Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions Part 118

[408:1] Draper: Science and Religion, pp. 46-49.

[409:1] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 237.

[409:2] Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 249. See also, Eusebius: Eccl.

Hist., book iv. ch. xxvi. who alludes to it.

[409:3] Baronius' Annals, An. 36.

[409:4] Quoted by Rev. R. Taylor, Diegesis p. 41.

[409:5] Strom. bk. i. ch. xix.

[410:1] "Es est nostris temporibus Christiana religio, quam cognoscere ac sequi securissima et certissima salus est: secundum hoc nomen dictum est non secundum ipsam rem cujus hoc nomen est: nam res ipsa quae nunc Christiana religio nuncupatur erat et apud antiquos, nec defuit ab initio generis humani, quousque ipse Christus veniret in carne, unde vera religio quae jam erat caepit appellari Christiana. Haec est nostris temporibus Christiana religio, non quia prioribus temporibus non fuit, sed quia posterioribus hoc nomen accepit." (Opera Augustini, vol. i. p.

12. Quoted in Taylor's Diegesis, p. 42.)

[410:2] See Eusebius: Eccl. Hist., lib. 2, ch. v.

[410:3] "c.u.m animadvertisset Gregorius quod ob corporeas delectationes et voluptates, simplex et imperitum vulgus in simulacrorum cultus errore permaneret--permisit eis, ut in memoriam et recordationem sanctorum martyrum sese oblectarent, et in laet.i.tiam effunderentur, quod successu temporis aliquando futurum esset, ut sua sponte, ad honestiorem et accuratiorem vitae rationem, transirent." (Mosheim, vol. i. cent. 2, p.

202.)

[410:4] "Non imperio ad fidem adducto, sed et imperii pompa ecclesiam inficiente. Non ethnicis ad Christum conversis, sed et Christi religione ad Ethnicae formam depravata." (Orat. Academ. De Variis Christ. Rel.

fatis.)

[411:1] Gibbon's Rome, vol. iii. p. 163.

[411:2] Quoted by Draper: Science and Religion, p. 48.

[411:3] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 329.

[411:4] Justin: Apol. 1, ch. lix.

[411:5] Octavius, ch. xi.

[411:6] See Origen: Contra Celsus.

[412:1] Apol. 1, ch. xx, xii, xxii.

[412:2] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 323.

[412:3] See Ibid. p. 324.

[412:4] On the Flesh of Christ, ch. v.

[413:1] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 328.

[413:2] Matt. xix. 12.

[413:3] Deut. xxiii. 1.

[413:4] See Taylor's Diegesis, p. 339.

[413:5] See Middleton's Letters from Rome, p. 236; Mosheim, vol. i.

cent. 2, pt. 2, ch. 4.

[413:6] Eccl. Hist. vol. 1. p. 199.

[414:1] Prolegomena to Ancient History, pp. 416, 417.

[415:1] Tindal: Christianity as Old as the Creation.

[415:2] Manu's works were written during the _sixth_ century B. C. (see Williams' Indian Wisdom, p. 215), and the Maha-bharata about the same time.

CHAPTER x.x.xVII.

WHY CHRISTIANITY PROSPERED.

We now come to the question, Why did Christianity prosper, and why was Jesus of Nazareth believed to be a divine incarnation and Saviour?

There were many causes for this, but as we can devote but one chapter to the subject, we must necessarily treat it briefly.

For many centuries before the time of Christ Jesus there lived a sect of religious monks known as _Essenes_, or _Therapeutae_;[419:1] _these entirely disappeared from history shortly after the time a.s.signed for the crucifixion of Jesus_. There were thousands of them, and their _monasteries_ were to be counted by the score. Many have asked the question, "What became of them?" We now propose to show, 1. That they were expecting the advent of an _Angel-Messiah_; 2. That they considered Jesus of Nazareth to be _the_ Messiah; 3. That they came over to Christianity in a body; and, 4. That they brought the legendary histories of the former Angel-Messiahs with them.

The origin of the sect known as _Essenes_ is enveloped in mist, and will probably never be revealed. To speak of all the different ideas entertained as to their origin would make a volume of itself, we can therefore but glance at the subject. It has been the object of Christian writers up to a comparatively recent date, to claim that almost everything originated with G.o.d's chosen people, the _Jews_, and that even all languages can be traced to the _Hebrew_. Under these circ.u.mstances, then, it is not to be wondered at that we find they have also traced the Essenes to Hebrew origin.

