Essenic Therapeuts,  (pp. 419-426,  page 434.)  
[More references at bottom of this page.]

Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions
(Page)  434          CHAPTER XXXVII.

                 WHY CHRISTIANITY PROSPERED.

     “ What was known  in  Judea  more than  a century  before the birth  of  Jesus Christ  cannot  have been  introduced  among  Buddhists  by Christian missionaries.  It will become  equally certain  that  the bishop  and church-historian,  Eusebius,  was right  when  he wrote,  that  he considered  it  highly probable  that  the writings  of  the  Essenic Therapeuts  in Egypt  had been  incorporated  into  our Gospels,  and  into  some  Pauline  epistles.” a
a Bunsen:  The Angel-Messiah,  p. 17.
     For  further information  on the subject  of  the connection  between  Essenism  and Christianity,  the reader  is referred to  Taylor’s  Diegesis,  Bunsen’s  Angel-Messiah,  and  the works of  S. F. Dunlap.
We shall now speak of another powerful lever  which was brought to bear upon the promulgation of  Christianity;  namely,  that of  FRAUD.

     It was a common thing among the early Christian Fathers and Saints  to lie and deceive,  if their lies and deceits  helped the cause of their Christ.  Lactantius,  an eminent Christian author  who flourished in the fourth century,  has well said:
     “ Among those who seek power and gain from their religion,  there will never be wanting  an inclination to forge  and lie
for it.” a
a Quoted in Middleton’s  Letters from Rome,  p. 51.
     Gregory of Nazianzus,  writing to St. Jerome,  says:

     “ A little jargon is  all that is necessary  to impose on the people.  The less they comprehend,  the more they admire.  Our forefathers and doctors have often said,  not  what they thought,  but what  circumstances and necessity  dictated.” b
b Hieron  ad Nep.  Quoted  Count C. F. Volney’s  The Ruins;  or,  Meditations on the Revolutions of Empires,  p. 177,  note.
     The celebrated  Eusebius,  Bishop of CÆSARIA,  and a friend of Constantine  the Great,  who is our chief guide for the early history of the Church,  confesses that he was  by no means  scrupulous to record the whole truth  concerning the early Christians  in the various works  which he has left behind him. c  Edward Gibbon,  speaking of him,  says:

     “  The gravest of the ecclesiastical historians,  Eusebius himself,  indirectly confesses that he has related  what might redound to the glory,  and that he has suppressed all that could tend to the disgrace of religion.  Such an acknowledgement will naturally excite a suspicion  that a writer who has so openly violated one of the  fundamental laws of history,  has not paid  a very strict regard to the observance of the other;  and the suspicion will derive additional credit  from the character of Eusebius,  which was less tinctured with credulity,  and more practiced in the arts of the courts,  than that of almost any of his contemporaries.” d
c See:  C. F. Volney’s  Eccl. Hist.,  vol. viii. p. 21.
d Gibbon’s  Rome,  vol. ii. pp. 79, 80.

WHY CHRISTIANITY PROSPERED.  (Page)  435

     The great theologian,  Beausobre,  in his  “ Histoire de Manichee,”  says:

