The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-06-27
OUR BOOK TABLE

VUh 0OOA 1AbkA IL
THE KEYS or THE CaErDs. New York: G. p.
Putnam & Sons. New Orleans: r. G. Ey-
rich. Cloth; pp pol.
A new and strikingly original system OF
theology, conveyed in series of letters pur-
porting to have been written by secular
Priest with the object Of reconciliDg his
rather startlingly liberal ideas With continued
fellowship in the Catholic Church.
It appears that this anonymous work has
recently commanded an enormous sale in
England, due, doubtless, to the fact that its
author is not only an exceedingly accom- |
plished writer, but also keen logician-one |
who has evidently thoroughly studied whereof
he writes, and who conveys it to the reader in |
style at once terse, pure and plausible.
In treating the subject he adopts an entirely
new standpoint, reversing the ordinary sys-
tenn of reasoning altogether. Rejecting reve-
lation as Legitimate and foreign to the mode
adopted, he claims that all religions, including
the Christian and Catholic, have emanated
from man, and not from God. In other and
palmer words, that, instead Of God having
made man ia his own image, man has invari-
ably made God in his image. That the only
conception 2 human being can form Of God
or his Attitudes must be drawn from within
and about himself That he can only adore
in perfection qualities which he himself pos
sesses in imperfection. That, in adoring this
God, he must necessarily typify OF symbolic
him with whatever seems grandest and most
sublime to Mis- own individual perception, and
such has been the origin of, while it accounts
for, the peculiarities Of all religions
Upon the establishment of this hypothesis
he discovers the master key Of all creeds IN
that faculty (which he designates as the SOUL,
of transferring the real into the ideal and re-
parding it as Invested of limitations. Mans
nature, being duality Of the real and ideal,
only arrives at his conception OF PERFECTION
by projecting his real nature into the ideal
Invested of all limitations to which the real Is
naturally subjected; Upon the recognition
of this apparently plain and incontroveruDie
fact the writer. claims that all the ancient re-
igions place themselves in perfect harmony
with the Christian religion. !.
So much for the key of the moral side OF
the creeds-the worship OF God or illlmltaDle
perfection while the key to their physical slde
is to be sought through the most fitting sym.
bolism or representative and is found at last
in the worship of the sun. Decidedly the most
sublime of sill visible manipulations OF the
brightness Of his glory and the express image
of his person.
He then proceeds to show how the religious
creeds of India, Persia Egypt, Syria, Greece
and many more countries OF the aneien'
world can be readily unlocked, and how
closely they assimilate with modern Chris.
tiapity; to which they gave birth.
The Persian Magians supposed the incar
nation of the Sun in Mithra-born OF VIZ
Gin in cave, at the winter solstlce, ana nc
companied by retinue OF twelve persons
Who renresenfed the months-who lost hi
life in q contest with darkness, descended
into hell-or the other side of the earth-ros'
again at the Spring Equinox and ascendet
again into heaven, redeemipg man from IN
oppression Of darkness and evil.
In Egypt the Sun God Osiris membe
Of triune Godhead-came upon earth 10
the benefit Of mankind. He was also born Q
a virgin, was prosecuted and put to death o!
the Evil One-namely, Winter, or Dfknsss
place in the heavens, the distributor OF q
benefits, the Judge Of all mankind.
Zoroaster. the author of the Zend .Avesta
Plato. the child of Apollo, Adonis, the su
Cod Of SYRIA, Bucchus, were each born OF
VIRGIN. and Invariably upon the same day 9
that assigned to the birth Of Christ, namely
the frst day exhibiting any percepuole eior
cation after December 2lst, the shortest "a
in the year. In the case OF Creshns, %
Hindoo deity, not only do the same cenalt S;,
exist. but additional ones. We ma al
Greeted at birth with chorus OF angel
Graded among shepherds, and escaping
slaughter of innocents similar to good hin
Herod's. In every case we find the san
God. growing in favor and stature until II
anrine equinox, when the Passover arrives
Other and equally strong points OF assim
lation and Identification were TO be dlscovert
On perusal of the book, which demonstra
that in all former worshippers OF the SOL
deitv as in those of Christ the same ''cardin
doctrine" of the Incarnation, the Atonemer
Da.th. Resurrection and Ascension he
equally good.
We believe that among others, Sir lsa
Newton demonstrated how all the Chrlstl
ta festivals were constructed upon an accura
astronomical basis, but he failed to recogni
the inevitable inference which is drawn
the work under review. and which q
authentic, is nevertheless curiousiy intere
ing. x,:. r.ooa ,;cht :,
life were set forth as the essence of God-G
before all together, was without suostan'
The LIGHT and life giving orb which creates
tarrestisl life then appears His only begott
Son. He is born at the actual commenceme
of the solar year at the very moment wn
The constellation Virgo is cut in half by !
horizon; but winter has yet long career
run, and 80 We find the infant CHRIST expos
to danger. During the equinoxial storm
ia hidden from sight, He succumbs to
foes. They fast and mourn Him dead; !
being God He cannot be held in death.
proves its conaueror, and the very rains VIII
have obscured Him have redeemed the eat
he. rises again to . higher point in the heav
to q final triumph in the zenith, whence
~ haot and frnitfnlpasa of summer He SCI