jointly inadequate to explain, as not only of a natural, but as of a very low natural origin, the formation of such doctrines as those which give to Osirianism its Christian character. Nor are these the only facts which must be met before a scientific hearing even can be gained for any hypothesis that would give to the doctrines, whether Christian or Osirian, of a Trinity, a life, death, and resurrection of a God-man, and an Other-world of Reward and Punishment, any sort of supernatural origin, and hence any degree of authoritative sanction. For besides the great classes of facts just-specified, those also must be met which, in proving the conception of Mutual Determination to be the true and ultimate conception of Causation, show such hypotheses, as this of a supernatural origin of these doctrines, to belong properly only to, or to be derived from, the earlier, and more ignorant stages of men's knowledge of the relations of things. And seeing that these facts have not as yet been met by any of the arguers for the supernatural origin, and therefore authoritative truth of theological doctrines; we must conclude that if, similar though the doctrines of Christianism are to the myths of Osirianism, and of Naturianism generally, a special and independent origin cannot be proved for them; they were but derived from, or but transformations of these myths, and therefore that belief in them has, at bottom, no diviner sanction than the labour-driven ignorance and priest-ridden servility which-resulting from the economical conditions under which mental spontaneities originally worked-led to what were but the mere

subjective fictions of the myth-creating imagination being taken for objective realities. Our hypothesis, as it first presented itself, was, simply, that the similarity of the doctrines of Osirianism to those of Christianism was such as to be naturally explained only by showing that the earlier, importantly influenced the development of the later Creed. But we now see that, if it is to such an origin that the doctrines of Christianism are to be traced, we cannot stop here. If the Christian. doctrines of the Trinity, Incarnation, and Other-world, are in any way to be derived from the myths of Osirianism, or generally, of Naturianism; they had in these myths but their proximate origin. Their ultimate origin must, therefore, have been identical with the origin of these myths; and like that to be found but in those base conditions, in the foregoing chapter set forth, of primitive spiritist conceptions.

9. Unquestionably, the verification of an hypothesis which, to such an origin as this, would trace the myths of Christianity, is of the very gravest import. For it is almost incredibly tragical, that the sorrow of a Milton, for instance, in meditating on the death of Christ, had— so far as that sorrow was occasioned by the thought of a divine person, an incarnate God, who had come voluntarily on earth for the good of mankind-no more ground of actual objective fact than the lamentations of the Syrian damsels, whom the great Christian poet, all unconscious of being himself the victim of a similar bitter-sweet delusion, scornfully represents as, in amorous ditties,' bewailing such a fiction of their own imaginations as a Thammuz or Adonis. And yet, if

we consider the hypothesis here sugge-ted, on the Temple-roof at Karnak, in relation to our Ultimate Law of History, we shall see that such an origin as we have here been led to suppose for the doctrines of Christianism-we shall see that a transformation of the myths of Naturianism in such doctrines as those of Christianism-is but a deduction from our Ultimate Law, and a deduction, the verification of which will be one of the most important verifications of that Law. For, of that Law the great central affirmation is, that the passage from the earlier to the later mode of conceiving Causation is through a transitional age marked by the differentiation of Subjective and Objective; a differentiation implying a great development of individuality, of subjectivity, of morality; but not a differentiation implying anything more than greater abstractness merely in the primitive spiritist conception of Causation. But if so, then it will evidently follow that the spiritist beliefs which have dominated the First Age of Humanity, will not be destroyed, but only undergo a moral transformation. And what is it that we find in the doctrines of Christianism but just this all the old myths of Osirianism revived in such an identical fashion intellectually, that, -put but Christ for Osiris,—and the general description of the one creed is an accurate description of the other? Only in the moral spirit of Christianism is there a change. But this is just what, from our Ultimate Law of History, we should expect to find; and the fact, therefore, which can be for it but a most important verification. This changed moral spirit,

one boucs of the myth-eating imagination

jande relife. Our hypothesis, as the presented del'i wa simply, that the similarity PO DATUS Jf Germaken; those of Christianism 1st Depurary explained only by showing Leaded my minty infuensed the develop I: We L.W see that, if it is 1 nga that the Doctrines of Christianism are mmg ml ve past here. If the Christian

mamon, and Other-world, lived from the myths of

Montilly, of Narianism; they had proximate origin. Their

It therefore, have been identical of the myths; and like that to be the base clothes in the foregoing el Live spliffist conceptions.

valg, the ventilation of an hypothesis b) 12 org ss til well trace the myths to the very gearest import. For it is to papal that the sorrow of a Milton, ng on the death of Christ, had—

Crossed by the thought of ANA ute God, who had come aar oud be the good of mankind-no more 3. 22 ortive fact than the lamentations ANWrox whom the great Christian poet,

leme me the victim of a simiJASON SUnfly represents as, 'in

Mag such a fiction of their own

mur or Adonis. And yet, if

we consider the hypothesis here suggested, on the Temple-roof at Karnak, in relation to our Ultimate Law of History, we shall see that such an origin as we have here been led to suppose for the doctrines of Christianism-we shall see that a transformation of the myths of Naturianism in such doctrines as those of Christianism-is but a deduction from our Ultimate Law, and a deduction, the verification of which will be one of the most important verifications of that Law. For, of that Law the great central affirmation is, that the passage from the earlier to the later mode of conceiving Causation is through a transitional age marked by the differentiation of Subjective and Objective; a differentiation implying a great development of individuality, of subjectivity, of morality; but not a differentiation implying anything more than greater abstractness merely in the primitive spiritist conception of Causation. But if so, then it will evidently follow that the spiritist beliefs which have dominated the First Age of Humanity, will not be destroyed, but only undergo a moral transformation. And what is it that we find in the doctrines of Christianism but just this-all the old myths of Osirianism revived in such an identical fashion intellectually, that, -put but Christ for Osiris,-and the general description of the one creed is an accurate description of the other? Only in the moral spirit of Christianism is there a change. But this is just what, from our Ultimate Law of History, we should expect to find; and the fact, therefore, which can be for it but a most

important verification. This changed moral spirit,