Topic: THE BIBLE OF 27 BIBLES (1 christian with 2000 errors) 1879 -KERSEY GRAVES

[Prometheus]

 THE

BIBLE OF BIBLES;

https://archive.org/details/bibleofbiblesort00grav


CONTAINING

A DESCRIPTION OF TWENTY-SEVEN BIBLES, AND AN
EXPOSITION OF TWO THOUSAND BIBLICAL
ERRORS IN SCIENCE, HISTORY, MORALS,
RELIGION, AND GENERAL EVENTS;

ALSO A DELINEATION OF THE CHARACTERS OF

THE PRINCIPAL PERSONAGES OP THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE,

AND

AN EXAMINATION OF THEIR DOCTRINES.

BY


KERSEY GRAVES,

AUTHOR OP “THE WORLD’S SIXTEEN CRUCIFIED SAVIORS,” AND
^   “THE BIOGRAPHY OF SATAN.”


1879.


BY LYDIA M. GRAVES,

ASSISTANT AUTHORESS.

 LIST OF CONTENTS.

PAGE

The Leading Positions of this Work.....................9

CHAPTER I.

The Signs of the Times. — The Coming Revolution. — Reason

WILL SOON TRIUMPH.................................11

CHAPTER II.

Apology and Explanation. — Jehovah not our God. — Relation-
ship of the Old and New Testaments..............17

CHAPTER III.

Why this Work was written. — The Moral Truths of the
Bible. — Why resort to Ridicule. — The Principal Design
of this Work. — Don’t read Pernicious Books. — Two Thou-
sand Bible Errors exposed. — All Bibles Useful in their .

Place........................................... 20

/

CHAPTER IY.

Beauties and Benefits of Bibles. —A Higher Plane of Devel-
opment has been Attained. — Bible Writers Honest.—
General Claims of Bibles.............................28

TWENTY-SEVEN BIBLES DESCRIBED.

CHAPTER Y.

The Hindoo Bibles. — The Yedas.—The Code of Menu. — Ram-

AYANA.—MAHABARAT. — The PURANS. —ANALOGIES OF THE

Hindoo and Jewish Religions.—Antiquity of India .   .   32

CHAPTER VI.

The Egyptian Bible, “The Hermas.” —Analogies of the Egyp-
tian and Jewish Religions. — Antiquity of Egypt

42
 4

LIST OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII.

PAGE

The Persian Bibles. — The Zenda A vesta. — The Sadder. — Anal-
ogies of the Persian and Jewish Religions. — Antiquity of
Persia.............................................46

CHAPTER VIII.

The Chinese Bibles.—Ta-Heo (Great Learning). — The Chun
Yung ; or, Doctrine of the Mean. — The Book of Mang, or
Mencius. — Shoo King; or, “Book of History.”— Shee
King; or, “Book of Poetry.” — Chun Tsen, “Spring and
Summer.” — Tao-te King ; or, Doctrine of Reason. — Analo-
gies of the Chinese and Jewish Religions. — Antiquity of
China..............................................50

CHAPTER IX.

Seven other Oriental Bibles. — The Soffees’ Bible: The “Mus-
navi.” — The Parsees’ Bible: The “Bour Desch.” — The
Tamalese Bible: The “ Kaliwakam.” — The Scandinavian
Bible: The “Saga;” or, Divine Wisdom.—The Kalmucs’
Bible : The “ Kalio Cham.” —The Athenians’ Bible : “ The
Testament.” — The Cabalists’ Bible: The “ Yohar ; ” or,
Book of Light......................................55

CHAPTER X.

The Mahomedan’s Bible : TnE “Koran.” — The Mormons’ Bible :
“The Book of Mormon.” — Revelations of Joseph Smith.

— The Shakers’ Bible: “The Divine Roll” ....   57

CHAPTER XI.

TnE Jews’ Bible : TnE Old Testament and TnE Mishna .   .   61

CHAPTER XII.

TnE Christians’ Bible : Its Character................62

CHAPTER XIII.

General Analogies of Bibles. — Superior Features of TnE

Heathen Bibles..................................65

CHAPTER XIV.

The Infidels’ Bible..................................68
 LIST OF CONTENTS.

5

TWO THOUSAND BIBLE ERRORS — OLD-TESTAMENT
DEPARTMENT.

CHAPTER XV.

PAGE

A Hundred and Twenty-three Errors in the Jewish Cosmogony.

— The Scientists’ Story of Creation.............73

CHAPTER XVI.

Numerous Absurdities in the Story of the Deluge .   . v„^8tT

c

CHAPTER XVII.   '   ~

The Ten Commandments, Moral Defects of ...   96

CHAPTER XVIII.

Ten Foolish Bible Stories : A Talking Serpent and a Talking
Ass. — The Story of Cain. — The Ark of the Covenant.—
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. — Daniel and Nebuchad-
nezzar. — Sodom and Gomorrah. — The Tower of Babel. —
Stopping the Sun and Moon. — Story of Samson. — Story

of Jonah ......................................100

CHAPTER XIX.

Bible Prophecies not Fulfilled......................121

CHAPTER XX.

Bible Miracles, Erroneous Belief in................124

CHAPTER XXI.

Bible Errors in Facts and Figures...................128

CHAPTER XXII.

Bible Contradictions (232).......................... 134

CHAPTER XXIII.

Obscene Language of the Bible (200 cases)...........145

CHAPTER XXIV.

Circumcision a Heathenish Custom. — Fasting and Feasting in

Various Nations................................149

CHAPTER XXV.

Holy Mountains, Lands, Cities, and Rivers..........151
 6

LIST OF CONTENTS.

BIBLE CHARACTERS.

CHAPTER   XXVI.   page

Jehovah, Character of............................153

CHAPTER XXVII.

The Jews, Character of...........................157

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Moses, Character of..............................160

CHAPTER XXIX.

The Patriarchs, Abraham,   Isaac, and   Jacob, Character of . 166

CHAPTER XXX.

David: His Numerous Cremes. — Solomon, Character of. — Lot

and his Daughters............................173

CHAPTER XXXI.

The Prophets : Their Moral Defects. — Special Notice of Eli-
jah and Elisha...............................177

CHAPTER XXXII.

Idolatry: Its Nature, Harmlessness, and Origin.—All Chris-
tians either Atheists or Idolaters...........187

BIBLE ERRORS-NEW-TEST AMENT DEPARTMENT.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Divine Revelation Impossible and Unnecessary .... 212

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Prdieval Innocency of Man not True...............219

CHAPTER XXXV.

Original Sin and Fall of Man not True..............222

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Moral Depravity of Man a Delusion................224

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Free Agency and Moral Accountability Erroneous .   .   .227

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Repentance : The Doctrine Erroneous

231
 LIST OF CONTENTS.

7

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Forgiveness fob Sin an Erroneous Doctrine

CHAPTER XL.

An Angby God, Evils of the Belief in

CHAPTER XLI.

Atonement fob Sin an Immobal Doctbine .

CHAPTER XLII.

Special Pbovidences an Ebboneous Doctbine

CHAPTER XLIII.

Faith and Belief: Bible Ebbobs bespecting

CHAPTER XLIY.

A Pebsonal God Impossible ....

PAGE

. 236
. 239
. 242
. 246
, 250
253

Note.—In the twelve preceding chapters it is shown that the cardinal doctrines of
Christianity are all wrong.

CHAPTER XLY.

Evil, Natural and Moral, explained

CHAPTER XLYI.

A Rational Yiew of Sin and its Consequences
CHAPTER XLYII.

The Bible sanctions every Species of Crime .

CHAPTER XLYIII.

The Immoral Influence of the Bible

255

261

266

285

CHAPTER XLIX.

The Bible at War with Eighteen Sciences

287

CHAPTER L.

The Bible as a Moral Necessity .

296

CHAPTER LI.

Send no more Bibles to the Heathen

303

CHAPTER LH.

What shall We do to be Saved?

307

CHAPTER Lin.

The Three Christian Plans of Salvation

334
 8

LIST OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER LIV.   page

The True Religion defined................................352

CHAPTER LY.

‘ All Scripture given by Inspiration of God ”   .   .   .   . 356

CHAPTER LYI.

Infidelity in Oriental Nations : India, Rome, Greece, Egypt,

China, Persia, and Arabia...........................368

CHAPTER LYII.

Sects, Schisms, and Skeptics in Christian Countries .   .   . 378

CHAPTER LYIII.

Modern Christianity one-half Infidelity..................384

CHAPTER LIX.

The Christians* God, Character of........................399

CHAPTER LX.

The One Hundred and Fifty Errors of Jesus Christ .   .   .   401

CHAPTER LXI.

Character and Erroneous Doctrines of the Apostles   .   .   407

CHAPTER LXII.

Erroneous Doctrines and Moral Defects of Paul and Peter . 408
CHAPTER LXni.

Idolatrous Veneration for Bibles: Its Evils .... 420
CHAPTER LXIY.

Spiritual or Implied Sense of Bibles : Its Objects .   .   .   425

CHAPTER LXV.

Wiiat shall we substitute for the Bible?................432

CHAPTER LXVI.

Religious Reconstruction ; or, the Moral Necessity for a

Religious Reform...................................433

Conclusion

437
 THE LEADING POSITIONS OE THIS WORK.

We maintain, 1st, That man’s mental faculties are
susceptible of a threefold division and classification, as
follows: First, the intellectual department; second, the
moral and religious department; third, the animal depart-
ment (which includes also the social).

2d, That all Bibles and religions are an outgrowth
from some or all of these faculties, and hence of natural
origin.

3d, That all Bibles and religions which originated prior
to the dawn of civilization in the country which gave them
birth (i.e., prior to the reign of moral and physical science)
are an emanation from the combined action and co-opera-
tion of man’s moral, religious, and animal feelings and pro-
pensities.

4th, That the Christian Bible contains (as shown in this
work) several thousand errors, — moral, religious, histori-
cal, and scientific.

5th, That this fact is easily accounted for by observing
that it originated at a period when the moral and religious
feelings of the nation which produced it co-operated with
the animal propensities instead of an enlightened intellect.

6th, That, although such a Bible and religion may have
been adapted to the minds which originated them, the
higher class of minds of the present age demands a religion
 10

THE LEADING POSITIONS OF THIS WORK.

which shall call into exercise the intellect, instead of the
animal propensities.

7th, That, as all the Bibles and religions of the past are
more of an emanation from the animal propensities than
the intellect, they are consequently not suited to this age,
and are for this reason being rapidly abandoned.

8th, That true religion consists in the true exercise of
the moral and religious faculties.

9th, As the Christian Bible is shown in this work to
inculcate bad morals, and to sanction, apparently, every
species of crime prevalent in society in the age in which it
was written, the language of remonstrance is frequently
employed against placing such a book in the hands of the
heathen, or the children of Christian countries; and more
especially against making “ the Bible the fountain of our
laws and the supreme rule of our conduct,” and acknowl-
edging allegiance to its God in the Constitution of the
United States, as recommended by the American Christian
Alliance. Such measures, this work shows by a thousand
facts, would be a deplorable check to the moral and in-
tellectual progress of the world.

10th, If any clergyman or Christian professor shall take
any exceptions to any position laid down in this work,
the author will discuss the matter with him in a friendly
manner in the papers, or through the post-office, or before
a public audience.

Kersey Graves.

Richmond, Indiana.
 THE BIBLE OE BIBLES.

CHAPTER I.

TEE SIGNS OE THE TIMES.

We live in the most important age in the history of the world.
No age preceding it was marked with such signal events. No
other era in the history of civilization has been characterized by
such agitation of human thought; such a universal tendency
to investigation ; such a general awakening upon all important
subjects of human inquiry; such a determination to grow in
knowledge, and cultivate the immortal intellect, and mount to
higher plains of development. The world of mind is in com-
motion. All civilized nations are agitated from center to cir-
cumference with the great questions of the age. And what
does all this prove ? Why, that man is a progressive being;
that the tendency of the human mind is onward and upward;
and that it will not always consent to be bound down in igno-
rance and superstition. And, thanks to the genius of the
age, it is the prophecy of the glorious reformation and regene-
ration of society, — an index of a happier era in the history of
the human race. Old institutions are crumbling, and tumbling
to the ground. The iron bands of creeds and dogmas, with
which the people have been, so long bound down, are bursting
asunder, and permitting them to walk upright, and do their own
thinking. In every department of science, in every arena of
human thought and every theater of human action, we see a
progressive spirit, we behold a disposition to lay aside the tra-
il
 12

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

ditions and superstitions of the past, and grasp the living facts
of the age. We everywhere see a disposition to abandon the
defective institutions, political and religious, which were gotten
up in the childhood of human experience, and supplant them
with those better adapted to the wants of the age. In a word,
there is everywhere manifested a disposition and determination
to unshackle the human bod}7, and set free the human mind, and
place it with its living aspirations on the road to the temple of
Truth. An evidence of the truth of these statements the reader
can gather by casting his eyes abroad, or by reading the peri-
odicals of the day. At this very time nearly all the orthodox
churches are in a state of commotion. The growing light and
intelligence of the age, penetrating their dark creeds and dog-
mas, are producing a sort of moral effervescence. The question
of “hell” is now the agitating theme of the churches. Pos-
terity will ridicule us, and class us with the unenlightened
heathen, for discussing a question so far behind the times, and
one so childish and so absurd in this intelligent and enlightened
age. To condescend to discuss such a question now must be
hell enough for scientific and intelligent minds. And other
important religious events mark the age. When the Roman-
Catholic Church, through its Ecumenical Council, dragged the
Pope from his lofty throne of usurped power, and robbed him
of his attribute of infallibility, it proclaimed the downfall of the
Pope and the deatli^knell of the Church. Already thousands
of his subjects refuse longer to bow down and kiss the big toe
of his sacred majesty. His scepter has departed, his spiritual
power is gone, his temporal power is waning. And the same
spirit of agitation is operating as a leaven in the Protestant
churches also. All the orthodox churches arc declining and
growing weaker by their members falling off. The Methodist
Church has recently lost more than two hundred of its preachers ;
and the Baptist Church, according to the statement of a recent
number of u The Christian Era,” has lost twenty-two thousand
of its members within a period of five years. The agitation in
the churches is driving thousands from their ranks, while many
who remain are becoming more liberal-minded. The orthodox
Quaker Church has, in many localities, “ run clear off the track.”
 THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

[Prometheus]

13

It has abandoned its old time-honored peculiarities in dress and
language, once deemed by them sacred, and essential to true god-
liness. The use of 44 thee ” and 44 thou ” is laid aside by many
of its members; and even leading members have given up the
44 shad-bellied coat,” and the round-crowned hat with a brim
broad enough to 44 cover a multitude of sins.” They no longer
wait for 44 the Holy Ghost ” to move them to preach; but, as a
member once remarked, 44 they go it on their own hook, like the
Methodists, hit or miss.” Music, once regarded by many of
them as an emanation from 44 an emissary of the Devil,” is now
admitted into many of their churches. Thus it will be seen they
are making some progress. The light without is benefiting
them more than 44 the light within.” All the orthodox systems
committed a fatal error at the outset in assuming that their
religions' were derived directly from God, and consequently
must be perfect and unalterable, and a finality in moral and
religious progress. Such an assumption will cause the downfall,
sooner or later, of any religious body which persists in propa-
gating the error. Religious institutions, like all other institu-
tions, are subject to the laws of growth and decay. Hence, if
their doctrines and creeds are not improved occasionally to
make them conform to the growing light and intelligence of the
age and the principles of science, they will fall behind the
times, cease to answer the moral and religious wants of the
age, and become a stumbling-block in the path of progress.
Common sense would teach us that the doctrines preached by
the churches two hundred years ago must be as much out of
place now as the wooden shoes and bearskin coats worn by the
early disciples would be for us. Their spiritual food is by no
means adapted to our moral and religious wants. We are under
no more moral and religious obligation whatever to preach the
doctrines of original sin, the fall of man, endless punishment, in-
fant damnation, &c., because our religious forefathers believed in
these doctrines, than we are morally bound to eat beetles, locusts,
and grasshoppers, because our Jewish ancestors feasted on these
nasty vermin, as we learn by reading Lev. xi. Why is it that
in modern times there has arisen great complaint in all the
orthodox churches about the rapid inroads of infidelity into
 14

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

their ranks? It is simply because, that while the people are
beginning to assume the liberty to do their own thinking, the
churches refuse to recognize the great principle of universal
progress as applicable to their religion, which would and should
keep their doctrines and precepts improved up to the times.
Instead of adopting this wise policy, they try to compel their
members to be content with the old stale salt junk of by-
gone ages, in the shape of dilapidated, outgrown creeds and
dogmas; but it will not do. It is as difficult to keep great
minds tied down to unprogressive creeds as it would be to keep
grown-up boys and girls in baby-jumpers. Enlightened nations
are as capable of making their own religion as their own
laws ; that is, of making its tenets conform to the natural out-
growth of their religious feelings as they become more ex-
panded and enlightened. And it is a significant historical
fact, that great minds in all religious nations have wholly or
partially outgrown and abandoned the current and popular
religions of the country. It is only moral cowards, or the igno-
rant and uninformed, who throw themselves into the lap of the
Church, and depend upon the priest to pilot them to heaven.
Moses, Jesus Christ, Mahomet, Martin Luther, John Wesley,
Emanuel Swedenborg, George Fox, Elias Hicks, and many
other superior minds, strove hard unconsciously to rise above
the religion in which the}7 were educated; and all succeeded in
making some improvement in its stereotyped doctrines or prac-
tices. The implied assumption of the churches, that their
doctrines and precepts are too perfect to be improved and too
sacred to be investigated, and their Bible too holy to be criti-
cised, is contradicted both by history and science; and this
false assumption lias already driven many of the best minds of
the age from their ranks. Theodore Parker declared that all
the men of great intellects had left the Church in his time,
because, instead of improving their religion to keep it up to the
times, they bolt their doors, and hang curtains over their win-
dows to keep out the light of the age. There could not be one
inch of progress made in any thing in a thousand years with
the principle of non-progression in religion adopted by the
churches ; for, if it will apply to religion, it will apply with still
 THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

15

greater force to every thing else : and hence it would long ago
have put a dead lock upon all improvement, had it not been
counteracted by outside counter-influences. It is because a
large portion, and the most enlightened portion, of the community
have assumed the liberty and moral independence to think and
act for themselves, that society has made any progress either in
science, morals, or religion. A religion which sedulously
opposes its own improvement can do nothing essential toward
improving any thing else, unless forced into it by outside influ-
ences ; and it can not feel a proper degree of interest in those
improvements essential to the progress of society. On the con-
trary, it must check the growth of every thing it touches with
its palsied hands. Here we can see the reason that no church
in any age of the world has inaugurated any great system of
reform for the improvement of society, but has made war on
nearly every reform set on foot by that class of people which it
has chosen to stigmatize as “ infidels.” Such a religion will
decline and die in the exact ratio of the enlightenment and
nrogress of society.

The Coming Revolution.

That there is a general state of unrest in the public mind, at
the present time, on the subject of religion, must be apparent to
every observing person. Theological questions, long since re-
garded as settled for ever, are being overhauled and discussed
with a freedom and general interest far transcending that known
or practically realized at any previous period. This is premoni-
tive of a speedy religious revolution. That it will come sooner
or later is as certain as that seed-sowing is succeeded by har-
vest. Reforms no longer move with the snail’s pace they did a
century ago. This is an age of steam and electricity ; and every
thing has to move with velocity. We cherish no unkindly feel-
ings toward any church or people ; but we must rejoice that the
strongholds of orthodoxy are being shaken, and error exposed,
and that creeds are loosening their iron grasp upon the immor-
tal mind. Old, long-cherished dogmas, myths, and blinding
superstitions are passing away, to make room for something
better.
 16

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

Yes, the signs of the times indicate the dawning of a brighter
day upon the world, — a day which shall be illuminated by the
rays of reason and science.

And, if this work shall contribute any thing toward speed-
ing the dawning of that glorious era, we shall feel amply re-
warded for the labor and personal sacrifice required in its pro-
duction.

Reason will soon Triumph.

The march of science and the rapid growth of the reasoning
faculties peculiar to this progressive age are daily revealing the
errors of our popular theology, and exposing their demoralizing
effects in repressing the growth and healthy action of the intel-
lect, and perverting the exercise of the moral faculties. And
this progressive change and improvement must be a source of
great rejoicing to every true-hearted philanthropist, and fur-
nishes a strong incentive to labor with zeal in this field of re-
form. It should be borne in mind, that all the dogmas and doc-
trines of our current religious faith originated at a period before
the sun of science had risen above the moral horizon, and ante-
rior to the birth of moral science, and hence, like other produc-
tions of that age, are heavily laden with error.. But rejoice,
O ye lovers of and laborers for truth and science! the dark
clouds of our gloomy theology are rapidly receding before the
sunlight of our modern civilization, and will soon leave a clear
and cloudless sky! And all will rejoice in having learned and
practically experienced the glorious truth, that true religion
is not incorporated in Bibles, or inscribed on the pages of any
book, and cannot be found therein, but is a natural and sponta-
neous outgrowth of man’s moral and religious nature, and is
u the most beautiful flower of the soul.”
 APOLOGY AND EXPLANATION.

17

CHAPTER II.

APOLOGY AND EXPLANATION.

Although books are constantly issuing from the press, and
the country kept literally flooded with new publications, }Tet but
few of them meet the real wants of the age, and many of them
are of no permanent practical benefit to the world. Such a work
as is comprised in “ The Bible of Bibles 99 is a desideratum. It
has been long and loudly called for. It is a moral necessity, and
partially supplies one of the great moral wants of the times. It
is true, hundreds of works have been published embracing criti-
cisms on the Bible, and attempting to expose some of its numer-
ous errors, and portray some of its evil influences upon those
who accept it as a moral guide. Yet it is believed that the
present work embraces the first attempt to arrange together, or
make out any thing like a full list of, the numerous errors of
u the Holy Book.” And yet it falls far short of accomplishing
this end; for, although more than two thousand errors are
brought to notice, a critical research would bring to light sev-
eral thousand more. It will be observed by the reader, that there
has been a constant effort on the part of the author to abridge,
contract, and compress the contents of the volume into the
smallest compass possible to be attained compatible with per-
spicuity. Every chapter, and almost every line, discloses this
policy. In no other way than by the adoption of such an expe-
dient could two thousand biblical errors have been brought to
notice in a single volume. The adoption of the most rigid rules
of abbreviation and compression alone could have accomplished
it; and this policy has been carried out even in making cita-
tions from the Bible. Such superfluous words and phrases have
been dropped as could be spared without impairing the sense or
 18

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

real meaning of the text. And yet, with this unceasing effort to
compress and abridge the work, it falls so far short of portray-
ing fulty all the errors and evils which a critical investigation
shows to be the legitimate outgrowth of our Bible religion, that
the author contemplates following it with another work, which
may complete an exposition of nine thousand errors now known
to be comprised in u the Holy Book.” The title will probably
be, “ The Bible in the Light of History, Reason, and Science.”
He intends also to rewrite and republish soon, and probably
enlarge, his u Biography of Satan,” so as to make it entirely a
new work.

I.   Jehovah.

The author desires the reader to bear it specially in mind
that his criticisms on the erroneous conceptions and representa-
tions of God, as found in the Christian Bible, appertains in all
cases to that mere imaginary being known as the Jewish Jeho-
vah, and has no reference whatever to the God of the universe,
who must be presumed to be a very different being. The God
of Moses, who is represented as coming down from heaven, and
walking and talking, eating and sleeping, traveling on foot
(and barefoot, so as to make it necessary for Abraham to
wash his feet) ; and who is also represented as eating barley-
cakes and veal with Abraham (Gen. xviii.) ; wrestling all night
with Jacob, and putting his thigh out of place; trying to kill
Moses in a hotel, but failing in the attempt; and as getting van-
quished in a battle with the Canaanites ; and also as frequently
getting mad, cursing and swearing, &c.,—such was the char-
acter of Jehovah, the God of the Jews, — a mere figment of
the imagination. Hence lie is a just subject of criticism.

II.   Tiie Relationship of the Old and New Testaments.

Some of the representatives of the Christian faith, when the
shocking immoralities of the Old Testament arc pointed out,
attempt to evade the responsibility by alleging that they do not
live under the old dispensation, but the new, thereby intimat-
ing that they arc not responsible for the errors of the former.
But the following considerations will show that such a defense
is fallacious and entirely untenable : —
 APOLOGY AND EXPLANATION.

