PAGAN ORIGIN OF THE DOCTRINE OF A FIRST JUDGMENT, BY JESUS CHRIST,
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SEPARATION OF THE SOUL FROM THE BODY.
IT will be evident that the origin of the doctrine of a first judgment,
by Jesus Christ, immediately after the separation of the soul from the
body, is Pagan, if it can be proved, 1st, That the Pagans believed in a
first judgment, by a god, immediately after the separation of the soul
from the body; 2d, That the particulars of this first judgment, believed
in by the Partialist Christian Churches, present a striking similarity
with the particulars of the first judgment, believed in by the Pagans;
and 3d, That the Church of Rome, which, in the sixteenth century,
transmitted to the now self-called Orthodox Christian Churches this
doctrine of a first judgment, which they accepted full and entire, did
not hold it from the apostles of Jesus Christ nor from the Jews.
But it can be proved, 1st, That the Pagans believed in a first judgment,
by a god, immediately after the separation of the soul from the body;
2d, That the particulars of this first judgment, believed in by the
Partialist Christian Churches, present a striking similarity with the
particulars of the first judgment, believed in by the Pagans; and 3d,
that the Church of Rome, which, in the sixteenth century transmitted to
the now self-called Orthodox Christian Churches this doctrine of a first
judgment, which they accepted full and entire, did not hold it from the
Apostles of Jesus Christ nor from the Jews.
1st, It can be proved that the Pagans believed in a first judgment, by a
god, immediately after the separation of the soul from the body.
We extract the following from the History of the Egyptians, by Rollin.
Article--Funerals: "Before the dead were admitted in the sacred asylum
of the tomb, they underwent a solemn judgment. And this circumstance of
the funerals among the Egyptians, is one of the most remarkable things
in the ancient history. It is a consolation to us to leave behind us,
when we die, a name honored among men; and of all blessings it is the
only one of which we cannot be deprived by death. But in Egypt, it was
not permitted to indistinctly praise the dead; this honor was conferred
only after a favorable public judgment. The assembly of the judges was
held on the other side of a lake, which they crossed on a bark. He who
conducted the bark was called, in the Egyptian tongue, _Charon_; and it
is from this name that the Greeks, instructed by Orpheus, who had been
in Egypt, had invented the fable of the bark of _Charon_.
"When a man died he was brought to judgment. The public accuser was
heard. If he proved that the conduct of the dead had been wicked, his
memory was stigmatized, and he was deprived of the honor of funerals.
The people admired the power of the laws, which extended even beyond
death; and everybody, influenced by the example of others, was afraid to
dishonor his family, and his own memory. If the dead was not convicted
of any crime, he was honorably buried. What was the most astonishing in
this judgment of the dead was that royalty itself was not spared. The
kings were not judged during their life, the public good demanded it;
but they were not exempted from the after death's judgment, and several
of them were deprived of honorable funerals. This custom passed among
the Israelites. We read in the Old Testament that wicked kings were not
buried in the tombs of their fathers. Thus kings learned, that, if their
majesty places them above the judgments of men, it is so no longer when
death has placed them on the same level with their fellow-men.
"When the judgment, which had been pronounced, was favorable to the
dead, they proceeded to the ceremony of the burial. A panegyric was
delivered in which nothing was said of his birth, because every Egyptian
was considered to be a noble man. His personal virtues only were
praised. Then the whole assembly supplicated the gods to welcome him in
the assembly of the virtuous dead, and to associate him to their
eternal bliss."
This judgment gave birth to the fable of a judgment rendered by the
gods, immediately after the separation of the soul from the body. Charon
was represented carrying the souls of the dead on board his bark, across
the Styx river, to be judged by the great judge, Minos. This became a
general belief among the Pagans, not only in Egypt, but in Greece, in
Italy, and in nearly all the Oriental countries; as proved by the
unanimous consent of the mythological authors. This belief has been
perpetuated among the Pagans of those countries. Even in our days, the
Indians believe in this judgment, and call the great judge, Zomo, or
according to others, Jamen. The Japanese, followers of Buda, also
believe in this judgment; and they call the great judge, Zomo. Likewise
the Lamas believe in this judgment, and call the great judge Erlik-kan.
Therefore the Pagans believed in a first judgment, by a god, immediately
after the separation of the soul from the body.
2d. It can be proved that the particulars of this first judgment,
believed in by the Partialist Christian Churches, present a striking
similarity with the particulars of the first judgment, believed in by
the Pagans:
The Pagans believed that their great judge, Minos, sat on a throne, to
judge the souls immediately after their separation from the bodies that
they animated; so the Partialist Christian Churches believe that Jesus
Christ sits on a throne, to judge the souls, immediately after their
separation from the bodies that they animated. The Pagans believed that,
near to Minos' throne, and at his right hand, good geniuses, or spirits,
stood; so the Partialist Christian Churches believe that, near to Jesus
Christ's throne, and at his right hand, good angels stand. The Pagans
believed that, near to Minos' throne, and at his left hand, furies
stood; so the Partialist Christian Churches believe that, near to Jesus
Christ's throne, and at his left hand, devils stand.
