b [Symbol: Aries]; and, in
short, what was there that was _Heathenish_ that they have not applied
to him?

The preserving god Vishnu, the Sun, was represented as a fish, and so
was the Syrian Sun-god Dagon, who was also a Preserver or Saviour. The
Fish was sacred among many nations of antiquity, and is to be seen on
their monuments. Thus we see that everything at last centres in the SUN.

Constantine, the first Christian emperor, had on his _coins_ the figure
of the Sun, with the legend: "To the Invincible Sun, my companion and
guardian," as being a representation, says Mr. King, "either of the
ancient Phoebus, _or the_ new _Sun of Righteousness_, equally acceptable
to both Christian and Gentile, from the double interpretation of which
the type was susceptible."[505:1]

The worship of the Sun, under the name of Mithra, "long survived in
Rome, _under the Christian emperors_, and, doubtless, much longer in the
remoter districts of the semi-independent provinces."[505:2]

[Illustration: Fig. No. 41]

_Christ_ Jesus is represented with a halo of glory surrounding his head,
a florid complexion, long golden locks of hair, and a flowing robe. Now,
all _Sun_-gods, from Crishna of India (Fig. No. 41) to Baldur of
Scandinavia, are represented with a halo of glory surrounding their
heads, and the flowing locks of golden hair, and the flowing robe, are
not wanting.[505:3] By a process of metaphor, the rays of the Sun were
changed into golden hair, into spears and lances, and robes of light.
From the shoulders of Phoibus Lykegenes, the light-born, flow the sacred
locks over which no razor might pass. On the head of Nisos, as on that
of Samson, they became a palladium invested with a mysterious power.
From Helios, the Sun, who can scorch as well as warm, comes the robe of
Medeia, which appears in the poisoned garments of Deianeira.[506:1]

We see, then, that _Christ_ Jesus, like _Christ_ Buddha,[506:2] Crishna,
Mithra, Osiris, Horus, Apollo, Hercules and others, is none other than a
personification of the Sun, and that the Christians, like their
predecessors the Pagans, are really Sun worshipers. It must not be
inferred, however, that we advocate the theory that no such person as
_Jesus of Nazareth_ ever lived in the flesh. The _man_ Jesus is
evidently an historical personage, just as the Sakaya prince Buddha,
Cyrus, King of Persia, and Alexander, King of Macedonia, are historical
personages; but the _Christ_ Jesus, the _Christ