19

1.   It takes both the Old and the New Testaments to consti-
tute “ the Holy Bible,” which they accept as a whole.

2.   Both are bound together, and circulated by the million, as
possessing equal credibility and equal authority.

3.   Both are quoted alike by clergymen and Christian writers.

4.   The New Testament is inseparably connected with the
Old.

5.   The prophecies of the Old form the basis of the New.

6.   Both are canonized together under the word u holy.”

7.   Nearly all the New-Testament writers, including Paul,
indorse the Old Testament, and take no exception to any of
its errors or any of its teachings. For these reasons, to accept
one is to accept the other. Both stand or fall together.

Note.—Christ modified some of Moses’s errors, hut indorsed most of the Old Testa-
ment errors.
 20

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

CHAPTER in.

WHY THIS WORE WAS WRITTEN.

There are in this and other Christian countries more than
one hundred thousand clergymen who spend a portion of each
recurring sabbath in presenting the claims, and dilating upon
the beauties and benefits (some real and some imaginaiy), of
the religion of the Christian Bible. They claim that it is the
religion for this age, and a religion that should be adopted by
the whole human race; but they present but one side of the
picture, and but one phase of the argument. A witness before
a jury is required to “ tell the truth, and the whole truth ; ” but
the priesthood dare not do this with respect to the errors and
defects of their religion. They ’would lose their congregations
and their salaries also. But few clergymen possess the moral
courage to turn state’s evidence against their pockets or their
“ bread and butter.” It is a sad reflection that they are hired,
and required to conceal whatever errors ma}' loom up before
their moral vision in the investigation of the principles of their
religion, or the Bible on which it is founded. They are placed
in the position of an attorney who is sworn to be true to his
client at any sacrifice of truth and moral manhood. Whatever
ma}T be their moral convictions with respect to the sinfulness or
evil consequences or demoralizing effects of continuing to
preach the intellectually dwarfing and morally poisoning doc-
trines originated in, and adapted only to, the dark and undevel-
oped ages of the past, when the race was under the dominion
of the animal and blind propensities, yet they must do it. They
must continue to preach these errors, to sustain these evils, and
maintain their false positions, or lose their salaries and their
popular standing in society. It is a vcr}T unfortunate position
 WHY THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN.

21

to be placed in; but, self-interest being the ruling principle of
the age, we cannot reasonably expect the clergy will do any
thing toward enlightening the people on the errors and immoral
influences of their religious doctrines, or the substitution of a
better system, until human nature has advanced to a higher
moral plane. On the contrary, we must expect they will con-
tinue to blind the people, pervert the truth, magnify every
imaginable good quality of their religious system ; while, on the
other hand, they will as sedulously attempt to hide every defect
which either they or others may discover in their Bible. This
state of things in the religious world imposes upon the moral
reformer the solemn necessity of employing the most effectual
lever, and of adopting every available moral means, to counter-
act this morally deleterious influence of the clergy, and arrest
the tide of evil which follows in their wake as the legitimate
fruits of a course of conduct dictated by policy instead of prin-
ciple.

II. The Moral Truths of the Bible.

Some of our readers will doubtless be disposed to ask why we
have not occupied a larger portion of this work in exhibiting the
beauties and benefits of the religion and system of morals set
forth in the^Bible. The answer to the question is fully antici-
pated in the preceding remarks. It is simply because fifty
thousand tongues and pens are almost constantly employed in
this work. They do it and overdo it. This renders it a work of
supererogation on our part; while, on the other hand, we find
the errors and evils of the Bible and. its religion, which they
overlook or neglect to expose, so very numerous, that we can
not exhibit them in a single volume, unless we allow but a lim-
ited space to a repetition of what is done by them every week.
This is our reason for appearing to pursue a one-sided policy.

III.   Why Resort to Ridicule?

We hope we shall not be misunderstood or condemned by any
reader for appearing to indulge frequently in a spirit of levity
in attempting to expose the logical and moral absurdities of the
Bible. We have assumed this license more from an appre-
hended moral necessity than from a natural disposition. Ridi-
 22

[Prometheus]

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

cule is now generally acknowledged by moralists to be a most
potent weapon for the demolition of error. Moral and religious
absurdities, according to Cicero, can be arrested and put down
much sooner by “ holding them up to the light of ridicule, than
by any othqr means that can be employed.” Let no one, then,
oppose the use of such means simply because it may disturb a
sensitive feeling in his own mind, derived from a false educa-
tion. A critical investigation of religious history discloses the
important fact, that the conviction established in the popular
mind that it is wrong to indulge in a feeling of levity when
writing or discoursing on religious subjects is the work of the
clergy. Having discovered that many of the narrations of
their Bible, and likewise many of the tenets of their creeds, are
really ridiculous when examined in the light of science, reason,
and sound sense, in order to prevent these ridiculous features
of their systems from being exposed, they taught the people
that ridicule is entirely out of place in matters of religion, and
that such feelings, or language expressive of such feelings,
should be entirely suppressed. And it is principally by the
invention of this expedient, and the establishment of this con-
viction in the public mind, that the clergy have succeeded in
keeping the ridiculous errors of their creeds conceal^ from age
to age. And to continue this policy longer is only to yield to
their interests, and prolong those evils still longer which have
been perpetuated for centuries by the adoption of this expedi-
ent. No other argument or apology is m^cessaiy than this as a
justification of the limited extent to which the language of ridi-
cule has been employed in this work. is an egregious error,
which is the offspring of an erroneous education and habit, to
suppose that ridicule is more out of place on religious subjects
than on other subjects. 0. S. Fowler has fully established this
as a scientific fact on phrenological grounds. We should be
quite sorry to wound the feelings of any sensitive mind b}^ any
language made use of in this work, and hope this explanation
will prevent such results.

Tiie Principal Design of this Work.

As a critical examination of the Christian Bible discloses the
fact that it contains several thousand moral and scientific
 WHY THIS WOBK. WAS WHITTEN.

23

errors, and as experience proves the tendency of such errors
is to corrupt the moral feelings and check the intellectual
growth of all who read and believe 44 the Hoty Book,” we have,
since arriving at this conviction, considered it to be our duty
not only to expose these errors, but also to discourage the
habitual reading of the Bible with any other view than to learn
its real character. And more especially do we earnestly advise
parents not to place the Bible in the hands of their children till
they arrive at an age when a more mature judgment can enable
them to discriminate between its truths and its errors. And
we likewise entreat all moralists and philanthropists, and all
lovers of truth and virtue, as they desire the moral growth and
moral reformation of the world, to exert their influence to stop
the shipment of the Christian Bible to foreign lands to be cir-
culated among the uncultured and credulous heathen. Here is
disclosed one of our principal reasons for writing this work.
We wish to make it a voice of remonstrance against placing
any of those morally defective books called Bibles in the hands
of the ignorant and impressible heathen, or the children of
Christian countries, until their minds become sufficiently forti-
fied by age and experience to resist or withstand the demoral-
izing influe*pe of their bad precepts and bad examples as ex-
posed in this work.

Don’t Read Pernicious Books.

The Quaker Church /of which the author was once a mem-
ber) have a clause in^their discipline forbidding their members
to read pernicious books, which are defined by one of the found-
ers of the Church (Wiliitoi Penn) to be 4 4 such books and pub-
lications as contain language which appears to sanction crime or
wrong practices, or teach bad morals.” And hundreds of cases
cited in this work prove that the Christian Bible may be ranked
with works of this character. If the advice of the Hindoo
editor had been complied with many years ago, —to 44 revise all
Bibles, and leave out their bad precepts and examples,” and
change their obscene language, — the Christian Bible might now
be a very useful and instructive book. But we are willing to
leave it to the conscience of every honest reader, who places
 24

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

truth and morality above Bibles and creeds, to decide, after
reading this work, whether the Bible, with all its ennobling pre-
cepts, does not contain too strong an admixture of bad morality
to make it a safe or suitable book to be relied on as a guide in
morals and religion. According to Archbishop Tillotson, Bibles
shape the morals and religion of the people in all religious coun-
tries,— they are derived from the examples and precepts of
these u Holy Books.” If this be true, we most solemnly and
seriously put the question to every Bible reader, What must be
the effect upon the morals and religion of Christian countries of
such moral examples as Abraham, Moses, Noah, Isaac, Jacob,
David, Solomon, and nearly all the prophets, with their long
string of crimes, as shown in this work? Let us not be guilty
of the folly of suffering our inherited, stereotyped predilections,
and exalted veneration for u the Holy Book,” to rule our moral
sense, and control our judgment in this matter, but muster the
moral courage to look at the thing in its true light. Let us be
independent moralists and philanthropists, rather than slaves to
Bibles and creeds. “ Every book,” says a writer, “ has a spirit
which it breathes into the minds of its readers ; ” and, if it con-
tains bad morals or bad language, the habitual reading of it will
gradually reconcile the mind to those immoral lessons, and
finally cause them to be looked upon as God-given truths. Such
is the omnipotent force of habit. And we appeal to all Bible
readers to testify if this has not been their experience. All
Christian professors, when they first commenced reading the
Bible, doubtless found many things in It which shocked their
moral sense, did violence to their reasoning faculties, and morti-
fied their love of decorum. But a p'ersevcrance in reading it,
through the force of habit and education, has finally reconciled
tlieir minds to those immoral lessons, and blinded the judgment,
so that they arc not now conscious of their real character and
deleterious influence upon the mind.

Two Thousand Bible Errors.

One of the strongest and most soleuin lessons of human ex-
perience, and proofs of the blinding effect of a false religious
education, may be found in the fact that the two thousand Bible
 WHY THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN.

25

errors brought to notice in this work have been overlooked from
age to age by the great mass of Bible readers. So absolutely
and deplorably blinded have they been in some cases, as to lead
them to conclude, like Dr. Cheever of New York, that “ the
Bible does not contain the shadow of a shade of error from
Genesis to Revelation.’’ Such a perversion and stultification
of the reasoning faculties was never excelled in any age or
country. St. Augustine furnishes another striking illustration
of the total wreck of mind and moral principle which an obsti-
nate determination to accept the Bible with all its errors is
capable of effecting. Having found a great many absurdities in
the Bible which he could not reconcile with reason and sense,
and hence discovering he must either give up his Bible or his
reason, he chose the latter alternative, and declared in his
“Book of Sermons” (p. 33), “I believe things in the Bible
because they are absurd. I believe them because they are
impossible ” (as glaring an absurdity as ever issued from human
lips). Such a desperate expedient to save his Bible and creed
from going overboard shows that they had demoralized his
mind, and made a complete wreck of his reason. This is the
writer who declared he found and preached to a nation of people
who had but one eye, and that situated in their foreheads, and
another nation who had no heads, but eyes in their breasts. It
seems a pity that this single-eyed nation became extinct; for
Christ declared, “ If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be
full of light.” Such an embodiment of light might have done
much to enlighten the world. And this St. Augustine is the
writer whom Eusebius pronounces “ the great moral light of
the Christian Church.” And St. Irenseus furnishes another
deplorable example of the prostration or perversion of the moral
faculties by accepting the Bible as a standard for morals when
he justified the crime of incest by pointing to the example of
“righteous Lot” and his daughters. The celebrated Albert
Barnes was made a victim of great mental suffering for many
years by his laborious but ineffectual attempts to reconcile the
Bible with the dictates of reason. Hear what he says about the
matter. We will present the case in his own language : “ These
difficulties (of reconciling the teachings of the Bible to rea-
 26

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

son) are probabty felt by every mind that ever reflects on the
subject; and they are unexplained, unmitigated, and unremoved.
I confess, for one, that I feel them, and feel them more sensibly
and powerful^ the more I look at them, and the longer I live.
I do not understand them, and I make no advance toward
understanding them. I do not know that I have a ray of light
upon this subject which I had not when the subject first flashed
across soul. I have read what wise and good men have
written upon the subject; I have looked at their theories and
explanations ; I have endeavored to weigh their arguments, —
for m}^ whole soul pants for light and relief on these questions :
but I get neither; and, in the anguish and distress of my soul, I
confess I get no light whatever. I see not one ray to disclose
to me the reason why sin came into the world, why the earth is
strewn with the, dying and the dead, and why man must suffer
to all eternity. I have never seen a particle of light thrown on
these subjects that has given a moment’s ease to my tortured
mind. ... I trust that other men . . . have not the anguish
of spirit which I have. But I confess, when I look on a world
of sinners and sufferers, upon death-beds and graveyards, and
upon a world of woe filled with hosts to suffer for ever ; and when
I sec m}r friends, my parents, my family, my people, m}T fellow-
citizens — when I look upon a whole race — all involved in this
sin and danger; and when I see the great mass of them wholly
unconcerned ; and when I feel that God only can save them, and
yet he does not do it, — I am struck dumb. It is all dark —
dark — dark to my soul; and I cannot disguise it ” (Practical
Sermons, p. 124). There, reader, you have the candid confes-
sion of an honest-minded, orthodox, and one of the ablest and
most talented writers that ever wielded the pen in defense of the
C'liristian faith. And if such a talented and logical mind could
find no reason, consistency, or moral principle in the dogmas of
orthodoxy, we may readily ask, Who can? Thousands of other
orthodox clergymen have doubtless been perplexed with the same
difficulties, but have not had the honesty to confess it. Those
who do not now perceive them can find the reason by putting
their hands on their own heads. They will find their intellects or
logical brains defective. Moral philosophers now find no diffi-
 WHY THIS WOBK WAS WRITTEN.

27

culty in solving any of those problems which so much perplexed
the mind of Mr. Barnes. They are all false and unfounded dog-
mas, except the prevalence of death and disease in the world.
And these casualties are now known to be amongst the wisest
and most useful dispensations of nature. (See chapter headed
Natural and Moral Evil.) And had Mr. Barnes ascended to the
plane of mental and moral science, instead of remaining down in'
tne dark, orthodox, theological cellar, trying to squeeze truth
out of old, dead, dried-up, dusty, theological dogmas, he would
have readily found the solution to all his problems, and would
have rejoiced in thus emerging into the glorious sunlight of
truth.

Bibles Useful in their Place.

We do not question but that Bibles served a useful purpose
for those nations and tribes by whom and for whom they were
written; but as they only represent the imperfect moral and
religious conceptions of that age, and have always been sacredly
guarded from improvement, to make them the rule of action for
any subsequent age would be ter stop all moral and religious
improvement. It is strikingly evident that society can make no
improvement while it follows a Bible which is interdicted from
improvement. It must remain stationary, with respect to reli-
gion and morals, so far as it is tied to an unchangeable book.
Bibles in this way become masters of human thought, and
shackles for the soul, and thus inflict serious evils upon society by
their tendency to stop all moral, and religious progress. Three
thousand or ten thousand years may elapse, and no improve-
ment can be made in the religion or morals of the people
while the Bible from which they emanate is prohibited from
improvement. Thus Bibles inflict a death-like torpor and stag-
nation upon the moral and intellectual progress of society so
far as their precepts are lived up to; that is, so far as the
assumption that there can be no improvement in the teachings
of the Bible is practically observed. It is the source of a pleas-
ing reflection, however, to know that most Bible believers habitu-
ally violate their own principles by trampling this assumption
under foot. Otherwise we would have remained eternally in a
state of barbarism*
 28

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

CHAPTER IV. .

THE BEAUTIES AND BENEFITS OF BIBLES.

There is displayed in all Bibles a devout recognition of mora
principles, and a strong manifestation of moral feeling. The
disciples of all Bibles manifest an ardent aspiration for some-
thing higher, something nobler, — a mental struggle to reach a
higher plane. This moral aspiration is displayed in almost
every chapter; and there are in all Bibles veins of beautiful
thought coursing through their pages. All of them contain
moral precepts which are in their nature elevating and enno-
bling, and which, if practically recognized, would have done
much to improve the morals and enhance the happiness of their
disciples ; and all Bibles are valuable as fragments of religious
histoiy, and as indicating the state of religion and morals of the
people who originated them. Their numerous outbursts of
religious feeling indicate the depth of their devotion; while
their many noble moral aphorisms indicate an appreciation of,
and a desire for, a higher moral life than they were able to prac-
tice because of the strength of their animal feelings. This is
especiallj’ true of the Jews, and also of the early Christians.
They had a partial perception of a true moral life, and a desire
at times to practice it; but that desire was counteracted and
held in check by their still stronger animal natures and animal
propensities.

A Higher Plane of Development iias keen Attained.

There can be no question, from the light derived from the
twofold avenues of science and history, but that the great prin-
ciple of universal progress, which is carrying every thing for-
ward to a higher plane and state of perfection, has elevated the
 THE BEAUTIES AND BENEFITS GF BIBLES.

29

most advanced nations of the present age beyond and above the
religion and morals prevalent in the world when the Jewish and
Christian Bible was written, which makes it very unsuitable for
the %)resent advanced state of society. An investigation of the
science of anthropology discloses the very significant and impor-
tant fact, that the religious feelings of the founders and early
representatives of the Jewish and Christian religions were under
the control of their animal natures, which accounts for their
frequent use of obscene language, and their frequent indul-
gence in the practice of every species of crime with the full
sanction of the principles of their religion. And they cherished
^the conviction that those things had the divine sanction.
f

Look at the Difference.

[Prometheus]

The moral and religious feelings of the early Jews and Chris-
tians co-operated with their animal propensities; and the latter
held supreme sway over the former: while the moral and reli-
gious feelings of the most advanced minds of the present day
co-operate, not with the animal, but with the intellectual. This
makes a very important and very marked difference, and makes
the semi-animal religion of the past very unsuitable for the pres-
ent age. Please note this point, friendly reader.

Bible Writers Honest.

It may readily be conceded that the writers and compilers of
all Bibles were honest, and that all the errors which those Bibles
embrace, and the crimes which they sanction, were honestly
believed to be right, and in accordance with the will of God.
For all sacred history teaches us, as an important lesson of
human nature, that no errors are too gross, no crimes too enor-
mous, no statements too false or absurd, no contradictions too
glaring, and no stories too preposterous or too ridiculous, to
receive the fullest indorsement of the most honest and pious
minds, and to be even cherished by them as God-given or
divinely revealed truths, when such has been their teaching
ever}7 day of their lives, in connection with the habitual sup-
pression of the voice of reason, and the inherited conviction of
their truth deeply implanted in the mind, derived from a thou-
 30

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

sand preceding generations. A strong and unyielding cord of
religious conviction thus grows in the human mind, which no
reason, no philosophy, and no science can ever sever or even
shake. It becomes a moral canker, which no remedy can reach,
or arrest in its progress. It seems to grow into the very heart-
strings. Such is the strength of religious prejudice, such the
weak side of human nature. Three hundred millions of people
believe in the Hindoo religion, one hundred millions in the
Chinese religion, two hundred millions in the Mahomedan reli-
gion, and one hundred and fifty millions in the Christian re-
ligion,— all for the same reasons, because their parents so
believed, and taught them, and their neighbors still believe it;
and surrounding influences have caused them to continue in
their erroneous belief.

After the illuminating rays of the sun of science had to some
extent dispelled the religious errors of our early education,
the case was so plain, that we entered upon the work of trying
to convince others, with sanguine hopes of success. But expe-
rience has established the conviction in our mind, that if ever}7
text of the Christian Bible were a falsehood, and every line of
their creeds an absurdity, there are many devout admirers of
the book who could never be made to see it, because they are
ruled by their religious feelings, and not by their reasoning fac-
ulties ; and hence they will live and die in their moral and
religious errors. But we rejoice in the omnipotent power of
truth, which will finally dispel all error from progressive minds.

General Claims of Bibles.

More than twenty sacred books have been 'found in various
countries, which, if not in all cases denominated Bibles, have
at least been venerated and used as such, and, properly speak-
ing, arc Bibles. Hence we shall call them Bibles. The list in
this chapter comprises nearly all which recent research has
brought to light. A brief synopsis of the character and contents
of each will be presented, so far as a comparative view with the
Christian Bible seems to make it requisite.

All of these Bibles possess some common characteristics: —

1.   All of them were claimed to be inspired.
 THE BEAUTIES AND BENEFITS OF BIBLES.

31

2.   All were claimed to be an embodiment of wisdom and
knowledge far transcending the ordinary attainments of man.

3.   All were penned by inspired men, who were shielded from
the possibility of erring while writing them.

4.   Each Bible is a finality in religious knowledge.

5.   Each one is an authority from which there is no appeal.

6.   It is a sin to question or doubt the truth of any of them,
or to suggest the possibility of their containing errors.

7.   Some of them were written by God, some by angels, and
others by inspired men.

8.   Each one points out the only safe and certain road to
heaven.

9.   He who is a disbeliever in any one of these holy books
is an infidel.

10.   Each one is to effect the salvation of the whole human

race.
 32

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

CHAPTER Y.

TWENTY-SEVEN BIBLES DESCRIBED.

The Hindoo Bibles. — I. The Yedas.

The Veda is considered to be the oldest sacred book of the
Hindoos, and is evidently the oldest Bible now extant. There is
avast amount of evidence to prove that it was written long before
the time of Moses, which establishes the fact that it borrowed
nothing from the Jews or Jewish writings. They purport to be
the inspired utterances of very ancient and holy saints and
prophets, known as Rishis, who received them directty from the
mouth of the great God Brahma about nine thousand years ago,
after they had existed in his mind from all eternity. These
“ holy men,” by their devout piety and unreserved devotion to
the cause of God and religion, it was believed, had attained
to true holiness and heavenly' sanctity. The Yedas treat of the
attributes of God, and his dealings with the human race; his
invisibility and spirituality; his unchangeableness, omniscience,
omnipotence, and omnipresence; the nature and binding force
of his laws; the doctrine of future rewards and punishments;
frequent and wonderful display of divine power, called miracles,
&c. It contains, likewise, many noble, lofty, and beautiful
moral precepts. It also treats, to some extent, of astronomy,
medicines, and government. The Ma}T number of u The New-
York Tribune” for 1858 contains a very interesting account
of the recent translation of the Yedas into the English language,
from which we will make a few extracts: u The whole of the
Veda is now being published for the first time by the East-
India Coinpan}', by which the reader will learn that most of the
odious things which have been charged to it are false. They
ore not found therein. They are Christian forgeries; such as
 TWENTY-SEVEN BIBLES DESCRIBED*

33

the burning of widows on the funeral pile of their husbands, the
marriage of children, the doctrine of caste, &c. None of these
things are taught or countenanced by the Vedas. The man who
believes in the Vedas approximates to a Christian.99 (Mark
this statement, Christian reader!) Mr. Greeley further say s:
6 ‘ The highest authority for the religion of the Brahmins is the
Vedas. The most elaborate arguments have been framed by
its devout believers to establish its divine origin and absolute
authority. They constantly appeal to its authorit}r, and, in
controversj7 with Mahomedan and Christian missionaries ” (Ma-
homedans have missionaries among them, observe), u they
invariably fall back on the Vedas,—referring to it with great
confidence in support of any thing they wish to establish as di-
vine. There is no doctrine of Christianity which has not been
anticipated by the Vedas.” What is that you say, Mr. Gree-
ley? “ They have all the doctrines of Christianity! ” Is that
possible? All the holy and inspired doctrines of Jesus Christ,
the great divine Lawgiver and Savior of the world, found in an
old heathen Bible, written more than two thousand years before
a single line of the doctrines of Christ was penned ! Here is one
of the most astounding announcements ever made to the world.
The reader, perhaps, will suppose that Mr. Greeley was an infi-
del ; but here, again, is something most astonishing: Mr. Gree-
ley was up to this time a sound member of a Christian church,
and withal a truthful writer. Such an announcement ought to
have startled the whole Christian world, and set them to inves-
tigating the matter. But, like the disciples of all the heathen
religions, they are immovably fixed in the errors of their faith,
and turn a deaf ear to all criticism, and all honest inquiry relat-
ing to the truth of its claims. Such is the tenacity of their
inherited convictions of being right, their assumption of infalli-
bility, their aversion and opposition to investigation, that, if
every- line of their Bible was a falsehood, but few of them would
find it out.