     “ We see  in the history  which I have related,  a sort of hypocrisy,  that has been  perhaps,  but too common  at all times;  that churches  not only  do not say  what they think,  but they do say  the direct contrary  of  what they think.  Philosophers  in their cabinets;  out of them  they are content with fables,  though  they well know  they are fables.  Nay,  more;  they deliver  honest men  to the executioner,  for having uttered  what they  themselves know  to be true.  How many atheists and pagans  have burned  holy men  under the pretext  of  heresy?  Every day  do hypocrites  consecrate,  and make people adore  the host,  though  as well convinced  as I am,  that it is nothing  but a bit of bread.” e
e “ On volt dans  l’histoire  que  j’ai  rapportée,  une sorte  d’hypocrisie  qui  n’a  peut-eté  été  que trop commune  dan tous  les tems. 
C’est que des ecclésiastiques,  non-sulement ne disent pas ce qu’ils pensent,  mals desent tout le contraire de ce qu’ils pensent.  Philosophes dans leur cabinet,  hors delà,  ils content des fables,  quoi-qu’ils  sachent bien que ce sont des fables.  Ils font plus;  ils livrent au bourreau des gens  de biens,  pour l’avoir dit.  Combiens d’athées  et de profanes  ont fait bruler  de saints  personnages,  sous prétexte  d’héresie?  Tous les jours  des hypocrites,  consacrent  et font adorer  l’hostie,  bein qu’ils  soientaussi  convaincus  que moi,  que cen’  est qu’un  morcean  de pain.”  Tom.  2,  p. 568.
     M. Daille  says:
     “ This opinion  has always been  in the world,  that  to settle  a certain  and assured estimation  upon that  which is good and true,  it is necessary  to remove  out of the way,  whatever may be  an hindrance  to it.  Neither  ought we  to wonder  that  even those of  the honest,  innocent,  primitive times  made use of  these deceits,  seeing  for a good end  they made no scruple  to forge  whole books.” f
f On the Use of  the Fathers,  pp. 36, 37.
     Reeves  in his  “ Apologies of the Fathers,”  says:
     “ It was a  Catholic  opinion  among the philosophers,  that pious frauds  were  good things,  and that the people  ought to  be imposed on  in  matters of religion.” g
g Quoted in Taylor’s  Syntagma,  p. 170.
     Mosheim,  the ecclesiastical historian,  says:
     “ It was held  as a maxim  that it was  not only  lawful  but praiseworthy  to  deceive,  and even  to use the expedient  of  a  lie,  in order to advance  the cause of  truth and piety.” h
h Mosheim:  vol. 1,  p. 198.
     Isaac de Casaubon,  the great ecclesiastical scholar,  says:
     “ It mightily affects me,  to see  how many  there were  in the earliest times  of  the church,  who considered it  as a capital exploit,  to lend  to heavenly truth  the help of their own inventions,  in order that  the new doctrine  might be  more readily allowed  by the wise  among the Gentiles.  These officious lies,  they were wont to say,  were devised  for a good end.” i
i “ Postremo illud quoque  me vehementer movet,  quod videam primis  ecclesiæ temporibus,  quam plurimos exritisse,  qui facinus  palmarium judicabant,  cælestem veritatem,  figmentis suis ire adjutum,  quo facilius nova doctrina  a gentium sapientibus admitteretur  Officiosa  hæc mendacia vocabant  bono fine exeogitata.”  Quoted in Taylor’s  Diegesis,  p. 44,  and Giles’  Hebrew and Christian Records,  vol. ii. p. 19.

(Page)  436          BIBLE MYTHS.

     The Apostolic Father,  Hermas,  who was the fellow-laborer  of  St. Paul  in the work of  the ministry;  who is greeted  as such  in the  New Testament;  and whose writings  are expressly quoted  as of  divine inspiration,  by the early Fathers,  ingenuously confesses that  lying  was the  easily-besetting sin  of a Christian.  His words are:

     “ O Lord,  I never spake  a true word  in my life,  but I have always lived  in  dissimulation,  and affirmed  a lie  for truth  to all men,  and no man  contradicted me,  but all  gave credit  to my words.

     To which  the holy angel,  whom he addresses,  condescendingly admonishes him,  that  as the lie was up,  now,  he had better keep it up,  and as  in time  it would come to be believed,  it would answer  as well as  truth. j
j See the  Vision of  Hermas,  b. 2,  c. iii.
     Dr. Mosheim admits,  that the Platonists and Pythagoreans  held it  as a maxim,  that  it was  not only  lawful,  but praiseworthy,  to deceive,  and  even  to use the expedient  of  a lie,  in order to  advance the cause of  truth  and piety.  The Jews  who lived in Egypt,  had learned  and received  this maxim  from them,  before the  coming of  Christ Jesus,  as appears  incontestably  from a multitude of  ancient records,  and  the  Christians  were infected  from both these sources,  with the same  pernicious error. k
k Mosheim,  vol. i.  p. 197.  Quoted in  Taylor’s Diegesis  p. 47.
     Of  the fifteen letters  ascribed to  Ignatius  (Bishop of Antioch  after  69 A. D.),  eight  have been rejected  by Christian writers  as being forgeries,  having no authority whatever.  “ The remaining seven epistles  were accounted genuine  by most critics,  although  disputed  by some,  previous to the discoveries of  Mr. Cureton,  which have shaken,  and indeed  almost wholly destroyed the credit and authenticity  of all  alike.” l
l Dr. Giles:  Hebrew  and Christian Records,  vol. ii.  p. 99.
     Paul  of  Tarsus,  who was preaching a doctrine  which had already been preached to every nation on earth, m  inculcates and avows the principle  of deceiving the common people,  talks of  his  having been upbraided  by his own converts  with being crafty  and catching them  with guile, n  and  of his known  and willful lies,  abounding  to the glory of God. o
m “ Continue in the faith  grounded and settled,  and be not moved  away from the hope  of the Gospel,  which ye have heard,  and which was preached  to every creature  which is under heaven;  whereof  I  Paul  am made  a minister.”  (Colossians,  I. 23.)
n “ Being crafty,  I caught you  with guile.”  ( II  Cor,  xii. 16.)
o “ For  if  the truth of God  had more abounded  through my lie  unto his glory,  why yet  am I  also judged  as a sinner.”  (Romans,  iii. 7.)

