Literally "become gods";—as said the Psalmist approvingly quoted by Jesus and applied to himself. "Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken), say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the son of God?"

The learned Professor of Theology (Prof. Norton) from whom most of these citations are made adds, suggestively: "The full illustration of the use of the term god as a common name would, I think, throw much light upon the opinions both of the ancient Heathens and Christians."

The terms "Messiah" among the Jewish Christians, "Christ" among the Gentile Christians, and "Logos among the Platonizing Christians (or philosophizing Christians) all had a common meaning; and, till the latter half of the third century, were generally received and interpreted as above set forth. But during the fourth century and thereafter such ecclesiastics as Athanasius, Augustine, Cyril, Leo, and their successors, developed this simple teaching of the Bible and of the Apostolic Church into the old Pagan Mystery of a Triad. This doctrine of a Triad is one of the oldest and most persistent mysticisms of the Pagan Religions. We find it broadly developed in the most ancient theology of the Bramins. Plato speculated upon it only to reject it. Philo used it as a figure of speech, or as a pictorial illustration, for the temporary help of the uneducated and unreasoning masses: he especially says-" God presents sometimes one and sometimes three images to the mental vision; one, when the soul, thoroughly purified, rises above all idea of plurality to that unmingled form of being which admits of no mixture, alone, and wholly independent; three, before it is initiated in the greater mysteries, and cannot contemplate HIM WHO IS by Himself alone, but needs the aid of something beside,"—that is, the principal "Powers of God are spoken of as distinct persons, only as a figurative mode of representing the operations of the Divine Being, accommodated to the weaknesses of those who cannot comprehend Him as HE IS."

Such were the evident conceptions of all the Christian Fathers, likewise, down to and including Origen. But Athanasius, Augustine, and their successors insisted upon retaining the ancient mysticism and reincorporating it—not as a "figure of speech or as a pictorial illustration" accommodated to the spiritual and intellectual weakness of the masses, but as a fundamental doctrine the acceptance and belief of which is, everywhere and forever, essential to salvation!

Did not Esaias and Jesus have in mind also this very degeneration of "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father" when they exclaimed-" But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the speculations of men!"

Originally the Hindoo Philosophers, Plato, the Jewish Cabalists, Philo, the Apostles, and the Christian Fathers all used the "Triad" as a symbol of the three main attributes of the One Supreme. They had no idea of them as personalities, except as figures of speech. As one may say "Reason governs me, Hope cheers me, and Duty directs me" without resolving himself into an actual "Triad " composed of three persons; so exactly the original and only intelligible meaning of all the Divine "Triads" was that of attributes. When these attributes were believed to be actual Persons and as such were hardened into an essential dogma, then intellectual as well as spiritual degeneration began and rapidly prevailed. "From the shapeless, discordant, unintelligible speculations of the fourth century, the doctrine of Tri-personality of God drew its origin. These speculations it is now difficult to present under such an aspect as may enable a modern reader to apprehed their character. But the doctrine to which they gave birth still subsists, as the professed faith of the greater part of the Christian world. And when we look back through the long ages of its reign, and consider all its relations, and all its direct and indirect effects, we shall perceive that few doctrines have produced more unmixed evil. For any benefits resulting from its belief, it would be in vain to look, except benefits of that kind which the providence of God educes from the follies and errors of man."

LXXIII.-DEGENERATION IN THE CHURCH: HOW IT PROCEEDED, AND PROCEEDS.

THE Council of Ephesus, A.D. 431, which settled the doctrine of the "Hypostatic Union," the "Motherhood of God," etc., and anathematized as a "second Judas" every one who should presume to object, was presided over by Cyril (whom the traditional Church calls St. Cyril) a "turbulent, ambitious, unprincipled man "-as were nearly all the great champions of Orthodox Dogmatism from the beginning of the fourth century downward. "Cyril prevailed in his factitious contest, through his influence with the officers of the imperial household, and the bribes which he lavished upon them; for, what was Orthodoxy was to be determined in the last resort by the Emperor Theodosius, or rather by the women and eunuchs of his court. 'Thanks to the purse of St. Cyril' says Le Clerc, 'the Romish Church which regards Councils as infallible, is not Nestorian.'" Not only the Romish Church but the traditionally Protestant as well is indebted for its "orthodoxy," in a very large degree, to the "purse of St. Cyril " and to his "turbulent, ambitious, unprincipled " leadership. The same in general is historic truth of Dioscurus who triumphed at the succeeding Council of Ephesus (fittingly called "a Council of Banditti "): of Leo who, by the Emperor's authority, prevailed at the Council of Chalcedon over the "Monophysite Heretics" in favor of the "two natures in one person "-the "road to paradise," the "bridge as sharp as a razor suspended over the Abyss,"and of many other dogma-mongers and vote-purchasers or vote-compellers of preceding as well as of succeeding "infallible Councils" of the degenerate Church.

