n," the crucified Christ Jesus.

Plato (429 B. C.) in his _Pimaeus_, philosophizing about the Son of God,
says:

"The _next power_ to the Supreme God was decussated or figured
_in the shape of a cross on the universe_."

This brings to recollection the doctrine of certain so-called Christian
_heretics_, who maintained that Christ Jesus was crucified in the
heavens.

The _Chrestos_ was the Logos, the _Sun_ was the manifestation of the
Logos or Wisdom to men; or, as it was held by some, it was his peculiar
habitation. The Sun being crucified at the time of the winter solstice
was represented by the young man slaying the _Bull_ (_an emblem of the
Sun_) in the Mithraic ceremonies, and the slain _lamb_ at the foot of
the cross in the Christian ceremonies. The Chrest was the Logos, or
Divine Wisdom, or a portion of divine wisdom incarnate; in this sense
he is really the Sun or the solar power incarnate, and to him everything
applicable to the Sun will apply.

[Illustration: Fig. No. 37]

Fig. No. 37, taken from Mr. Lundy's "Monumental Christianity," is
evidently a representation of the Christian Saviour _crucified in the
heavens_. Mr. Lundy calls it "Crucifixion in Space," and believes that
it was intended for the Hindoo Saviour Crishna, who is also represented
crucified in space (See Fig. No. 8, Ch. XX.). This (Fig. 37) is exactly
in the form of a Romish crucifix, _but not fixed to a piece of wood_,
though the legs and feet are put together in the usual way. There is a
glory over it, _coming from above_, not shining _from the figure_, as is
generally seen in a Roman crucifix. It has a pointed _Parthian coronet_
instead of a crown of thorns. All the avatars, or incarnations of
Vishnu, are painted with Ethiopian or Parthian coronets. For these
reasons the Christian author will not own that it is a representation of
the "True Son of Justice," for he _was not_ crucified in space; but
whether it was intended to represent Crishna, Wittoba, or Jesus,[488:1]
it tells a secret: it shows that some one was represented _crucified in
the heavens_, and undoubtedly has something to do with "The next power
to the Supreme God," who, according to Plato, "was decussated or figured
_in the shape of a cross on the universe_."

Who was the crucified god whom the ancient Romans worshiped, and whom
they, according to Justin Martyr, represented as _a man on a cross_? Can
we doubt, after what we have seen, that he was this same _cru