whirled in opposite directions by in- visible power, and thrown from a table when lidding fast as possible; this alone is no intelligence; but written communications have been, by calling t ) laind facts unknown to anyone but myself. It is a priceless boon to have tlie question of the mind's immortality set at rest, and not feel disturbed by all the sneers, cavils, and attacks brought against it. Men like Mahomet and Charlemagne occasionally appear in the world's history, who inaugerate a new religion, thus changing the destiny of mil- lions, bv suhstituting different languages, customs, and manners; for, 140,000.010 of ^Mahometans to-day, occupy the same country where Christiani- ty once existed in full power. " All efforts hitherto to relieve the mind from the mists of sectarian teach- ings have been opposed by the clergy, their stock in trade being fear, "an angry God." a "devil seeking whom he may devour ; " calling none good, unless they believe as they do ; such bigots being a coraplele drag to pro- gress, and the improvement of the human mind. The Table of Contents give a feeble idea only, of items noted. Those elucidating the origin, progress, and sufferings endured in the name of the Christian Religion only, aremarked thus -for the Christian Lancet, it being so arranged for the benefit of those wishing such to itself, at a less price. Ninety-six pages of Vivid Truths are published, price Fifty Cents. Notice will be given when completed, as also the Lancet. Money will be refunded for either work, if they fail to be otherwise than represented. It is believed every buyer of either will feel amply compensated. t^An Agent wanted la every town, of whom its inhabitants can inspect the work before ordering it. |i This Trade Mark and Work, Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1875, BVA. B. CHURCH. ,In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at \Yashington. TRADE MARK. INTRODUCTORY NOTE. To describe on several pages, the ideas and evidences adduced in this book, would be like attempting to put several histories and the bible into a goose quill. No pains or expense has been spared to make the work trutliful, plain, and conclusive as to the facts, saving to readers much expense and time, to get from many pon- derous volumes the substance licrein gleaned ; for, We have sought for truth on Christian, Jew, and Heathen ground. Reader, it's for you to say they're sound, so much that is profound. We have studied about air, lire, water, the earth, the gasses, heat, and motion. Also, of the sun, moon, stars, and other worlds ; of Bible, Ecclesiastical, and other history, to obtain knowledge of truths, of the human soul, of regeneration, of Almighty power, of immortality, and of ideas that Vv'ill open up and help clear the way from this world of shadows to that of spirits. Most assuredly these are great and mighty themes which v.ill ennoble the mind of diligent students, with proper attention on their part. Hence, matters of fact, and all sorts of opinions are to be care- fully examined, as free from prejudice as possible; therefore, it is lioped that the following pages will be read free of bigotry, or an expression of ill feeling or manners. To reflect much, deeply, long, and sincerely, on religious topics, aud then offer the result, with others' decision to the world, know- ing that many will denounce them, is a job few will undertake for such thanks. Ilaviug received vast benefits on this topic from sources never dreamed of, giving joy, peace, and satisfaction, and thinking a little eflort might relieve honest minds of the thraldom and blight- ing intlucnce of trying to belif ve all that would-be religious teach- ers would teach; 1]:e simple fact being, no one knows more than jinother of the incomprehensible. It will be seen that "Vt7;/rj',/^Kv;-, aud/'/^rA', ^si.YQ,\\\Q. mighty agencies \\\ propogating all rehgious creeds. The sign of the cross is found to be A'cry ancient, and r.n emblem of worship in other nations, thousands of vears acu. The Patriarchs, the signs of the zodiac. 4 INTKODrCTORY NOTE. aud ancient religious ideas, are found to have much in common. The item Anna, shows her to be the grandmother of Jesus Christ, and Herod Antipas and Ghiphira to be his parents. The Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, and Thecla, offer matter of profound interest, and will surprise many. From Philo, it appears the whole of Christianity, even to having, Ciiurclies, Bishops, Priests, and Apostles, with a Christ crucilied, was known for ages before His time, and fifty years before a word was ever written about Christianity, or Christ being born. In His letter to Abgarus, as also of the twelve apostles, much will be found to surprise and interest. The church fathers, especially St. Barnabas, St. Hermas, Ignatius, Polycarp, Papias, Justin Martyr, and Origen, will be found queer ones. Also, TertuUian, who assented to Christianity because of its impossible statements, and the shame- ful idea of God being born of a woman. Of Eusebius, and Con- stantine, eacli a church father, the latter an emperor, under whose reign an efiort was made to make Christianity the established religion over the Pagan, shows him to have been a murderer of the deepest dye, and "corrupt as hell," while Eusebius was his aider and abettor; wdiat church fathers! M, Felix, a church father, taunts the Pagans for worshiping a God nailed to a stick; when a Lamb was the true emblem. Plotinus grieved that nature compelled him to drag his body about, when his soul so strongly desired to join free spirits. The items in chapter iv. B. C, especially in reference to tlie Hebrews, with their God and Devil, per Bible as also the items Theodosius, St. Augustine, Hypatia, and those of miracles and martyrdom, will probably astonish many. The items in chapter v. A. D. ; the horrible, horrible doings during the dark ages of over 1,000 years; the infamous acts and enactments of the church councils, with other matters in chapters vi., vii., will be astounding to many, chiefly in giving the proof from Christian testimony, as also that of history, thaf A. D. to denote time, has no connection whatever with the birth of Christ. That a w^oman should be Pope of Ptome, and Christ worshiped 680 years in the form of a Lamb, as also of other topics that have been suppressed, will surprise. It will be curious to note the efforts made to stop the free expression of opinion, and the great latitude taken when life was considered safe, by the great num- bers who advocated the cause of truth, the spirit of the dark ages opposing, and even continuing to the present time. VIVID TRUTHS HAS THE FOLLOWING TAB LE OK CONTENTS, \YITH AUTHORITIES ADDUCED Of Ciironclogy— Its Table from 2247 B. C. to A. D. 1874— Early Teacliings— How this Book came to be written — 102 Important facts — Of Truth and Reason — Cause and Effect — Like produces its Like — Thoughts not Stultified— A Peep into the *'Holy of Holies." CHAPTER I.— B. C. 4004 to 8000. Of Bible Creation and Wonders — Adam's baby — Gestation for Cain and Abel same as at present— Methuselah's age, and Psalm 90:10 contrasted . CHAPTER IL-3000 to 2000. Noah and family of all living things — Bal:>el, and carry mortar five miles high. — God's speech to a whale — Introduction to the Heathen Religions — *The liindoo God Chrishna, and great similarity to Christ — The Brahmin, Buddhist and. Burmese Religions — *The Egyptians, and who were Christians among them long before A. D. I — The Persians, and God of Fire — General History — Melchisedec, a man "without beginning of life or end of days" — Two Divine revelations old as the Bible — Abraham, and proof .positive he was no Jew. ... . ....... CHAPTER III.~-2000 to 1500. Sarah, and a baby at ninety — Abimelech, and the fuss in several families— Jacob and God wrestle — The Twelve Patriarchs — Aries, the Lamb, one of them — Ancient Gods and idolatry — *Sign of * Denotes the items that make up my vrork, " The Christian Lancet/' 6 CONTENTS. WITH AUTHORITIES ADDUCED. the Cross anterior to the x\ugu5tui era— Seven wonders of the world — The astounding exploits of INIoses and Aaron — Korah, and the wonder of wonders — Magic Headed, ..... CHAPTER IV.— 1500 to 1000. Women seduce men — The Sun and Moon ordered to stop — Horns blown to some effect — *Eleusinian Mysteries identical with the Sac- rament and the Lord's Supper — The Hebrews a " Christ-Killer " considered — Astonishing items — Figures given — God and Devil iden- tical—Zoroaster not proved a Scalawag— God got mad and swore — Reflections about it— God kills 50,070 people, and why— David and Solomon's claim to divinity investigated— Homer, a great genius. CHAPTER v.— 1000 to 500. Elijah, and going to heaven surrounded by fire — The Devil beaten at lying — Hezekiah, by praying, nullifies supreme law— Josiah and his fight— Solon, or who is happy— Wise sayings— Trouble avoided — Notions of Pythagoras on a par with Dr. Watts — Who lives forever? — Confucius and his millions of followers — "The weeping philosopher" — *Eschylus and the God Prometheus — A Prototype of Christ, crucified 2370 years ago—" Roofs howl," and "the devil to pay "—A statute of brass erected to genuine worth — The prophets and curious movements — Wlio was, and is Just — Re- ligious views of this age CHAPTER VI.