this building are several small temples or chapels, with altars standing. At the back of one of these altars is a slab of gypsum, on which are sculptured two figures, one on each side of a cross (Fig. No. 29). The cross is surrounded with rich feather-work, and ornamental chains. "The style of scripture," says Mr. Baring-Gould, "and the accompanying hieroglyphic inscriptions, leave no room for doubting it to be a heathen representation." The same cross is represented on old pre-Mexican MSS., as in the Dresden Codex, and that in the possession of Herr Fejervary, at the end of which is a colossal cross, in the midst of which is represented a bleeding deity, and figures stand round a Tau cross, upon which is perched the sacred bird.' FIG. 29. The cross was also used in the north of Mexico. It occurs among the Mixtecas and in Queredaro. Siguenza speaks of an Indian cross which was found in the care of Mixteca Baja. Among the ruins on the island of Zaputero, in Lake Nicaragua, were also found old crosses reverenced by the Indians. White marble crosses were found on the island of St. Ulloa, on its discovery. In the state of Oaxaca, the Spaniards found that wooden crosses were erected as sacred symbols, so also in Aguatoleo, and among the Zapatecas. The cross was venerated as far as Florida on one side, and Cibola on the other. In South America, the same sign was consid ered symbolical and sacred. It was revered in Paraguay. In Peru the Incas honored a cross made out of a single piece of jasper; it was an emblem belonging to a former civilization." Among the Muyscas at Cumana the cross was regarded with devotion, and was believed to be endowed with power to drive away evil spirits; consequently new-born children were placed under the sign.* The Toltecs said that their national deity Quetzalcoatle-whom we have found to be a virgin-born and crucified Saviour-had intro 1 Stephens Central America, vol. ii. p. 346, in Curious Myths, p. 298. Curious Myths, p. 298. • Klemm Kulturgeschichte, v. 142, in Curi ous Myths, pp. 298, 299. 4 Curious Myths, p. 299. Müller: Geschichte der Amerikanischen Urreligionen, in Ibid. duced the sign and ritual of the cross, and it was called the "Tree of Nutriment," or "Tree of Life." Malcom, in his "Antiquities of Britain," says. "Gomara tells that St. Andrew's cross, which is the same with that of Burgundy, was in great veneration among the Cumas, in South America, and that they fortified themselves with the cross against the incursions of evil spirits, and were in use to put them upon new-born infants; which thing very justly deserves admiration." Felix Cabrara, in his "Description of the Ancient City of Mexico," says: "The adoration of the cross has been more general in the world, than that of any other emblem. It is to be found in the ruins of the fine city of Mexico, near Palenque, where there are many examples of it among the hieroglyphics on the buildings." In "Chambers's Encyclopædia " we find the following: "It appears that the sign of the cross was in use as an emblem having certain religious and mystic meanings attached to it, long before the Christian era; and the Spanish conquerors were astonished to find it an object of religious veneration among the nations of Central and South America." Lord Kingsborough, in his "Antiquities of Mexico," speaks of crosses being found in Mexico, Peru, and Yucatan.' He also informs us that the banner of Montezuma was a cross, and that the historical paintings of the "Codex Vaticanus" represent him carrying a cross as his banner." A very fine and highly polished marble cross which was taken from the Incas, was placed in the Roman Catholic cathedral at Cuzco.' Few cases have been more powerful in producing mistakes in ancient history, than the idea, hastily taken by Christians in all ages, that every monument of antiquity marked with a cross, or with any of those symbols which they conceived to be monograms of their god, was of Christian origin. The early Christians did not adopt it as one of their symbols; it was not until Christianity began to be paganized that it became a Christian monogram, and even then it was not the cross as we know it to-day. "It is not until the middle of the fifth century that the pure form of the cross emerges to light." The cross of Constantine was nothing more than the *, the monogram of Osiris, and afterwards of Christ." This is seen 1 Curious Myths, p. 301. * Quoted in Anacalypsis, vol. ii. p. 30. * Quoted in Celtic Druids, p. 131. Chambers's Encyclo., art. "Cross." * Mexican Antiquities, vol. vi. pp. 165, 180. • Ibid. p. 179. Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. il. p. 32. ii. p. 318. "These two letters in the old Samaritan, as found on coins, stand, the first for 400, the second for 200-600. This is the staff of Osiris. from the fact that the "Labarum," or sacred banner of Constantine -on which was placed the sign by which he was to conquer-was inscribed with this sacred monogram. Fig. No. 30 is a representation of the Labarum, taken from Smith's Dictionary of the Bible. The author of "The History of Our Lord in Art" says: "It would be difficult to prove that the cross of Constantine was of the simple construction as now understood. As regards the Labarum, the coins of the time, in which it is expressly set forth, proves that the so-called cross upon it was nothing else than the same ever-recurring monogram of Christ."' FIG NO 30, Now, this so-called monogram of Christ, like everything else called Christian, is of Pagan origin. It was the monogram of the Egyptian Saviour, Osiris, and also of Jupiter Ammon. As M. Basnage remarks in his Hist. de Juif: "Nothing can be more opposite to Jesus Christ, than the Oracle of Jupiter Ammon. And yet the same cipher served the false god as well as the true one; for we see a medal of Ptolemy, King of Cyrene, having an eagle carrying a thunderbolt, with the monogram of Christ to signify the Oracle of Jupiter Ammon." Rev. J. P. Lundy says: "Even the P.X., which I had thought to be exclusively Christian, are