There are four works which come under the name of Vedas,
known as the Rig Veda, Yojur Veda, Sama Veda, and Athar-
va Veda. Each of these Bibles is constituted of various books,
probably the work of different writers. Each Veda is accompa-
 34

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

nied by psalms or hymns, known as the 66 Sanhita,” and also
by a sort of prose treatise or commentary, called the 44 Brah-
mana,” which possesses a ritualistic or didactic character, — all
of which were believed to be inspired. 44 Never has the theory
of inspiration/’ sajTs Mr. Amberly, 44 been pushed to such ex-
tremes as in the case of the Yedas. They were believed by
some to be the direct creation of Brahma/’ while the hymns
which accompany them were claimed to be the inspired produc-
tions of hol}r men and prophets (Rishis). The Vedas was the
standard authority in all cases ; and any doctrine, opinion, or
statement at variance with the Vedas was to be rejected as
false. 44 And as for a contradiction in the Holy Book/’ says
Mr. Amberly, 44 the thought was not to be entertained for a
moment as possible.” Such a conclusion they ascribed to the
reader’s wrong interpretation of its language. Such was the
extreme veneration in which the book was held, that every text,
word, and even sjdlable, was counted. A Brahmin was not al-
lowed to marry till after he had devoted several years to study-
ing the Holy Book ; And, to attain to complete holiness, the dis-
ciple must commit the Rig Veda to memory, or read it through
on his bended knees. The Vedas represent God as being44 one
and indivisible,” and “merciful to sinners.” And Brahmins
and Budhists, when they pray for sinners or for their enemies,
manifest a spirit of kindness and forgiveness not equalled by
Christians.

The Budhists had many churches and many priests, wiio
taught the people to lead virtuous lives, and to avoid the com-
mission of every species of crime, including the use of intoxi-
cating drinks. And in no other s3Tstem was ever benevolence and
charity, and also chastity, more emphatically enjoined, or more
consistently practiced. The Vedas teach that every good act
has its reward, and every bad act its punishment. Its disciples
are taught that many saviors (Budlias) have appeared on earth
at different periods to suffer and die for the people; the last of
which was Guatama, cotemporary with Christ. lie is an object
of great veneration amongst them, and prayers are often ad-
dressed to him. Many tales are told of his goodness, self-
denial, suffering, and sacrifice for the people, which leads to the
 TWENTY-SEVEN BIBLES DESCBIBED.

35

conclusion that he was a pure, holy, and unselfish being. He
gave utterance to many noble and morally exalting precepts.
His principal precepts were comprised in six commandments:

1.   “ Not to kill any living creature.” 2. u Not to steal.” 3.
“ Not to commit unchastity.” 4. “ Not to lie.” 5. “ Not to
drink intoxicating drinks.” 6. “ Not to lay up treasures upon
earth.” These are a few of his leading precepts, and which he
himself practiced. In the observance of the last precept, he
and his followers have excelled almost every Christian on earth,
as their Bible contains the same precept, but none of them try to
practice it. Hence the Hindoos are in this respect much better
Christians than the Christians themselves. Here it may be
noted that the Hindoos, like the disciples of the Christian faith,
have had various ecclesiastical councils to settle the canon of
their Bible or some controverted doctrinal questions. One of the
most noted of these councils was called under the reign of
King Asoka in the year 246 B.C. It was constituted of seven
hundred “ learned and accomplished priests.” But they could
not stop the progress of infidelity, as they essayed to do. It con-
tinued to increase till another council was called under the reign
of King Kanishka, and another revision of the sacred text took
place. But, as in Christian and Mahomedan countries, it tended
rather to unsettle than to settle the popular faith. Nothing can
arrest the intelligence and growth of progressive minds. Skep-
ticism and infidelity will continue to increase whenever the mind
is unfettered by priestcraft, till the last credal institution is
swept from the face of the earth, and ceases to curse the human
family.

II.   The Institutes op Menu.

“ The Code of Menu,” or “ Institutes of Menu,” constitutes
another sacred book of the Hindoos. The Rev. Mr. Allen says
of it: u It is a code of religious and civil laws, and makes a
part of the Hindoo Scriptures.” It is in many respects simi-
lar to the Vedas, and is almost equal to it in age; and, like
the Vedas, it is a standard of faith and a guide for moral action.
Hindoos call it Menu Darma Shastra, u the ordinances of God.”
“As these ordinances, or divine laws,” says Mr. Allen, “pro-
fess to be of divine origin, kings have no authority to change
 36

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

them. Their duty was to administer their governments accord-
ing to their teachings.55 All classes of people were required to
live up to them. “ In these respects,55 says Mr. Allen (p.
3G6), u the}" resemble the laws given by Moses, and contained
in the Old Testament.55 These Institutes treat on the subject
of creation, the doctrine of future rewards and punishments,
and also define many of the duties of life.

III.   Rama yana.

With respect to age, the Ramayana is generally ranked next
to the Code of Menu, and is equally adored as a holy and in-
spired book, and u maybe classed,55 sa}Ts Mr. Allen, “ with the
Hindoo Scriptures.55 It treats of the war in Heaven, in which
the dragon, or serpent-devil, was cast to the earth. To put an
end to his ravages here, the Savior and incarnate God Chrishna
was sent down. Christ, we are told, u came to destroy the devil
and his works.55 Col. Sherman tells us, in his u Recollections
of an Indian Official,55 that u the people (Hindoos) assured us
this Bible was written, if not b}r the hand of the Deit}r himself,
at least by his inspiration; and, if asked if any absurdity that
may be pointed out in the book be true, they reply with great
na.vete, ‘ Is it not written in the Holy Book? and how could it
be there, and not be true? 5 5 5 — exactly the same defense that is
often set up for the Christian Bible by its educationally warped
admirers. It is believed the great Hindoo prophet, Vyas, wrote
much of this Bible, or “ Inspired Poem,55 as some call it.

IV.   Tiie Maiiabarat.

The origin of this sacred book is considered to be very nearly
co-equal with that of the Rama3~ana. It has an appendix, or
epistle, called the u Baglcavat Gita,55 which, on account of its
high tone of spiritually, has attracted much attention in Europe.
The Hindoos believe the Maliabrat is highly inspired, and that
cver3T event noticed in it was recorded before it took place ; thus
making it in the highest degree prophetic. “Its author, the3r
claim,55 sa3’s Mr. Allen, “is no other than the incarnate God
Chrishna, of whose life it treats.55 That profound Oriental
scholar, Mr. Wilkins, thinks this and the other sacred books of
 TWENTY-SEVEN BIBLES DESCRIBED.

37

India are more than three thousand years old, as is evidenced
by sculptures in solid rocks.

Y. The Purans, or Poe an as.

[Prometheus]

The Hindoo Holy Scriptures, when arranged together in one
book, are known as the Barta Shastra, of which the Poranas
constitute a part. The last-named work treats of the creation
of the world, and its final destruction and future renovation,
the u great day of judgment,5’ Divine Providence, &c. ; also
the ordinances and rules for worship, &c.

VI. Analogies of the Brahmin and Jewish Religion.

Brahminism and Judaism are each old forms of religion.
Each was superseded by a new and improved form of religion.
Each has a story of creation. Jehovah and Brahma both cre-
ated the sun, moon, and stars (so believed by millions).

1.   The spirit of both moved upon the face of the waters.

2.   The world is spoken in to existence by both Jehovah and
Brahma.

3.   The Hindoos had an Adimo and Iva, the Hebrews an Adam
and Eve.

4.   In each case every thing is to produce after its kind.

5.   Man is in each case the last and crowning work of the
whole creation.

6.   Both stories set man as a ruler over subordinate creation.

7.   Light in each case was spoken into existence.

8.   Jehovah and Brahma each occupied six days in the work
of creation.

9.   There is a primitive paradise and state of moral purity in
each story.

10.   A tree whose fruit produced immortality is noticed in each
cosmogony.

11.   A serpent figures in each, and outwits Brahma and Jeho-
vah.

12.   Man in each partakes of the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

13.   The doctrine of the fall is found in each account. The
means for man’s restoration is provided in each case.

14.   Each sacred legend has a story of a war in heaven.
 38

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

15.   The soul is the breath of life, or breath of God, in each
cosmogony.

16.   Labor is imposed as a curse in each case.

17.   A moral code of ten commandments is found in each sys-
tem. Not to kill is the first command in each decalogue. Steal-
ing is interdicted in each decalogue. Adultery is condemned in
each. Bearing false witness is forbidden by each.

18. Both Brahmins and Jews lost their cc Holy Law,” or
u Laws of God.” One had a Hilkiah, and the other a Bishen,
to find the law.

19.   Each had an established order of priesthood. The priest-
hood was hereditary in each case: a tribe or family furnished
the priests in each case.

20.   Both claimed to be God’s pet and holy, or peculiar,
people ; and both styled other nations barbarians or aliens.

21.   Both holy nations were forbidden to marry with others;
and both were too holy to eat with barbarians.

22.   Each had a ceremonial law prescribing numerous rites.
The church ceremonies were performed by priests in each.

23.   The priests were forbidden to eat meat in both cases.

24.   Both Jews and Brahmins worshiped by bloody sacrifices.
Both had their favorite sacred annuals. Animal sacrifices were
by each to arrest public calamities.

25.   One interdicted beef, and the other pork, as food.

26.   Both prescribed purification after touching dead bodies;
and each religion had a law of purification. Bathing was a
mode of purification in each religion.

27.   Each has its “holy” places, times, days, cities, moun-
tains, rivers, &c. India, as well as Judea, was considered a
holy land.

28.   Each had its holy ground. Both drew off their shoes on
entering upon hoi}' ground or holy places.

29.   Both had their holy days, and the same in most
cases.

30.   Mount Mera was no less holy than Mount Sinai or Mount
Iloreb. Jordan was a sacred river in one case, and Ganges
in the other. Jerusalem was a u holy ” city with the Jews, and
Benares with the Hindoos.
 TWENTY-SEVEN BIBLES DESCBIBED.

39

31.   Hofy fasts and feasts were a part of each religion. Both
made a holy feast at full moon.

32.   Each had its holy fires.

33.   Both had their holy mysteries kept sacredly guarded.

34.   Each prepared and kept holy water for ceremonial
purposes.

35.   Both anointed themselves with “ holy ointment.”

36.   Each claimed to have the only true and “ holy faith.”

37.   “Holy temples” were familiar terms to each. Their
temples were constructed in a similar manner. Each had a
“ sanctum sanctorum,” or “holy of holies.” Only the holy
priest of both entered the interior sanctum.

38.   Both had their drink-offerings (called turpin by the Hin-
doos) .

39.   Both sprinkled their door-posts with blood.

40.   One had a scape-goat, and the other a scape-horse.

41.   Both taught that the sins of the father were visited upon
the children.

42.   Religious pilgrimages were practiced by each.

43.   Both acknowledge and teach one supreme God. Inferior
deities, or angels, are believed in by each. God’s omniscience,
omnipotence, and omnipresence are taught in both Bibles.

44.   God is represented to be invisible by each. And “God
is a spirit,” and infinitely wise and good, is taught in each.

45.   To love God supremely is recommended by each.

46.   Both taught that God was a God of power, and assisted
them in their battles.

47.   Both taught that a knowledge of God is essential.

48.   Silent meditation upon the Lord is recommended by
each.

49.   God was to each a refuge in danger and trouble.

50.   The government of each was a theocracy, God the
executive.

51.   Both religions were constituted largely of external rites.
In each the priest was the expounder of the holy books and laws.
“Patriarchs” was one of the sacred orders of each system.
Holy “prophets” figure conspicuously in each system. Both
priests and people were in each case believed to be inspired.
 40

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

52.   And each had its witnesses to prove the truth and fulfill-
ment of its prophecies.

53.   Both held their Holy Bibles as an inspired guide of right
and wrong.

54.   One Bible was from Jehovah, and the other from Brahma.

55.   Ezra was inspired to compile the Jewish Bible, and Vyas
the Brahmin.

56.   Each religious order had a holy ark containing something
sacred.

57.   A story of a deluge is found in the Bible of each.

58.   The corruption or wickedness of societ}r caused the flood
in each case.

59.   The Brahmins had their patriarch Satyavrata, answering
to Noah.

$   60. Each was forewarned of the flood.

0   61. Eight persons were saved in each case.

62.   In each story a large vessel is prepared. Animals were
saved by pairs in each case. A rainbow is spoken of in each
flood story.

63.   For Shem, Ham, and Japhet, the Hindoos have a Sherma,
Charma, and Jyapheta.

64.   Charma was condemned to be u a servant of servants,”
» like Ham.

65.   Human life was in each traditionally spun out to nearly
a thousand years.

66.   One day a thousand years with God, in each system.

%   67. Both have stories of persons ascending to heaven.

68.   Budha was cast into the fiery furnace like the three holy
children.

69.   Musavod was a giant in strength like Samson.

70.   Rhambha was changed to a pillar of stone, like Lot’s
wife to salt.

71.   Mahendra was carried through the air like Ilabakkuk.

72.   A story of Budha answers to that of Daniel in the lions’
den.

73.   Idolatry is discouraged, but occasionally practiced by each.

74.   Witchcraft was believed in by each.

75.   Here are presented sixty-eight striking analogies.
 TWENTY-SEVEN BIBLES DESCRIBED.

41

VII. Antiquity of India.

Having presented a long list of analogies between the Hindoo
and Jewish religions, we will proceed to prove the prior exist-
ance of the Hindoo system, and leave the reader to deduce his
own inferences. “In times coeval with the earliest authentic
records,” says a writer, “the Hindoos calculated eclipses, and
were venerated for their attainments in some of the arts and
sciences.” According to the learned astronomer Baily, their
calculations in astronomy extended back to the remote period
of seventeen hundred years before Moses; and some of the
ancient monuments and inscriptions of India bespeak for its
religion a very remote antiquity. Some of our modern learned
antiquarians have expressed the opinion that the Sanscrit lan-
guage of the Brahmins is the oldest language that can be traced
in the history of the human race. They also state that this lan-
guage was extant before the Jews were known as a nation; and
neither it nor their religion has ever been known to change.
These facts are sufficient to establish the existence of the Brah-
min and Budhist systems of religion long prior to the earliest
records of the Jewish nation.

Note. —Here we desire to call the attention of the reader to the very \
remarkable statement of Col. Dow in his “History of India.’’ He tells
us that “the Hindoos give a very particular account of the origin of the
Jewish religion ” (pref. v.). They say that a pious Hindoo by the name
of Rajah Tura apostatized from the faith, for which he was banished to
the West, where he established a system of religion, which became after-
wards known as the Jewish religion. Tura only needs a change of one
letter to make Tera, the father of Abraham. Let the reader make a note
of this.
 42

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

CHAPTER VI.

THE EGYPTIAN BIBLE.

The “Hermas.”

The sacred books, the u Hernias,” or “Books of Hernias,”
were believed by the Eg}q>tians to have been dictated b}T the
God Isis, and inspired by him. In their collected capachy
they constituted the Egyptian Bible, and were believed to con-
tain “the sum total of human and divine wisdom.” Their
great age is undisputed. They treat of the creation of the
world, the attributes of God, and the theogony of the inferior
deities, which answer to angels in the Christian system, as
the}r hold the same office, and are apparently the same kind of
beings. The “ Hermas,” like all other Bibles, recognize but
one supreme God, whom it declares to be just, holy, morally
perfect, invisible, and indivisible, and whom it recommends to
be worshiped in silence. This “Holy Book” contains some
lofty and soul-inspiring moral sentiments and useful precepts.

Analogy of the Egyptian and Jewish Religions.

Modern archaeological researches in Egypt have disclosed a
very striking resemblance between the ancient Egyptian religion
and that found in the Jewish Old Testament, which, with the
evidence of the greater antiquit}7 of the former, has fastened the
conviction upon the mind of every impartial reader of liistoiy,
that the Jewish religion was constructed from materials obtained
in Egypt and India; and this conclusion is corroborated by
the Bible itself, which tells us Moses was skilled in all the
wisdom and learning of Egjqit, and was by birth an Egyptian.
When we compare the doctrines, precepts, laws, and customs of
the two religions, wo find but little difference between them.
 THE EGYPTIAN BIBLE.

43

Even to the ten commandments there is a striking resemblance.
The account of the creation and the order of its development
is essentially the same in both. 1. The Egyptians had a
leader filling the place of Moses by the name of Hermes ; and
his writings were held in similar estimation, as they were be-
lieved to be inspired and dictated by Infinite Wisdom. 2. The
Egyptians had a priesthood of wealth and power, and possess-
ing the same sacerdotal caste as those of the Jews. 3. And
the priesthood, Mr. Pritchard tells us (Debate 116), was heredi-
tary, and confined to a certain tribe, as was that of the Jews.
According to Diodorus Siculus, and also Mr. Wilkinson, nearly
all their ceremonies were essentially the same. 4. And their
religious temples were constructed upon the same model, with an
outer court and an inner court,—a, sanctum sanctorum. 5. The
Egyptians had numerous prophets like the Jews. And Herod-
otus says, u The art of predicting future events came from the
Egyptians.” 6. The Egyptians had an ark, or shrine, which
served as an oracle, and was carried about on a pole by a pro-
cession of priests, as the ark of the covenant of the Jews was
by the Levites. The Bev. John Kendrick, in his 6 ‘ Ancient
Egypt,” acknowledged that he believed u the ark of the cov-
enant of the Hebrews was constructed on the model of the
Egyptian shrine.” 7. Kitto, in his “ Cyclopedia,” says the
Egyptian sphinxes explain what is meant by the cherubims of
the Jews. 8. In their selection of animals for sacrifices, we find
the same rules were adopted. Each were controlled by.the singu-
lar fancy of choosing a red heifer. 9. Each had their scape-
animals to carry away their sins, —the Egyptians an ox, and the
Jews a goat. 10. Both practiced circumcision. And we have
the authority of Herodotus for saying the Jews and Phoenicians
borrowed the custom of the Egyptians. 11. Both Jews and
Egyptians took off their shoes when approaching a holy place,
which, with the Egyptians, was in the temple. 12. Both believed
in one supreme, over-ruling God, and many subordinates, known
either as angels or deities, which, in their character and their
offices, were essentially the same. And a hundred other analo-
gies might be pointed out, which indicate the Oriental origin of
Judaism.

r
 4 4

TIIE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

Antiquity of Egypt.

As a full comparison will show that the religion of ancient
Egypt and that of the Jews were essentially alike, not only in
their general features but in their most minute details, with
respect to most of their doctrines, precepts, and customs, the
question arises, How came this resemblance? It is out of the
question to consider it merely fortuitous : that one grew out of
the other, or both were derived from a common source, we are
compelled to admit. To determine which was the parent sys-
tem we have only to ascertain which possesses the greater an-
ti quity. This question is very easily settled. A large volume
of facts is at our command which tend to prove that the Eg}qp-
tians were in a high state of civilization before the Jews were
known to history. The Bible itself partially recognizes this *
fact hy its frequent allusion to Egypt as a wise and powerful
nation, able at all times to exercise superior swa}T over the Jews,
and whose wise men, or magicians, could compete with not only
the Jews, but their God, in the performance of miracles ; that
is, with the Jews and their God to help them, in achieving the
most astounding feats. They could make any thing that Jeho-
vah could, with the exception of lice. The remote antiquity of
Egypt can be proved by a few facts. The Egyptians have a
carefully preserved list of sixty-one kings, who ruled the empire
between Mcnes and Amasis, with names and ages given, whose
aggregate reign comprises a period of more than seven thousand
years. Herodotus says they computed with great care and accu-
racy. Manetho tells us Mcnes reigned seven thousand seven
hundred years ago, which places him more than seventeen
hundred years before Adam. Engravings on monuments,
and writings on papjTus, confirm the statement of Manetho.
^Ynd then hieroglyphics on the pyramids of Egypt, with names,
dates, and figures which have recently been deciphered, enable
us to trace the antiquity of Egypt back eight thousand years,
when^she is shown to have been in a high state of civilization.*)
Another fact: Layard and Rawlinson, who recently visited Egjqpt
as commissioners or agents of the British Government, state that
fragments of pottery have been recently found by digging in the
Valley of the Nile, which, by counting the successive layers, or
 THE EGYPTIAN BIBLE.

45

deposits, made b the annual overflowing of the river, are shown
to be not less than eleven thousand years old. Such facts
amount to demonstration, and can not be set aside. And Mr.
Wilkinson, in his u Manners and Customs of Ancient Egypt,”
adduces another kind of evidence to show the impossibility of
Egypt having obtained her religion from the Jews. £He says,
u The first glimpse we obtain of Egypt shows us a nation far
advanced in the arts and customs and institutions of civilized
life.” (^And this was six or seven thousand years ago; while
the most conclusive evidence can be adduced to show that no
essential change has been made in her religion since the inscrip-
tions were made on the monuments, some of which bear evi-
dence of being eight thousand or nine thousand years old^ If
there has been no essential change in her religion for eight thou-
sand or nine thousand years, it is prima facie evidence that she
did not borrow any of her religious tenets of the Jews. Such
facts settle the question more conclusively than the most elabo-
rate argument could do, '
 46

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

[Prometheus]

CHAPTER VII.

THE PERSIAN BIBLES.

I. The Zenda Ayesta.

The Persians, property speaking, had two Bibles, or Testa-
ments, regarded as inspired and of divine authority,—the
Zenda Avesta and the Sadder, which may be denominated their
Old and New Testaments. With these may be classed other
sacred books of Persia, known as the “ Desatur” (or Revealed
Will of God), the u G. Javidan99 (or Eternal Wisdom), and
the “ Sophi Ibraham 99 (Wisdom of Ibraham). Hyde, in his
Biography of Brittain, eighth chapter, pronounces the G. Javi-
dan older than the writings of Zoroaster, which were penned
600 B.C.

The Zenda Avesta presents a detailed account of creation in
six kappas, or indefinite periods of time; the temptation and
fall of man, and his final restoration; the immortality of the
soul, &c.

II. Persian Bible — The Sadder.

The Sadder depicts u the war in heaven,” in which the great
dragon, or devil, Ahrimancs, is finally slain. This sacred book,
as well as the Zenda Avesta, contains many beautiful precepts.
The Persian sacred writings are all full of prayer and praise to
God. One portion addresses him as Onnvzd, another as Ahura
Mazda. None of their Holy Books countenance or show any
favor cither for idolatry or potytheism. The Persians have
always opposed the making and worship of deific images ; and
they worship but one God, with the above names. One of their
prayers, as a specimen, will show this: uO Ahura Mazda,
thou true and happj’ being! aid us to think and speak of thee,
 THE PERSIAN BIBLES.

47

and do only those things which promote the true welfare of
body and soul. I believe in thee as the just and hoty God, thou
living Wise One! Thou art the author of creation, the true
source of light and life. I will praise thee, thou Holy Spirit,
thou glorious God Mazda! Thou givest with a liberal hand
good things to the impious, as well as to the pious.” In that
portion of the Zenda Avesta called the u Yacna,” constituting
seven chapters, it is declared, 66 We worship Ahura Mazda, and
pray for the spread of his religion. We praise Mazda’s reli-
gion, and the pure brotherhood which it established. From the
Holy Spirit Mazda proceeds all good, and he is the source of
perfection and immortality.” Here let it be noted that Cyrus
of Persia was teaching the doctrine of immortality of the soul,
while Moses seems never to have thought of such a thing: he
is silent on the subject. Zenda Avesta means “ The Living
Word of God.” It has also been called by its disciples
u The Revealed Word ;” and Ahura Mazda has been called the
“ God of gods,” as the Jews called Jehovah. Who is to settle
this counter-claim?

Sin, repentance, and forgiveness are all recognized in the
sacred books of the Persians. This is evinced by a devout dis-
ciple, when he says, in prajmr, UI repent, O Lord, of my
wicked deeds in thought and words. Forgive, O Lord: I
repent of my sins.” A writer says, 66 Upon the really fun-
damental duties of man, the Zenda Avesta upholds a high
standard of morality and honesty, and seeks to inculcate the im-
mense importance of leading an upright and virtuous life, — such
a life alone as can be pleasing to God and useful to man.” A
text in this sacred book reads, u You can not be a worshiper of
the one true God and of many gods at the same time ; ” which
is a very explicit avowal of the belief in but one God. This
Persian Bible declares, that one way to advance God’s kingdom
on earth is to confer benefit upon the poor. Its spirit of kind-
ness and sympathetic regard.for suffering extends even to the
brute creation. It forbids cruelty to any class of beings, and
enjoins kindness to all. Its psalms, hymns, and liturgies
breathe forth a spirit of deep piety. A compliance with the
divine law is urged as a means of saving the sinner from future
 48

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

punishment. The stern moral fortitude of the great teacher
and moral exemplar Zoroaster, in resisting, like Christ, the
temptations of the Evil One, evinces a high appreciation of true
virtue. As a whole, the sacred books of the Persians, like
those of other nations, contain a considerable amount of golden
truth mixed with much rubbish and superstition.