— 500 to 250. The "Attic Bee "—Of skeptics, and how treated— Socrates lost his life for another phase of it— Diagoras wants "God protected from insult, by law" — Ocellus says, "man and every thing has always existed "—Ezra, and "the Word of God" — "The laughing Philosopher" — "God, Men, and all things originate from atoms." Empedocles proclaims his own divinity, and tells of two worlds and tv/o suns — Plato contends for the Soul's pre-cxistence, and inde- pendence of the body, the Soul being incapable of dissolution — The Old Testament, and dates of writing it — The Book of Job and its character considered — The clergy admit Job to precede Moses Ijy nearly one hundred years — Virtue and Goodness alone a necessity for happiness — The world set to thinking logically — The great pov/er of the will exemplified — A suspended judgment supposed the most philosophical — "Whatever exists cannot be annihilated " — A poor man grinds corn in a hand mill for a living, yet is consid- CONTENTS, WITH AUTHORITIES ADDUCED. 7 ered by the great Cicero, and by Jerome, as having more wit, and rich thought, than any one from that day to their own times. CHAPTER VII.— 250 to A. D. 1. Carneades and others say, God cannot make a currant bush grow potatoes, or a chicken to breed hogs— "Polybius speaks out in meeting," says, ''Soul-roasting doctrines are plagiarisms"— Publius Lentulus is made to speak of Christ in history, when he died B. C. 63— M. Varro declares many falsities exist, that people should not know are false— Odin, the myth of Northern Europe— Of Cicero, his greatness, and his hobby— Of Cresar, the foremost man of all the world— Fulvia, the she-devil— Lucretius thinks it "folly to fear death" — Augustus, a com.bination of greatness and meanness —"Anna, the Grandm-other of Jesus Christ— Why dubious, disgust- ing, and horrible narratives are supposed to come by tradition, and not by inspiration— *Herod Antipas and Glaphira, Christ's asserted parents — "'^'The Virgin ]\Iary and John the Baptist considered alle- gorically— The first Martyr Thecla; Fire and the Devil powerless- Simon Magus, the great power of God— *Philo and his testimony upsets all Christendom— *That remarkable sect, "the Essenes, or Therapeute "— *Their Scriptures proven to be our Gospels and Epis- tles— *Proof positive of their existence long before the Christian era — *Christ portrayed in tragedy 500 years before the Christian era — "^•The darkness at the crucifixion accounted for— *A draft of the Christian Religion rom.p=: f.-om Egyp^— ^Ale^-'-'idr'-^ tl^-? Iv'v'h. place, or Father, Mother, and Nurse of Christianity— *Wool on a stick evidence of Christianity — The Docete Sect deny any humanity to Christ — Seneca, the philosopher — Noted wonders — To the clergy — ^iVIatters of vast interest to many NOTABLE EVENTS SIEGE THE OSSISTIAH EEA. CHAPTER I.— From A. D. 1 to 100. Theological critics — *Jesus Christ — *Time of birth unknown — Gib- bon's sarcastic allusion to any evidence at all — Christ disputes among 2,000,000 people, the population given by R. o; D. — Paul being "All things to all men " — Great difference in the Gospels and the Acts respecting the resurrection— ^Christ's letter to Abgarus and the reply — ^Christ's photograph — •-The artist nonplussed — *Curi- ous facts respecting the twelve Apostles — Luke vi.; 13:16, does not include Mark or Luke among them — Tslaxims for deceivnig ap- 8 CONTENTS, \YITH AUTHORITIES ADDUCED. proved by St. Paul — -Parallel passages from Cicero ia the New Tes- tament — *Many Self-evident facts to be set aside — Great heresies—, "^Resemblance of Pagan and Christian ceremonies — *Their creeds contrasted — ^*Chrishna, the probable original Jesus Christ — *Sects that denied Christianity in its infancy — *Names denying his hu- manity, divinity, crucifixion, and resurrection as soon as asserted — "^'Charges against such assertions, and manner of answering them — ■^■Attempted proof equal to the hole left in the water at Christ's bap- tism — ^Address to the clergy, worth any one's attention — Pagans called Christians at Antioch— Dates of New Testament writing — Judas vindicated — The story respecting .Clement the first church father, Mosheim, calls spurious — Cerenthus the great heretic, says " the Jews are the true followers of Jesus; and Christians, as they call themselves, are followers of Paul — '^-Josephus' allusions to Jesus proved fabulous — *Church councils on the rampage — ^*Tacitus and facts of history — A father of the church a great liar — *A queer letter from the Virgin Mary — Impositions upon humanity — *Pa- ganism and Christianity considered identical by Justin — The twelve Apostles not known in any history. ...... CHAPTER 11.— 100 TO 200. A sect who have Christ sixty-six miles high — Several other queer opinions advanced — A lot of heretics ventilate their opinions — naked worship — ^Christianity found in India — Is carried to Alexan- dria — A priest says " Lnpossibilities make a fact" — "The reli- gion of the world a universal philosophy" — Tlie world 5,508 years, 3 months, and 21 days old at Christ's birth — *Origen, a church father, a great writer — turns an apostate, denies Christ, and calls the scriptures allegorical — "-Felix, charges the Pagans with worshiping a God, or a lamb, nailed to a stick — Perusal of tl:ie Sibylline Oracles prohibited. . . .... CHAPTER III.— 200 to oOO. Miracles equal to the Jews of old, or any other — "■•'Manes explains about religion, and is called "the Comforter" — Paul's doctrine not that of Jesus — "^"Christ and a Pagan God proved identical — Christian- ity known to the ancients — The mysteries and ceremonies of Pa- ganism imilatcd by Christians — ^A Christian Bishop and historian says, "Christianity is of Egyptian origin" — "^Two Cliristian devils, and best of reasons why — The masses unable to see mucli difference in sects — "•■Christ not equal v.'ith God, nor co-eternol — Christ is CONTENTS, WITH AUTHORITIES ADDUCED. 9 God, and eternal — An cpposiliou Messiah — Why vital facts are withheld from general history, and garbled extracts, or aliuslons only given. . . . ....... CHAPTER IV.— 300 to 500. Perfect God, and perfect man at the same time, a monstrosity — horse and mare as near alike as religions generally — The New Testament not v.Tittcn by Christ or his Apostles — "The man after God's own heart" a pattern — The results — ^IIo7'rihle massacre at TJu'ssalonica — ^Miracles and martyrdom considered — '^A few speci- mens — *To deceive and lie in the interest of the church "a max- im of ages past" — *Superior moral virtue of tire Turks — "'•'Priests kill in a horrible manner, for teaching Pagan ceremonies — People born to die, sin or no sin — A hell-fire zealot— JS^^Item to note fron\ 400 to 500, is effects of baptism, and the pope CHAPTER v.— 500 to GOO. ■^Computation of time and Christian era introduced — -A docu- ment as from the incarnation of Christ the cause — was done in the sixth century A. D. CHAPTER VI.— 600 to 700. *Christ worshipped in the form of a lamb in the seventh century, or for 680 years, if not for ages — ^^Monks and monkery considered — ^Infamous church councils — Baneful effects of bigotry — The Vir- gin Mary succeeds Cybele. ....... CHAPTER VII.— 700 to 800. A Bloody Warrior turned into a Christian Saint — Astonishing igno- ranee of the age — *The years as from the birth of Christ begin to be used in history from about 748, of the Dionisian era, or A. D. I is made to precede so many years. ...... CHAPTER VIII.— 800 to 900. Damnable charges against Leo X — Ceremony of kissing the Pope's toe introduced — The Pope compels the Emperor to hold his horse, and to submnt to other degradations— Fictitious relics imposed upon the credulous. : . . . . . . , . CHAPTER IX.— 900 to 1000. ^Ceremonies and rites shocking to nature and common sense. CHAPTER X.— 1000 to 1100. An Emperor goes barefoot to an insolent Pontiff — Whipping order introduced — Horrid times! ....... lo CONTENTS, WITH AUTHORITIES ADDUCED. CHAPTER XL— 1100 to 1200. *A terrible outlandish fellow — Decency fled — Insolence of the Popes Excessive — Folly gone to Seed. ...... CHAPTER Xn.— 1200 to 1300. An insolent pontiff brings a King into slavish fear — Great debate concerning the immaculate conception — St. Anthony and an ass at the sacrament — The philosophy of Aristotle triumphant — A won- derful man, 300 years ahead of his age — Friars of Christ — Brethren of the sack — The Spirituals — God engenders His Son — Ventilation of opinions — Divinity chai-ged with errors — God knows what else, but don't tell— _^S^The priests do ! ...... CHAPTER XHI.- 1300 to 1400. The holy lance and nails that pierced Jesus — Pope Clement V. orders the Venetian ambassador to his court, to be chained under his table like a dog — Energy of Wickliffe to stop such insolence — John Huss gets his eyes open to enormous wickedness, and unites with Wickliffe to stop it — Overwhelming, sickening horrors of the age CHAPTER XIV.— 1400 to 1500. The Council of Constance declares it lawful to violate solemn oaths made to Heretics — Alarm of the clergy at printing — The dis- puted passage in Tacitus first appears — A ragged man made pon- tiff, and covered with pontifical robes — It's effect — Wonders effect- ed by one man against papal rule — "Forgiveness of all sin "de- clared a humbug — Tyndale lampooned for printing the Bible — Bible in one hand, death in the other — The Pope and whole Catholic world set at defiance — Pen and ink, with a little sense, effects more than Warriors, armies, and millions of sermons — Bible records. CHAPTER XV.