to be found in combination thus: just as the early Christians used it), on coins of the Ptolemies, and on those of Herod the Great, struck forty years before our era, together with this other form, so often seen on the early Christian monuments, viz.: " This monogram is also to be found on the coins of Decius, a Pagan Roman emperor, who ruled during the commencement of the third century." Another form of the same monogram is monogram of the Sun was and X H. The .P. H. All these are now called mono grams of Christ, and are to be met with in great numbers in almost It is also the monogram of Osiris, and has been adopted by the Christians, and is to be seen in the churches in Italy in thousands of places. See Basuage (lib. iii. c. xxxiii.), where several other instances of this kind may be found. In Addison's Travels in Italy' there is an account of a medal, at Rome, of Constantins, with this inscription; In hoc signo Victor eris." (Anacalypsis, vol. 1. p. 222.) Bk. iii. c. xxiii. in Anac., i. p. 219. every church in Italy.' The monogram of Mercury was a cross." The monogram of the Egyptian Taut was formed by three crosses.' The monogram of Saturn was a cross and a ram's horn; it was also a monogram of Jupiter. The monogram of Venus was a cross and a circle. The monogram of the Phenician Astarte, and the Babylonian. Bal, was also a cross and a circle. It was also that of Freya, Holda, and Aphrodite.' Its true significance was the Linga and Yoni. The cross, which was so universally adored, in its different forms among heathen nations, was intended as an emblem or symbol of the Sun, of eternal life, the generative powers, &c.' As with the cross, and the X. P., so likewise with many other so-called Christian symbols - they are borrowed from Paganism. Among these may be mentioned the mystical three letters I. H. S., to this day retained in some of our Protestant, as well as Roman Catholic churches, and falsely supposed to stand for "Jesu Hominium Salvator," or "In Hoc Signo." It is none other than the identical monogram of the heathen god Bacchus,' and was to be seen on the coins of the Maharajah of Cashmere." Dr. Inman says: "For a long period L. H. S., I. E. E. 8, was a monogram of Bacchus; letters now adopted by Romanists. Hesus was an old divinity of Gaul, possibly left by the Phenicians. We have the same I. H. S. in Jazabel, and reproduced in our laabel. The idea connected with the word is 'Phallic Vigor.'"11 The TRIANGLE, which is to be seen at the present day in Christian churches as an emblem of the "Ever-blessed Trinity," is also of Pagan origin, and was used by them for the same purpose. Among the numerous symbols, the Triangle is conspicuous in India. Hindoos attached a mystic signification to its three sides, and generally placed it in their temples. It was often composed of lotus plants, with an eye in the center." It was sometimes represented in connection with the mystical word AUM" (Fig. No. 31), and sometimes surrounded with rays of glory." This symbol was engraved upon the tablet of the ring which the religious chief, called the Brahm-âtma wore, as one of the signs of 1 See Ibid. and Monumental Christianity, pp. 15, 92, 123, 126, 127. See Celtic Druids, p. 101. Anacalypsis, vol. 1. p. 220. Indian Antiq., il. 68. See Celtic Druids, p. 101. Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 103. See Celtic Druids, p. 127, and Taylor's Diegesis, p. 201. See Celtic Druids, p. 127. • See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 218. Sce Cox: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. 115. See The Pentateuch Examined, vol. vi. pp. 113-115. See Higgins: Anacalypsis, vol. i. pp. 221 and 328. Taylor's Diegesis, p. 187. Celtic Druids, p. 127, and Isis Unveiled, p. 527, vol. ii. 10 See Bonwick's Egyptian Belief. p. 212. 11 Ancient Faiths, vol. 1. pp. 518, 519. 12 See Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol, i. p. 94. 13 This word -AUM-stood for Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, the Hindoo Trinity. 14 See Isis Unvei ed, vol. ii. p. 31. his dignity, and it was used by the Buddhists as emblematic of the Trinity.' The ancient Egyptians signified their divine Triad by a single Triangle.' Mr. Bonwick says: "The Triangle was a religious form from the first. It is to be recognized in the Obelisk and Pyramid (of Egypt). To this day, in some Christian churches, the priest's blessing is given as it was in Egypt, by the sign of a triangle; viz. : two fingers and a thumb. An Egyptian god is seen with a triangle over his shoulders. This figure, in ancient Egyptian theology, was the type of the Holy Trinity-three in one.' And Dr. Inman says: "The Triangle is a sacred symbol in our modern churches, and it was the sign used in ancient temples before the initiated, to indicate the Trinity-three persons 'co-eternal together, and co-equal.'" The Triangle is found on ancient Greek monuments. An an A this has no U name FIG:31 M cient seal (engrave in the Mémoires de l'Académie royale des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres), supposed to be of Phenician origin, "has as subject a standing figure between two stars, beneath which are handled crosses. Above the head of the deity is the TRIANGLE, or symbol of the Trinity." One of the most conspicuous among the symbols intended to represent the Trinity, to be seen in Christian churches, is the compound leaf of the trefoil. Modern story had attributed to St. Patrick the idea of demonstrating a trinity in unity, by showing the shamrock to his hearers; but, says Dr. Inman, "like many other things attributed to the moderns, the idea belongs to the ancients." The Trefoil adorned the head of Osiris, the Egyptian Saviour, and is to be found among the Pagan symbols or representations of 1 See Isis Unveiled, vol. ii. p. 81. 2 Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. 196. Bonwick's Egyptian Belief, p. 213. 4 Ancient Faiths, vol. i. p. 328. 196. See Knight: Anct. Art and Mytho., p. Curious Myths, p. 289. Inman's Ancient Faiths, vol. i. pp. 158, |