The laws of Moses and the life of Christ

Introduction

IN mankind inspiration produces infallibility of workmanship only to a greater degree than do other causes. J

A great twentieth century reformation is taking place in all walks of our life and if the Church wishes to remain an integral part of this life it too must seek reform.

The writings of the Old Testament are not in accord with the truths which God and Nature allow us to behold. They will, therefore, never be accepted by man.

Man is being blessed every day more and more and was never cursed as detailed by the myth of the Garden of Eden. Educated man has come to this belief and it is time that the above myth should be abolished from the Christian faith.

The use of the personal form, as spirit or devil, for the bacteria of disease or distorted equilibria of the brain, the world does not employ to-day. Two thousand years have brought about great changes, as God wills, in the human race and parallel changes for the better should be made in the Bible and in religion.

Nature works along the lines of least resistance and wherefore should she revoke all her acts and damn the highest form of life, mother and manhood, which she has placed within the world. "Mother" inserted in the place of "Virgin" Mary and other natural changes would but greatly increase the beauty of our iv INTRODUCTION

Bible and make its universality possible. If Christ lived as man he was born as man.

The history of as perfect a Life as the world will ever behold may be accepted as our religious foundation. The history of no nation is in all its annals sufficiently ennobling to be accepted for religious dogma. Mythological history, linking the animal with man as dawn joins night w>th day, must gradually be dispersed before the full light of knowledge.

The full power of man, as depicted by the life of Christ, the Church can always uphold. Mankind, following the period which is now before us and necessary for the broadening of the mind, will then again stand concurrent in his belief with that of the Church.

The few alterations the author made in a portion of the Bible merely because he believes that the influence of Christ's Church will thereby be extended.

Asiatic peoples when they understand the great beauty of the New Testament, and appreciate the fact that its events took place upon their shores, will grant it a larger influence over their lives.

Future generations will hold us as semi-civilized if with our present intelligence we show sufficient interest fully to beautify and adopt the highest religion before us and one that does not contain children's myths of "Jonah and the Whale" and the "Tower of Babel."

Is not the moral weakness of the decade due possibly largely to the fact that in our age of reason a supernatural foundation of thought no longer exists for us and, therefore, no longer supports a religious edifice for true moral teaching among men? If we cannot have the depth of beauty and of truth in our

INTRODUCTION v

religion we will not have it in our daily life ; the shallowness of mythology will produce but a shallowness of character.

This work contains in a slightly altered form a portion of Genesis, the Social Laws promulgated by Moses and the Life of Christ; it omits the mythology and mythological history of the Old Testament. It is dedicated to those who wish to teach their children the Christian Religion so that it may reap its full harvest and not leave the bitter taste of untruth or the insipid languor of incredulity with both child and parent.

Creation of the Universe

and

The Laws of Moses

THE CREATION

In the beginning God created the heaven and the universe. And it was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the spirit of God moved within it.

And God created many worlds. And God said, Let the waters of these be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth ; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind : and God saw that it was good.

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and let fowl fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created the seamonsters, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kinds, and every winged fowl after its kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground after its kind: and God saw that

CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE it was good. And God made man and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God created man; as male and female created he them. And God blessed them : and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it ; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed ; to you it shall be for meat: and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

II

And to guide His people God chose prophets from among them. And the greatest of the prophets was Moses who gave the laws for life to man. These are the laws of Moses or the commandments of God to his people.

I am the Lord thy God.

THOU SHALT HAVE NONE OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.

THOU SHALT NOT MAKE UNTO THEE A GRAVEN IMAGE, the likeness of any form that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a

AND THE LAWS OF MOSES jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands, of them that love me and keep my commandments.

THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

OBSERVE THE SAB- BATH DAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY, as the LORD thy God commanded thee. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

HONOUR THY FA- THER AND MOTHER, as the LORD thy God commanded thee: that thy days may be long, and that it may go well with thee, upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

THOU SHALT NOT DO MURDER.

NEITHER SHALT THOU COMMIT ADUL- TERY.

NEITHER SHALT THOU STEAL.

NEITHER SHALT THOU BEAR FALSE WITNESS against thy neighbor.

NEITHER SHALT THOU COVET thy neighbour's wife; neither shalt thou desire they neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbour's.

And to show how these laws were to be observed God

sent a Son upon the earth.

According to

St. Mark

Chapter I

The office of John the Baptist. Jesus is baptized, tempted, he preacheth: calleth Peter, Andrew, James and John: healeth one, Peter's mother in law, many diseased persons, and cleanseth the leper

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of worldly power; and was with the wild beasts.

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.

And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Xow as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea : for they were fishers.

And Jesus said unto them. Come ye after me. and I will make you to become fishers of men.

And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee. and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

And they went into Capernaum: and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.

And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up : and immediately the fever left her. and she ministered unto them.

And at even, when the sun did set. they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were in any way afflicted.

And all the city was gathered together at the door.

And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and aided the afflicted.

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day. he went out. and departed into a solitaryplace, and there prayed.

And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and led men to righteousness.

And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

And saith unto him, See thou- say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

Chapter II

Christ healeth one sick of the palsy, calleth Matthew from the receipt of custom, eateth with publicans and sinners, excuseth his disciples for not fasting, and for plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day.

And again he entereth into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts.

Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house .

And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

And he went forth again by the sea side ; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

And he said unto them, Have ye never read what

David did, whenhe had need, and was an hungered, he, and they that were with him?

How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Chapter III

Christ healeth the withered hand, and j many other infirmities: chooseth his twelve apostles: and sheweth who are his brother, sister, and mother.

And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath clay; that they might accuse him.

And he saith unco the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea.

And from Jerusalem, and from Idumsea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.

And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

For he had healed many ; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.

And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.

And to have power to heal sicknesses.

And Simon he surnamed Peter ;

And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphseus, and Thaddseus, and Simon the Canaanite,

And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him:

and they went into an house.

And the multitude Cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He is ruled by evil power and through it he ruleth the evil.

And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can a king cast out himself?

And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

And if a king rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

Because they said, He hath an unclean mind.

There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Chapter IV

The parable of the sower, and the meaning thereof. We must communicate the light of our knowledge to others. The parable of the seed growing secretly, and of the mustard seed.

And he began again to teach by the sea side : and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them, in his doctrine,

Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased ; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables :

That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand ; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

The sower soweth the word.

And these are .they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, evil thoughts come immediately, and take away the word that was sown in their hearts.

And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you : and unto you that hear shall more be given.

For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.

But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

Chapter V

Christ cureth one insane. He healeth the woman of the bloody issue, and raiseth from death Jairus his daughter.

And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man afflicted with a disease of the mind,

Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,

And Jesus cured his insanity and said,

Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things

Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death : / pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.