— 1500 to 1600. Acts that shock nature — Keeper of monkeys promoted with a car- dinal's hat — Burning of Servertus — Dates and progress of the Ref- ormation — A naked sect, ^'■for Chrisf s sake''^ — Proof of one man worth a thousand million bigots; of another that did not scare worth a cent — *Church council at Trent lasts eighteen years — Chap- ter XXXV, xxxvi, of Jeremiah describes the Essenes — Lying an enor- mous sin of the age — Gruter's inscriptions — St. Bartholomew massa- cre — Opinions of those in power palmed off as holy oracles of God— CONTENTS, WITH AUTHORITIES ADDUCED. n All Europe startled and electrified with bold, sound, reasonable, and consistent ideas — Those of Plato not lost . . . . , CHAPTER XVL— 1000 to 1700. Terrible suffering for opinion — God thanked for ignorance— The "divine looking-glass shows God in human form" — Christians have nothing to boast of — "Cures by laying on of hands" — NoJesu> Christ in the time of the Apostles — Priest Tillotson confesses th; identity of Christianity to Paganism — Gospel corrected by papal law, — Hell to be taught, whether believed or not — The principle of life considered, and is worthy the attention of everybody — Gospels and epistles again proved long anterior to the Augustan era — "Credulity a propensity of humanity" — Reference to the Egyptian Gospels and on down through all nations for the existence of Christianity — The great plagiarism gradually discovered — All worship the same God or Lord over all ; viz. : Judas with his bag ; or money — Anything contrary to reason, unless understood, is not religion — The scriptures no authority for civil law — Hannah Henman fortells her death foi" twenty years to the very day — *Great controversy on the Trinity— *Go to church or to the whipping post — ^^l^*"No need to bother about religion when God don't!" CHAPTER XVn.— 1700 to 1800. j:^*'Great controversy whether the ceremonies of Paganism should be continued — Wm. Tennant in a trance three days ; saw glories unutterable — Other equal manifestations — The Essenes or Therapute are Christians all but in the name — nothing would stop the lying clergy— The sun, Hercules, Adonis, and Jesus Christ the adorable God of all — Plistorical basis of Christianity as given proven incorrect. — Festival to the honor of the holy Virgin over lOO years before the Christian era — A draft of the whole Christian system from the wor- shippers of Jupiter — "Christians' hide - bound " — "A comical ad- vertisement to bark for them at a lov/ price " — The Jesus of Matthew different from other descriptions — A foolish preacher greatly fooled— Bigotry on the. rampage. .,,..,.- CHAPTER XVni.— 1800 to 1874. Mythological origin of Christianity proven — Scientific evidence for it admitted impossible — Life among the lowly — "Great God is that A?"— Joy on reading Robinson Crusoe — Worth of a dime — Worth of religion — What it is — What it was among the ancients, accord- ing to history — Why scenes and incidents a fev/ years ago are [.' CONTENTS, WITH AUTHORITIES ADDUCED. here inserted — Doctrine of tlie immaculate conception pro- claimed — Curiosities of the Mormon faith and eftbrls— Missionary- results— Of good and evil — Supposed good logic— Peril of our Magna Charta, if permitted to aid contention— ^Yo;■Lh of poverty — Worth of property— Worth of a free intellect — Honest confession good for the soul — Reason and common sense removes the doubts and fears of humanity — millions beginning to testify. Abundance of experience and facts learned from men and v>'omen of expanded minds, from the times of Plato up to this, 1873, viz.: Extent of the universe — Analy- sis of the human soul — The first male and fem.ale — Humanity com- pleted in the female uterus — The sex question — The earth a living organism —^ Startling questions and answers — No annihilation — Actual existence of the " tree of knowledge " — Preachers, Doctors, Lawyers, Philosophers, Dandies, Coquettes, Scalawags, all, carry their ruling love into spirit life — ^Wise divisions in the spirit world-- Of the spirit world and God's thronc---Cities, towns, houses, dress, food, drink, employment, music, and other wonderful facts there--- Hov/ all these and other similar items became knov/n, and why they can be relied on as true— Why spirits cannot be dismembered- -Hu- manity do not lose their identity- -Discussions in the spirit world, and wonderful effect of common sense- --Females competent for great achievements--Rev. Charles Hall's surprise on entering the spirit world---Other revelations of a surprising, astounding character -- Of haunted houses---Description of people who died 10,000 or more years ago---What the wisest of the pagans thought---Astound- ing disclosures---The exact locality of heaven and hell, and of what made--Seed, the life; "the word of God "—Plea for free thought and free speech---Many things not here noted that is worth knowing ---Crowning proof that life is continued beyond the grave, and that all are happy or miserable, according to merit. .... OF CHRONOLOGY. Readers of history generally, find it difficult to remember dates, so as to fix them with their proper events. As an aid, the actors and events will appear in the regular order of time, each to itself connectedly. Most readers have but a faint conception of the many changes chronology has undergone, and difficuties attend- ing it. The history of Rome is shrouded in obscurity; said to be founded B. C. T54. Greece, and the nativity of Jesus Christ is equally obscure. Mosheim, in his ecclesiastical history, says, vol. i., chap. 3: "The year in which Christ was born, has not hitherto been ascertained, notwithstanding the deep and laborious re- searches of the learned." This may seem strange, but not so astounding as that for hundreds, if not thousands of years, he was known as a Lamb, and thus represented. An order from Pope Agathus, during the reign of Constantius Pogonatus, and the 83, one of that Council held at Constantinople, it was decreed, and subsequently ratified by Pope Adrian the First, that in place of Christ being in the form of a crucified Lamb, he should be repre- sented m the form of a crucified man. This occurred A. D. 680; hence, "the Lamb of God that takcth away the sin of the world" was no man, until so decreed by Kingly and Church authority; sec Goodrich's Rehgious Ceremonies, pp 287, 288, edition of 1835. A. D. owes its origin to a monk named Dionysius Exiguus, and was for a time, called the Dionysian Era, A. U. C. 754, denoting the time in the Roman world, and A. D. 1 subsequently made to correspond with it. Ethelbert, a Saxon King, Charlemagne, and the venerable Bede, over 100 years after the time of Dionysius, change the Dionysian Era to the Christian. Very little of this is said by Christian 14 OF CHRONOLOGY. writers, yet the fact is fully admitted, especially by Moslieim, that IheEra A. D., of the Christian faith, had its origin in the sixth century; therefore, those called Christians worshipped a Lamb, 080 years before any crucified man, now called Jesus Christ, M'as ever heard of. Calf worship had been general ; see Ex., 32; 1st Kings, 12:28, 39; 2d Kings, 10:29; Rev., 4:7, and elsewhere. The Dionysian Era while in use, had the Christian blended, or classed with it for 156 years according to later chronologlsts, the Pagans using their Era, and the Christians, so called, theirs. It should be remembered, the application of Chronology to mat- ters of faith, is of modern invention. " Thus saitli the Lord," for ancient events is our reference ; chronology not being established imtil a little over 1,100 years ago. That of the New Testament is lamentably at variance with historical facts. The Apostles and primitive Fathers gricviously complain of universal corruption at the very time Christianity must be sup- posed to have been in its purity. In short, clashing opinions have existed from time immemorial, and corruption cqlially prevalent. The assertions concerning Christ were denied as soon as asserted, and has been from that day to this ; especially, of a God being born of a woman, or dying on a cross as an atonement for others' sins. "Julius Africanus, who wrote A. D. 220, insists the world was made September 1st, and was exactly 5,508 years, 3 months, and 21 days old at the birth of Christ," Gibbon, vol. ii., p. 23. The learned Dr. Lightfoot says, "Adam was created Friday morning at 9 o'clock p. m, ; he ate the forbidden fruit about 1 oclock; and Christ was promised about 3 o'clock in the afternoon," "Well ! Adam's teeth must have grown rapidly, or else he "had to gum it," to eat an apple four hours after he was created; won- der if any "soothing syrup" was needed while Adam was a baby ? K Adam was full grown at the first, and gave names to all animated nature, he must naturally have thought it was a hocus pocus sort of a way, to make a woman from one of his ribs ! The very learned Christian chronologlsts above named, don't appear to think 4,224 years had passed, and was a long time for them to asscit such accuracy; a wonderful pair of wortliies, wliich the world, from some cause, have omitted to appreciate ! OF CHRONOLOGY. 