Theophilus Gale, who wrote a work called "The Court of the Gentiles"

(Oxford, 1671), to demonstrate that "the origin of _all human literature_, both philology and philosophy, is from the Scriptures and the Jewish church," undoubtedly hits upon the truth when he says:

"Now, the origination or rise of these Essenes (among the Jews) I conceive by the best conjectures I can make from antiquity, _to be in or immediately after the Babylonian captivity_, though some make them later."

Some Christian writers trace them to Moses or some of the prophets, but that they originated in _India_, and were a sort of Buddhist sect, we believe is their true history.

Gfrorer, who wrote concerning them in 1835, and said that "_the Essenes and the Therapeutae are the same sect, and hold the same views_," was undoubtedly another writer who was touching upon historical ground.

The ident.i.ty of many of the precepts and practices of _Essenism_ and those of the _New Testament_ is unquestionable. Essenism urged on its disciples to seek first the kingdom of G.o.d and his righteousness.[420:1]

The Essenes forbade the laying up of treasures upon earth.[420:2] The Essenes demanded of those who wished to join them to sell all their possessions, and to divide it among the poor brethren.[420:3] The Essenes had all things in common, and appointed one of the brethren as steward to manage the common bag.[420:4] Essenism put all its members on the same level, forbidding the exercise of authority of one over the other, and enjoining mutual service.[420:5] Essenism commanded its disciples to call no man master upon the earth.[420:6] Essenism laid the greatest stress upon being meek and lowly in spirit.[420:7] The Essenes commended the poor in spirit, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemaker. They combined the healing of the body with that of the soul. They declared that the power to cast out evil spirits, to perform miraculous cures, &c., should be possessed by their disciples as signs of their belief.[420:8] The Essenes did not swear at all; their answer was yea, yea, and nay, nay.[420:9] When the Essenes started on a mission of mercy, they provided neither gold nor silver, neither two coats, neither shoes, but relied on hospitality for support.[420:10] The Essenes, though repudiating offensive war, yet took weapons with them when they went on a perilous journey.[421:1] The Essenes abstained from connubial intercourse.[421:2] The Essenes did not offer animal sacrifices, but strove to present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto G.o.d, which they regarded as a reasonable service.[421:3] It was the great aim of the Essenes to live such a life of purity and holiness as to be the temples of the Holy Spirit, and to be able to prophesy.[421:4]

Many other comparisons might be made, but these are sufficient to show that there is a great similarity between the two.[421:5] These similarities have led many Christian writers to believe that Jesus belonged to this order. Dr. Ginsburg, an advocate of this theory, says:

"It will hardly be doubted that _our_ Saviour himself belonged to this holy brotherhood. This will especially be apparent when we remember that the whole Jewish community, at the advent of Christ, was divided into three parties, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes, and that every Jew had to belong to one of these sects. Jesus, who, in all things, conformed to the Jewish law, and who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, would therefore naturally a.s.sociate himself with that order of Judaism which was most congenial to his holy nature. Moreover, the fact that Christ, with the exception of once, was not heard of in public until his thirtieth year, implying that he lived in seclusion with this fraternity, and that though he frequently rebuked the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees, he never denounced the Essenes, strongly confirms this conclusion."[421:6]

The _facts_--as Dr. Ginsburg calls them--which confirm his conclusions, are simply _no facts at all_. Jesus may or may not have been a member of this order; but when it is stated as a fact that he never rebuked the Essenes, it is implying too much. We know not whether the words _said to have been_ uttered by Jesus were ever uttered by him or not, and it is almost certain that _had he_ rebuked the Essenes, and had his words been written in the Gospels, _they would not remain there long_. We hear very little of the Essenes after A. D. 40,[421:7] therefore, when we read of the "_primitive Christians_," we are reading of _Essenes_, and others.

The statement that, with the exception of once, Jesus was not heard in public life till his _thirtieth_ year, is also uncertain. One of the early Christian Fathers (Irenaeus) tells us that he did not begin to teach until he was _forty_ years of age, or thereabout, and that he lived to be nearly _fifty_ years old.[422:1] "_The records of his life are very scanty; and these have been so shaped and colored and modified by the hands of ignorance and superst.i.tion and party prejudice and ecclesiastical purpose, that it is hard to be sure of the original outlines._"