Christianism or Christianity = Christianismus.

Christmas = Christianataliam festum.

Now, the words Christus and Christianus are used by Tacitus, Suetonius, Pliny (the younger), Tertullian, and all the succeeding Latin Fathers.

Christos in Greek is a very proper word, being a translation of the Hebrew mashiach, meaning “anointed.” Therefore, the Latins would have rendered it unctus.

But the Benedictine monks who forged the literature of the pretended Fathers, instead of translating christos, audaciously transferred the word, and thus the new word Christus, with a capital C, became an additional name for the man-god of the Catholic Church.

Now, we respectfully raise the query whether it is rational to suppose that such wonderful things occurred in the little province of Palestine, surrounded by learned sages and philosophers of the most enlightened nations of the world, and not one direct and intelligent reference should have been made to them? Is it not strange that we have no account of the birth, sayings, and doings of this “last Adam,” who is said to have come into this world on the most important mission, and yet we hear nothing of him except in four or five little anonymous and dateless pamphlets written a long while after the events are said to have transpired? Since the New Testament contains all that has been written on this subject, is it not our highest duty to subject this book to the most thorough examination? This we shall now proceed to do in the most fearless manner, however startling the conclusions which may be reached.

[CHAPTER IX. WHAT IS KNOWN OF THE NEW TESTAMENT]

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me.”—John 5: 39.

WE of course use the above passage as a motto, as the writer must have referred to the Old-Testament Scriptures, as the New Testament was not yet in existence. As this book is the sole dependence in finding evidence regarding Jesus, we naturally first inquire as to what is known of it. We find this volume to be made up of twenty-seven small tracts or pamphlets, fastened together for the sake of convenience.

  1. We have four sketches, purporting to be brief biographies of Jesus.
  2. Next we have a condensed history, called the Acts of the Apostles.
  3. Then we have twenty-one writings or letters addressed to different churches or individuals in the epistolary form of communication.
  4. And finally we have a highly-wrought allegory, partaking somewhat of the form of both history and prophecy.