15 To enumerate the calVerent epochs of time in the world's history would he very tedious, hence, over 20 pages, large size, are con- densed into tliesc few lines: From the creation to the time of Julius Africanus, 7,296 years Vt'ere fixed upon; the Lunar Gyle, the Solar Sycle, and the Julian period extcn;ling back 710 years before the creation, were substitu- ted by the Era of Olympiads, B. C. 776 ; followed by the Era of Building of Home, B. G. 754; Era of Nabonassar, a Babylonian, B. G. 747; Era of Selucidte, a Syrian, B. G. 312; New Era of Kome, A. D, 131 ; Era of Diocletian, A. D. 284; Era of Dionysius, A. D. 525; Era of Mahomet, A. D. 622; Era of Tezdegerd, a Per- sian, A. D. 6o2: Era of tlie Christians, made A. D. 1, 681 years afterward. Even the year, previous to 1752, began March 25th, but since then, our year begins January 1st; in other lands, at diflcrent times. See Sear's Guide to Knowledge, p. 273. Although the Era of A. D. was adopted 681, yet it was not until about 300 years had passed before it became legal and popular. To be fully understood, it should be remembered time was reckoned by the Dionysian Era, until the times of Pepin and Charlemagne in the eighth century. They agitate its adoption because Ethelbert, a Saxon King, dated one of his State papers '•m tlie 605tli year from the incarnation of Christ," followed Occasionally by others, until the venerable Bcde, in the eighth century adopted it, thus making it historical, and finally, in the tenth century it became legal. It may seem strange that nearly 1,000 years should pass before our present A. D. had a legal au- thority, and the dates of public documents and history made to correspond, yet it is an admitted historical fact. Not so respecting Pope Juan being a woman; for five hundred years after the time, great numbers of writers give their testimony to its truth. After the reformation, as many other writers deny it as fabulous. Mos- heim, in a note, vol. i., p. 215, says: "neither side has represented this matter in such a light as to bring conviction." • Let it be remembered that there are many collated or quoted items in this woj-k we :lo not endorse, the aim being to give gener- ally admitted historical facts, from which readers will draw their own conclusions. WORTHY OF ATTENTION. It is generally suppos;;d that A. D. 1 signifies tae year of the birth of Jesus Christ, "the Saviour of the world." V Our \vould-b3 teachers either con- c:fi!, or do not knoif that S7ich is not the fact, and that A. D. in history as we ROW have it, did not have an existence until nearly 700 years had passed, nor become popular until 1,000 years had passed av,-ay. See Chronology. It is also supposed the New Testament contains an authentic account of the birth, life, death, resurrection, and after appearance of Jesus Christ to his dis- ciples, as stated in Mark, chap, xvi., 14; yet Luke, chap, xxiv., 10., says other''^ •' told these things to the apostles,"' or disciples, which v/ere " as idle tales, and not believed"" by them, in next verse; and in the 25th, calls them "fools to lielieve all the prophets have said."' If the spiritual laws were generally understood, many things related in the Xew Testament, so mysterious, would probably appear plain. In Acts xix., XX., the uproar and trouble from Paul's doctrine, was similar to what is made to-day respecting spiritualism, or the laws of potential forces. Both chapters should be read and reflected upon; also, chap, ii., where so many languages are spoken by unlearned and ignorant men ; see chap, iv., 13. History saj^s Caesar died B. C. 41, Augustus A. D. 14, Tiberius A. D. 37. ISIark 12, Luke 20, John 19, Acts 11, 17, 25, 20, 27, 28, mentions Caesar's name freqiiently, and the 25th speaks twice cf Augustus ; also, Luke 2. For Christ, or some one for him, to allude to Caesar 44 years before he was born, cannot be true. To allude to Augustus, when Jesus was only 14 yeai'S old is at least, not in keeping to have his actions amenable to Caesar"s govern- ment; nor for Paul either while a boy, or before his alleged conversion. Claudius Caesar did not begin to reign until A. D. 44, or after Christ's death, and of course could not be held responsible to any government when dead. To have the acts and teachings of Christ disturb the government for which he was cited to answer, makes the New Testament behind time according to general history. As Tiberius in history is known as " Tiberius "^ only, dying from dissipation and without honor, it is not probable that any reliable historian would warp and twist to make him the one alluded to as the great Caesar, especially when the great ecclesiastical historian, Mosheim, says: "the year is unknown when Christ was born ;"' or Avhen he died, he might have added. This is a powerful admission and argument against the allusion to him in the Gospels as being any better known. Biblical critics and history make the Epistles to have been written some twelve years before the Gospels ; Col., chap, i., speaks of a Gospel " hid from ages and generations," while history states the Pagan world had a Gospel with a God crucified, and the whole of Christianity except the name. In fact the Epistles allude to Gospels or Scriptures frequently which could not be the one we have, for they were not written, as before stated. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE O IP IMPORTANT EVENTS FROM 2374 B. C, UP TO A. D. 1S74. j^t^ J^''The dates refer to Births^ or to Events, BEFOKE CHKIST. 2374. Job, (or the writer of Job) probably born about this time. S247. Babel and confusion of tongues. 2235. Nineveh "• that great city of three days' journey." 2234. Astronomical observations at Babylon (from a register 1903 years old.) 2188. The kingdom of Egypt commenced under Menes: (Population in 1859, 5,125,000; Persia, 8,000,000.) fc3ee New American Cyclopedia. 1996. Abraham— some say 2004. 1994. Sarah. 1836. Jacob. 1822. Letters invented by Memnon, an Egyptian. 1615. Ethiopians from India settle in Egypt. Job said to be born about this time— according to theologians. 1583. Chronology of the Aruudelian marbles begins with the foundation of Athens, engraved on Parian marble— a valuable remnant of antiquity. 1574, Aaron. 1571. Moses. 1493. Phcenician Letters carried into Greece by Cadmus. 1356. The Eleusiuian Mysteries introduced at Athens, and considered sacrile- gious to reveal. 1325. Egyptian calender begins at the swell of the Nile in the dog star Sirius. 1263. The famous Phaniciau historian, Sauchoniathon, flourished. 1141. The temple of Ephesus burned ; was 425x200 feet, and 60 feet high, having 127 columns beautifully carved. 1085. David. 1083. Solomon. 753. Rome commenced by Romulus, according to Yarro. 648. Thoth, the first month of the Egyptian year, there being twenty-five days ditterence in one hundred years. 562. First comedy at Athens. The first tragedy 535. 497. The Saturnalia introduced at Rome, to 150,000 people. 486. ./Eschylus gains the first prize in tragedy. 445. Herodotus reads his history at Athens when thirty-nine years old. 382. Foundation of Alexandria. 356. Alexander the Great. "• Temple of Diana bunied. 285. Dionysius, the astronomer, begins his calender June 27, and the first to learn the exact solar year was 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes. 284. The Septuagiut supposed to have been made. IS CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 283. Colle2:e and library at Alexandria founded. 220. Social war in Greece lasts three years. 215. Chiiiet^e Wall built. 170. Paper invented in China. 161. i'liilosophers and rhetoricians banished from Rome. liR). Juiius ( a'sar, "the foremost man in all the world." 71. lierod the Great. 64, Augustus^. 48. Library at A.lerandria burned. 42. Tiberius. " Herod Anti^as bora about this time. 39. Rome had a population cf 4,101,017, and at peace with all the world. " Ttmi-le ( f Janus closed. 25. The Egyi-tians adopt the Julian year, and fix tht ir Thoth to betrin Augrust 29th. *' Pilate born about this time. 1.3. Augustus assumes the office f f Fcntifcx and burns 2,000 books, but saves the bybilline oracles as sacred. 12. Seneca, the philosopher. 8. Augustus corrects the calender. 4. Birih tf Christ. 1 A. D. begins. 4. Leap year corrected. 8. Jesus Christ disputes in the Temple— according to theologians. J 9. Vespasian, the Roman General. 10. Paul and Philo, the Jew, born about this time. 14. Rome contained 4,037,000 people— according to Haskel, the Archeologist. 16. Mathematicians aud magicians expelled from Rome. 80. St. Clement, or Clemens Romanus, 53. Christ Crucified April 3, at 3 o'clock, r. m.— so say theologians. 85. Cerinthiis, the great heretic. 87. Flavins Josephus, the great Jewish historian. 40. Pagans are called Christians at Antioch. BO. London founded by the Romans. 62. Tacitus — historian and statesman. "■ Trajan— celebrated for equity. *' Church Councils of the Apostles at Jerusalem. 54. St. Hermas— the great dissembler. 62. Pliny the Younger. 64. Great lire at Rome for six days— an awful time. 67. St. Ignatius. 68. St. Polycarp. TO. Titus captures Jerusalem. ''• Suetonius— the historian. *' Titus destroys Jerusalem— 1,100,000 persons perish. 76. Adrian— Roman ^Emperor, and a worthy man. '■'■ Quadratus, a Pagan priest, and a Christian priest at the same time. 58. Justin Martyr appeals to Antonius Pius to respect the Christian's God, from its similarity to the Pagan God. 100 121. Jrelito sends an apology for the Christians to Marcus Antoninius, that Christianity and Paganism are identical. " Marcus Aurelius, a magnanimous, worthy man. 122. St. IrenoGus calls Simon a holy God. "- A) temon, and several heretics born about this time. " Among them, Hymenitus aud Hermogenes, mentioned in 2nd Tim. 1 :15. 