WHY CHRISTIANITY PROSPERED.  (Page)  437

     Even  the orthodox  Dr. Burnet,  an eminent  English author,  in his treatise  “ De Statu Mortuorum,”  purposely written in Latin,  that it might serve  for the instruction of  the clergy  only,  and not  come  to the knowledge  of  the laity,  because,  as he said,  “ too much light  is hurtful  for  weak eyes ”  not only justified  but recommended  the practice of  the most consummate hypocrisy,  and would have his clergy  seriously preach  and maintain the reality  and eternity  of  hell  torments,  even though  they should believe  nothing of  the sort  themselves. p
p “ Si me tamen audire velis,  mallem te pænas  has dicere indefinitas  quam infinitas.  Sed veniet dies,  cum non  minus absurda,  habebitur et odiosa  haæ opinio  quam  transubetantiatio  hodie.”  ( De Statu Mort.,  p. 304.  Quoted in  Taylor’s Diegesis  p. 43.)
     The incredible  and very ridiculous stories  related by  Christian Fathers  and ecclesiastical historians,  on whom  we are obliged  to rely  for information  on the most important  of  subjects,  show us  how untrustworthy  these men were.  We have,  for instance,  the story related by St. Augustine,  who is styled  “ the greatest  of  the Latin Fathers,”  of his preaching  the gospel  to people  without heads.  In  his  33d Sermon  he says:

     “ I was already  Bishop of Hippo,  when I went  into Ethiopia  with some  servants of Christ  there  to preach the Gospel.  In this country  we saw many men and women  without heads,  who had  two great eyes  in their breasts;  and  in countries  still more southly,  we saw people  who had  but one eye  in their foreheads.” q
q Quoted in  Taylor’s Syntagma  p. 52.      Among the ancients,  there were many stories current  of countries,  the inhabitants  of which  were of  peculiar size,  form  or features.  Our Christian saint  evidently believed these tales,  and thinking thus,  sought to make others  believe them.  We find the following examples  related by  Herodotus:  “ Aristeas,  son of  Caystrobius,  a native of  Proconesus,  says  in his  epic verses  that,  inspired by Apollo,  he came to the Issedones;  that  beyond the Issedones  dwell the  Arimaspians,  a people  that have only one eye.”  (Herodotus,  book iv,  ch.13.)
“ When one has passed through  a considerable extent  of  the rugged country  (of the  Seythians),  a people are found  living  at the foot of  lofty  mountains,  who are said to be  all  bald  from their birth,  both  men and women  alike,  and  they are  flat-nosed,  and have  large chins.”  (Ibid.  ch. 23.)
“ These bald men  say,  what  to me  is incredible,  that  men  with goat’s feet  inhabit these mountains;  and when  one has passed beyond them,  other men are found,  who sleep  six months  at a time,  but this  I do not  at all  admit.”  (Ibid.  ch. 24.)
In the country  westward of Libya,  “ there are enormous serpents,  and lions,  elephants,  bears,  asps,  and asses with horns,  and monsters  with dog’s heads  and without heads,  who have eyes  in their breasts,  at least,  as the Libyans say,  and wild men  and wild women,  and many other  wild beasts  which are not fabulous.”  (Ibid.  ch. 193.)
     This same  holy Father  bears an  equally  unquestionable testimony  to several resurrections  of  the dead,  of  which  he  himself  had been  an  eye-witness.
     In a book  written  “ towards the close  of  the second century,  by some zealous believer,”  and fathered upon one  Nicodemus,  who is said  to have been a disciple of  Christ Jesus,  we find the following:
     “ We all know  the blessed  Simeon,  the high priest,  who  took  Jesus  when  an infant  into  his arms  in  the temple.  This same  Simeon  had  two sons  of  his own,  and  we were all present  at their death  and funeral.  Go therefore  and see  their tombs,  for  these  are open,  and  they are risen;  and behold,  they are  in the city of  Arimathæa,  spending their time together  in offices of  devotion.” r
r Nicodemus  Apoc.,  ch. xii.
(The Gospel of  Nicodemus  the Disciple,  concerning the Sufferings and Ressurection of  Our Master and Saviour  Jesus Christ.)


Book available here:  Bible Myths


Doane,  Bible Myths and their Parallels
in other Religions,  7th ed.,  pp. 438 et seq.

Doane,  Bible Myths  pp. 419 et seq.

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