Astral Worship | Page 8

one
could read the account of the fall of man, as recorded in the third
chapter of Genesis, without recognizing it as simply an allegory; or fail
to realize, the force of the argument of no fall, no redemption, and if no
redemption, no God to reward or Devil to punish; no hell to suffer, or
heaven to enjoy. The fact is that these are but antithetical ideas which
came in together, and must survive or perish together. They cannot be
separated without destroying the whole theological fabric.

INCARNATIONS OF GOD SOL.
Believing that God Sol was necessitated to remain at his post to direct
the course of the sun, the ancient astrologers conceived the idea of
teaching that, attended by a retinue of subordinate genii, he descended
to earth through the medium of incarnations at the end of 600 year
cycles, to perform the work of man's redemption and, having made
Virgo of the Zodiac the mother of the Solar divinity, they taught in
their allegorical Astronomy, or scriptures, that his incarnations were
born of a Virgin. Hence we find that God Sol, usually designated by the
title of the Word, "was made flesh, and dwelt among us." John i., 14.
In a discourse upon this text delivered by Tillotson, Archbishop of
Canterbury, in the year 1680, published in the fourth volume of
Woodhouse's edition of his Grace's sermons, in the year 1744,
concerning the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour, he explains the
necessity of incarnation by saying that "There was likewise a great
inclination in mankind to the worship of a visible Deity, so God was

pleased to appear in our nature, that they, who were so fond of a visible
Deity, might have one, even a true and natural image of God the Father,
the express image of his person." It only requires a little reflection to
appreciate the Prelate's covert irony and want of faith.
Having ascribed to the imaginary incarnations of God Sol the
characteristics of heaven-descending, virgin-born, earth-walking,
wonder-working, dying, resuscitated and ascending sons of God, the
ancient Astrologers attached to them the several titles of Saviour,
Redeemer, Avatar, Divine-Helper, Shiloh, Messiah, Christ; and, in
reference to their foster-father, that of Son of Man. Teaching that they
continued to make intercession for sin, after their ascension to the right
hand of the Father, they were also called Intercessors, Mediators or
Advocates with the Father. From teaching their appearance every 600
years originated the Egyptian legend of the Phoenix, a bird said to
descend from the sun at these intervals, and, after being consumed upon
the altar in the temple of On, or city of the sun--called Heliopolis by the
Greeks--would rise from its ashes and ascend to its source. According
to the civil laws of Egypt, manhood was not attained until the age of
thirty years. Hence the earthly mission of incarnate Saviours was made
to begin at that age; and for the reason that, relating to the apparent
transit of the sun through the twelve signs of the Zodiac, it was
completed during the period of one year.
To impress the ignorant masses with the belief that the scriptures were
literal histories, and the incarnate Saviours real personages, the ancient
Astrologers caused tombs to be erected in which it was claimed they
were buried. Such sepulchres were erected to Hercules at Cadiz, to
Apollo at Delphi, and to other Saviours at many other places, to which
their respective votaries were induced to perform pilgrimages. In Egypt
the pyramids were built, partly for astronomical purposes, and partly as
tombs for Saviours, claimed to have been kings, who had once ruled
over the country; and why should we not recognize that magnificent
structure known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, at Jerusalem, as
but another of those tombs of Saviours in which no Saviour was ever
entombed?

Thus we have shown that it was God Sol, the only begotten of the
Father, or second person in the sacred Triad, to whom supreme
adoration was inculcated in all forms of the ancient Astrolatry; and that
its cultured votaries, understanding that the doctrines pertaining to the
fall and redemption of man were evolved from the figurative death and
resurrection of the solar divinity, recognized the doctrine of incarnation
as a priestly invention intended only for the ignorant masses.

FABLE OF THE TWELVE LABORS.
The authors of the original solar fables, having lived in that remote age
in which physical prowess was recognized as the highest attribute of
humanity, conceived the idea that God Sol, while passing through his
apparent orbit, had to fight his way with the animals of the Zodiac, and
with others in conjunction with them. Hence, designating him as the
Mighty Hunter, and calling his exploits the twelve labors, they made
the incarnate