142. Celsus, noted for his work against Christianity. 151. Christian liersecution forbidden. 153. Pautanuis finds the Hebrew Gospel in India. " Symmachus and Montanus born about this time. 160. Tertullian conceives Christianity true, from its impossibilities. 161. Clemens Alexandrinus, President of the Monkish fraternity. 163. Ammonius Saccas, taught Paganism aud Christianity was a universal PHILOSOPHY when correctly understood. CIIROXOLOGICAL TABLE. 19 163. Julius .\f i-icanus born about this f.me. incisto the world was exactly 5.508 years, 3 months, 21 days old at the birth of Christ. 185. Orifi^en, a famous Christian writer; relapsed into Paganism; denies the Lord Christ; and calls the scriptures allegorical. 191. Home nearly desfc-oyed by tire— another awful time. 200 203. St. Gregory, ''the Wonler Worker," performs miracles equal to Christ. .204. St. Cyprian, of a turbulent spirit, puts his deacon to death. 211. St. Valentine, an Egyptian of great famj, defends Paganism, having Feb- ruary 14 in cjlebrat.on uf it. 213. Aurelius, accomplished in four years, more than many do iu a life-time. 213. Dionysius Longinus, con-sidered Paul's doct "ine unproved. 233. Porphyry, contends the Christian scriptures are strangely perverted from the Pagan, or are a forgery. " Ameliils born ab Jut this time, proves Christ's identity with a heathen God. 212. Lactantius says, "■ the Christ. an religion was known to the ancients.'" 215. Diocletian prefers to raise cabbages to being Emperor. "■ Arnobius thinks Cicero's works eqiial to the scriptures. 264. Eusebius, a Christian priest and historian, also a Christian devil. His character ought to be known by every one. 274. Constantine the Great— another Christian devil, under whose reiga Chris- tianity was established by law. 232. Arius held Christ was not God, nor co-eternal. 2i)d. Athanasius contended Christ is God, and co-eternal. 300 306. Constantine ascends the throne. 310. St. Epiphanes says, " Many forms of Christianity were derived from hea- then mythology." " ApoUinaris held that Christ, to be a perfect God, and also at the same time a perfect man, would be a monstrosity. " Julius Firmicus Maternus, would kill a Pagan for his belief, yet Paganism and Christianity were as near aUke as a horse and a mare, in his day. 314. Gregory Nazianzen, a monkish professor. 321. Sunday appointed to be observed by law. 325. Great Church Council at Nice to settle the disputes of Arius and Athana- sius, and of creeds. Reading this, the cause of writing Vivid Truths. " Faustus, the Manicheau Bishop, affirms the New Testament was not writ- ten by Christ, not by his Apostles. 331. Heathen Temples destroyed by Theodosius. 310. St. Ambrose compels Theodosius to do penance for his horrible murders at Thessalouica. 342. Jerome, insatiable in his thirst for glory. 346. Theodosius oti'ers an apology for his crimes ; that if guilty, " that man after God"8 own heart was." 354. St. Augustine says, '"the Christian religion was known from the begin- ning of the human race." 356. Eutropius, the historian. 351). Gratiaa refused the pontifical robe, and robs the Pagans of their property. 370. The beautiful Ilypatia lost her life in a horrible manner— priests kill her for teaching Paganism. " Pelagius contended Adam was created mortal, and Avould have died had he never Binned. " Zosimus, a great historian. " Socrates, a historian, full of monastic notions. 376. St. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria— a hell-lire zealot. The awful end of Hy- patia attributed to him. 381. Church Council at Constantinople to settle creeds — the Trinity question, and to silence heretics. " Theodosius attains to imperial power about this time. 303. Nestorius contended God could neither be bom or die— a fire-brand in the Church. " The "■ dark ages " begin. 400 451. Church Council at Chalcedon. „. „._.:,,-.■—.:......,." — — ' 20 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 494. The Roman Pontiff asserts his supremacy, 496. Clovis baptized— wonderful effect I 500 515. Computation of time, and the Christian Era started by the Monk Diony- eiuG the Little. 545. Ethelbert. King of Kent, dates a public document from the incarnation of Christ. This ultimately led to the adoption of A. D. 553. Another Church Council, called a robber Council. 5T0. Mahomet drives Christianity from Palestine. "" Evagrius, an ecclesiastical historian. 600 614. Jerusalem taken by the Persians ; 90,000 slain, and the Cross of Christ car- ried away. 640. The Saracens take Alexandria and burn its great library. 680. Great Church Council at Constantinople— all sorts of devilment adopted. The form of a man substituted for a" Lamb, which had been the emblem for ages. The scenes there enacted seem incredible. 700 742. Charlemagne at war thirty years to subdue the Saxors. 748. The years from the birth cf Christ begins to be used in history, from this time. 754. Pepins aids the Pope with a large army. 800 801. Power of the Pope abridged. Damnable charges against Pope Leo X. 815. Insurrection in Rome, as^iiiust the Pope. 878. Alfred the Great— a noble man. 900 964. The Pope accused of horrible crimes. Awful times. 1000 105S. Algazzali, a mystical philosopher. 1060. Peter the Hermit. 1061. Surnames appointed to be used. *' Godfrey, hero of the first crusade. 1077. Henry lY. goes barefooted to the Pope, in humiliation. 1079. Abelard tries to shake off priestly rule, and have a wife. 1099. Jerusalem taken by the Crusaders. 1100 1117. Thomas A'Beckett, a contumacious spirit. 1149. Averroes. a great Arabian philosopher. 1159. The Pope excommunicates the Emperor. 1164. Council of Clarendon. 1200 1208. The Pope excommunicates the King of England. 1209. The works of Aristotle imported and condemned. 1213. The King of England becomes the Pope's vassal. 1214. Roger Bacon, three hundred years ahead cf the age. 1220. Astronomy and Geography first brought into Europe. 1248. Last of the Crusaders, after destroying 2,000,000 people. 1250. Peter De Abano tries to end the contests cf the clergy and philosophers. 1300 1301. Philip excommunicated by the Pope. 1324. John Wickliffe, Father of the Reformation. 1342. Great famine in China— 13,000,000 perish. 1360. Sigismund— after attaining power— falsifies his word to John Huss. 1373. John Huss gets his eyes open to enormous wickedness. ^ 1377. The popes transfer tlieir power to Rome from Avignon. 1393. Doctrines of the Reformation propagated in Bohemia. 1400 > 1400. John Guttenburg, the reputed inventor cf printing. 1401. Heretics burned in England. ^,,,,.. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 21 1409. Council of Pisa. 1412. William Caxton, in after life alarms the clergry in printing. 1414. Council of Coustauco— three popes contend for supremacy. 1415. Hubs burned. 142-2. Christian Era introduced into Portugal. 1440. Printing brought into use. 1453. Turks take Constantinople, after continuing 2,200 years. 1451. Conspiracy against the Pope. 1467. Erasmus has no love for theological quarrels. 1468. Passage in Tacitus first heard of. / 1483. Martin Luther and John Eckius' great controversy. i 1484. Ulric Zwingle, in defiance of the Pope, calls his *•' full forgiveness of all sin" a humbug. "■ W. Tyndale makes the first Bible. " Inquisition established in Spain. 14S9. Thomas Cranmer, first Bishop of Canterbury is made to suffer the same kind of death he had inflicted on others. 1401. Henry YIIL. of England, declared "defender of the faith," in 1521, by Luther, and by Parliament in 1534. 1407. Philip Melancthon, would not accept the title, D. D. " Americus Vespucius discovers America. 1500 1509. John Calvin bums Servetus for want of faith. '' A naked sect, for Christ's sake— stupidity and silliness in their glory I " Apocryphal Gospels proclaimed. 1517. Luther publishes "05 theses " against Tetzel. 1521. Luther cited before the Diet of Worms. 1530. Diet of Augsburg. 1533. The Pope's authority banished from England. 1538. Carlo Borromeo, a Saint of the liomau Church— no man ever lived who had a better character. 1543. G. Bruno— no threats could change his convictions. 1545. Council of Trent continues eighteen years— the popes alarmed, fearing to lose power— Peace of the Church declared at Augsburg— Light after 1000 years' mental darkness. 1558. The Reformed Religion authorized in England. 1550. I. Causabon admits "lying a deceitful sin of the age." 1564. Galileo discovers the wonders of the planetary world. 1572. St. Bartholomew's massacre in Paris— 60,000 slain. 1575. Jacob Bcehm. the great spiritualist. 1576. Protestant religion permitted in France. 1582. Pope Gregory reforms the calender. 1502. Parliament establishes Presbyterian government. 1596. Descartes startles all Europe by his bold ideas. 1600 1600. William Prynne suffered terribly for speaking boldly. " William Berkley thanked God the schools were not free. 1608. John Milton— a wonderful genius with much pluck. 1609. L. Muggleton contended God has the form of a man. 1618. I. Vossuis thought it vain to seek for God, aside from Nature. 1620. Landing of the Pilgrims. 1623. New York began— the ground cost twenty-four dollars. 