The Pagans believed that the souls were driven to the redoubtable
tribunal of Minos by their respective guardian angel, who had
accompanied them during their whole life on earth; had watched day and
night over their conduct; and had kept a record of all they had done,
right or wrong; so the Church of Rome, and some other Partialist
Christian Churches, believe that the souls are driven to the redoubtable
tribunal of Jesus Christ by their respective guardian angel, who has
accompanied them during their whole life on earth; has watched day and
night over their conduct, and has kept a record of all they have done,
right or wrong. The Pagans believed that Minos based his judgments on
the contents of two books, the one called book of life, and the other
book of death; so the Partialist Christian Churches believe that Jesus
Christ bases his judgments on the contents of two books; the one called
book of life, and the other book of death. The Pagans believed that the
souls who had obtained from Minos a favorable sentence, were led to the
Elysium by their respective guardian angel; and that those who had been
condemned to the Tartarus, were apprehended by the furies, and hurled
into it; so the Partialist Christian Churches believe that the souls who
obtain from Jesus Christ a favorable sentence, are led to Paradise by
their respective guardian angel; or, [in the opinion of those of the
Partialist Christian Churches, which do not believe in a guardian angel]
by other angels.
Consequently the particulars of the first judgment, believed in by the
Partialist Christian Churches, present a striking similarity with the
particulars of the first judgment, believed in by the Pagans.
3d. It can be proved that the Church of Rome, which, in the sixteenth
century, transmitted to the now self-called Orthodox Christian Churches
the doctrine of a first judgment, which they accepted full and entire,
did not hold it from the apostles of Jesus Christ, nor from the Jews:--
The Church of Rome does not hold the doctrine of a first judgment from
the apostles of Jesus Christ, for this doctrine implies a
blasphemy--whether Jesus Christ be considered as being God himself--and
all the Partialist Christian Churches hold that he is God himself--and
whether Jesus Christ be considered as being only the Son of God. But
the doctrine of a first judgment implies a blasphemy, whether Jesus
Christ be considered as being God himself, and whether he be considered
as being only the Son of God.
First, it implies a blasphemy, if Jesus Christ is considered as being
God himself. Jesus Christ, being God himself, would necessarily know all
the good and bad actions done by the souls, while they animate their
respective bodies on earth, in consequence it is an insult to his
attribute of wisdom, and thereby a blasphemy, to say that the guardian
angels of the souls, as they bring them to his tribunal, inform him of
their good and bad actions, which they have recorded. Even in the case
of those of the Partialist Christian Churches, which reject the
circumstance of the guardian angels, the doctrine of a first judgment
implies an insult to the wisdom of Jesus Christ, (in their opinion God
himself), and thereby a blasphemy; for a judgment supposes a trial; a
trial supposes an investigation; an investigation supposes the ignorance
of the deeds to be pronounced upon, and the supposition that God has not
a perfect knowledge of those deeds, is an insult to his wisdom, and
thereby is a blasphemy.
Second, The doctrine of a first judgment implies a blasphemy, if Jesus
Christ is considered as being only the Son of God. If God had vested
Jesus Christ with the power of discerning rewards and punishments to the
souls after death, he would have given him a knowledge of the good and
bad actions of the souls. But the doctrine of a first judgment supposes
that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would come to this knowledge only
through the means of a trial, which supposition is an insult to the
wisdom of God, and thereby a blasphemy.
Then the doctrine of a first judgment implies a blasphemy, whether Jesus
Christ be considered as being God himself, and whether Jesus Christ be
considered as being only the Son of God.
Therefore the Church of Rome does not hold the doctrine of a first
judgment from the apostles of Jesus Christ.
General conclusions:--
It has been proved in this chapter, 1st, That the Pagans believed in a
first judgment, by a god, immediately after the separation of the soul
from the body; 2d, That the particulars of this first judgment, believed
in by the Partialist Christian Churches, present a striking similarity
with the particulars of the first judgment, believed in by the Pagans;
and, 3d, That the Church of Rome, which, in the sixteenth century,
transmitted to the now self-called Orthodox Christian Churches this
doctrine of a first judgment, which they accepted full and entire, did
not hold it from the apostles of Jesus Christ; neither did she hold it
from the Jews; for not a single passage can be traced out in the Old
Testament, or in Josephus, referring to a first judgment.
_Therefore the origin of the doctrine of a first judgment, by Jesus
Christ, immediately after the separation of the soul from the body, is
Pagan._