Analogy of tiie Persian and Jewish Religions.

Doctor Pocoke sa}Ts, “ Many things taught in the sacred
books of the Persians are the same as those taught in the Penta-
teuch of Moses, and other parts of the Bible. They also con-
tain many of the psalms erroneously called by the Jews and
Christians the Psalms of David.” Sir William Jones, in his
“Asiatic Researches,” says, “The primeval religion of Iran
(Persia) is called b}T Newton the oldest, and it ma}T justly be
called the noblest, of all religions.” It teaches “ a firm belief
that one supreme God made the world by his power, and governs
it by his providence. It inculcates a pious fear, love, and adora-
tion for God ; also a due reverence for parents and aged persons,
fraternal affection for the whole human species, and a compas-
sionate tenderness even for the brute creation.” Can as much
as this be said of the Christian religion ? Mr. Goodrich, after
stating that the ancient Hebrews evidently had no idea of
astronomy as a science, says, “The Chaldeans appear to have
made observations on eclipses earlier than the commencement
of written history ” (“ History of All Nations,” p. 25).

The Chaldeans and Persians have a story of creation essen-
tiall}T the same as that of the Jews. It represents Ormuzd as
creating the world through the word in six kappas, or periods of
time. Previous to that period, nothing but chaos, or darkness,
and water had existed. Ormuzd created, first, the heavens and
the earth; second, the firmament; third, the seas and waters;
fourth, the sun, moon, and stars ; fifth, birds, reptiles, quadru-
peds, &c. ; sixth, man. The Persians and Chaldeans have also
a story of a deluge, in which Xisuthra, being warned in a dream,
built an ark, in which he saved himself, his wife and daughter,
and the pilot, and a pair of every species of animals, reptiles,
and birds. After the rain had ceased, he sent out a pigeon,
 THE PERSIAN BIBLES.

49

which, finding no resting place, came back to the ark. The
second time, it came with mud in its bill, which was a better evi-
dence that the waters had subsided than the leaf which Noah’s
dove returned with, as that might have been picked up while
floating on the waters. They had a giant in strength (a Gaza)
answering to that of Samson. They had a story of a lofty
tower designed to reach to heaven, but the gods destroyed it,
and confounded the language of the builders. The Persians
had their priests, their prophets, their angels, their twelve patri-
archs, their holy fires, holy water, and rites of purification, like
the Jews ; also their ordinance of water-baptism. Their holy
mountains, holy rivers, and holy waters, their animal sacrifices,
and their sacrament or ceremony of bread and wine, were all similar
to those of the Jews. They had a Soleimon and a Soleimon’s tem-
ple. Their religion was a theocracy, and was violently opposed
to idolatry ; but, unlike the Jewish religion, it taught the doctrine
of the immortality of the soul, and the lofty idea that the human
mind is an emanation from the divine nature. We find the
principal elements of the Christian system also mixed up with
the doctrines and principles above, set forth ; such as two primary
principles of good and evil (Ormuzd and Ahrimanes), termed
by Christians God and the Devil,—two Gods with their two
kingdoms, which were always at war with each other, to mode-
rate which stands Mithra the Mediator, who was born, like
Christ, of an immaculate virgin. For a further elucidation, see
u The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors.”

Antiquity of the Persian Religion.

The historical facts to establish the existence of the Persian
religion long prior to that of the Jews are numerous, cogent,
and unanswerable. ^They have calculations in astrononry which,
scientists admit, must have been made four hundred years an-
terior to the time of Moses. ^According to Berosus, fragments
of their history have been found which extend it back fifteen
thousand years ; and he tells us it is computed with great care.N
 50

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

CHAPTER YHI.

CHINESE BIBLES.

Kings and Shoo.

The Chinese have various sacred books, the principal of
which are the Five Kings. They have also four Holy Books,
known as Shoo, and one called Tao-te, though the word
King is a term applied to all their sacred books. Some of these
Holy Bibles are attributed to Confucius, one of them (Ta-heo,
the Great Learning) to his grandson, and others to his dis-
ciples. Some of the sects recognize thirteen Kings, or sacred
books, others only seven, and the principal sect but five.
Some of these Holy Books bear a resemblance to the Christian
Gospels, others to the Epistles ; and one of them bears a con-
siderable resemblance to Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews. They
are believed to be divinely inspired; and all are regarded as
authority in matters of faith, doctrine, and practice. All of
them inculcate virtue, and condemn vice and immorality. I will
present merely a brief exposition of a few of the leading books.

I.   Ta-IIeo ; on, Great Learning.

This book forms the basis of the religious sect known as the
Tao-ists. It treats principally of doctrines, but enjoins many
important duties, — such as famity government, the cultivation
of the natural faculties, the acquisition of knowledge, the duty
of being honest and sincere and rectifying the heart, and the
moral obligation of having good rulers and a righteous govern-
ment as means of making all peaceful and happy.

II.   The Chung Yung ; or, The Doctrine of the Mean.

This book contains the Golden Rule: “AVhat you do not
like others to do to you, do not so to them.” It recommends a
 CHINESE BIBLES.

51

state of harmony in the mental faculties as the path of duty
and the road to happiness and to heaven. It teaches that peo-
ple should follow the dictates of their own consciences, and
cultivate and fulty develop their natures. On the whole, it
admonishes a sj^stem of moral perfection. It declares that
spiritual beings are constantly around us, and we do nothing
without them, though we do not see nor hear them. Pretty
good spiritualism!

III.   The Book of Mang, or Mencius.

Mang, or Mencius, the philosopher, lived about two hundred
years after Confucius. This Holy Book of his was not admitted
into the Chinese canon till several centuries after it was
written. Up to that date it was regarded as apocryphal, but
is now held in high veneration as an inspired book. It affirms
the essential goodness of human nature, instead of the Chris-
tian doctrine of u total depravity.” It teaches that all men
are possessed of more or less goodness by nature, but are often
corrupted by bad example and bad governments. It argues the
moral right of the people to choose their own rulers.

IV.   Shoo King ; or, Book of History.

This work is constituted of fifty-eight books. It throws
much light on the history of the Chinese Empire, and bears
evidence of having been written in a very remote age, but was
compiled about 500 B.C. It argues that people are not bad
by nature, and that it is the duty of governments, to bless the
good and punish the wicked. Otherwise they need not expect
the blessing of heaven, or the favor of the people. It relates
the case of an emperor who was reformed by reading the Holy
Book.

V.   The She King ; or, Book of Poetry.

This book is about as devoid of moral instruction as the
Books of Puth and Esther in the Christian Bible. It is princi-
pally a display of human emotions and social feelings. Yet
almost every Chinese has committed portions of it to memory.
Being gotten up in the style of a poem, it is well calculated to
enlist the feelings of the devout disciple.
 52

TEE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

YI. The Chun Tsen ; ok, Spring and Summer.

This is principally a historical record, and is interpreted as
representing spring and summer. It is held in high estimation
as being the production of the “Great Divine Man,” Confu-
cius ; and it is wonderful with what ingenuity its commentators
and teachers have succeeded in extracting from its dry details
about wars, marriages, deaths, travels, eclipses, battles, &c.,
the most profound lessons in morals. Like the admirers and
expounders of other Holy Books in all ages and countries, they
bestow the most recondite spiritual meanings on texts contain-
ing nothing but nonsense, senseless verbiage, or immoral teach-
ings.

VII. The Tao-te King ; or, Doctrine of Reason.

“ Tao ” means absolute, and “ Te ” means virtue; which in-
dicates that it teaches absolute virtue. Of all sacred books
this is the most philosophical. It seems to constitute both a
revelation and system of philosophy. It displays considerable
wisdom and beauty, but is not free from those gross and repul-
sive elements which characterize the Christian and some other
Bibles. It declares that God created, cherishes, and loves all
the world. It has no angry God, but one enjoining love and
benevolence, and the return of good for evil, upon all the hu-
man race. It declares God made all beings : his essence formed
them, his might preserves them, his providence protects them,
and his power perfects them. It condemns war and weapons
of death: it says that Tao does not employ them, and all good
men abhor them. It also condemns the possession of worldly
wealth as being in opposition to a spiritual life, and as denoting
the absence of good from the soul. Modesty, mercy, benevo-
lence, and contentment arc recommended as the highest of hu-
man virtues. An extensive commentaiy, written b}T a Chinese
saint about 100 B.C., goes with this book to explain it, as all
“divine revelations” have to be revealed over again by the
priests, who seem to assume that Infinite Wisdom is too igno-
rant of human language to dictate a book that can be under-
stood. Must it not be mortifying to him to have his blunders
thus exposed ?
 CHINESE BIBLES.

53

Analogy of the Chinese and Jewish Religions.

The Christian historian, Mr. Milne, expressed a fear that he
might be condemned for furnishing proof, that, before Jesus was
born, a morality as pure was inculcated in the celestial empire
(China). As in the Hindoo, Egyptian, and Persian religions,
we find the Jewish and Christian religions here amalgamated
together. The Chinese had a cosmogony, or story of creation,
similar in some respects to those already noticed. These sacred
books speak of a primitive paradise, in which was a tree of
knowledge and a tree of life ; also of a deluge and an ark. Bap-
tism, the cross, and the miter are emblematical rites of their
religion. They also taught the doctrine of the eucharist and the
trinity, and practiced circumcision.

The Chinese have a story or tradition of an incarnate God,
Natigai, who, like Christ, was both creator and mediator. His
system of religious faith taught the doctrine of special provi-
dences, future rewards and punishments, a general judgment-
day, the duty of humility or self-abasement, and the moral and
religious obligation to observe strict temperate habits, and to
devote our whole lives to God, &c.

The Chinese religion inculcates many beautiful and sublime
moral precepts, which we have not space to notice here.

Antiquity of the Chinese Religion.
f The historical books of China, comprising a hundred and fifty
volumes, and called “ The Great Annals,” and recently trans-
lated by a scientific Frenchman, have a regular chronology, be-
ginning nearly two thousand six hundred years before the period
assigned for the creation of Adam. And they have calculations
in astronomy at that remote period. (The learned men of Eu-
rope have decided that they made the calculation of an eclipse
about seven hundred years before the time of Moses. These
facts are sufficient to prove the existence of their religion long
anterior to the time of Adam.

Concluding Inference.

In addition to the facts and authorities we have cited to show
that the Hindoo, Egyptian, Persian, and Chinese religions were
 54

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

all established prior to that of the Jews, there are other facts
which demonstrate the absolute impossibility of any of these
religions obtaining any of their religious elements or doctrines
from the Jews.

1.   'We find both the Jewish and Christian doctrine inter-
woven into each one of those Oriental systems. Hence, if they
borrowed one, they borrowed both. But that is impossible:
for the Christian system is known to be much younger.

2.   Those Oriental religions are all conservative in character;
so that there has been scarcely any perceptible change in their
doctrines during the thousands of years of their known exist-
ence. Hence their very nature would preclude them from bor-
rowing any new doctrines.

3.   On the contrary, the Jewish mind has been very vacillat-
ing. A disposition to change their religion has been constantly
manifested through their whole history. Such facts tas these
settle the question.
 55

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CHAPTER IX.

I.   The Soffees’ Bible — The Musnavi.

The Bible of the Soffees, the 44 Musnavi,” teaches that God
exists everywhere and in every thing; that the soul of man, and
the principle of life throughout all nature, are not from God,
but of God, and constitute a part of his essence ; that nothing
exists essentially but God ; and that 4 6 all nature abounds with
Divine Life.” Mr. Malcom, in his 44 History of the Moguls ”
(p. 269), sa}Ts: 44 The Solfees are incessantly occupied in •
adoring the Almighty, and in a search after truth.” They are
passionately fond of poetry and music (two essential elements
of civilization). Their Bible teaches many beautiful moral les-
sons.

II.   The Parsees’ Bible —44 Bohr Desch.”

The Parsees’ Bible is entitled Bour Desch, which means
“Genesis; or, the Beginning of Things.” Its cosmogony is
similar to that of Moses, though more definite, and probably
written at an earlier period. Its Eden, or primitive paradise,
lasted three thousand years before Kipo (the Devil) entered,
plucked the fruit, handed it to the woman, and thus caused her
downfall, and, after her, that of the whole human race.

III.   The Tamalese Bible.

We have space for but little more than the titles of other Bi-
bles.

The Tamalese “Holy Book” was known as the u Kali-
walcam,” and contains some excellent moral precepts.

IV.   Scandinavian Bible.

Saga, meaning “Wisdom,” is the name of the Scandinavian
44 Inspired Volume,” so called because it was believed to have
emanated from the fountain of divine wisdom.
 56

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

t V. The Ivalmucs’ Bible.

Kaliocham, the Kalmucs’ Bible, was believed to contain in
repletion 44 all the wisdom of God and man.”

VI. The Athenian Bible.

The ancient Athenians had what they claimed to be a 44 Holy
and God-derived Book,” called 44 The Testament.” Dinarchus
alludes to it in his speech against Demosthenes. It was read
with deep, solemn awe and devoutness.

VII. The Cabalists* Bible.

Yohar, or 44 Book of Light,” the Bible of the Cabahsts, re-
lates some wonderful cures and miracles performed by that sect.
 THE MAHOMEDAN BIBLE.

57

CHAPTER X.

The Mahomed an Bible — The Koran.

The Koran, or Alkoran, is the most modern in its origin of any
in the list, having been penned six hundred years later than the
Christian Bible. It differs from most other Bibles in being the
production of a single author, and, for this reason, possesses
more uniformity of style and fewer contradictions than most
other Bibles. Mahomet did not claim to be its author, and did
not write it, but merely dictated it to his secretary Zaid. Like
the founder of the Christian religion, and nearly all the other‘s
great religions of the world, he was very illiterate. Incarnate
Gods and religious chieftains possess no aspiration to become
scholars, and no taste for science. They were governed by feel-
ing and the impulse of religious enthusiasm, which have no affin-
ity for science. Mahomet, however, did not profess to be a God,
but merely a prophet. The Koran, having originated in a later
and more enlightened age than the Christian Bible, possesses
some superior features, and, of course, is superior to still older
Bibles. It is more consistent in its teachings on the subject of
temperance, as it does not, like the Christian Bible, both sanc-
tion and condemn the use of intoxicating drinks ; but uniformly
forbids the use of it, and even prohibits the manufacture of it.

It also shows more respect for the rights of woman by provid-
ing for her maintenance by dowry. It levies a tax on its dis-
ciples of two and one-fourth per cent for the support of the poor.

It enjoins not. only kindness and respect for enemies, but a care-
ful provision for their wants.

The disciples of the Koran were taught and believed that
the Holy Book was originated in heaven, and had long been
preserved there by its divine author Allah, and, in the fullness
of time, was handed down, chapter at a time, by the angel
 58

TEE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

Gabriel to the prophet Mahomet; and his scribe Zaid recorded it.
The leading doctrines of the Koran are : the Unity of the God-
head, and the perfection of his attributes ; the joys of paradise,
and the terrors of hell; the awful fate of unbelievers in the
Koran. The Day of Judgment is held up as a terror to evil-
doers and skeptics, and an encouragement to the faithful. Skep-
tics, or unbelievers in the Koran and the Mahomedan religion,
are repeatedly consigned to the same terrible fate (the fires of
hell) that Christ consigns the unbeliever in the Christian religion,
and the same as that to which the founders of other religions
doom those who reject or disbelieve their pretended revelations.
The Koran abounds in precepts of a high moral tone.

Mahomet holds out the idea that Christ was created like
Adam, and therefore was but a man, though a true servant of
God. This, he asserts, was the view of Christ himself. The
doctrine that God could have a son, or that there could be more •
than one person in the Godhead, was to him profanity, infidelity,
and downright blasphemj7. It is repeatedly denounced in strong
terms in the Koran. All prayer and praises to God are ad-
dressed to him in the singular number. I will cite a few texts
in illustration : *66 Praise be to God, Lord of all worlds, the com-
passionate and merciful King. Thee only do we worship, and
to thee only do we cry for help. Guide us in the right path.”
u The sun is God’s noonday brightness; the moon followeth
him: the day revealeth his glory; and the night enshroudeth
him.” 64 He built the heavens, and spread forth the earth.”

44 And whoso shall fear God, and do good works, no fear shall
come upon them, neither shall they be put to grief. But those
who turn away from him, he will consign to eternal fire.” 44 To
those who believe (the Koran), and do things which are right,
hath God promised forgiveness and a noble recompense.”

II. The Mormons’ Bible— Tiie Book of Mormon; also
44 Tiie Revelations of Joseph Smith.”

This sacred book is claimed to have been found inscribed on
gold plates, situated several feet below the surface of the earth,
in Wayne County, N.Y., in the year 1823, by Joseph Smith, a
pious youth, then only fourteen years of age, who declared he
 THE MORMONS’ BIBLE.

59

received information with respect to the existence of the plates
and their locality from an angel of the Lord, with whom he had
had frequent intercourse for several }^ears. The following is a
description of the plates and original records composing the
book, as furnished by Orson Pratt, one of the “Latter-day
Apostles’’ of Jesus Christ: “ The records were engraven on
plates which had the appearance of gold. Each plate was not
far from seven by eight inches in length and width, being not
quite as thick as common tin. They were filled on both sides
with engravings in Egyptian characters, and bound together in
a volume as the leaves of a book, fastened at one edge with
three rings running through the whole. This volume was some-
thing near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed.
The characters, or letters, upon the unsealed part were small and
beautifully engraven. The whole book exhibited many marks
of antiquity in its construction, and skill in its engravings.
With the records was found a curious instrument called by the
ancients 4 Urim and Thummim,’ which consisted of two trans-
parent stones, clear as crystal, set in the two rims of a bow.
It was used in ancient times by persons called seers, by means
of which they received revelations of things past or future.”

Mr. Smith finally succeeded, with the aid of a profound lin-
guist in New-York City by the name of Anthon, in translating the
whole work into the English language. Several writers testify
that the ground out of which the records were dug was solid, and
covered with a thick and solid growth of grass, presenting no
appearance of having ever been disturbed. The sect now con-
stitutes about three hundred thousand disciples. The following
testimony to the truth of the story is a voluntary offering by
three witnesses: —

Testimony or Three Witnesses.

Be it known unto all nations, tongues, kindred, and people unto whom this work shall
come, that we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have
6een the plates which contain this record, Which is a record of the people of Nephi, and
also of the Lamanites. Men, brethren, and also of the people of Jared. And we also
know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God; for his voice hath de-
clared it unto us: wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also tes-
tify that we have seen engravings which are upon the plates; and they are shown unto us
by the powder of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an
angel of God came down, and that he brought and laid before our eyes, and we beheld
 60

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

and saw, the plates and the engravings thereon. And we know it is by the grace of God
and our Lord Jesus Christ that we beheld and bare record that these things are true, and
it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded that we should
bear record of it. Wherefore, to be obedient to the commandments of God, we bear tes-
timony of these things. And we know, that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our
garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ,
and shall dwell with him eternally in heaven. And the honor be to the Father and the
Son and the Holy Ghost, which are one God. Amen.

Oliver Cowdery.

David Whitmer.

Martin Harris.

Mormon Sacred Book, No. 2 — The Book of Doctrines and
Covenants ; or, The Revelations of Joseph Smith.

In addition to the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith originated
and partly composed a Book of Doctrines and Covenants, pur-
porting to be a direct revelation from heaven relative to the
temporal government of their church. It enjoined the support
of the poor, the taxation of members, the establishment of cities
and temples, the education of the people, the emigration of
saints, &c. This book has been venerated by the Mormons as
a “hoty revelation from God,” and hence is, in a strict sense,
a Bible. Its title sufficiently indicates its character. As much
as Christians ridicule the idea of Joseph Smith receiving a reve-
lation from God, it comes to us with exactly the same authority
as the claimcd-to-be revelation of Moses. The evidence in each
case is the same.

III. Tiie Shakers’ Bible.

The Bible of the Shakers is entitled u A Iloty, Sacred, and
Divine Roll from the Lord God of Heaven to the Inhabitants of
the Earth, Revealed in the Society of New Lebanon, Columbiana
County, New York, United States of America.” The testi-
mony of eleven mighty angels is given, who arc said to have
attended the writing of the Roll. A copy of the Iloty Book has
been sent to every king and potentate on earth. Its contents
and style bear some resemblance to the Christian Bible ; and it
contains texts which .appear to have been drawn from that book,
and then altered. It should be borne in mind that the Shakers
also profess to believe in the Christian Bible, with their own
peculiar construction of the book, like other sects.
 THE JEWISH BIBLE.

61

CHAPTER XI.

The Jewish Bible.

In a practical sense, there are other books beside the Old
Testament which go to make up the Jewish Bible. The Talmud,
or rather the two Talmuds ; the Jerusalem Talmud (comprising
the Mishna, or Second Law), compiled about 150 B.C. by a
Jewish rabbi; and the Babylonian Talmud, compiled about six
hundred and fifty years later,—are regarded by the Jews as
equally inspired and equally binding in their moral requisitions
as that of the Old Testament. In fact, they compare the
former to wine, and the latter to water, when speaking of their
relative value. Some u tall stories ” are found in these Jewish
revelations, such as these: it tells of a bird so tall that the
water of a river in which it stood came only to its knees, though
the water was so deep that it took an ax, thrown into it, seven
years to reach the bottom; and of an egg of such enormous
dimensions, that, when broken, the white of it glued a whole
town together and a forest of three hundred cedar-trees. These
are but specimens of their miracles. Such is the character of
the Jewish sacred writings, emanating from the same source as
the Old Testament; and consequently of equal authority and
reliability, and equally entitled to our belief.
 62

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

CHAPTER XII-
The Christians’ Bible.

The Christian Bible, as now accepted by Protestants (for it
must be borne in mind that it has been altered and amended on
various occasions, thus altering the canonical Word of God),
is composed of thirty-nine books in the Old-Testament de-
partment, and twenty-seven in the New; the whole constitut-
ing a multifarious collection of old oracles, obsolete dogmas,
Oriental legends, ancient myths, religious reveries, beautiful
precepts, poetry, heart-touching pathos, wild fancies, preceptive
admonitions, martial exploits, domestic regulations, broken,
disjointed narratives, ritual rules, and spiritual ideas; including
also cosmogony, history, theocracy, theology, annals, romance,
prophecj7, rhapsody, psalmody, mythology, allegory, dreams,
tradition, legislation, ethics, politics, and religion, all jumbled
together without arrangement, division, classification, or order;
committed to writing in various ages and nations and countries,
and hy various writers, extending over a period of several thou-
sand j’cars, including ncarty every form of composition known to
human ingenuity,—gay, grave, tragical, logical, philosophical,
religious, and romantic, — emanating from Gods, angels, men,
and devils; recorded, some of it in mountains, some of it in
caves, some of it on the banks of rivers, some of it in forests, some
of it in deserts, and some of it under the shadow of the Pyramids.
It commenced on Mount Ilorcb, and ended in the isle of Pat-
inos. From such circumstances we arc not surprised to learn
that its chronology is unreliable, chimerical, and incorrect; its
history contradictory and incredible ; its philosophy fallacious ;
its logic unsound ; its cosmogony foolish and absurd ; its astron-
om}’ fragmentary and childish; its religion pagan-derived; its
 THE CHRISTIANS' BIBLE.