1623. V. Greatrakes i>erforms spirit cures. " John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress. 1633. Charles II. of England— a mean, contemptible man. " J. B. Cotelirius asserts •' no such person as Jesus Christ, in the time of tQ8 Apostles, existed. " Boston settled. '• John Tillotson contends Christianity and Paganism are alike. " Locke contends for a free expressicm of opinion. " Spinoza, a Jew, could not be made to assent to anything he thought was not true. 1637. William Cave, a divine, says, " at Constantinople, in 506, the Gospels were censured and corrected by an order of the Emperor Anastasius, and sub- sequently, by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterberry, in 1080. 22 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 1638. NicMallebi-aucIie says, "coasciousaess teaches a soul, aacl Yisioa a God/' 1643. G. Buraett, would have hell taught as a beaetit. 1644. William Peaa, a Una believer ia^s irit aiaaifestatioa. 1645. Joha Mill collected, during thi:ty yiars, 130,000 variations in Bible texts. 1346. William Leibaitz builds a vast fab ic lu his system of Moaads— an invisi- - ble substance— power, life. S.c. " - Kobert Barclay— nearly, or.quite a S;)i.-itnalist. '' End of the Thu-ty Yea.s' Wa:. 1653. James Basaage says. ''NotliinL:' is more certala the Therapeute had our Gospels aad Epistles loag bcf-'ie ihe Augustaa Era.'' 1655. B. IMoatfaucoa blends tlie Therept-ute. Esseacs aad Christians together. 1657. M. Tindal makes Christianity as old as creation. '' John Le Clerc says, " Credulity is a propeasity of humanity."" " Dupin says, ''Many priaiitvo Christiaas viewed the Is'criptures as alle- gorical.'' 1659. V. Beausobre says, "the Gospel of the Egyptiaas, of the Hebrews, aad Essenes, were full of paiables, allegories, enigmas and mysticisms." " Itev. Joha Meslier, on his death-bed, asks pardon of his hearers for teach- iag Christianity. . '' Archbishop Wake says. " the priaiitive Christians turaed the whole Scrip- tures into allegory, or iato heresy." 1666. Great fire in London, destroys 13,2)0 houses, on 600 streets. 1668. John Fabricius says, "Judaism, Paganism, Manichteisai are the same religion, as much as Catholic aad Protestant, for all v^orship the same God, or Lord of all."— also aioaey as devotedly. 1669. Joha Toland contended no true religiou should be contrary to reason, or called a mysterj^. 1669. lieynolds Marvin professes divine communicjftion all his life. 1670. James Berwick declared no priest should dictate to him. 1676. Antony Collins asserts the New Testament is allegorical in meaning, and has no authority for any church Iaw% 16T8. Ilaaaa Heaman predicts for twenty years the day of her death. 1683. Conyers Middleton gives great ottense to his brethren in the ministry, by saying the Roman religion came from the heathens. 1684. Dr. Lardner writes ten ponderous volumes of Christian Evidence to prove an impossibility. " First settlement of Philadelphia. 1688. Swedenborg, the renowned seer. 1691. M jsheim, the illuscrio.H (.ccleslastical historian. " The king of France attempts to introduce Christianity into Siam. Its king remarks, "Our religion of 2229 years is not easily changed— why bother himself, so long as God don't?" 1700 1705. William Tennant, in a trance over three days, "saw glories unutterable in the spirit world. 1706. Mrs. ]Mercy Wheeler saw spirit manifestations equal to any ever heard of —astounding ones, and unexpectedly. 1717. John D. Michielis, a celebrated Avriter on divinity, saj's, " the Essenes were Christian in everything but the name." 1724. Kant, an eminent Germaa metaphysiciaa. 1724. J. Seailer, a prolilic writer oa theology, says, "the fact is undeniable, the first Christians so called, were great liars, forgers, dissemblers, and stopt at nothing" " First newspaper printed in New York. 1727. Ezra Stiles contended, no exigencies of the church made it lawful, or right to interfere in a free expression of opinion. " Astonishing spirit maaifestation— exceeds all before them. 1728. Joha Parkhurst says, "Hercules means the sun, and its twelve labors iu the signs of the zodiac." 1729. Lessing asserts the historical basis of Christianity is incorrect. 1733. New Orleans settled. 17'37. Williaaa Gibbon, the celebrated historian. " Thomas Paiae, author of " Age of lleasoas," and " Kights of Man." " liichard Watson, famous for his " Apology for Christianity." ,, Evauson, a Enitarian divine, rejects the Gospels. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 2$ 1742. Charles Dupius says, " one hundred years before the Christian Era. a fes- tival was held to the honor of the Virgin Paritura." 1T4.3. William Paley refers to Paul for the evidence of Christianity. 1745. Nathaniel Emmons, D.D., asserts God is the cause of evil. 1746, Sir William Jones, a famous Oriental scholar, and master of twenty-seven languages, shows the nation's of antiquity were Christians all but the name, before, and since the time of Moses— a draft of the whole Christiaa system comes from Egypt. 1752. Nev 1752. New Style introduced. The year begins Jamiary 1st, instead of March 25- 1762. J. G. Fichte asserts the Creator and Nature, are united, similar to soul and bodv. 1764. St. Louis settled. 1769. Run-away iireachers advertised— laughable notice. 1773. Thomas Dick, the celebrated Scotch author. 1776. Karl Bretschueider says, "the cjmposltors of the Gospels bit-ay muci ignorance. " Louisville settled, 1778. Cincinnati founded. 1785. 2 OJO religious houses suppressed by the Emperor of Germany. " Power loom invented by Cartwright. 1789, Neander, a Je.vby birth, admires Plat), reaounc?s Judaism, and acc3pts Christianity as preferable. 1791, First spinning of cotton by water power, 1792, Cltycf Washington founded. "• Alexander Campbell, opposed to ceeds, jit baptism was his croe:l. 179.3, Keign of terror in Prance, 1793, Cotton gin invented by Eli Whitney, 1800 ISOO, Population of the United States 5.305,432. '• Washingt >n made the seat of Government. 1807. First steamboat on Hudson river. 1808. D, Strauss maintains Mythology is the origin of Christianity. 1809. Bruno Bauer is positive all historical research for any evidence of revealed reliirion is futile. ISIO. Theodore Parker asserts, " Nature or God, and man, are immortal through spiritual law. 1319, First steam passage across the Atlantic, 1820. Ind'anapolis settled v/ith lifteen families. 1821. Kii/-.ii.oal'a Blackvvell, tho lirst American woman to obtain tha title of 1M.D. 1823. 10,0J0 ba.Teis Hour sent from Rochester by Ursfc boats on the E.-ie canal. 1826. Death of John Adams and Thomas Jeiferson. 1830. Chicago settled. " Mormonism published. IS,"]?. Some Bjston people offer one thou.sand dollars for reliable proof that tha Gospels were written by the persons whose names they bear — or. tliat they were written within fifty years of the. time of the events to which they relate— or, that Jesus and his twelve disciples ever existed as men, wItS flesh and blood, 1S34. 7.090 temperance societies, Vv'lth 1,253,000 members, and liquor rules in 1874. 18.i5, New York and Erie railroad commenced. '• Great fire in New York— burns 529 houses— loss 4,039,030, 1S37, Banks in the United States suspend specie payments, 1842, Great fire in Hamburg, Germany— 1.747 houses burned, 1845, Mexico declares war against the Ignited States. 1846. Sewing machines invented. 1354. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception proclaimed a dogma of tho Catholic faith. 1853. Laying the Atlantic Telegraph completed August 5. 1865. Southern rebellion closed. '• Abraham Lincoln assassinated, April 1 1, —born 13D3. 1871, Great fire in Chicago, October 9. 1873, Efforts to have God in the Constitution, and Jesus Christ made Governor. 1874. Committee appointed to settle the Beecher and Tilton scandal. " Many lives, and much property lost a^ P.ttsburg by a deluge of water, ^ July 28. IMPRESCRPTIBLE. When infanUnature lisped its early notes, Was Adam dressed in bib and petticoats ? Or, did he in stature come a f ull-i,'rowu man and tender, And Mrs. Eve witho'' waterfall iiud Grecian-bender ? " Nearly two thousand years ago, "tis said, there came another From himself— no father, and a virgin was his mother; The like of which no man or woman clearly understands ; Nor can they, with full search made, in this or other lands. Even should Melchisedec of old be called and found. Such themes in orthodox mills alone are ground. From which, 'tis said, all can go to heaven on Jacob's ladder. If they will but drink and sup from off an atonement platter. This ''you must believe,''' no matter what you think, " or to hell you go." The document is plain; the road is sure, "for everlasting woe."' Can all of Earth, s sons and daughters call this a lovely song ? Will those in distant lands freely join, to make a mighty throng ? Not without free thought and free speech having free expression I Free as air, and free of kings, popes, and priestly depression ; The mind free of creeds and lords many, and all their whacks ; And common sense and reason left free of all sectarian quacks. For truths, none need ask the Lcvites, Moabites, Ilittites, Gergo-Shites ; Nor sects with their '" thus saith the Lord," his rites and their bites ; For, from nature's vast domain 'tis found pure and true— does not lie; 'Tis the same to Greek, Turk, Pagan, Jew, and to you and I. The wide, wide world, and worlds above, with the great deep, Afford sources in plenty to obtain knowledge to sell and to keep ; For surely could the toiling millions science and learning explore. Soon would happy results be seen, and blissful themes be found in store, If not believed, prove it by a test ; read free papers, be wide awake ; Take those of free speech, or those that offer good hoe-cake ; Tell your friends of what