Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions Part 106

"Some persons are prepared to admit that the most astonishing development of the old religion of Egypt was in relation to the _Logos_ or Divine _Word_, by whom all things were made, and who, though from G.o.d, was G.o.d. It had long been known that Plato, Aristotle, and others before the Christian era, cherished the idea of this Demiurgus; but it was not known till of late that Chaldeans and Egyptians recognized this mysterious principle."[373:6]

"The _Logos_ or _Word_ was a great mystery (among the Egyptians), in whose sacred books the following pa.s.sages may be seen: 'I know the mystery of the divine Word;' 'The Word of the Lord of All, which was the maker of it;' 'The Word--this is the first person after himself, uncreated, infinite ruling over all things that were made by him.'"[374:1]

The a.s.syrians had Marduk for their Logos;[374:2] one of their sacred addresses to him reads thus:

"Thou art the powerful one--Thou art the life-giver--Thou also the prosperer--Merciful one among the G.o.ds--Eldest son of Hea, who made heaven and earth--Lord of heaven and earth, who an equal has not--Merciful one, who dead to life raises."[374:3]

The Chaldeans had their _Memra_ or "Word of G.o.d," corresponding to the Greek _Logos_, which designated that being who organized and who still governs the world, and is inferior to G.o.d only.[374:4]

The Logos was with Philoa most interesting subject of discourse, tempting him to wonderful feats of imagination. There is scarcely a personifying or exalting epithet that he did not bestow on the Divine Reason. He described it as a distinct being; called it "a Rock," "The Summit of the Universe," "Before all things," "First-begotten Son of G.o.d," "Eternal Bread from Heaven," "Fountain of Wisdom," "Guide to G.o.d,"

"Subst.i.tute for G.o.d," "Image of G.o.d," "Priest," "Creator of the Worlds,"

"Second G.o.d," "Interpreter of G.o.d," "Amba.s.sador of G.o.d," "Power of G.o.d,"

"King," "Angel," "Man," "Mediator," "Light," "The Beginning," "The East," "The Name of G.o.d," "The Intercessor."[374:5]

This is exactly the Logos of John. It becomes a man, "is made flesh;"

appears as an _incarnation_; in order that the G.o.d whom "no man has seen at any time," may be manifested.

The worship of G.o.d in the form of a Trinity was to be found among the ancient _Greeks_. When the priests were about to offer up a sacrifice to the G.o.ds, the altar was _three times_ sprinkled by dipping a laurel branch in holy water, and the people a.s.sembled around it were _three times_ sprinkled also. Frankincense was taken from the censer with _three fingers_, and strewed upon the altar _three times_. This was done because an oracle had declared that _all sacred things ought to be in threes_, therefore, that number was scrupulously observed in most religious ceremonies.[374:6]

Orpheus[374:7] wrote that:

"All things were made by _One_ G.o.dhead in _three_ names, and that this G.o.d is all things."[375:1]

This Trinitarian view of the Deity he is said to have brought from Egypt, and the Christian Fathers of the third and fourth centuries claimed that Pythagoras, Herac.l.i.tus, and Plato--who taught the doctrine of the Trinity--had drawn their theological philosophy from the writings of Orpheus.[375:2]

The works of Plato were extensively studied by the Church Fathers, one of whom joyfully recognizes in the great teacher, the schoolmaster who, in the fullness of time, was destined to educate the heathen for Christ, as Moses did the Jews.[375:3]

The celebrated pa.s.sage: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G.o.d, and the Word was G.o.d,"[375:4] is a fragment of some Pagan treatise on the Platonic philosophy, evidently written by Irenaeus.[375:5] It is quoted by _Amelius_, a Pagan philosopher, as strictly applicable to the Logos, or Mercury, the Word, apparently as an honorable testimony borne to the Pagan deity by a barbarian--for such is what he calls the writer of John i. 1. His words are:

"This plainly was the Word, by whom all things were made, he being himself eternal, as Herac.l.i.tus also would say; and by Jove, the same whom the _barbarian_ affirms to have been in the place and dignity of a princ.i.p.al, and to be with G.o.d, and to be G.o.d, by whom all things were made, and in whom everything that was made has its life and being."[375:6]

The Christian Father, Justin Martyr, _apologizing_ for the Christian religion, tells the Emperor Antoninus Pius, that the Pagans need not taunt the Christians for worshiping the Logos, which "was with G.o.d, and was G.o.d," as _they were also guilty of the same act_.