63

morals defective, sometimes selfish, often extravagant, and in
some cases pernicious. Its government, both temporal and
spiritual, is, to some extent, both barbarous and tyrannical;
while its theocracy is mere brute force. It presents us with
narratives without authorities, facts and figures without dates,
and records without names. We find no order in its arrange-
ment, no system in its subjects or the manner of presenting
them, and no connection in its paragraphs, and often no agree-
ment in its statements, and no sense in its logic. It seems to
teach nearly every thing upon nearly every question of morals
which it touches. It apparently both sanctions and condemns
nearly every species of crime to which it refers, and pours ful-
some laudations upon the heads of some of the most bloody-
minded and licentious men, —such as David, Solomon, &c., —
and holds them up as examples of true practical morality. It is
often dark, ambiguous, and mysterious, as well as contradictory,
not only in its lessons of morality, but in its account of the sim-
plest occurrences, thus rendering it comparatively worthless as
a moral guide ; inasmuch as it is much easier to find out what is
right and what is not without going to the Bible, than it is to
find out what the Bible teaches upon the subject, or what it in-
tends to teach in any given case. With respect to war, slavery,
polygamy, and the use of intoxicating liquors, for example, it
is much easier to determine whether they are right or wrong by
the moral fitness of things than whether they are scriptural or
anti-scriptural; while it,is silent upon many crimes which now
infest society. If we are compelled to determine the character of
some actions without going to the Bible, why not that of all other
moral actions and duties? Edmund Burke says of the Bible,
u It is necessary to sort out what is intended as example, and
what only as narrative ; what is to be understood literally, and
what figuratively, where one precept is to be controlled and mod-
ified by another; what is temporary, and what of perpetual ob-
ligation ; what is appropriate to one state or set of men, and
what is the general duty of men in all ages.” Now, who can not
see that all this must require a quality^ofimind capable of deter-
mining or learning moral principles ancDjaoral duties without
recurrence to the Bible ? And it must require a vast amount of
 64

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THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

time to accomplish this task, all of which is lost, inasmuch as
it is consuming time in making the Bible conform to what you
have already learned of right outside its pages,—time that
might be much better employed. Such are the moral aspects
of the Bible. But it also has its beauties, which we need not
occupy much space in depicting, as we have fifty thousand cler-
gymen in this country who attend faithfully to that matter.
Suffice it to say, that portions of it are characterized by a
high-toned spirituality, other portions by a deep, heart-stirring
pathos. And then we have manifested in other parts the most
devout piety, while the books of the prophets often breathe
forth a spirit of the most elevating poetry. And there is scarcely
a book, or even a chapter, in the whole- Bible, that does not
evince a spirit of religious devotion, and an effort for the right,
though often misdirected. Taken as a whole, the Bible may be
regarded as an exposition of the condition of science, morals,
religion, government, and domestic polity of the era in which it
was written, and suited to the temporal and spiritual wants of the
people of that age, for whom it was written, but not for this age.
When regarded in this light, and as simpty a human production
of the best minds of the age and times in which it was written,
man}" portions of it can be read with interest and instruction.
But when read, as it has been for centuries, as a perfect,
divine composition, designed for all time and as a finality in
faith and practice and moral progress, it becomes a stumbling-
block in the path of progress, an embargo upon free thought,
a fetter upon the soul, a fog of bewilderment to the mind, and
a drag-chain to the moral and intellectual reformation of the
world.
 GENEBAL ANALOGIES OF BIBLES.

65

CHAPTER XIII.

General Analogies of Bibles.

From the foregoing brief analysis of the characters of the
Bibles of various nations, it will be observed that they are, in
their main or leading features, essentially alike, including the
Holy Books of Jews, Christians, and pagans ; that they are
alike in their ends and aims and main characteristics; that all
inculcate the same fundamental doctrines; that all impart and
enjoin the observance of intrinsically the same moral lessons,
the same preceptive aphorisms. All teach substantially the
same superstitions, the same kind of miraculous feats performed
by Gods, angels, and men and devils, the same marvelous stories
and achievements over-ruling and over-riding the great laws of
nature, often checking or stopping the ponderous wheels of the
machinery of the universe. The revelations on the pages of
each are claimed to be God-derived, and to have been inspired
through prophets, orators, angels, apostles, or “holy men ; ” or to
have issued directly from the mouth of God, and descended from
his immaculate throne to earth, without the intervention or
employment of a medium. Each puts forth similar notions and
traditions concerning Gods, deities, or angels, genii, demons, or
evil spirits, priests, prophets, patriarchs, prayers, sacrifices,
penances, ceremonies, rituals, Messiahs, redeemers, intercessors,
sin-atoning, crucified Saviors, sons of God, &c. All recog-
nize the doctrine of atonement for sin ; all, or nearly all, approxi-
mate in their modes of propitiating the favor of an offended
Deity by oblations, sacrifices, and offerings of animals, men, or
Gods, or sons of God. Each has its cosmogony ; each proclaims
the doctrine of one supreme God, the doctrine of the immor-
tality of the soul, of post-mortem rewards for “ deeds done in
 G6

THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

the bod}r,”—endless bliss for the righteous, and punishment for
the wicked. Each attests the truth and divine origin of its
religion by the record of a long array of the most astonishing
miracles, confirmed and ratified b}r the fulfillment of numerous
prophecies. Most of them teach the doctrine of the primeval
innocence and moral elevation of man, and of his fall, and of his
prospective subsequent restoration; and also of the necessity
of a “ change,’’ or “ being born again,” in order to a full recon-
ciliation with God, and a perfect state of righteousness. In a
word, all had essentially the same religious institutions, and the
same ecclesiastical orders of priests, pilgrims, monks, and mis-
sionaries ; the same or similar prayers, liturgies, sermons,
hymns, and sacrificial offerings; similar holy orders of saints,
angels, and martyrs. All had their “holy days,” their “holy
fasts and feasts,” “ holy rivers,” “ hoty mountains,” and
“holy temples,” &c. ; and nearly all preached essentially the
same doctrines relating to a spiritual birth, regeneration, pre-
destination, and a future life, rewards, and punishments, and a
final judgment, &c. All furnish a religion cut and dried (the
great end of all Bible creeds) so as to save the intellectual labor
and mental toil of discovering the rule of right and the road to
duty by an investigation of the great laws of cause and effect,
the nature and constitution of the human mind, and the moral
fitness of things. As a finale to creation, and a final consumma-
tion and triumph of their peculiar faith, each imagines and
portrays a great prospective millennial epoch, at which juncture
the heavens are to be “ rolled together as a scroll; ” the oceans,
seas, lakes, and rivers to take fire, and be reduced to ashes;
“ the New Jerusalem to descend from God out of heaven ; ” and
peace, righteousness, and happiness unalloyed to rule and to
reign thenceforth and for ever. Hence all Bibles and religions
are of divine origin, or none.

Note. — Sir William Jones says the ancient religions borrowed from
each other.

II. Superior Features of IIeatiien Bibles.

There is not one Oriental Bible in all the number but that is
superior in some respects in its teachings to the Christians’ Bible.
 GENERAL ANALOGIES OF BIBLES.

67

None of them sanction so explicitly every species of crime;
none of them contain so much obscene language. On the con-
trary, the Chinese Bible, as Mr. Meadows says, “ contains not
one sentence but that may be read with propriety in any drawing-
room in EnglandStrikingly different from that of the
Christian Bible, as shown in Chap. XXIII. The Mahome-
dan Bible is quite superior in its teachings, both with respect to
intemperance and the treatment of women. It forbids both the
use and the traffic in intoxicating drinks, and also the manufac-
ture ; while the Christian Bible, although condemning one, sanc-
tions both (see Chap. LVIII.). With respect to women, it con-
tains some commendable precepts% It not only enjoins husbands
to treat their wives properly, and provide for them, but provides
for their divorce in case this is not done; while the Christian
Bible, by the authority of Christ, allows divorce for no crime,
abuse, cruelty, or inhuman treatment on the part of tyrannical,
wicked, or drunken husbands, but that of fornication (see Matt,
v. 32). The Koran also enjoins a tax of two and a half per cent
on its disciples to support the poor; while the Christian Bible
sa3^s, “Thou shalt not countenance a poor man in his cause ”
(Ex. xxiii. 3), though it is true it contains counter-precepts.
These examples are sufficient to lead to the conclusion that
nothing would be gained to the cause of practical morality by
supplanting any of the Oriental Bibles with the Christian Bible.
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THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

CHAPTER XIV.

The Infidels’ Bible.

We find the remarkable admission in the Christian Bible, that
the moral guide adopted by infidels is superior to that book
which Christians have adopted for a guide. Paul, in his Epistle
to the Romans, says, 44 The Gentiles, who have not the Bible,
do by nature the things contained in the Bible.” An astonish-
ing Bible concession, truly! He, however, uses the word 4 4 law ’’
for Bible ; but commentators tell us the law is contained in the
Bible, and some writers make 44 law” and 44 Bible” synony-
mous terms. We therefore give the sense more fully by ren-
dering it 44 Bible ” instead of 44 law.” It is here admitted by
Paul, that the great Bible of Nature, written upon man’s con-
sciousness, and inscribed upon everjr thing around him, which is
the infidels’ Bible and revelation, is superior to any printed
Bible. If man learns by nature the moral lessons taught by the
Bible or moral law (that is, b}T nature’s laws, as learned by ob-
servation and experience, which is the infidel’s sole reliance for
learning the great lessons and duties of life), then this natural
revelation, which Paul commends so highly, is superior to any
written or printed revelation. If, as Paul teaches, the ignorant,
illiterate Gentile can learn by this revelation of nature, or law
of nature, the duties of life, the great truths of salvation, and
the right road to heaven, then it must be greatly superior to the
Christians’ Bible. For it is admitted b}r Christians themselves
(foreign missionaries), that, with all the aid that priests and
commentators can render, there is a considerable portion of
their Bible which the heathen can not learn or be made to under-
stand. But not so, according to Paul, with God’s natural Bible,
and the revelation inscribed on man’s moral nature, and learned
 THE INFIDELS’ BIBLE.

69

by the exercise of his common sense, natural judgment, and the
experience of mankind in general. Hence we have a Bible
which is not only easily read and easily understood by even the
unlettered heathen, but a Bible which possesses many advantages
over all printed Bibles, some of which I will mention. In the
first place, it is a Bible always open. It can not be kept closed
under lock and key, as the Christian Bible has been in past
ages. Second, It is a Bible that needs no translation in any
language ; for it is already written in the languages of all the na-
tions of the earth. Third, It is a Bible, thank God! that all,
whether high or low, learned or unlearned, can read and under-
stand. Its glorious truths are easily read ; for they are plainly
and legibly inscribed upon every leaf and page of the soul of
every human being. Fourth, Hence this revelation needs no
priest to expound it, and no church to unravel its mysteries, by
voluminous commentaries. Sixth, No concordance is needed to
enable its readers to find its golden gems, which glitter and
sparkle upon every page. They are what the Quakers call “ the
light within.” Seventh, Neither moths nor mice can destroy
this glorious Bible. Fire can not consume it, nor water wash it
away. It is imperishable and eternal. It is a Bible into which
no errors have ever crept, either by printers, transcribers, or
translators. And (soul-cheering thought!) it is a Bible which
contains all the important doctrines, principles, and precepts
which can be found in any perishable paper-and-ink Bible, and
all the grand truths that God ever vouchsafed to man. They can
all be found in this golden-leaved Bible, this eternal, soul-saving
revelation of God.

Paul refers to this natural Bible, or revelation, again when he
sa}Ts, u Know ye not of yourselves what is right ? ” — that is, by
the Bible planted in }^our own souls, the revelation stereotyped
upon your own moral sense or moral nature. Hence the vir-
tual acknowledgment by Paul (who is Bible authority), that
there is no necessity of running to any printed or paste-
board Bible to learn the truths of the gospel or the duties of
life; for he teaches the important lesson, that we may learn
them in our own inward selves. We can “ know of ourselves
what is right.” And there are other texts which admit that
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THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

God’s first revelation, and his last and only revelation, to the
human race, is far superior to that of any books of human ori-
gin ; and which admit that this glorious revelation can not be found
in the Christian Bible, or any other perishable book, but existed
for ages before any paper-and-ink Bible was ever thought of.
I will quote one other text to prove these statements, and in
further confirmation of the proposition that the Christian Bible
itself admits that the infidels’ Bible, direct from the hand of
God, is greatly superior to it in all the essential features and
principles of a Bible. Paul concedes this when he says, in his
Epistle to the Homans, “ The invisible things of God are clearly
seen and understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead ” (Rom. i. 20). Now, here it is proved,
if any thing can be proved by the Bible, that every thing that
can be learned about God and religion can be found written
upon the tablets of nature, and inscribed upon every thing that
is made. For it is declared, that even the “ invisible things of
God”—that is, the great spiritual truths of the kingdom—can
be seen and learned by the revelations, or lessons, written upon
things “ that are made.” A wonderful admission, truly ! It is
stated, they can not only be seen, but “ dearly seen and under-
stood,” by studying the things u that are made,” and learning
their important lessons. If, then, they can be “ clearly seen
and understood,” there is not the shadow of a doubt left upon
the mind as to their truth or meaning: you are not annoyed
with that perplexity, uncertainty, and painful anxiety about the
meaning of moral lessons they teach, as you are with respect to
hundreds of texts you find in the Christian Bible. This is
a grand revelation and declaration and benefit, truly. And
“even his eternal power and Godhead,” — that is, God’s charac-
ter and attributes, —we are here told, can be learned by reading
and studying this beautiful and easily comprehended Bible,
written by the finger of God upon eveiy leaf and page of nature.
Was there ever a more important, more pleasing, or more beau-
tiful revelation made to the world than this of Paul’s ? And is
it not surprising that Christians have never noticed this most
important admission? It is an important moral lesson that
throws their pen-and-ink Bible into the shade, and shows we

[Prometheus]

 THE INFIDELS9 BIBLE.

71

would be better without than with it by substituting God’s
eternal and universal Bible. It will be observed, then, that it is
shown by different texts of the Bible, that the “ Holy Book ”
which came directly from the hands of God is greatly superior
to that which came through the hands of man. And the fact
that it is the only Bible, or revelation, that can now be found in
all countries, and the only Bible that can be read by all nations,
kingdoms, tongues, and people, and that not. one man, woman,
or child in a hundred, take the world over, can read any other
Bible but this, is very nearly prima facie evidence that it is the
only Bible God ever designed for the human race, and that he
never did impart, and never will impart, any other revelation to
the world ; that no other Bible is necessary for the moral, religious,
and spiritual welfare of the race, or to point the road to salvation.
Hence it is the only Bible we would recommend for the reading
of the young. It is the only Bible we are certain they can un-
derstand. It is the only Bible we are certain is free from errors.
It is the only Bible we are certain has never been altered or
mistranslated. It is the only Bible we are certain teaches no
immoral lessons. It is the only Bible which we are certain con-
tains no vulgar or obscene language, calculated to raise a blush
on the cheek of modesty, and outrage every feeling of decorum,
as many of the texts found in the Christian Bible do. It is the
only u Holy Scripture 99 we can be certain was given forth by
divine inspiration, and the only sacred volume or u Holy Word 99
which has the full seal and sanction of Almighty God. Read,
then, and study well, this open and widespread Bible which
infolds the universe. All the Bibles and religions of the past
claim to have been authorized by a direct revelation or inspira-
tion from God. ' But we are satisfied that no such revelation has
ever been given forth to any nation in any age of the world.
For inspiration is now known to be a universal law of the
natural mind; an inborn principle of the human soul, which
all ages and nations, and every’human being, have possessed a
greater or less share of. And the amount of true inspiration
possessed by each individual depends upon his or her moral,
intellectual, and spiritual elevation of the soul or mind into the
higher enjoyment of spiritual bliss where it becomes en rapport
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THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

with all that is lovety, inspiring, and beautiful in God’s uni-
verse ; where it can take cognizance of great moral problems
and spiritual truths; and where it can look through the long
vista of futurity, and behold the events of coming years rolling
up toward the threshold of time. This is true inspiration, and
the spirit of true prophecy. But it is the work of our own
minds, and not of Deit}r, and is not confined to any age, nation,
or religion. It depends upon the culture of the moral and intel-
lectual faculties and the spiritual aspirations of the individual,
and not upon his creed or religious belief.

As for a divine revelation, it can not be found in any book of
human origin. It could not be incorporated into a book, nor
could all the books in the world contain it. It is inscribed all
over the face of nature. We read it upon the outstretched
earth and upon the shining heavens ; we read it upon

“ Every bush and every bower,

Every leaf and every flower.,,

Here, then, we have a Bible with a revelation as broad as the
universe. Its lids are the heavens above, and the earth beneath.
Its golden-leaf pages are spread out at our feet; its lessons of
wisdom, its truths of salvation, and its soul-inspiring beauties,
are inscribed upon the soul, and written all over the face of
nature. Read and study it, O man! and become u wise unto
salvation.”
 TWO THOUSAND BIBLE EBBOBS.

73

CHAPTER XV.

[Prometheus]

TWO THOUSAND BIBLE ERRORS. OLD TESTAMENT
DEPARTMENT.

A HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THREE ERRORS IN THE STORY OP
CREATION.

As the Old Testament possesses no order, no arrangement,
and no distinct system of either morals or religion, and no
regular connection in its history, we have to treat it in the same
unsystematic order in which we find it, and to expose many
foolish errors and stories which seem almost beneath the dignity
of any respectable writer to notice. But, as they constitute a
large portion of the Old Testament, we have got to deal with
them or nothing. And, although trifling in themselves, they
have done much mischief. Hence we deem it of greater im-
portance to expose their evil influence than to trace them to
their heathen origin, as we originally designed doing.

1.   The first text in the Bible is evidently an error. “ In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth ” (Gen. 1).
No geologist or philosopher at the present day believes in
either a creation or a creator. The assumption involves two
impossibilities. First, a creation could not take place with-
out something to create from:   nihilo nihil fit” — “ Out of

nothing nothing can come.” Second, to account for the ori-
gin of the earth, sun, moon, and stars, by assuming the exist-
ence of a creator, is throwing no light on the subject. We have
made no progress towards solving the problem; for we are
equally puzzled to account for the origin of the creator himself.
It is as easy to assume that matter always existed as to assume
that the creator always existed. Hence there would be no crea-
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THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

tion possible, and none needed. This is now regarded as a set-
tled scientific problem.

2.   It is a scientific error to assert that matter had a
beginning, as the Bible assumes. Many scientific facts have
been developed to establish the conclusion that all beings and
objects on earth were eliminated from its elements, and all the
planets we can recognize were an outgrowth from some other
worlds. The proposition is not only susceptible of much proof
(which I have not space here to present), but is very beautiful
and satisfactory. It u composes our reason to peace.’9 All we
lack of comprehending it is the capacity to grasp eternity and
infinity, which finite mortals cannot do.

3.   If God u created the heavens ” (Gen. i. 1), and heaven
is his “dwelling-place” (see 1 Kings viii. 30), then where
did he dwell before the heavens were made? Here is a very
puzzling question, and involves an absurdity equal to that
of the Tonga-Islanders, who teach that the first goose was
hatched from an egg, and that the same goose laid the egg.
An idea equally ludicrous is involved in the assumption that God
created the heavens and the earth about six thousand years ago ;
so that, previous to that era, there was nothing on which he could
stand, sit, or lie, but must have been suspended in mid-air from
all etcrnitj".

4.   If nothing existed prior to six thousand years ago, then
there was nothing for God to do, and nothing for him to
do it with. Hence he must have spent an eternity in idleness,
a solitary monarch without a kingdom.

5.   As we are told God created the light (Gen. i. 3), the
conclusion is forced upon us, that, prior to that period, he
had spent an eternity in darkness. And it has been -discov-
ered that all beings originating in a state of darkness, or living
in that condition, were formed without eyes, as is proved by
blind fishes being found in dark caves. Hence the thought is
suggested, that God, prior to the era of creation (six thousand
years ago), was perfectly blind.

0. “God saw the light that it was good” (Gen. i. 4).
Hence we must infer that God had just got his eyes open, and
that lie had never before discovered that light is good. Of
course it was good to be delivered from eternal darkness.
 TWO THOUSAND BIBLE EBBOBS.

75

7.   “ And God divided the light from the darkness ” (Gen.
i. 4). Hence, previous to that period, they must have been
mixed together. Philosophy teaches that light and darkness
never can be separated, any more than heat and cold, as one
is only a different degree of the other.

8.   “ And God called the light Day, and the darkness he
called Night’’ (Gen. i. 5). And to whom did he call them?
as no living being was in existence until several days after-
wards. Hence there was no need of calling them any thing;
and, as we are told Adam named every thing, he could as easily
have found names for these as for other things.

9.   The Bible teaches us that day and night were created
three days before the sun. Every school-boy now knows that
it is the revolution of the earth upon its axis that causes day
and night; and, but for the existence of the sun, there could be
no day and night. If Moses’ God was so ignorant, he had
better never have wakened out of his eternity of darkness.

10.   The Bible teaches that the earth came into exist-
ence three days before the sun; but science teaches us that
the earth is a child or offshoot of the sun. Hence it could
be equally true to say a son was born three days before his
father.

11.   “And the earth was without form, and void” (Gen.
i. 2) ; but philosophy teaches that nothing can exist with-
out form, or when void. The declaration brings to mind the
Scotchman’s definition of “nothing,” — “a footless stocking
without a leg.” We have an idea of a thing which does not
exist.

12.   “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters” (Gen. i. 2). Here we are taught that the
original state of the earth was that of water. But geology
teaches its original constituents was fire or fusion; that water
did not exist, and could not exist, in it, or on it, for millions of
ages. Professor Agassiz says our earth was once in a state of
igneous fusion, without water, without rain, and even without an
atmosphere (“Geological Sketches,” i. 2). And even the pious,
God-fearing Hugh Miller says that “ the solid earth was at one
time, from center to circumference, a mass of molten matter ”
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THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

(“ Lectures on Geology,” 256). Here we have geology against
theology.

13.   God spent a day making a firmament, by which he
“ divided the waters from the waters.’’ If it had then stated
that he spent a day in making moonshine, or one day in
making breath for Adam, it would have been as sensible; for
the firmament is as truly a part of the earth (being eliminated
from it) as our breath is a part of our bodies.

14.   “Divided the waters from the waters.” Here is dis-
closed a belief which prevailed in various Oriental and heathen
nations, that the earth exists between two large lakes, or
sheets of water; and that the firmament is a solid floor, which
holds the water up, and prevents it from falling, and inun-
dating the earth ; and, being supplied with doors and windows,
when God wants it to rain he opens the windows (the Bible
says “ the windows of heaven were opened,” see Gen. vii. 11)^
He pours it down by opening the windows, and stops it by
shutting them up. “The windows of heaven were stopped ”
(Gen. viii. 2). How fully is the heathen tradition disclosed
here!

15.   We are told that God gathered “the waters under
heaven together unto one place” (Gen. i. 9). How ignorant
he must have been of geography ! He evidently had not studied
the science, or had not traveled much, or he would have known
the waters under heaven never have been “gathered together
unto one place,” but exist in many places, as the two hundred
large lakes prove.

1G. The Bible tells us, that, when God created the vegeta-
ble kingdom, he ordered each species of vegetation to “bring
forth after its kind” (Gen. i. 11). Can we suppose that
apple-trees would have borne budges, or mullein-stalks pro-
duced pumpkins, or any thing foreign to their nature, if the
command had not been given for each to bring forth after its
kind?

17.   According to the Bible, the vegetable kingdom was
created before the animal; but the learned geologist Hitch-
cock, although a Christian by profession, in his “Elements of
Geology” says, “An examination of the rocks shows us that
 TWO THOUSAND BIBLE EBBOBS.

77

animals were created as early as vegetables ” (and he might
have said much earlier). And yet the Bible says vegetables
were created on the third day, and animals on the fifth (see
Gen. i.).

18.   The Bible represents vegetables as coming into existence
before the sun; but philosophy teaches that they could neither
germinate nor grow without the warming and vivifying influence
of the sun.

19.   The Bible tells us that 44 God made two great lights,
the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule
the night; and God set them in the firmament to give light
to the earth” (Gen. i. 16, 17). That is, he made two round
balls, and then stuck them into a hole scooped out of the
firmament for the purpose. This seems to be the idea. Here
is disclosed the most egregious ignorance of astronomy. Think
of that stupendous solar luminary, as much larger than this
P3Tgmy planet as a man is larger than a mouse, being hung up or
stuck up above us for our sole accommodation ! How sublimely
ridiculous!

20.   The Bible represents the great world-builder, the almighty
architect, as spending five days in plodding and toiling at this
little mole-hill of ours before he got it finished up to his notion,
and then made such a bad job of it that he repented for
having undertaken it.