they say ; and, your great relief, 'Twill do you good, give strength to nerves, fat to bones, new life in brief. Lend an car, a helping hand, and ask your neighbors for the same ; But, if a preacher you prefer to pay, it's your privilege him to name; As also any creed or ism you adore, or if you wish to teach a pester, One God is not three, nor the name found in the book of Esther. The devil might stare or stand appalled ; own beat. At Matt. X., ai, or Luke xii., 40, as '• glad tidings of great joy," a blessed treat ! Yet East, West, North, and South, contention and strife causes sorrow ; Creeds the daddy. Let common sense be more heard to-day and to-morrow. EARLY EXPERIENCE. The idea occurs it might be proper to note hero a few early scenes and impressions. Au overgrown, " gawlvy boj'," at school, saying "Great God, is that A ?" (after being told several times), caused me to wonder if ever I would be so dull and stupid. Being eager for information, my father bought "Robinson Crusoe," which gave me unbounded joy. This led to a wish for more in- formation, bul how to get it M'as the bother, for money was missing at our liouse; so, many a long day I*" rode boss" in the hot sun to plow corn, and many a time came near being jerked off by the plow striking a hidden stone that a crowbar v^ould fail to move; at other times to hoe corn, " ted hay," pick up apples, dig potatoes, grub up roots, etc., etc. ; anything to get more knowledge — showing vivilly the worth of a dime. As years passed, religion was pressed upon my attention with awful, horrible results, unless I believed assertions which all Chris- tiandom probably know. I used to look in a red-hot fire, and wonder if it was possible I, or any human being, could ever exist there. The idea seemed preposterous, and as an horrible punishment for a conviction I could not avoid having, or feeling. At times, the state of my mind was miserable, horrible beyond conception, except to those experiencing the like. Impossible as it seemed, yet being taught hell was my portion if I disbelieved, I dared not doubt, and yet could not help it — a miserable fix ! After all attempted explanations by parents and preachers, much was lacking to remove mystery, that I thought should not exist. On reading James 1:27, I found "pure religion" consisted in GOOD ACTS, without auy reference io belief at all. This assertion gave me some relief. Other sects holding meetings in our town, I was anxious to learn what they had to say, when to my astonish- ment, my mother had a decided veto, — was bitterly opposed. My father said I should be gratified, resulting in wonder, why oppose such good neighbors and friends as I viewed them ! In after years, I felt convinced, that to live so I would have nothing to reproach myself with, would be safe ground, — huo zvords being the-siun lotal of all true religiojz^ viz. : DOING GOOD! Why 26 EARLY EXPERIENCE. Buch is not adopted, and why so many creeds, v>'iri be apparent as we proceed. "Believe or be damned" being constantly taught, without any allusion to good acts^ is one good reason why true religion is not adopted. Yes, trying to believe in a God " over- shadowing " a virgin, the result being a crying, squalling baby God; then a Jesus Christ and a "Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world," and at the same time to be a young God Almighty, equal with an old God Almighty. A^liudiDg to such caused angry reproofs. To the question, how avoid them ? " you must pray to God for a better heart" says priest and parents; so to praying I went. Y'et doubts, difficulties, and troublesome ideas intruded nevertheless. It appeared useless ! Hence, the effort to obtain info filiation that would satisfy, if possible. Somewhere in my writings, the information is given, how complete satisfaction was obtained; but it Avas not "to order our- selves lowly and reverently" to every bigoted priest, — suffice to say, I learned of other religions, in other lands, having a very great similarity to the Christian. Sir Wm. Jones, a great scholar says: "The Hindoo God, Chrishna, was incarnate, in hum.anform, his birth being concealed by the tyrant, Cansa (not Herod); and the Hindoo scriptures re- cord an incarnate God, as born of a virgin, his reputed father a carpenter, and as being put to death between two thieves; the Hindoo at this day being almost Christian." I urge nn examina- tion of his biography, as given in the " Kev/ American Cyclope- dia," vol. X., p. 49, and his work, "Asiatic Researches." It appears certain from Bible record, that many minds believed in spirit influences, from the times of Socrates to the dark ages. By whom, w'hen, and in what language the different books were first written, it appears nothing certain can be known. The evidence seems clear that the manifestations of spiritualism as made known around us, and in distant lands, was in vogue and taught when I. Cor., chap, xii., was w^ritten, and that chap.xiii. is equally as necessary to be known, and heeded, to-day as it was in the past. In Acts vii. is a rehearsal in part from the time of Abraham to the stoning of Stephen; hence, why Bible narratives appear incon- sistent, is evident from the attempt to narrate the doings in Abra- ham's time, thousands of years afterwards, and made more absurd in Job xix., 23, to speak of printing, which was not invented until 2,970 years after, according to Bible chronology. OF THE HINDOO GOD, CHRISHNA, Nothing in all ecclesiastical history trouble? modern advocates of Christianity so much as the admissions made by their ablest cliampions respecting this God, who is adored with almost exclu- sive devotion, his worshipers u^aintaiuiug that he was born from the left intescostal rib of a virgin, " and in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily," II. Col., ix; being distinct from all the avatars, who have only a portion of divinity, "whereas Chrishna was the person of Vishnou (God) himself in a human form." " 111 the Sanscrit, compiled more than 2,000 years ago, we have the whole story of this incarnate Deity born of a virgin, saving many by his miraculous power. He raised the dead, by descend- ing to the lowest regions for that purpose. His movements are incomprehensible. " I am persuaded a connection existed between the old idolatrous nations of Egypt, India, Greece, and Italy, long before the times of Homer; very respectable natives have assured me, that mis- sionaries, in their zeal for the conversion of the Gentiles, urge that the Hindoos are almost Christians, because their Brahma, Nislia, and Mahesa, were no other than the Christian Trinity, Chrishna's name and history being long anterior to the birth of our Savior, as we know most certainly. History gives the further fact, that the reputed father of Chrishna was a carpenter^ and that he was put to death at last bdwem two thieves ; after which he arose from the dead, and returned again to his heavenly seat in Yaicontha. Rev. R. Taylor says : " The above extracts are taken from the first volume of the Asiastic Researches, chapter 9, on the Gods of Greece, Italy, and India. Higher authority could not be quoted. One better acquainted with the Hindostanee language, and with the documents and evidence from which such iuforma- 2S OF THE EGYPTIANS. tion could be acquired, could hardly be conceived to exist ; and certainly, never was any man further from the intention of sup- plying arms to infidelity. The admissions surrendered by him stand as a tower of strength, to render our position impregnable, upon the lines to wliicli he lias authorized our advance, and re- cognized our right. Our evangelical polemics lose all temper on hearing an allusion to this most unluckily discovered prototype of their Jewish Deity. No language of insolence against those who point out the resciiiblence, is too outrageous — no shift or sophis- tication to evade or conceal it too pitiful. The sun is not more dissimilar to the moon, say our Unitarian divines, than is Chrislina to Christ. No man in his senses, say our evangelicals, could believe that the two personages were identical. Some alter the spelling from the original orthography of Sir William, printing it Krishna or Krishna, to screen the resemblance from the eye's observance." Mr. Jones was familiar with 27 languages and a great Oriental scholar, living several years at Calcutta, and devoting 11 to the study of Asiatic literature. No doubf he wished to appear well with sovereign power. 2235 B. C -THE EGYPTIANS. Their antiquity, like India, is indisputable, but veiled in im- penetrable obscurity. It would take a year of Sundays to give but a small portion of what can be gleaned from that land. Ac- cording to the Bible, Abraham's visit there was 1,920 B, C; ac- cording to the Septuagint, 2,551, while Eunscn fixes it at 2,87G. I fix it as near as I can, the same as I do with other dates wholly unknown, thinking I am as likely to be correct as others in their guess w^ork. The Egyptians were a highly civilized people, wealthy, indus- trious, with a fully organized society, and great proficiency in arts, manufactures, and agriculture, before the time of Abraham. Their religion has partaken oi; many changes, and many have existed from time to time. The sun has been worshiped, and deities similar to ancient Greece and Rome ; their principal gods being Isis and Osiris, though they had a "variety of abstract principles, for even animals and vegetables were worshiped by the OF THE EGYPTIANS. 