"If we (Christians) hold," says he, "some opinions near of kin to the poets and philosophers, in great repute among you, why are we thus unjustly hated?" "There's _Mercury_, Jove's interpreter, in imitation of the Logos, in worship among you,"

and "as to the Son of G.o.d, called Jesus, should we allow him to be nothing more than man, yet the t.i.tle of the 'Son of G.o.d'

is very justifiable, upon the account of his wisdom, considering _you_ have your _Mercury_, (also called the 'Son of G.o.d') in worship under the t.i.tle of the _Word_ and Messenger of G.o.d."[375:7]

We see, then, that the t.i.tle "Word" or "Logos," being applied to Jesus, is another piece of Pagan amalgamation with Christianity. _It did not receive its authorized Christian form until the middle of the second century after Christ._[376:1]

The ancient Pagan _Romans_ worshiped a Trinity. An oracle is said to have declared that there was, "first G.o.d, then the Word, and with them the Spirit."[376:2]

Here we see distinctly enumerated, G.o.d, the Logos, and the Spirit or Holy Ghost, in ancient Rome, where the most celebrated temple of this capital--that of Jupiter Capitolinus--was dedicated to _three_ deities, which three deities were honored with joint worship.[376:3]

The ancient _Persians_ worshiped a Trinity.[376:4] This trinity consisted of Oromasdes, Mithras, and Ahriman.[376:5] It was virtually the same as that of the Hindoos: Oromasdes was the Creator, Mithras was the "Son of G.o.d," the "Saviour," the "Mediator" or "Intercessor," and Ahriman was the Destroyer. In the oracles of Zoroaster the Persian lawgiver, is to be found the following sentence:

"A _Triad_ of Deity shines forth through the whole world, of which a _Monad_ (an invisible thing) is the head."[376:6]

Plutarch, "De Iside et Osiride," says:

"Zoroaster is said to have made a _threefold_ distribution of things: to have a.s.signed the first and highest rank to Oromasdes, who, _in the Oracles_, is called the _Father_; the lowest to Ahrimanes; and the middle to Mithras; who, in the _same Oracles_, is called the _second Mind_."

The _a.s.syrians_ and _Phenicians_ worshiped a Trinity.[376:7]

"It is a curious and instructive fact, that the Jews had symbols of the divine Unity in Trinity as well as the Pagans."[376:8] The _Cabbala_ had its Trinity: "the _Ancient_, whose name is sanctified, is with _three_ heads, which make but _one_."[376:9]

Rabbi Simeon Ben Jochai says:

"Come and see the _mystery_ of the word _Elohim_: there are _three degrees_, and each degree by itself alone, and yet, notwithstanding, _they are all One_, and _joined together in One_, and cannot be divided from each other."

According to Dr. Parkhurst:

"The _Vandals_[376:10] had a G.o.d called Triglaff. One of these was found at Hertungerberg, near Brandenburg (in Prussia). He was represented with _three heads_. This was apparently the _Trinity of Paganism_."[377:1]

The ancient _Scandinavians_ worshiped a triple deity who was yet one G.o.d. It consisted of Odin, Thor, and Frey. A triune statue representing this Trinity in Unity was found at Upsal in Sweden.[377:2] The three princ.i.p.al nations of Scandinavia (Sweden, Denmark, and Norway) vied with each other in erecting temples, but none were more famous than the temple at Upsal in Sweden. It glittered on all sides with gold. It seemed to be particularly consecrated to the _Three Superior Deities_, Odin, Thor and Frey. The statues of these G.o.ds were placed in this temple on three thrones, one above the other. _Odin_ was represented holding a sword in his hand: _Thor_ stood at the left hand of Odin, with a crown upon his head, and a scepter in his hand; _Frey_ stood at the left hand of Thor, and was represented of both s.e.xes. Odin was the supreme G.o.d, the _Al-fader_; Thor was the first-begotten son of this G.o.d, and Frey was the bestower of fertility, peace and riches. King Gylfi of Sweden is supposed to have gone at one time to _Asgard_ (the abode of the G.o.ds), where he beheld three thrones raised one above another, with a man sitting on each of them. Upon his asking what the names of these lords might be, his guide answered: "He who sitteth on the lowest throne is _the Lofty One_; the second is _the equal to the Lofty One_; and he who sitteth on the highest throne is called _the Third_."[377:3]

The ancient _Druids_ also worshiped: "_Ain Treidhe Dia ainm Taulac, Fan, Mollac_;" which is to say: "Ain triple G.o.d, of name Taulac, Fan, Mollac."[377:4]

The ancient inhabitants of _Siberia_ worshiped a triune G.o.d. In remote ages, wanderers from India directed their eyes northward, and crossing the vast Tartarian deserts, finally settled in Siberia, bringing with them the worship of a triune G.o.d. This is clearly shown from the fact stated by Thomas Maurice, that:

"The first Christian missionaries who arrived in those regions, found the people already in possession of that fundamental doctrine of the true religion, which, among others, they came to impress upon their minds, and universally adored an idol fabricated to resemble, as near as possible, _a Trinity in Unity_."