21.   But when he came to make the countless worlds, the
vast suns, and systems of suns, which roll their massive
forms in every direction around the earth, these were all
made in a few hours. 44 And he made the stars also.” This
text tells the whole story of the origin of the boundless planet-
ary system, comprising millions of worlds larger than our plan-
et. What superlative ignorance of astronomy Moses’ God
manifests !

22.   Moses is awarded great credit by Bible believers for
opposing polytheism, and teaching the existence of but one
God: but it would have been more to his credit if he had
stuck to a belief in a plurality of Gods; for it would take a
million of such Gods as his imagination has created a thousand
years to make such a universe as astronomers have brought to
fight since he wrote.
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THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

23.   The language, “Let us make man in our own image”
(Gen. i. 26), seems to imply that there was an association of
gods,—a company of ahnighty mechanics, who had formed
a copartnership to do up a big job.

24.   If man was made in the image of God, why was he
cursed for eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge in order
to be like God ?

25.   According to the Bible, God became so tired in the
business of world-making that he had to take a rest of a whole
day (and perhaps took a nap also) when the job was com-
pleted ; but geology and philosophy both teach that creation
never was begun, and never will be finished, but is going on
all the time. Hence new species of animals and vegetables are
constantly coming into existence.

2G. The Bible represents the entire universe as being created
less than six thousand years ago; but science teaches us
that it has been in existence for millions of years.

27.   A large volume of scientific facts has been accumu-
lated by scientists, showing that even our earth, one of the
youngest of the planets, is at least several hundred thousand
years old. Look at a few of the facts which go to prove it.
The coral reefs of Florida are estimated by Professor Agassiz
to be one hundred and thirty-five thousand years old. Charles
Lyell estimates the delta of the Mississippi Valley to be
at least one hundred thousand years old. Four growths of
cypress-trees far below the surface of the ground, and situated
one above another, have been discovered near New Orleans,
whose successive growths must have occupied a period of at
least one hundred and fifty thousand 3’ears. So much for the
agreement of geology and Bible chronology.

28. But wc are told that a day in the Bible means a
thousand years. Then, as the sabbath day constitutes one
of the days spoken of in the Bible, and was provided as a
day of* rest, Christians and Bible believers should rest a thou-
sand years at a time; and, as God rested a whole day (a thou-
sand years), he must have been as tired of resting as lie was of
world-making. Why do the figures u 4004 B.C.” stand at the
top of the first page of the Bible, if a thousand years mean one
day?
 TWO THOUSAND BIBLE ERRORS.

79

29.   The Bible teaches that whales, fishes, and birds were
made on the same day; but geology assures us that fishes
came into existence long before fowls.

30.   The Bible teaches that beasts and creeping things
were all made on the fifth day of creation; but geology tells
us that reptiles and creeping things crawled upon the earth mil-
lions of years before beasts came into existence.

31.   The Bible represents man as coming into existence
about six thousand years ago; but human bones have recently
been discovered in the vicinity of New Orleans which Dr.
Dowler estimates to be at least fifty thousand years old.

32.   A deity who becomes so tired and physically exhausted
with six days’ labor as to be compelled to stop and rest,
physiology teaches would be liable to physical disease; and,
if physically diseased, it might terminate in death, and thus
leave the world without a God (Godless).

33.   The Bible tells us “ the Lord God formed man of
the dust of the ground” (Gen. ii. 7) ; but philosophy teaches
that dust possesses no vital properties, and that it would
have been less difficult to make man of a stone or a stump,
owing to their possessing more adhesive properties. One
writer suggests that the negro must have been made of coal-
dust.

34.   According to the Bible, a serious blunder was made
by Jehovah in the work of creation, by exhausting all the
materials in the process of world-making and man-making, so
that nothing was left to make a “ helpmeet” for Adam; and
this blunder caused the necessity of robbing Adam of one of
his ribs.

35.   But common sense teaches us that a small crooked
bone but a few ounces in weight could not furnish half the
material necessary to constitute a woman. The Parsees, with
a little more show of sense, tell us that the rib was used mere-
ly as a back-bone, around which the woman was constructed;
which revives in memory Erin’s mode of making cannon, which
consisted in “ taking a round hole, and pouring melted metal
around it.” The Tonga-Islanders have a tradition about as
sensible as that of Moses with respect to the origin of the first
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THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

woman. Their God made the first man with three legs, and
amputated one of them to make a “helpmeet for him.” This
is an improvement, as a leg can be better spared when there are
three than a rib : it also possesses more material than a rib.

36.   The Bible teaches that man was created upright, but
fell. If it means physically, it can be easily accounted for,
and must be ascribed to his* creator; for depriving him of one
of his ribs would leave him in an unbalanced condition, so that
he would be liable to fall.

37.   The Bible imparts to us the strange intelligence that
“the Lord God brought all the beasts and birds to Adam
to see what he would call them” (Gen. ii. 19). What an
idea for Omniscience or Infinite Wisdom to engage in the
business of chasing bears, lions, tigers, elephants, and hy-
enas, and all manner of beasts great and small, and all manner
of birds, also hissing, crawling, biting reptiles, and every liv-
ing thing which he had created, and taking them to Adam “ to
see what he would call them” ! Not having sufficient intelli-
gence to find names for them himself (pardon the thought), his
curiosit}’ was no doubt aroused to see what an ignorant being of
his own creation, who had not sufficient intelligence to clothe
himself, would call the innumerable host of beasts, birds, &c.,
before any language was known, or even a single letter was in-
vented to spell names with. (We are very far from desiring to
wound the feelings or encroach upon the reverence that any
man or woman may cherish for “a God of infinite love, wis-
dom, and goodness ; ” but let it be kept constantly in mind we
are not presenting the history of such a being here, but the
mere imaginary God of Moses and the Bible.)

[Prometheus]

38.   As the Bible teaches that Adam named all the beasts,
animals, and birds, it must have occupied a great number
of years for the Lord God of Moses to have caught and
taken the several hundred thousand species to Adam to receive
names in all the three thousand languages, and then convey
them back to their respective climates.

39.   The question naturally arises, "Why should Adam give
them names I)}’ sajing, “This is a horse, that is an ass,
the animal yonder shall be called a hippopotamus,” &c.,
 TWO THOUSAND BIBLE ERRORS.

81

when there was nobody present to hear it and be benefited by
it ? And nobody could have remembered half the names had
they been present. Here we wish to call the attention of the
reader specially to the fact that all the thoughts and language
Tre have so far cited as being either that of God or Moses
sounds like the utterance of ignorant children, and unworthy
the dignity of an intelligent and sensible man, much less that of
a God.

40.   The Bible teaches that u God made man in his own
image/’ The reverse statement would have been true, “Man
made God in his own image;” for this is true of all nations
who believe in a God.

41.   Here let it be noted the Bible contains two contradictory
accounts of creation; one found in the first chapter of Gen-
esis, the other in the second. In the first, animals are created
before man ; in the second, after man.

42.   The first chapter of Genesis says, “ Let the earth bring
forth plants” (Gen. i. 11) : the second says, “ God created
every plant . . . before it was in the earth” (Gen. ii. 9).
A contradiction; and neither statement is true, there being
no creation.

43.   The first chapter has the earth created several days
before the firmament, or heaven: the second chapter has it
created on the same day (Gen. ii. 4).

44.   The first represents fowls as originating in the water
(Gen. i. 20) : the second has them created out of the water.

45.   After the first chapter says “ God created man in his
own image” (Gen. i. 27), the second says “there was not
a man to till the ground ” (Gen. ii. 4).

46.   The first chapter represents man and woman as being
created at the same time (Gen. i. 27) : the second represents
the woman as being created after the man.

47.   The first implies that man has dominion over the whole
earth: the second restricts his dominion to a garden. Which •
is the inspired story of creation?

48.   The Mexicans claim that the first man and woman
were created in their country. The Hindoos aver that the
original progenitors of the race (Adimo and Iva) first made
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their appearance amongst them. The Chinese claim a similar
honor. The Persians contend that God landed the first human
pair in the land of Iran. And, finally, the Jews affirm that
Jehovah created the first pair in Eden.

J

The Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life.

Moses tells us God planted two trees in Eden, one of which
he called “ the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” This
tree bore fruit which nobody was allowed to taste (Gen. ii. 9).

49.   Why the tree was planted, or why its fruit was forbidden
to be used, are problems which the Bible does not solve, and
which set reason at defiance.

50.   And then it looks like a senseless act to create a tree
for the purpose of bearing fruit (as we can conceive of no
other purpose for which it could have been created)*, and then
decree that it should all go to waste.

51.   It was worse still to create human beings with an appe-
tite for this fruit, and place it in their sight, and then forbid
them to taste it on penalty of death. Nothing could be more
opposed to our ideas of reason and justice.

52.   Did God create beings in his own image, and then treat
them' as if he wished to tantalize them and render them
unhappy?

53.   It would seem that he created man for no other purpose
than to tease and torment him, and quarrel with him.

54.   Common sense would suggest it to be the act of an
ignoramus or a tyrant to implant in man the desire to eat fruit
which he did not allow him to eat.

55.   And would it not be unjust to punish Adam and Eve for
doing what he himself had implanted in them the desire to
do?

5G. God must have known they would eat the fruit, if he
were omniscient.

57.   If he were not omniscient, he was not a God in a
supreme or divine sense.

58.   God must have had the power without the will to prevent
the act of disobedience, which would make him an unjust and
unmerciful tyrant.
 TWO THOUSAND BIBLE ERBOBS.

83

59.   Or else the will without the power, which would make
him a weak and frail being, and not a God.

(For a full elucidation of these points, see chapter sixty-nine.)

We will notice a few other points.

60.   As God declared eating the fruit would make Adam
“ like one of us,” that is, Godlike (and all men are enjoined to
become Godlike), was not Adam, therefore, justified in eating
the fruit in order to become Godlike ?

61.   In chapter sixty-nine it is shown, that, as Adam and
Eve got their eyes open by eating the inhibited fruit, the act
of disobedience turned out to be a great blessing, inasmuch as
it saved the earth from being filled with a race of blind human
beings.

62.   And, as this blessing was obtained through the agency
of the serpent-devil, we must admit “ the father of lies” was
a great benefactor of the human race, as shown in chapter
sixty-nine.

63.   As Adam could not very well exercise “ dominion over
every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Gen. i. 26)
while shut up in a little eight-by-ten garden, we can observe
here another practical benefit of the act of disobedience which
drove him from the garden.

64.   Is it not a strange piece of moral incongruity to set
Adam to tilling the soil in the garden as a blessing, and then
doom him to till it outside as a curse? (Gen. iii. 23.) He first
embarked in the business as a blessing, and then as a curse.
How the same act could be both a blessing and a curse is a
u m}Tstery of godliness ” which swamps us.

65.   The Jews tell us the original tempter was a serpent
(Gen. iii. 1) ; the Mexicans say it was a demon; the Hindoos
call him a snake; the Greeks declare it was a dragon;
Josephus supposes it was an ape ; some of the East-India sects
speak of him as a fish; but the Persian revelations make it
a lizard. Which is right ?

66.   The Mosaic or Hebrew cosmogony represents the ser-
pent as dealing out the fruit to the genus homo; while the
Mexicans, the Egyptians, and the Persians set the serpent or
“ evil genius ” to guarding the tree to protect the fruit. Which
is right ?
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67.   When God Jehovah announced to the trinity of Gods,
“Behold, the man has become as one of us to know good
and evil” (Gen. iii. 22), exactly as the serpent had predicted,
instead of dying as Jehovah had predicted, does it not prove
that the serpent was the best and most reliable prophet ?

G8. As Adam and Eve could know nothing of the nature
of right and wrong until they attained that knowledge by eating
the fruit, does not this fact prove it to be a justifiable if not a
righteous act?

G9. How could Adam and Eve know that any act was
sinful before an act of any kind had been committed by which
they could learn the character or consequences of human con-
duct?

69.   Is it not a logical conclusion, that, if God created
every tiling, he can control every thing, and hence, strictly
speaking, is alone responsible for the right performance of
every thing ?

70.   The Christian Bible tells us the first pair of human
beings sewed fig-leaves together for clothing; but the Chinese
revelation say palm-leaves. Which is right? Who can tell?

71.   As it is declared the voice of God was heard “walking
in the garden’’ (Gen. iii. , we beg leave to ask, what kind
of a thing is a “walking voice ” ?

72.   We also beg leave to ask, who took charge of “the
house of many mansions” while Jehovah was down among
the bushes hunting and hallooing for Adam ?

72.   And who took charge of creation, and kept the machinery
of the universe running during the thousand 3Tears’ rest of
God Almighty, if the one day he rested means a thousand
years ?

73.   Was it necessary for an omnipresent God to come down
from heaven to find Adam when he hid among the bushes?
And what would have been the result if he had not been
found ?

74.   Must wc not conclude that the command to “multiply
and replenish the earth” was rather superfluous, inasmuch
as nations who never heard of the command perform the duty
faithfully?
 TWO THOUSAND BIBLE ERBOBS.

85

75.   If the River Gihon, one of the four rivers of Paradise,
“ encompassed the whole land of Ethiopia’’ (Gen. ii. 13),
which is in Africa, how did it manage to cross the Red Sea, so
as to get into Eden, which is in Asia?

111.   As Bishop Colenso shows the territory lying between
the four rivers in Eden, as mentioned in Gen. ii. comprised an
area of several hundred miles, we would suggest that father
Adam, while in Eden, had rather a large garden to cultivate.

112.   How could fig-leaves be sewed together for clothing
before needles were invented? (see Gen. iii. 7.)

113.   How did Eve see the tree as stated in Genesis (“ she
saw the tree ”) before she ate the fruit which caused her eyes
to be opened ?

114.   Is it not calculated to destroy all ideas of justice in the
minds of man and woman to believe that God cursed and
ruined the happiness of the whole human race merely for one
simple act prompted by a being destitute of moral perception or
moral accountability ?

115.   And what should we think of a being who would suffer
a grand scheme, on which is predicated the happiness of his
innumerable family for untold ages, to be defeated by the wily
machinations of a brainless creature of his own creation ?

116.   Why should Adam hide from God because he was
naked, when, if God made him, he must have become accus-
tomed to seeing him in that condition?

117.   If God in the morning pronounced every thing good,
and in the evening every thing bad, does it not imply not only
a serious blunder in the job, but a serious mistake in his
views either in the morning or in the evening?

118.   As we are told u the Lord God made clothing for Adam
out of goat-skins,” the question naturally arises, Who caught
and killed the animals, and dressed the skins? Does it not
imply that God was both a butcher and a tanner? Rather
plebeian employment for a God.

119.   And the statement that u the Lord God planted a
garden eastward in Eden” (Gen. ii. seems to imply that
he was a horticulturist also.

120.   It is pretty hard to believe that Adam could sleep
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while God Almighty (Moses’ God) was digging amongst his
ribs, as stated in Gen. ii. 21.

121.   How could Adam know what the word u die ” meant
before there had been any deaths in the world, when the Lord
told him he should die if he ate the forbidden fruit?

122.   As Eve was pronounced “ the mother of all living”
when there were no human beings in existence but she and
Adam, the inference seems to be that she was the mother of
herself, her husband, and all the animal tribes.

128. u In the image of God created he them” (Adam and
Eve, see Gen. i. 27). If Adam and Eve were both created in
the image of God, it would seem to follow that he was consti-
tuted of two genders, male and female.

In concluding this section, we ask the reader to think of an
infinitely wise God being defeated in his grand scheme of crea-
tion or salvation by a crawling serpent, and a frightful hell
and all its horrors originating from this act. How sublimely
ridiculous is the thought!

II. The Scientists’ Account of Creation.

1.   Millions of years ago the sun in its revolution threw off, as
it had done on previous occasions, a sort of fire-mist, or nebu-
lous scintillations, which floated and rolled through space for
countless ages, gradual^ accumulating from the atmosphere in
its revolution, thus swelling in size until it became a conglomera-
tion of gas; and, continuing to grow and progress, it ripened
into a ficiy, liquid mass possessing the most intense heat.

2.   After innumerable ages this fieiy liquid mass began to
cool, and finally formed a crust upon its surface.

3.   As its interior elements began to evolve or emanate from
its bosom, it formed a dense, hcav}T, murk}7 atmosphere, almost
as heav}' as water, in which no living thing could have breathed
or lived for a moment.

4.   This atmosphere contained moisture, which in the course
of time became condensed into globules forming drops, which
descended to the earth in the shape of rain.

5.   This rain, descending to the earth, cooled its surface, and
eventually filled its vast cavities with water, and thus formed
 TWO THOUSAND BIBLE ERRORS.

87

lakes, seas, and oceans. The boiling, heaving mass in the
bowels of the earth made it very irregular in shape.

6.   As soon as the surface of the earth became sufficiently
cool, small swellings began to appear upon its surface, present-
ing the appearance of blisters, or boils. These outgrowths
finally began to exhibit vegetable life ; but for a long period of
time they presented the appearance of rocks or stones.

7.   In the mean time the washings from the surface of the
earth were deposited in the seas and oceans, and, sinking to the
bottom, in the course of time formed rocks.

8.   These rocks, as they hardened, gave off an element of life,
which in the course of time supplied the waters with various
forms of animal or finny life, and thus originated mollusks,
fishes, &c.

9.   As the surface of the earth cooled and grew thicker, the
elements of life diffused through the liquid mass finally made
their appearance on the surface in t^e character of the lowest
forms of vegetable life, such as mosses, lichens, ferns, &c.

10.   As the surface of the earth thickened, and consequently
accumulated the elements of vitality, it gave forth higher and
still higher forms of vegetable life, till finally the most matured
forms of matter began to exhibit animal life.

11.   The first species was the zoophite, a compound of vege-
table and animal life, but possessing scarcely an}^ of the func-
tions of animal life except those of absorption and respiration,
and these functions were but slightty manifested.

12.   Succeeding the zoophite came the mollusks and various
hard-shelled animal forms, which at first clung to the rocks, then
fed on seaweeds and other vegetable substances, absorbing also
from the atmosphere.

’ 13. In this way various species of animals and birds and rep-
tiles sprang up, ran their course, and then perished, to give
place to higher forms.

14. And finalty, when all the elements of life 'became suffi-
ciently matured, they formed a combination, and turned loose
upon the earth the animal man, who at first was nearly as ugly,
clumsy, and awkward as a baboon, possessed of but little more
sense or intelligence.
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15. Each one of these changes and outgrowths of the new
forms of vegetable and animal life constituted an epoch of in-
numerable ages, thus showing the age of our planet to be beyond
computation. We submit to the reader whether this is not a
more rational, beautiful, and satisfactory solution of the great
problem of mineral, vegetable, animal, and human existence,
than the jumbled-up medley presented by Moses.
 ABSURDITIES IN TEE ARK AND FLOOD STORY. 89

CHAPTER XVI. 1°

ABSURDITIES IN THE ARK AND FLOOD STORY.

If there were no other errors or absurdities in the Bible, our
faith in it would diminish at every step in the investigation
of the ark and flood story as related in the sixth chapter of
Genesis. The avowed purpose of the flood, the means employed,
and their failure to accomplish the end desired, are all at war
with our reason and our moral sense.

[Prometheus]

1.   The first question that naturally arises in considering
this story is, Why should so many millions of innocent beings
— men, women, children, animals, birds, &c. —perish as a pen-
alty for the sins of a few thousand people ?

2.   The reason given for this wholesale destruction was
the wickedness and moral depravity of the human race. But is
it true that the whole human race was in that state at that
period? According to Manetho and Herodotus, Egypt was in a
state of high civilization and moral culture at the time; and,
according to Dr. Hulde, China was also far advanced in the
arts of civilization and in morality. Col. Dow and other
writers represent India as being in a similar condition. There
could, therefore, be no justice in drowning all these nations in
order to punish a few thousand rambling Jews : it was too much
like 44 burning the barn to destroy the rats.”

3.   An enlightened moralist of the present day would decide
that it was a species of injustice to destroy all the land animals,
and let the fishes and aquatic* animals live. It looks like par-
tiality.

4.   But God, having discovered that he made a signal fail-
ure in the work of creation, acknowledged that it 44 grieved
him at his heart,” and that he 4 4 repented” having undertaken
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it. However, he issued a proclamation, stating that “ the end
of all flesh is come: every thing that is in the earth shall die.”

5.   “I, even I, do bring a flood of water upon the earth
to destroy all flesh ” (Gen. xi. 6). The language seems to im-
ply that somebody else had undertaken, or was about to under-
take, the business.

6.   But “ Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord,” and
was placed at the head of this grand scheme; being, as was
assumed, although a drunkard, the most righteous man that
could be found.

7.   The Lord instructed him to build an ark five hundred
and fifty feet long, twenty feet wide, and fifty-five feet high,
— about the size of an eastern warehouse. Think of put-
ting into this two of every species of animal, and seven of every
species of clean beast, and fowls of the air! — there being one
hundred and fifty thousand, or, as some make it, five hundred
thousand species of animal, one hundred and twelve thousand
kinds of bird, and fifty thousand species of insect.

8.   And God ordered to be taken into this ark food suffi-
cient to supply these millions of mouths. This alone would
have required forty such vessels.

9.   As it was declared that God destroyed every living thing
from the face of the earth, it would have been necessary to
have food enough stored awajr to last several years, until the
earth could have time to be replenished with a new crop of grass
and vegetables to serve as food for the granivorous and her-
bivorous species, and animals for the carnivorous tribes. The
weight of such a cargo would have been sufficient to sink the
whole British navy!

10.   Consider for a moment what amount of food would
be required for each species of animal. The four elephants
(two of each species) would consume a ton of ha}T in two
days, making more than one hundred and fifty tons in twelve
months. The fourteen rhinoceroses would consume one thou-
sand and fifty tons. And then the horses, cattle, sheep, goats,
asses, zebras, antelopes, and other mammalia, would require at
least two thousand tons more; making in the aggregate three
thousand two hundred tons. This alone would have filled every
inch of the vessel.
 ABSURDITIES IN THE ARK AND FLOOD STORY. 91

11.   The seven hundred and eighty-four thousand birds
(one hundred and twelve thousand species) would require
grain, which would make it necessary to store several thousand
bushels.

12.   The three thousand flesh-eating animals, including lions
(one lion could eat fifteen pounds a day), cats, dogs, jackals,
hyenas, skunks, weasels, crocodiles, snakes, eagles, hawks,
buzzards, &c., would require about forty wagon-loads to be
slaughtered and fed to them each day; for all would require
fresh meat but the buzzards.

13.   And otters, minks, gulls, kingfishers, spoonbills, storks,
&c., would require fish for food, which must either be pre-
served in tanks for the purpose, or one hundred and fifty
persons would have to be employed all the time in catching
them ; and there were only four men to do this and perform all
the other labor, — sufficient for five thousand hands.

14.   There were nine hundred species of fly-catchers,—
those that feed on flies, beetles, and other insects. We are
not informed whether flies were included in the registered list
or not; but the}^ would., of course, be imdudent enough to take
up their quarters in the vessel without invitation.

15.   About two hundred and fifty birds known as bee-catch-
ers would have to be supplied with this kind of insect: this
would be, to say the least, rather stinging business.

16.   Many cans of cockroaches must have been saved to feed
the birds-of-paradise.

17.   There are several kinds of ant-eaters also, which would
have required much time to be spent in searching for ants in the
cracks of the vessel, or in collecting them off the water.

18.   The four hundred and forty-two monkeys would require
fresh fruit; and it is not probable anybody had the forethought
to can it for them.

19.   Sixty-five species of animal feed on insects; and it
would have been necessary for several persons to spend most
of their time in crawling after millipeds, fleas, wood-lice, &c.

20.   There would have been work for fifty boys in providing

leaves and flowers (if there were any possibility that they could
be obtained while merged in twenty-seven feet of water) for
the animals that feed on these things.   ^
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21.   Besides food, fresh water must have been stored up
for most of these animals, as they could not have endured
the salty water of the briny deep.

22.   Noah and his family must have studied ornithology and
natural history many years to know what kind of food to save
for the various kinds of birds and animals.

23.   Naturalists estimate that there are fourteen different
climates, each with animals adapted only to the temperature
and natural growth of that locality. How, then, could they all
endure the change of being removed to the vicinity of Mount
Ararat ? Animals from the frigid zones must have felt like fish
out of water in the warm climate of Armenia.