2» multitude— the doctrine of one God was privately taught by the priests, they being the ruling class." Moslieim says : " It was in Egypt the morose discipline of the Essenian or Therapeutan took its rise. It was here that the Essenes i^rincipally dwelt, /c;;^ d^/ore the coming of Christ. From Egypt the same discipline passed iuto Syria and the neighboring countries, and in process of time its infection reached European nations. Hence arose that train of austere and superstitious vowS and rites, that still, in many places, throw a veil over the beauty and simplicity of the Christian religion. The Christians who adopt- ed this austere system certainly made a very false step, and did much injury to their excellent and most reasonable religion. But they did not stop here ; they held it as a maxim that it was not only lawful; but even praiseworthy to deceive, and even to use the ex- pedient of a lie in order to advance the cause of truth and piety. The Jews who lived in Egypt had learned and received this maxim from them before the coming of Christ, as appears incontcstibly from a multitude of ancient records, and the Christians were in- fected from both these sources with the same pernicious error, attributed to venerable names from the Sibylline verses." No principle was held more sacred than that of the necessity of keeping the sacred writings from the knowledge of the people. Nothing could be safer from the danger of discovery than the sub- stitution, with scarce a change of names "of the Incarnate Deity of the Sanscrit Romance for the imaginary founder of the Thera- peutan College. What had been said to have been done in India, could be as well said to have been done in Palestine. The change of names and places : the mixing up of the Egyptian, Phoenician, Greek, and Roman mythology, would constitute a sufficient dis- guise to evade the languid curiosity of infant skepticism." A knowledge within the acquisition only of a few to hold inviolate, would soon pass entirely from the records of human memory, especially when favored by any sovereign whose word was law. "The first of that mischievous of all institutions— universities, was the university of Alexandria in Egypt, where lazy monks and wily fanatics first found the benefit of clubbing together to keep the privileges and advantages of learning to themselves, and coa- cocling holy mysteries and inspired legends, to be dealt out as the craft ghould need, for the perpetuation of ignorance and supersti- tion, and consequently of the ascendancy of jugglers and Jesuits, holy hypocrites, and reverend rogues and knaves among men." 30 OF THE EGYPTIANS. Whether the Essenian doctrines, or one similar, was tlie tenet held at this university, it is admitted the greatest library that ever was in tlic world at that time, was at Alexandria in Egypt, the princi- pal seat of the eclectic philosophy. In allusion to this, bear in mind the words, " the philosophy," "our philosophy," and the "true philisophy," which occur throughout the Fathers, in a hundred passages for one, where " Christianity " should have been the word, to convey its purport, " philosophy not being a theme under discussion. " From the never-changing laws of nature, and the invariable operation of natural causes, we can find the solution of many a difficulty aud perplexity, that remoteness of time might throw in the way of our judgment of past events. But when, to such reasonable probability we are able .to bring in the absolute ratifi- cation of unquestionable testimony — to show that what was in supposition more probable than anything else that could be sup- posed, was in fact that wiiich absolutely took place — wc have the highest degree of evidence of which history is capable ; we can give no other definition of historic truth itself. TYia probability, then, that that sect of quack doctors, the TherapeutfB, wiio were estab- lished in Egypt and its neighborhood many ages before the period assigned by later theologians as that of the birth of Clirist, were the original fabricators of the writings contained in the New Testament ; becomes a certainty on the basis of evidence, than which history has nothing more certain, by the unguarded, but explicit, — unwary, but most unqualified and positive statement of the historian Eusebins, that " Those ancient Thcrapeiitce -were Chris- Hans, and that their ancient writings tusre our Gospels and Epistles ^ This most important of all ecclesiastical records, is in the 2d book and 17th chapter of his history. The title of a whole chapter, the fourth of the 8th book, is " That the religion published by jesus CHKIST TO ALL NATIONS IS NEITHER NEW NOR STRANGE." " The w^ouder with wdiich Lardner quotes this astonishing confession of the great pillar of the pretended evidences of the christian religion (His Credibility 2, 4 to p. 361) only shows how fully aware he was of the fatal inferences with which it teems. It is not the first and only glance, nor a cursory observance that will suflicieutly admon" ish us of the immense historical wealth put into our hands by this stupendous admission, this surrender of the key-stone of the mighty arch— this giving up of everything that can be pretended for the evidences of the christian religion." so Rules FOR WORSHIPING GOD, 1. Arrive at his house much behind, time. I"ts vulgar to be iu time. 2. Stamp aud make quite a noise if you appear in prayer-time. 3. Carry in all the mud or dirt that will stick to your boots or shoes. 4. Gape, stare, and squint close, to see who are worshiping God. 5. If people, more polite, come later, turn square around to see who. 6. Ladies must crowd past any in the pew, so her hoops can be felt. 7. Chew tobacco for dear life, and squirt the juice freely all you can. 8. Spit on the sides of the pew, so it will drip down in streaks into puddles. 9. Be sure to squirt so ladies' dresses will swab it up— if they move. 10. As it is decidedly vulgar not to smoke,. '•' strike a match," for a new rule. 11. Take pains to have all inhale the sv/eet odor, as a mark of your respect. 13. Besmear the stove, if possible, so all can have perfume, and see the quids. 13. Deposit a few quids in the pew corner. Ifs a mark of gentility. 14. Ifs a n^rk of low breeding and vulgarity, not to have a neat, tasty habit 15. Be sure to sleep, snore, and grunt, so that all awake can hear you. 16. As God can hear such prayers, a great benefit can be expected. 17. Wake up and leave before the "benediction." The ill-bred only stay. 18. Those not sleeping or nodding must whisper ; this gives attention. 19. When at hOBje.or s^broad be sure to relate the worth of your Preacher. 20. As the Sexton is paid to keep God's house clean, make him earn his wages. 21. Be very sure to know that all Preachers pattern after true gentility. 22. Let everybody understand, none are fit for Preachers without good rules. 23. Remember, " Variety is the spice of life," hence avoid the contribution hat. 24. Dispute aud contend with all you can ; it adds vastly to knowledge. 25. Insinuate that everyone who does not agree with you lacks good sense. 26. Urge paying church dues in green swamp alder ; it burns so beautifully. 27. As Christian graces are commendable, be lazy, lie, and swear to it. 28. If a poor woman is befriended, be sure to charge improper intimacy. 29. If any other scandal exists, be sure to add fuel, and blaze away everywhere. 30. Kemember, no gentleman or lady should wait on God without these rules. Remember, critics by years of observation, pronounce these rules faultless. THE CHRISTIAN LANCET, WITH MIND EXPANDED; OR, REASON AND REVELATION TRIUMPHANT ; AND The Doubts and Fears of Humanity Removed; TO WHICH IS ADDED Brief Personal Sketches and Interesting Anecdotes of Noted Persons ; It is not what they, the Pope, Preacher, or anybody says, or how rated, Unless reason, revelation, common sense, and truth are fully stated. BY A. B. CHURCH, COLUMBUS, INDIANA. PI^ICE $1.25. COMMON STYLE, $1.00. Will those wishing it, notify me by Postal Card. It can be inspected of Agents before ordering it. K^^g^^ Who refuses free (iiscussioii, free thought, and its results ? Who refuses a free expression of opinion being heard everywhere? No King, Pope, Priest, or Layman for sole au- thority in rehgion ! No Heathen " God in the Constitution," by our vote ! Who refuses to learn, and progress? to do good? or learn about it from A. B. JIM. THE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, OR LIFE The Great I am, that was, and is, and ever will be ! Who refuses to adopt, and cherish ideas to eman- cipate, and elevate humanity. I I — OR — i Will you scare, scheme, and plod, and go to church on Sunday? 1 Because you fear an angry God, or, vastly more, I a Mrs. Grundy? ! Or Tom, Dici^, Harry, Mary, Jane, 8ister Ruth, i j and counteraction. I t Than to investigate, and be a seeker after truth, j wisdom and solid satisfaction. i '^^AcojJT/ of Echo and Vivid Truths, {^Q pages) will be sent to any one tvho ivUl act as Agent, on receipt of Sixty Cents.' i Deacidified using the Bookkeeper proce Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide Treatment Date: APR 200' PreservationTechnoIogie A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATI 111 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Township. PA 16066 (724) 779-2111 'nnnm.,,. mm^^^^Mm^f\. ^^^A^A/^^\A aaaA^^Oa-^^! 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