This triune G.o.d consisted of, first "the Creator of all things," second, "the G.o.d of Armies," third, "the Spirit of Heavenly Love," and yet these three were but _one_ indivisible G.o.d.[377:5]

The _Tartars_ also worshiped G.o.d as a Trinity in Unity. On one of their medals, which is now in the St. Petersburgh Museum, may be seen a representation of the triple G.o.d seated on the lotus.[378:1]

Even in the remote islands of the Pacific Ocean, the supreme deities are G.o.d the Father, G.o.d the Son, and G.o.d the Spirit, the latter of which is symbolized as a bird.[378:2]

The ancient _Mexicans_ and _Peruvians_ had their Trinity. The supreme G.o.d of the Mexicans (_Tezcatlipoca_), who had, as Lord Kingsborough says, "all the attributes and powers which were a.s.signed to Jehovah by the Hebrews," had a.s.sociated with him two other G.o.ds, _Huitzlipochtli_ and _Tlaloc_; one occupied a place upon his left hand, the other on his right. This was the Trinity of the Mexicans.[378:3]

When the bishop Don Bartholomew de las Casas proceeded to his bishopric, which was in 1545, he commissioned an ecclesiastic, whose name was Francis Hernandez, who was well acquainted with the language of the Indians (as the natives were called), to visit them, carrying with him a sort of catechism of what he was about to preach. In about one year from the time that Francis Hernandez was sent out, he wrote to Bishop las Casas, stating that:

"The Indians believed in the G.o.d who was in heaven; that this G.o.d was the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and that the Father was named _Yzona_, the Son _Bacab_, who was born of a Virgin, and that the Holy Ghost was called _Echiah_."[378:4]

The Rev. Father Acosta says, in speaking of the _Peruvians_:

"It is strange that the devil after his manner hath brought a Trinity into idolatry, for the three images of the Sun called _Apomti_, _Churunti_, and _Intiquaoqui_, signifieth Father and Lord Sun, the Son Sun, and the Brother Sun.

"Being in Chuquisaca, an honorable priest showed me an information, which I had long in my hands, where it was proved that there was a certain oratory, whereat the Indians did worship an idol called _Tangatanga_, which they said was 'One in Three, and Three in One.' And as this priest stood amazed thereat, I said that the devil by his internal and obstinate pride (whereby he always pretends to make himself G.o.d) did steal all that he could from the truth, to employ it in his lying and deceits."[378:5]

The doctrine was recognized among the Indians of the Californian peninsula. The statue of the princ.i.p.al deity of the New Granadian Indians had "three heads on one body," and was understood to be "three persons with one heart and one will."[378:6]

The result of our investigations then, is that, for ages before the time of Christ Jesus or Christianity, G.o.d was worshiped in the form of a TRIAD, and that this doctrine was extensively diffused through all nations. That it was established in regions as far distant as China and Mexico, and immemorially acknowledged through the whole extent of Egypt and India. That it flourished with equal vigor among the snowy mountains of Thibet, and the vast deserts of Siberia. That the barbarians of central Europe, the Scandinavians, and the Druids of Britain and Ireland, bent their knee to an idol of a _Triune G.o.d_. What then becomes of "the Ever-Blessed Trinity" of Christianity? It must fall, together with all the rest of its dogmas, and be buried with the Pagan debris.

The learned Thomas Maurice imagined that this mysterious doctrine must have been revealed by G.o.d to Adam, or to Noah, or to Abraham, or to somebody else. Notice with what caution he wrote (A. D. 1794) on this subject. He says:

"In the course of the wide range which I have been compelled to take in the field of Asiatic mythology, certain topics have arisen for discussion, _equally delicate and perplexing_.

Among them, in particular, a species of Trinity forms a constant and prominent feature in nearly all the systems of Oriental theology."