CONTENTS. False interpreters of prophecy denounced by the Hebrew seers ... Elkoshite Capture and division of the spoil found in the Great Lions' den The fall of modern Tyre depicted by ancient Hebrew prophets No Scriptural prophecy within the ordinary limited condition of The centripetal bias of human cogitation its own snare Oriental and European historical records sunk in the waters of Lethe 246 China hypothesized as the theatre of some profoundly mysterious event perverted Significance of the titles "King of kings," and "Mother of all living" 250 Slavery of women a corner stone in the structure of Chinese society Palestine the land chosen to be made sacred for the planting of the Biography of Sakya adulterated with absurd and lying legends Form of the ancient Trinity of relationship connecting man with Deity 257 Prevailing modes of sacerdotal and philosophic opinions in the East 258 Buddhism, as conventionally believed, nothing but the mongrel adapta- Sakya, the founder of a mendicant propagandism, not the author of the absurdities and falsehoods ascribed to him Probable significance of "Nibban" in Sakya's system Plato rather indebted to Taosze than to Socrates for his immaterial Prevalent theologies all leavened with the effete traditions of a great Abbe Huc upon Chinese civilization and its mysterious stagnation 264 Charge of atheism preferred by Huc against a secular magistrate ... subjects Method of communicating with Deity adopted by a Chinese emperor 267 Deplorable scepticism of the Chinese as to the efficacy of European Dr. Edersheim on the doctrines of the rabbins in his history of the Jews Jewish transcendental mysticism hypothesized as being wholly of Influence of Persian and Babylonian mythologies on Jewish theology Theistic system of Philo an amalgamation of Oriental and Hebrew Intolerant and bigoted sectarianism of the Jewish Rabbins Cosmology of the Kabbalistic books, the "Sepher Jezirah" and the Incontestible evidence of Oriental mythology in the Kabbalistic books 278 Some additional samples of Kabbalistic cosmology The materiality of self-existence postulated as essentially evil Remarkable evidence of the vague and contradictory ideas of the Rabbinical ignorance of all axioms in true cosmical science Degradation of healthy sentiment by the bastard traditions of the priests Ludicrous distortion of facts in natural philosophy in Jewish Talmudism 285 Cosmical process of life, growth, and development, not homogeneous Proper settlement of theological accounts for work assumed to be done in Christ's service Modern idea of Satan's discomfiture owing to Christ smashing his head 291 The final Messiah predicted to come from Ephraim of Joseph Ultimate gathering together into one nation of the world wide dispersed Additional evidence forthcoming from Psalms of king David and others 296 Job's trial and witness of Deity considered as a predictive as well as The physician upon whom Deity has laid the iniquities of all the brethren 298 CONTENTS. The Bible a sealed testament to the jarring sects of the present age 301 Protestantism the reign of anarchical demagogism The religion of service and active duty as opposed to the idolatry of Christian faith not negative but supplementary to political economy 306 Faith as the gift of Deity synonymous with the omnipresent process Conventional definition of faith illustrated by Sir T. Browne in his The educational process of faith in disciplining, chastening, and ... ... The vital principle of a living spirit not solely man's prerogative The sacerdotal theory of vicarious atonement a postulate of man's own invention Private interpretation by Jesus Christ of his own metaphorical and The Mosaic ordinances and semi-sacerdotal economy abrogated by Jesus' martyrdom the abolition of capital punishment for man's sin Infantile condition of the Hebrew mind at the period of Moses' mission 321 Sanguinary character of ancient Egyptian sacerdotal systems The Sinaitic code no part of the eternal word of self-existence Draconic nature of Moses' system adapted to childish intelligences Moses' compromise compared and contrasted with Jesus of Nazareth's ... ... Theological errors arising from man's misconception respecting to his Jesus' attack upon the stronghold of sacerdotal evil by aiming at the Man's theistic system of good and evil demolished by Jesus Conventional ideas respecting Deity's punishment of sinners contro- verted by Jesus Observations on Dr. Browne's "Religio Medici," by Sir Kenelm Digby 333 An illustration of the art of "fudging" the solution of difficult problems 334 Singular inconsistency and general vagueness in Sir T. Browne's ideas 335 Dr. Browne's mystical ideas respecting creation and man's immortality 336 Editorial observations on Sir T. Browne's profitless lucubrations 337 Absurd speculation of the ancient Jewish Kabbalists and theologians 338 Conflict between sacerdotalism and cosmism respecting man's origin 339 Developmentary hypothesis of the "Vestiges of Creation" not a proper substitute Extinction, preservation, and regeneration of species in the womb of Conventional theological ideas satirized by Dean Swift The arbitration of the sword: man's chosen judgment seat The Son of Man and final witness of Deity not necessarily Jesus of Jesus' declaration respecting the Son of Man sent to execute judgment 350 The eternity of both salvation and condemnation Immortality the inheritance of the fully born, not of premature births 352 The divine judicial law not the sacerdotal tree of good and evil The fate of the dead according to Jesus of Nazareth's declaration 354 Ephemeral character of man's existence, as the initial type of a grand CEDIPUS ON THE SPHINX OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. CHAPTER I. THEOLOGICAL INTOLERANCE. NEARLY nineteen hundred years ago a foul and cowardly murder was, by priestly intrigue fermenting the passions and prejudices of an ignorant mob, perpetrated on the body of Jesus of Nazareth, a man in whom they saw only a friendless, unlearned, and poverty-stricken carpenter's son, who, neglecting the conventional rites and formulas of these priests and rulers of his nation, came boldly forward, as one having divine authority, to teach the people a more rational and vital faith. But these priests, who ministered in a temple built by human hands, wherein was said to be the mysterious presence of the most high God, did, notwithstanding the command, "Thou shalt do no murder," think that they offered their God acceptable sacrifice in exterminating heresy; whilst they contrived to serve themselves in upholding vested interests, by fanning into flame the smouldering passions of the multitude they so miserably misled, and thus through them to work on the fears of the civil magistrate, and bring about the legalized assassination of this poor apostle of human progress, because they hated, as much as they feared, his undaunted courage in exposing their time-serving manœuvres, their hypocrisy, their bigotry, their ignorance, and loathsome cant. B |