24.   And think of the immense labor required to obtain this
innumerable collection of animals ! In the first place, either
Noah or his God must make a trip to the polar regions to
obtain the white bear, the reindeer, the polar dog, &c.

25.   And then the Rocky Mountains must be scaled to find
and catch the grizzly bear. Some time and labor must have
been required to obtain the rattlesnakes, copperheads, vipers,
cobras, snapping-turtles, &c., of the torrid zone.

26.   And a great deal of strategy must have been employed
to catch the fox, the deer, the antelope, the gazelle, the chim-
panzee, of the temperate zone; also the eagle, hawk, buzzard,
&c.

27.   To do all this hunting and catching, and conveying to
the ark, of the million and a half birds and animals, would
have required a larger number of persons than Napoleon or
Xerxes ever commanded; for, as the whole thing is related as
a natural occurrence, we can not assume that they made the
journo}’ of their own accord.

28.   The Bible commentator Scott supposes that angels were
employed to aid in this business of storing away the animals
in the ark ; but it is certainly derogatory to that elevated order
of beings to suppose they would stoop to such groveling work
as bug-hunting, skunk-catching, snake-snaring, &c.

29.   And how could this immense multitude of respiring
and perspiring animals live and breathe in a vessel with but
one little twenty-two-inch window, and that in the third
 ABSURDITIES IN THE ARK AND FLOOD STORY.   93

sto^, and shut up most of the time to keep the rain out, espe-
cially if some giraffe had been disposed to monopolize it when
it was open by thrusting his head out ? How could they be
kept thus for a whole year without breeding pestilence and
death ?

30.   All animals require light; and total darkness must have
reigned in the two lower stories, and only a partial light sup-
plied the third story, —just what could come through a twenty-
two-inch window.

31.   The. chorus of voices in the ark — consisting of bellow-
ing, baying, howling, screaming, hissing, neighing, snorting,
roaring, chattering, buzzing, &c. — suggests that deafness
would have been a blessing to the human-beings present.

32.   We are told that “fifteen cubits upward did the water
prevail, and the mountains were covered.” Fifteen cubits
(tweffiy-seven feet) would not cover nine-tenths of the build-
ings now on the earth. Ararat is seventeen thousand feet,
and Everest twenty-nine thousand feet high.

33.   Several scientists have shown by actual experiment that
the atmosphere could not contain the fourteen-hundredth part
of the water that is represented to have fallen in the time of
the flood.

34.   Who or what conducted the ark to Ararat when the
waters subsided ? In the Brahminical flood story a fish is said
to have performed this feat, and dragged it to Mt. Hinavat;
but Noah and Moses are silent on this point.

35.   The peak of Ararat is perpetually covered with snow and
ice ; hence it must have been rather difficult and dangerous for
the biped and quadruped cargo to descend from it.

36.   And what was there to prevent the nine hundred car-
nivorous animals from devouring the sheep, hogs, poultry, rab-
bits, minks, hedgehogs, &c., as they tumbled pell-mell down the
mountain together.

37.   The same catastrophe must have ensued from the act
of turning them loose upon the earth together, with nothing to
subsist upon but the flesh and blood of each other.

38.   Many Oriental nations have traditions of a flood, and
some of them of several floods. Xisuthrus of Chaldea built a
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THE BIBLE OF BIBLES.

ship, in which he saved himself and family during a mighty flood
which overflowed the world ; also Fohi of China, Menu of the
Brahmins, Satravarata of India, and Deucalion of Greece.
Hence it appears there were several families saved besides that
of Noah’s. Eg}"pt and India have stories of two floods occur-
ring at different periods,— one ninety-five hundred years ago.
All these stories are evidently older than that recorded in the
Christian Bible.

39.   Geologists and archaeologists have collected a whole vol-
ume of evidence, which shows that such a deluge could never
have taken place as is embodied in the traditions of several
nations. The fresh water of the lakes, and the salt water of the
seas and oceans, would have been so mixed as never again to
be separated as they are now. Egyptian monuments and sculp-
ture can be traced to a much earlier period than that assigned
for Noah’s flood.

40.   Lepsius has traced the existence of several races or tribes
of negroes up to a period within forty-eight years of Noah’s
flood ; this would seem to indicate that some of Noah’s family
were negroes, and must have “multiplied and replenished”
very rapidly to start several races in fort}r-eight years.

41.   The dynasties of Egyptian kings can be traced back
several thousand years beyond Noah’s time.

42.   It is true Jesus Christ and the apostles indorsed the
truth of the flood story (Matt. xxiv. 37) ; but that is evidence
against their intelligence, instead of being a proof of the truth
of the story.

43.   And the assumed divine author of the flood admitted it
was an utter failure, —that it entirely failed to accomplish the
end intended; for it was declared but a few centuries after,
that “the imagination of man’s heart is evil, and only evil,
continually,” which is an evidence that the wicked folks were
not all drowned by the world’s inundation.

44.   With respect to the many difficulties and impossibilities
I have enumerated as lying in the way of carrying out this
experiment of the flood, it is sometimes argued in defense,
that, as the whole thing was in the hands of God, such
obstacles would not be a straw in his way. But such persons
 ABSUBDITIES IN THE ABK AND FLOOD STOBY. 95

have failed to notice that it is nowhere stated or implied that
it was to be accomplished by miracles. A miracle could have
destroj^ed all the wicked inhabitants of the earth in a moment,
without any flood or other means.

45.   With regard to its being only a partial deluge, as argued
by some Bible defenders, we will say that it is only necessary
to examine the language of the Bible to settle this matter. It
is declared over and over again, that the whole earth was cov-
ered with water, and every living thing destroyed. If it had
been only a partial deluge, all that would have been necessary
for Noah to do to save himself and family would have been to
migrate to some dry country; and the doomed sinners might
have saved themselves in this way.

46.   I will note here that the rainbow was for more than a
thousand years looked upon both as evidence that there had
been a universal deluge, and also that there never would be
another. Jt is only at a recent period that the study of philoso-
phy has disclosed the fact that the rambow is caused by the
reflection and refraction of the rays of light upon the falling
rain, and the error thus exploded.

47.   One thing in connection with this flood story is not clear-
ly explained in the Bible: Methuselah’s time was not out till
ten months after the flood began, according to Bible chronology.
Where was he during this ten months ?
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[Prometheus]

CHAPTER XVII.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, MORAL DEFECTS OF.

These commandments have always been regarded by Bible
believers as being a remarkable display of infinite wisdom, and
as being morally perfect beyond criticism; and consequently
they have passed from age to age without examination, when a
little investigation would have shown any logical mind that they
contain palpable errors both in logic and morals.

First commandment: “ Thou shalt have no other Gods be-
fore me ” (Exod. xx. 3) ; that is, as commentators have in-
terpreted it, u Thou shalt prefer no Gods to me.” And why
not? What harm can it do? Supposing the people prefer a
golden calf, as the Jews did under the leadership of Aaron,
in the name of reason how can it injure either God or man?
if not, where is the objection? The feeling of devotion is the
same in all cases, whatever may be the object worshiped.
Hence the worshiper is as much benefited by worshiping one
object as another. On the other hand, it would be a slander
upon infinite wisdom to suppose he can desire the homage, adora-
tion, and flattery of poor ignorant mortals, and desire them
to crouch at his feet. It would make a mere coxcomb of him
to suppose he can be pleased with such adulation, or that he
desires such homage. We worship no such God.

Second commandment. The second commandment prohibits
our making “ the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above,
the earth beneath, or the waters under the earth ” (Exod. xx. 4).
Let us look, in the first place, at the effect of this prohibition,
and then at the character of the act. It effectually cuts off the
use of photographs, portraits, and pictures,—illustrations of
every description; for all these are likenesses of something.
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97

Hence thousands of cases of the violation of this command-
ment take place every day in all Christian or civilized countries.
Books are issued every day containing likenesses of something
in the heavens above or the earth beneath ; especially are school-
books illustrated with the likenesses of all kinds of living beings,
and often with inanimate objects, by which children learn. The
second commandment is utterly disregarded and trampled under
foot by all Christendom.

Third commandment. This commandment prohibits our
bowing down to and worshiping any other God but Jehovah,
because641, the Lord thy God, ama jealous God5 ’ (Exod. xx.5).
As for 66 jealousy,” it will make any being hateful and despised,
according to William Penn. But why not worship other Gods
(that is, beings supposed to represent or resemble God) ? Can
any serious evil result from such an act, either to God or his
worshipers? If so, what is it? Let us assume, for the sake
of the argument, that the heathen who bow down to images of
wood and stone suppose them to be the veritable living and true
God (which, however, is not true), yet it would be the very
climax of folly to suppose that an infinite being, of such infinite
perfection that it places him at an infinite distance beyond hu-
man flattery, can take the slightest offense at such an act. It
is childish to entertain such a thought. A thousand times more
sensible is the doctrine of the Hindoos’ Vedas, which makes God
(Brahma) say, 6 6 Those who worship other Gods worship me,
because I hear them, and correct their mistake.” We will illus-
trate : —

A rebel soldier (son of a doctor) was wounded near his father’s
house, in Kentucky, during the war, in which he immediately
sought refuge. As he entered the hall (it being evening twi-
light) , he observed some person at the farther end whom he
supposed to be his father, and exclaimed, 66 Father, I am
wounded! Canyon aid me?” His father, being in a room
above, overheard him, and responded, 66 Yes, sir.” Had he had
the vanity of Jehovah, he should have replied, 66 jSTo, sir: you
mistook the servant in the hall for me: therefore I will not
assist you, but punish you, and kill you.” Kemember, Jeho-
vah is represented as killing the worshipers of other Gods
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(Deut. xiii. 6). If an illiterate heathen in like manner should,
in his ignorance, call upon idols or mere imaginary beings for
aid, would not his heavenly Father, “in the room above’’ or
the heaven above, hear him and reply, “You are mistaken; I
am here, not there; but no difference, the mistake is not im-
portant : your intention was good, and your motives honest;
therefore I will grant your request ” ? This would be sensible.
But Jehovah is represented as saying, “If thy brother or son
or daughter, or even the wife of thy bosom, shall say, let us
go and serve other Gods, thou shalt not pity nor spare, but
kill them ” (Deut. xiii. 6). Here is the most shocking cruelty,
combined with supreme nonsense. We are commanded to kill
wives, sons, and daughters, if they entertain a different view of
God from ours, no matter how honest they may be ; and there
is no question but that all worshipers are honest. They can not
be otherwise. And yet there is no sin more frequently or more
fearfully denounced in the Christian Bible than that of worship-
ing other Gods. Who can not see that it all grew out of the
bitter sectarian bigotry of the Jews, which engendered feelings
of animosity toward all nations who refused to subscribe to their
creed? This has been the fault of all creed worshipers. As
“ no man hath seen God at any time ” (John i. 18), it must be a
matter of imagination with every human being as to what is the
form, size, and character of God. And therefore it can make
no difference what God, or what kind of God, we call upon in
our prayers. We would be equally heard and answered, if there
were a God answering prayer. The third commandment, there-
fore, is devoid of sound sense.

Fourth commandment: “Thou shalt not take the name of
the Lord thy God in vain ” (Exod. xx. 7). The word “ vain ” is
defined to mean “ worthless, fruitless ; ” that is, attended wdth
no good results. And we can not conceive that it can be any
more sinful to take the name of God in vain than that of a
human being, or of any other object. It is not rational to sup-
pose God, wiiile superintending the movements of eighty-five
millions of worlds, pays any attention to the manner in which
the inhabitants of this little planet use his name, or that he
cares any tiling about it. And then how is it possible for us
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99

to know when we are using his name in vain, and when we are
not?

Fifth commandment: “ Remember the sabbath day to keep
it hol}\” This commandment is universally laid aside by all
Christendom. Nobody keeps the sabbath but the Jews. And
as God himself does not keep the sabbath, but lets all nature
run and work (her laws operate the same on that da}" as on all
other days of the week), we can not believe the sabbath was
instituted by him.

Sixth commandment: “ Honor thy father and mother’ ’ (Exod.
xx. 12). Pretty good ; but the reason assigned for it is devoid
of sense, — “ That thy days may be long upon the earth.’’ We
have never learned that long-lived persons have been more duti-
ful to parents than others.

Seventh commandment: “ Thou shalt not kill” (Exod. xx.
13). If the word “ not ” were left out, we would concede this
commandment has been faithfully obeyed. His “ holy people ”
were killing nearly all the time ; and their successors (the Chris-
tians) have inundated the earth with blood by a constant viola-
tion of this command. What good, therefore, we would ask,
has resulted from this commandment?

Tenth commandment. The tenth commandment forbids us
to covet our neighbor’s house, wife, or servant, or any of his
property (covet, “ to desire earnestly ”). We can not conceive
how there can be any moral turpitude in the act of desiring to
possess any of our neighbor’s property, or even his wife, if no
improper means are used to obtain them. The command was
doubtless issued to keep the poor man from aping the rich, and
to make him content with his own lot and condition.

The above will be understood to be the true exposition of
“the holy commandments of the Lord,” “the ten glorious
laws of God,” when people become accustomed to use their
reason in matters of religion.
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CHAPTER XVIII.

FOOLISH BIBLE STOEIES.

I.   Talking Serpents and Talking Asses.—Gen. in.,
Num. xxii.

The laws of nature appear to have possessed but little force,
permanency, or reliability in the da}rs of Moses, as they were
often brought to a dead halt, and set aside on the most trivial
occasions, according to Bible history; and nothing could be
learned of the character, habits, or natural powers of animals
by their form or physical conformation, if they possessed, as
represented, minds and reasoning powers supposed to be pe-
culiar to the human species. Hence the study of natural history
must have been useless. When naturalists at the present day
find animals without the organs of speech, they assume they do
not possess the ability to talk and reason. But the absence of
the vocal organs in the days of Moses appears to have furnished
no criterion, and interposed no obstacle to becoming a fluent
speaker and an able reasoner, as is illustrated in the case of a
serpent and an ass talking and arguing like a law}~er. Hence
natural history could have possessed no attraction, as nothing
certain could have been learned by studying it.

1.   It is a singular reflection that the Christian plan of salva-
tion is based on a serpent, and with about as little show of sense
as the Hottentot tradition of the earth resting on the heads of
four turtles.

2.   The idea of God creating a serpent to thwart and defeat
his plans and designs, or permitting him to do it, is absolutely
ridiculous.

3.   If God knew, when he created the serpent, that his machi-
nations would bring u death and sin and all our woe ” into the
world, the act would prove him to be an unprincipled being.
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101

4.   And, if he did not know it, he must have been ignorant
and short-sighted, and not fit to be a God.

5.   It would imply that he made a wonderful mistake in creat-
ing a being that “turned right round,” and made war on his
own kingdom, crippled it, and defeated its success.

6.   To assume that God could be outwitted by a serpent is to
place him lower in the scale of intelligence than a snake.

7.   It would seem that the serpent was superior to Jehovah
either in knowledge or veracity; for his statement relative to
the effect of eating the fruit proved to be true, while that of
Jehovah proved to be false (Gen. iii. 3).

8.   And, as we have shown in chapter liii, he was a greater
friend and benefactor to the human race than Jehovah, as a
number of benefits and blessings were conferred upon Adam
and Eve and their posterity by yielding to his advice instead of
obeying the mandates of Jehovah.

9.   It would doubtless be a source of gratification to natural-
ists of the present age to learn what species o'f snake that was
which possessed such a remarkable intellect and reasoning facul-
ties and powers of speech; and also whether Hebrew was its
vernacular.

10.   Why is it that ladies of the present day possess none of
the nerveless intrepidity and moral courage of old mother Eve,
who could stand and listen to a serpent talking without any
signs of fainting, and with a perfect nonchalance, when our
modern ladies would probably scream or run if a snake they
should meet should assume the liberty to address them even in
the most polite manner ? Mother Eve must have been familiar
with oddities.

11.   If serpents and asses could talk in the days of Moses,
why not now ? Why have the}’ lost the power of speech ?

12.   The species of serpents and asses which furnished such
distinguished reasoners and orators should have been preserved,
both as natural curiosities and on account of their practical/
benefits. It would be a source of instruction as well as amuse-
ment for a traveler, while journeying astride the back of an
ass, to be able to enter into a friendly chitchat and exchange
views with him, especially if the ass should be well posted on
the topics of the day.
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13.   It seems singular that the heathen prophet Balaam should
be able to enlighten infinite wisdom when he called on him for
information concerning Balak, King of Moab, or that he should
have been better posted in the matter.

14.   The circumstance of Jehovah advising Balaam to go at
the call of Balak to curse Israel, then becoming very angry at
him because he did go, and employing an ass to intercept his
journe}-, evinces him to have been a fickle-minded and change-
able being. (Num. xxii. 20, 22.)

15.   It appears that, with all of Balaam’s superior intelli-
gence, he was inferior in spiritual discernment to that of his ass,
as she could see the spirit standing in the road when he could
not.

16.   It has been contemptuously suggested as a slur on spirit-
ualism, that perhaps the ass was a spiritual medium. But the
fact that asses (of the biped species) can now be found endowed
with the power of speech, renders the conclusion more rational
that the ass talked without the aid of a spirit.

Such are some of the ridiculous features of these ridiculous
stories. The expedient of disposing of these foolish stories as
allegories, as some have attempted, will not avail any thing:
for such figures are too low and groveling to be employed even
as metaphors ; and there is no hint in the Bible that they are to
be understood in an allegorical or metaphorical sense

II.   Tiie Story of Cain, Absurdities of.

1.   Did not Eve dishonor God when, at the birth of Cain, she
said, UI have got a man from the Lord” (Gen. iv. 1), inas-
much as he turned out to be a murderer ?

2.   Did not God know that Cain would become a murderer?
If he did not, he is not an omniscient God.

3.   And, if he did know it, would it not make him accountable
for the murder?

4.   Why did God set a mark on Cain that u whosoever should
find him should not slay him” (Gen. iv. 15), when there was
no “ whosoever ” in existence but his father and mother? And
it can not be supposed they would have to hunt to find him,
or that they would kill him when found.
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103

5.   And how could u whosoever ” know what the mark meant?

6.   Where did or where could Cain have gone when he u fled
from the presence of the Lord” (Gen. iv. 16), as David says
he is present ever}wrhere, even in hell?

7.   How could Cain find a wife in the land of Nod (see Gen.
iv. 17), wken he himself had killed the whole human race ex-
cepting his father and mother ? There were then no women to
make wives of.

8.   Why did Cain build a city (see Gen. iv. 17), when there
was nobod}7 to inhabit it?

9.   As there were workers of iron and brass ” in this city,
does it not furnish evidence that there was a race of people who
had attained a high state of civilization before Adam was
made ?

10.   And as brass is not an ore, but a compound of copper
and zinc, does it not furnish evidence that the mining business
and the mechanic arts were carried on long before Adam’s
time?

11.   If Cain did find a wife in the land of Nod, is it not evi-
dence that some ribs had been converted into women before
Adam’s time?

12.   Where did Cain find carpenters and masons to build his
city, if his father and mother constituted the whole human race ?

13.   Did not Jehovah know, when he accepted Abel’s offering
and rejected Cain’s, that he was sowing the seeds of discord
that would lead to murder ?

14.   And did he not set a bad example by showing partiality,
as there is no reason assigned for preferring Abel’s offering?

15.   Had not Cain just ground for believing that his offering
of herbs would be accepted, inasmuch as Jehovah had ordered
Adam to use herbs for food ?

16.   Must we conclude that Jehovah had a carnivorous appe-
tite, which caused him to prefer animals to vegetables for sac-
rifices ?

17.   What sense was there in dooming Cain to be a vagabond
among men, when there was but one man in the world, and that
his father ?
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[Prometheus]

III.   The Ark of the Covenant, Absurdities of. — 1 Sam.

CHAP. VI.

We find no case in any history of superstition reaching a
more exalted climax than that illustrated in the historj' of the
Jewish ark of the covenant. It appears that up to the time of
Solomon the Jews had no temple for their God to dwell in, but
for some time previous hauled him about in a box, about four
feet long by thirty inches deep, known as the “ ark of the cov-
enant.’ ’ Let it not be supposed that we misrepresent in saying
that Jehovah was supposed to dwell in this box; for it is ex-
plicitly stated that he dwelt between the cherubims, which consti-
tuted a part of the accoutrements of the ark. (See 1 Sam. iv.
4.) One of the most singular and ridiculous features connected
with this story is, that Jehovah, in giving instructions for the
construction of the ark, told the people they must offer, among
other curious things, badger-skins, goat’s hair, and red ram’s
skins (i.e., ram’s skins dj^ed red). What use God Almighty
could have had for the hides and hair of these dead animals is
hard to conjecture. Could superstition descend lower than this?
As minute a description is given of the whole affair by Jehovah
and Moses as if there were some sense in it. The box was
hauled about b}T two cows; and it was enjoined that those se-
lected by the Philistines should be cows that had never been
worked or harnessed, and that their calves should be shut up
and left at home. This is descending to a “ bill of particulars.”
The calves must have suffered, as their dams were driven far
awaj-, and then slaughtered. What became of the calves is not
stated ; but we arc told that the cows kept up a continual bel-
lowing, or “ lowing.” Perhaps this was designed as a kind of
base or tenor for the music which accompanied them; and this
accounts for the calves being left at home. It is curious to
observe that the cows were not yoked to the cart on which the
ark was drawn, but tied to it, — probably by their tails. The
Jews did not seem to possess sufficient mechanical skill or
genius to invent an ox-yoke. Another singular part of this
singular story is, that the Philistines constructed six golden
mice to accompany the ark ; and yet we are told that the Jews
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105

were not allowed to hare images of any thing (Ex. xx. 4). The
most serious consideration connected with this affair was the vast
destruction of human life. In the first place the Philistines, in a
battle with the Lord’s people, slew thirty thousand of them, and
captured this box, as we must presume, with the Lord in it. It
seems strange that, when Jehovah had fought so many success-
ful battles, he would allow himself to be captured. It was some
time, too, before he was recovered from the Philistines. When
this was effected, as the ark was being conveyed back under the
superintendence of David, with a company of thirty thousand
people, while passing over some rough ground, the cart jostled,
and the ark came near being thrown off, with the Lord Jehovah
in it, who would probably have been considerably bruised by
the fall. But a very clever man b}r the name of Uzzah clapped
his hand upon the cart to prevent this awful catastrophe ; and,
although probably actuated by the best and most pious motives,
he was immediately killed for it. This part of the stoiy has a
bad moral. On another occasion, on the arrival of the ark at
Bethshemesh, because one or two persons attempted to gratify
a very natural curiosity by looking into the ark, Jehovah became
so much enraged that he killed fifty thousand of the people of
Bethshemesh. Here is another of the many cases in which
thousands of innocent people were punished for the sin of one
man or a few persons. How can any good grow out of the
relation of such unjust, unprincipled, and superstitious doings
recorded in a book designed for the moral instruction and sal-
vation of the world? We are told that at every place to which
this box was carried, while in the hands of the Philistines, it
caused death and destruction, or some other serious calamity.
At Ashdod it produced disease and destruction among the people
to an alarming extent; and similar results followed while the
ark was at Ekron. Assuming that there is any truth in the
stoiy, the thought is here suggested that the box might have
been'affected with some malarious disease. While at Dagon it
caused the God of that place to fall down in the night from his
resting-place; on the second night he lost both his hands.
Who that is acquainted with Jewish history can not see that this
circumstance is related to show that the God of the Jews was
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superior to other Gods, as he excelled them in working miracles
in Egjqpfc and other places? That it was a borrowed tradition
is quite evident from the fact that the Hindoos and Egyptians
had practiced similar rites and customs anterior to that period.
The Hindoo ark was carried on a pole by four priests ; and,
wherever it touched ground, it wrought miracles in the shape of
deaths and births, or the outgushing of springs of water. The
Egyptian ark was constructed of gold, which probably made
the box more valuable than the God within. All such wooden
or metal Gods were supposed to operate as a talisman, or pro-
tection against evil. When will the believers in divine revela-
tion and divine prodigies learn that all such superstitious customs
and inventions were the work of men, and not of God?

IV.   Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Absurdities.—Num.

chap. XVI.