"The simple and sad truth is, that as soon as Christianity was generally diffused, it began to absorb corruptions from all the countries that it covered, and to reflect the complexion of all the religious and philosophic systems to which it was opposed."

"The East and West were infusing their several elements of poison into the pure cup of Gospel truth. In Asia Minor,

as at Alexandria, Hellenic philosophism did not refuse to blend with Oriental theosophy; the Jewish superstitions of the Cabbala, and the wild speculations of the Persian Magi, were combined with Greek craving for an enlightened and esoteric religion. The outward forms of superstition were ready for the vulgar multitude."

So began the degeneration of Christianity, and so has it proceeded through all the centuries till now.

Even as late as in the fourteenth century, violent disputes arose and raged with rancorous contention over the question, whether the light which surrounded Jesus at the transfiguration was created or uncreated. Four councils of the Church were assembled and, after endless discussions, it was decided that the light was uncreated; and all who denied it were anathematized as worse than all other heretics." It is hardly two centuries since it was the common opinion, if not formal decree of the Church that the denial of witchcraft was the denial of God himself. "They that doubt of witches do not only deny them, but spirits; and are obliquely and of consequence a sort, not of Infidels, but Atheists."

And, coming down to the nineteenth century, the "orthodox" councils, decrees, and opinions of to-day adhere to Mysticism, Speculation, and Traditional Dogma,-identifying them with Christianity and with the Christ so completely as to result in the popular verdict, that, all who do not so identify and adhere are heretics, infidels, and practical (if not theoretical) atheists.

What are now accepted as commonplace truths concerning the Bible were stated, with profound and incontrovertible evidences, two hundred years ago by Richard Simon, the great Oriental scholar, and restated a hundred years ago by Dr. Joseph Priestly (the distinguished leader in England and America of modern Unitarianism) in his "History of the Corruptions of Christianity." Both of these scholarly and saintly men were overwhelmed with denunciations, and their

prophetic voices were silenced by the "orthodox" outcry. Now, the children of those who slew these prophets are building their monuments, and meanwhile are themselves slaying the prophets of to-day.

Of this, as of every past generation, it is true that lives are seen and valued only in retrospect. The "Heresy" of one generation is the "Orthodoxy Orthodoxy" of succeeding ones. The zealous conformist or the stout faith-defender of one age is written in History as a persecuting bigot or a stoner of the prophets, while the self-sacrificing non-conformist or the conscientious "heretic" is enrolled as sage or saint. So in every period of human evolution is fulfilled the prediction of Jesus-Many that are first shall be last, and many that are last shall be first!

There is a form of degeneration, probably more widely prevailing at the present time than even in the earlier centuries (because light and knowledge, and the consequent temptations to it are largely increased),-that of more or less strictly conforming to the ritual or letter of Traditionalism while deliberately violating its spirit. The "orthodoxy outgrown and inwardly rejected, but, outwardly maintained for the sake of some form of personal advantage-peace or policy!

As the degenerate Greeks maintained the traditional "but one meal a day " (as a Sacrament of Obligation) by feasting the whole day long; as the degenerate Jews maintained the tradition of "a Sabbath Day's Journey," by halting at the prescribed limit and calling it their residence, then proceeding from stage to stage at their pleasure; so the degenerate conformist for the sake of peace or of policy ever does, and now seemingly even more widely than in former times. This is the most degenerating of all forms of Hypocracy, because it is most irreverent to Conscience and disloyal to Truth. Cyril and the long line of like-spirited ecclesiastical politicians who preceded and succeeded him were, at least, sincere; hence "the times of that ignorance God winked at,