These three leading men of Israel, growing tired of the tyran-
nical usurpations of Moses, concocted a mutiny, in which they
succeeded in enlisting some two hundred and fifty persons.
When Moses learned what was on foot, this 4 4 meek man”
became very angry, and reported the case to Jehovah, and re-
quested him not to accept their offering when they came to make
their usual oblations.' The Lord took Moses’ advice, and not
only refused their offering, but split the ground open where they
stood, so that they fell in, and were seen no more. And, when
their two hundred and fifty followers saw this, the}’ fled, fearing
they might share the same fate. But that expedient did not
save them: 44 a fire came out from the Lord,” and consumed the
whole number. It must have been a fearful fire to consume so
many while they were running. The fire came from the Lord ;
but where the Lord was at the time we are not informed, —
whether sitting on his throne in heaven, or standing beside the
altar, as he frequentl}’ did. Hence we can not tell whether the
fire came from heaven, as it did on some other occasions, or
from below. It must have been a very aggravated case of
rebellion; for God and Moses both got angry at once, which
was something rather unusual. It was customary, when Jeho-
vah got angry and made severe threats of what he would do,
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107

for Moses to interfere, and intercede for his people, and try to
cool him down; and, by the power of his logic and eloquence, he
mostly succeeded in convincing him that he was wrong, and got
him to desist from carrying his threats into execution. But, on
this occasion, Moses, being angry ’   let him take his own

course. But the most unjust and u^^orciful act in the whole
transaction was that of Jehovah sending a plague, and destroy-
ing fourteen thousand more, merety because they mourned for
their destroyed friends, and ventured to complain of the course
he and Moses were pursuing. It was certainly cruel to destroy
them for so slight an offense. It appears that, by Aaron’s
standing 44 between the dead and the living, the plague was
stayed.” But for this timely interference of Jehovah’s high
priest, there is no knowing when or where the plague would have
stopped. Now, is it not something near akin to blasphemy to
charge such nonsense — ay, worse than nonsense, cruelty, injus-
tice, and malignity — to the just God of the universe?

V.   The Story of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar.

We shall not attempt to present an exposition of all the
absurdities which abound in the Book of Daniel, but will merely
notice a few of its most incredible statements. The most
amusing chapter in the history of Daniel is his interpretation
of the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar. It appears that on
one occasion the king had forgotten his dream, which made it
ostensibly necessary for Daniel, before interpreting it, to repro-
duce it. But who can not see it was not necessary for him to
do either to save his reputation and his life, both of which it
appears were at stake? If he were possessed of an active,
fertile imagination, he could invent both, and palm them off on
to the king as the original, who would be perfectly unable to
detect the trick, as he knew nothing about either. It is stated
that one of the dreams consigned the king to the fate of eating'
grass like an ox for three years. • In all such incredible stories
which abound in the Christians’ Bible, we find glaring absurdities,
which a little reflection would reveal to the reader if he would
allow himself to think. There is a palpable absurdity in this
story which shows that the conversion of the king into an ox
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as a punishment could not have achieved that end. If he were
converted into an ox, his reason was gone, and he was uncon-
scious of his condition ; and hence it was no punishment at all.
Or, if he still retained his reason, he had nothing to do but to walk
away, and find food mo> '"** ^enial to his appetite than grass.
And thus the story defeats itself. It is stated his hair became
like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like the claws of a bird
(Dan. iv. 38), — a very singular-looking ox surely. It would have
been more appropriate to call such a being an eagle or a dragon.
Such is the careless and disjointed manner in which all Bible
stories are told, as if related by mere ignorant children. The
most conclusive u knock-down argument ’ ’ to the . truth of this
stor}T is found in the fact that no allusion to this astounding
miracle can be found by any of the historians of that or any
other nation. Had the king been transformed into an ox, the
history of his own nation (the Persians) would abound in allu-
sions to the marvelous fact. Its silence on it settles the ques-
tion.

We will occupy sufficient space to allude to one incident in
the stoiy of u the three holy children,” which we find related in
the Book of Daniel. It is stated that a being who looked u like
the Son of God ” was seen by the king walking in the furnace.
To be sure ! We are quite curious to know how he found out
how the Son of God looks. How long had he lived in heaven
with him so as to become familiar with his countenance ? What
silly nonsense!

VI.   Sodom and Gomorrah.

Story of Sodom and Gomorrah. We are seemingly required
by this story to believe that God keeps a manufactory of brim-
stone in heaven; for we are told that u the Lord rained upon
Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of
heaven” (Gen. xix.). If we credit this stoiy, we may infer
that the Lord keeps a supply of the article on hand, perhaps to
be let down occasionally to replenish the bottomless pit.

The science of chemistry has demonstrated within the present
century that the air is composed of nitrogen and ox}’gen; and
it has also demonstrated that oxj’gcn gas and sulphur or brim-
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109

stone, when brought into contact, are, with a moderate amount
of heat, dissolved, united, and converted into oil of vitriol.
Hence, if fire and brimstone rained from heaven in that climate,
it is scientifically and chemically certain that the people were
pelted with a shower of the oil of vitriol.

One square mile of the earth’s surface in that locality would
be supplied with about thirteen thousand million pounds of oxygen.
The requisite amount of brimstone to convert this into oil of
vitriol would be about ten thousand million pounds, making in
the whole twenty-three thousand millions of pounds.

This would have been sufficient to spoil all the Sunday gar-
ments of the people, but could not have burned them up; for
cold oil will not burn, and the fire and brimstone would have
been converted into oil long before they reached the earth, and
become too cool for the heat to injure any thing.

We are told that several cities were destroyed by this divine
judgment. And pray how many cities could exist in a hot and
arid desert, where there was not a drop of water that a human
being could drink?

VII.   Tower of Babel.

Of all the stories ever recorded in any book, disclosing on the
part of the writer a profound ignorance of the sciences, — em-
bracing, at least, astronomy, geography, and philosophy, —that
of the Tower of Babel was probably never excelled. A brief
enumeration of some of its absurdities will disclose this fact.

1.   We are told (in chap. xi. of Genesis), that, after God had
discovered by some means that 44 the children of men ’ ’ were
building a cityT and a tower to reach to heaven, he 44 came down
to see the city and the tower” (Gen. xi. 6). The statement
that he 44 came down ” implies that he was a local being, and
not the omnipotent and omnipresent God.

2.   If he were not already present, and had to travel and
descend in order to be present, we should like to know what
mode of travel he adopted. It appears from the story that, if
he came down, he must have returned almost immediately, and
descended a second time; for, after this, he is represented as
saying,44 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their lan-
guage” (Gen. xi. 7).
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3.   Who was this Uus?” The use of this plural pronoun
u us ” implies that there were several Gods on hand.

4.   And, if he came down, who did he leave in his place?
Must we assume there is a trinity of Gods ? But it would be
superlative nonsense to assume that the three Gods could be one
(as Christians claim) if one of them could leave the kingdom.

5.   How did the writer know that he or they talked in this
manner, as he could not have been present in person to hear it?

6.   In this same chapter the u inspired writer ” tells us, “ The
whole earth was of one language and one speech ” (Gen. xi. 1).
In the preceding chapter there is a long list of different tongues,
or languages, and nations ; and it is declared they were “ divided
in their lands, everyone after his tongue, families, and nations.”
How contradictory!

7.   What a childish and ludicrous notion the writer entertained
with respect to heaven when he cherished the belief that a tower
could be erected to reach it!

8.   According to St. Jerome the Tower of Babel was twenty
thousand feet high. A Jewish writer says it was eighty thousand.
In the first case it would be nearly four miles in height; in the
other, over fifteen miles, —nearly three times the height of the
highest mountain on the globe ! No method has ever yet been
discovered for elevating building materials to such a height.

9.   Taking St. Jerome as authority, the hod-carriers, in ascend-
ing and descending, would have to perform a journey of more
than seven miles each trip.

10.   As the air becomes rarefied in proportion to its distance
from the earth, the lungs of the workmen would have collapsed,
and their blood have congealed, before they climbed half-way to
the top. They could not have breathed at such a height.

11.   As the earth is constantly revolving on its axis, the crazy
tower-builders would only be in the direction of the point at
which they aimed once in twenty-four hours, and then moving
with a speed one hundred and forty times greater than that of a
cannon-ball. It would require dexterous springing to leap into
the door of heaven as they passed it.

12.   And as the earth, in its orbit, moves at the rate of sixty-
eight thousand miles an hour, it would soon cany them millions
of miles beyond any point they might be aiming to reach.
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Ill

13.   After all, we can not see any possible objection Jehovah
or any other God could have had to such an enterprise.

14.   If the Babelites had succeeded in climbing into heaven,
what of it? Was Omnipotence afraid they would dispossess
him of his throne, and seize the reins of government? If not,
what could have been the objection?

15.   And then it would not have taken the “ heavenly host ”
fifteen minutes to tumble them out, as they did Michael and the
dragon.

16.   The truth is, the imaginary God of the Jews was a sus-
picious, cowardly, and jealous being. He was constantly getting
into hot water. He appeared to live in perpetual fear day and
night that some other God, or some of his own creatures,
would encroach upon his rights. In this case he seemed to be
alarmed for fear those ignorant, deluded tower-builders and wild
fanatics would succeed in reaching the heavenly home, perhaps
bind him, and cast him out of his own kingdom. What super-
lative nonsense is the whole story! And yet millions believe it
to be divinely inspired, and many thousands of dollars have
been spent in printing it, and circulating it over the world.

VHI. Stopping the Sun and Moon,—Absurdities of the

Story.

Of all the stories that ever taxed the brain or credulity of a
|   man of science, that of Joshua stopping the   sun and moon

I   stands pre-eminent. Think of bringing to a   stand-still that

magnificent and immense luminary which constitutes the center
of a solar system of one hundred and thirty worlds, all of which
move in harmony with it. Such a catastrophe would have
broken one hundred and thirty planets loose from their orbits,
and dashed them together in utter confusion, and would thus
have broken up our solar system. The shock produced upon
this earth would have thrown every thing on its surface off into
I boundless space.

For a puny man, on a little planet like this, to command the
|   mighty sun, which is fourteen hundred thousand   times as large

]   as the earth, to stop in its grand career, would   be comparable

j to an ant saying to a mountain, u Get out of my way.”
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And, when we look at the cruel and wicked purpose for which
this stupendous miracle is said to have been wrought, we are
shocked at the demoralizing effect such lessons must have upon
the millions who look upon it as the work of a just and right-
eous God.

It savors too much of blasphemy to assume that a God of
infinite justice would perform an act attended with such direful
consequences, merely to allow the little, bloody-minded Joshua
more time to blow out the brains and tear out the hearts of his
enemies, guilty of no crime but that of believing in a different
religious creed. Farewell to reason, justice, and morality, if
we must subscribe to such moral lessons as this !

And why did he have the moon stopped at midday, when it
could not be seen, and was, perhaps, on the opposite side of the
globe? Egypt, India, Greece, and Mexico all have traditions
of the sun stopping, but, in most cases, have too much sense
to stop the moon. Fohi of China had the sun stopped eight
hundred and fifty years before Joshua, the son of Nun, ever
saw the sun. Bacchus and other God-men of Egypt had it
stopped four times. While in Greece Phaethon was set after it
to hurry it up, and increase its speed. A “ poor rule that will
not work both ways !55 The Chinese annals state that the sun
stopped ten days during the reign of the Emperor Yom.
Argoon of India stopped it several days for his own accommo-
dation.

But, unfortunately for the cause of religion, or rather religious
superstition, no man of science, in any of these countries, has
as much as noticed these world-astounding phenomena ; and no
writer, but one religious fanatic in each case, has spoken of
them,—a circumstance of itself sufficient to render them ut-
terly incredible.

IX. Tiie Story of Samson,—Its Absurdities.

Were the story of Samson found in airy other book than the
Christian Bible, it would be looked upon by Bible believers as
one of those wild and incredible legends of heathen nytyhology
with which all the holy books of that age abound. But it is
accepted as true because found in the Bible; and the Bible is
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considered to be true, partly because it tells such marvelous
stories. It is assumed that they prove each other. Perhaps it
is upon the presumption that “it is a poor rule that will not
work both ways.”

1.   We are told (Judg. chap, xiii.) that an angel appeared to
the wife of Manoah, and promised her a son; and Manoah
seemed to be as well pleased about the matter as his wife, and
seemed to care but little whether the father was a man or an
angel or a God, and we are left in the dark as to which it
was.

2.   It is rather a notable circumstance that the Jewish God and
his angels seemed to have a great deal to do in trying to accom-
modate and aid old women in becoming mothers, as in the
case of Abraham’s wife and ManoalTs wife, also Elizabeth
and Mary in the New Testament, and other cases.

3.   The man or angel or God, whichever it was (for he is
called by each name), that appeared to Mrs. Manoah, advised
her to abstain from strong drink, and to eat no unclean thing.
Very good advice to be observed at any time ; but it seems to
imply that she was in the habit of using such pernicious
articles.

4.   And, when her child was born, he was called Samson, and
was remarkable for his great strength, which is said to lie in
his hair. The mighty denizens of the forest interposed no
obstacle to his march; and houses were but playthings, to be
tossed in the air like balls. He is reported to have seized a
lion and slain him when yet a boy, without a weapon of any
kind. It would have been well if this mighty hero had been
present when Jehovah had a battle with the Canaanites (Judg. i.
19) , as he would not probably have been defeated so easily
because they had chariots of iron. Those vehicles of iron
would have been mere straws for Samson. If their respective
histories be true, he excelled Jehovah, both with regard to
strength and courage, in a severe contest.

5.   It is stated that, a short time after this young bachelor-
hero had slain the king of the forest, as he was returning home
from a visit to his lady-love, he observed that a swarm of bees
had taken possession of the carcass, and filled it with honey.
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Those bees must have been very much less fastidious in their
tastes and habits than the bees of modern times ; for the latter
shun a carcass as instinctively as death.

6.   Another remarkable circumstance connected with this case

is,   that the long-haired bachelor thrust his hands through the
bees, and tore out the honey, regardless of their stinging mode
of defending their rights. His skin must have been as remark-
able for toughness as his muscles for strength.

7.   One of the most cruel, ungodly, and fiendish acts of this
young hero was that of murdering thirty men to get their gar-
ments, as a recompense to those thirt}^ persons who solved his
riddle; thus massacring thirty innocent persons in order to
strip them of their garments, — an unprovoked and wanton
murder. And yet it is declared, u the spirit of God was with
him.” What shocking ideas of Deity !

8.   Samson was evidently a u free-lover,” as he had inter-
course with a number of women of doubtful character.

9.   His next great feat consisted in chasing and catching three
hundred foxes, and tying their tails together, and making a fire-
brand of them. It must have been a good time to raise poultry
after so many foxes had disappeared, but certainly not before
that event, if foxes were so numerous.

10.   It seems strange that these “ tail-bearers ” of fire did
not take to the woods, instead of running through all the fields
in the country, and setting them on fire.

11.   The next feat was the breaking of two strong cords,
with which his arms had been bound by three thousand men.
(See Judg. xv. 4). It is difficult to conceive how three thou-
sand men could get to him to tie them, as it is intimated they
did. His mode of being revenged after he had snapped the
cords was to seize the jaw-bone of an ass, and sla}r a thousand
men ; and, after he had killed these thousand men with the
bone, there was enough of it left to contain a considerable
amount of water. It is related that the Lord clave a hollow in

it,   and there came out of it water to quench Samson’s thirst.

12.   Asses seem to figure quite conspicuously in Bible history.
Sometimes they talk and reason like a Cicero, as in the case of
Balaam; and they serve other important ends in the histories
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of Abram and Job (who had a thousand) and Samson, and
also that of Jesus Christ, who is represented as riding two at
once. In the hands of Samson the jaw-bone of an ass was
more destructive than a twenty-four pound cannon, besides fur-
nishing him with water sufficient to supply his thirst.

13.   Another feat of this young Hercules was that of carrying
away the gate and gate-posts of the city of Gaza, in which the
keepers had shut him up while lodging with a harlot. Most of
his female companions seem to have been licentious characters ;
and yet 4 4 the Lord favored him ’ ’ !

14.   It is said 44 the spirit of the Lord moved Samson”
(Judg. xiii. 25). It would seem that the spirit of the Devil
did also ; for he had a terrible propensity for lying. He lied even
to his own wife three or four times. He once deceived her by
telling her that his strength could be overcome by tying him
with green withes ; and yet he snapped them like cobwebs. He
then virtually confessed to her that he had lied, but told her
that new ropes would accomplish the thing ; and yet he was no
sooner bound with them, than he freed his limbs as easily as a
Mon would crawl out of a fish-net. The next experiment in lying
and tying appertained to his hair. He told his sweet Delilah,
that, if she would weave his seven locks of hair into the web
in the loom, he would be as weak as another man ; but he walked
off with the web and the whole accouterments hanging to his
head, as easily as a wolf would with a steel trap dangling to his
foot. TThy did not the hair pull out by the roots? He then
told her the truth, as was assumed, but which was evidently the
biggest falsehood he had uttered, —that his strength lay in his
hair, and that his strength would depart if his hair were to be
shorn off. But if there were any physical strength incorporated
in the hair, so that it would flow into the brain and down into
the muscles when wanted to be used, men would not frequent
barber-shops, as they now do, but let it grow ten feet long if
necessary.

15.   The last great act in this drama of physical prowess
was that of overthrowing a house with three thousand people on
the roof. (Modern architecture don’t often produce a roof
large enough or strong enough to sustain three thousand people.
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This feat would require more strength than to conquer the
battalion armed with chariots of iron!

16.   And in all this unholy* and wicked business of lying,
cheating, and murdering, u the Lord was with him.” This is a
slanderous imputation upon Divine Perfection and Holiness.

17.   No good that we can discover, but much evil, was accom-
plished hy the practical life of this extraordinary man. He
was ostensibly raised up to redeem Israel; and jret, immediately
after his death, the Philistines gained a complete victory over
the Israelites, and took prisoner the ark of the Lord, and re-
duced them to a worse condition than the}T were, in before.

18.   We can not escape the conviction that such stories have a
demoralizing effect upon those who read them, and believe they
have the divine approval.

19.   For seeming to treat the subject in a spirit of ridicule, I
will cite a Christian writer as authority, who says, “He who
treats absurdities with seriousness lowers his own dignity and
manhood.”

20.   Such stories as the foregoing can certainly do nothing
toward improving the morals of the heathen by placing the
book containing it in their hands.

X. Story of Jonah, — Its Absurdities.

The history of Jonah is so much like numerous stories we
find in heathen mythology that we are disposed to class it
with them. Its absurdities are numerous, a few of which we
will point out: —

1.   It represents Jonah as claiming to be a Hebrew; but as
it sa}’s nothing about the Jews or Hebrews, and treats entirely
of the heathen or Gentiles, that is probabty its source, and it
was perhaps intended as a fable.

2.   The ship he boarded, when making his escape, was a
heathen vessel, which implies that he had some affinity for that*
class of people.

3.   It seems ver}T singular, that if Jonah did not believe Jeho-
vah to be a mere local personal deity, rather than the Infinite
and Omnipresent God, he should entertain the thought of
running away fiom him or escaping from his presence by flight.
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4.   The heathen who had charge of the vessel were evidently
possessed of more humanity and more mercy than either Jeho-
vah or the leading ijaen of Israel, who seem to have made it a
point to kill nearly all the heathen they could lay their hands
on; as did Abram, Moses, Joshua, &c. For it is stated, that
after they had cast lots to find who was the cause of the storm
which overtook the ship, and in this way discovered it was
Jonah, they strove with all their might to get the vessel to the
shore, rather than resort to the desperate expedient of throwing
Jonah overboard. This bespeaks for these heathen a feeling of
mercy and humanity.

5.   We learn by the language these heathen used in their
prayer to stop the storm, “We beseech thee, O Lord,” &c.,
that they believed in one supreme God. Where, then, is the
truth of the claim of the Jews that they alone believed in one
God, or the unity of the Godhead? In this way their own
Bible often proves this claim was false; that the nations they
had intercourse with believed in one supreme and overruling
God.

6.   It is stated, that after Jonah was thrown overboard, and
was swallowed by a fish, he prayed to the Lord. How was
this discovered? Did he pray loud enough to be heard through
the sides of the whale ? or did the fish open its mouth for his
accommodation ?

7.   As for the prayer, it appears to have been made up of
scraps selected from the Psalms of David without much con-
nection, or relevancy to the case.

8.   It is stated that the Lord spake to the fish, and it vomited
Jonah upon the dry land. It must have been a very singular
fish to understand Hebrew or any human language.

9.   In another respect the whale must have been a peculiar
one, or of peculiar construction. The throat of an ordinary
whale is about the diameter of a man’s arm. It must therefore
have been very much stretched to swallow Jonah, or Jonah
must have been very much compressed and elongated.

10.   The gourd that sheltered Jonah must also have been of a
peculiar species to have a vine that could grow several yards in
one night, and stand erect so as to hold the gourd in a position
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to shelter the prophet; and the gourd would have to be as large
as a cart or locomotive, or it would soon cease to afford him
shade.

11.   Jonah seems to have been a very proud and selfish man,
with but little of the feeling of mercy, as he preferred that the
whole nation of Ninevites should be destroyed rather than that
his prediction should not be fulfilled, for he became very angry
when he found the Lord was going to spare them.

12.   The reason the Lord assigns for sparing Nineveh is a
very sensible one, —because “ there are more than threescore
thousand persons that can not discern between their right and
their left hand.” This is certainly very good reasoning; but
why did he not think of this when millions of innocent persons
perished in the act of drowning the whole human race, except-
ing four men and four women, or when Sodom and Gomorrah
were swallowed up, or when seventy thousand were killed for a
sin committed b}r David, or in the numerous cases in which a
war of extermination was carried on against whole nations,
with the order to slay men, women, and children, and u leave
nothing alive that breathes 99 ? Why such partiality? But this
is one of the two thousand Bible inconsistencies.

13.   This is a very poor stor}', with a very bad moral. It
indicates fickleness, short-sightedness, and partiality on the part
of Jehovah ; and selfishness and bad temper on the part of his
prophet.

14.   There are other absurdities in this story which we will
bring to view by a few brief questions.

15.   Why did Jehovah care any thing about the salvation or
welfare of Nineveh, a heathen city, when usually, instead of
laboring to save the heathen, he was plotting their destruction?

1G. What put the thought into the heads of the mariners, that
the storm was caused by the misconduct of some person on board ?
Can we suppose they ever knew of such a case? If the miscon-
duct of human beings could produce storms or a disturbance of
the elements, the world would be cursed by a perpetual hurri-
cane.

17.   We are told the sailors cast lots to ascertain who was the
cause of the storm. Rather a strange way of investigating the
cause of natural events.
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119

18.   Is it not strange that Jehovah would bring on a violent
storm on Jonah’s account, and continue it for hours, and let him

• sleep during the time ; and still stranger that Jonah was so in-
different that he could sleep in such a storm?

19.   Jonah must have been the most considerate and merciful
sinner ever reported in history to propose himself that he should
be thrown overboard as a means of allaying the storm, and sav-
ing a set of gambling heathen. What a wonderful freak of
mercy and justice ! But it seems to have been all exhausted on
the mariners, so that he had none left for the poor Ninevites ;
for he became very angry when he found Jehovah was not
going to destroy them, the innocent and guilty and all together.
This was inconsistent, to say the least.

20.   What must have been the astonishment of the crew of the
hundreds of ships sailing on the same sea to observe a sudden
storm to arise and stop without any natural cause ! And when
they afterwards learned that the whole thing was brought about
by the misconduct of one man in one of the vessels, perhaps
hundreds of miles distant, they must have abandoned all idea
of ever looking again for natural causes for storms after that
occurrence. How repressing such events would be to the
growth and cultivation of the intellect, and the study of the
natural sciences!

21.   How could Jonah remain three days in the whale’s
stomach without being digested, as fish have astonishing
digestive powers? And, if he were not digested, both he and
the fish must have been extremely hungry at the end of the three
days’ fast.

22.   As a fish large enough to swallow Jonah could not swim
through the shoal-water to reach the land, it becomes an inter-
esting query to know how it got Jonah on to u the dr}" land.”
It must have required the use of a powerful emetic to inspire
the fish with force sufficient to throw him fifty or a hundred feet.

23.   Is it not strange that Jonah’s message to the Ninevites
should have had such a marvelous effect upon the whole city,
when it was evidently delivered in a language that none of them
understood ?

24.   We are told the king issued orders for everybody,
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