The Christian Foundation, Or, Scientific and Religious Journal Vol. 1. No 4. April, 1880. CONTENTS Is There A Counterfeit Without A Genuine? Design In Nature. An Atheist Is A Fool. Blunder On And Blunder On—It Is Human To Blunder. Draper’s Conflict Between Religion And Science. Facts Speak Louder Than Words, Or What Christianity Has Done For Cannibals. Are We Simply Animals? Our Relations To The Ancient Law And Prophets—What Are They? The Funeral Services Of The National Liberal League. Huxley’s Paradox. The Triumphing Reign Of Light. IS THERE A COUNTERFEIT WITHOUT A GENUINE? My object in this lesson is to present the myths, the ancient, fictitious and fanciful narratives concerning the gods, in such a manner as to enable you to see the utter absurdity of the idea that the religion of the Bible is of mythical origin. _Myths_ are fictitious narratives, having an analogy more or less remote to something real. From this definition you discover that a myth is _always_ a counterfeit, and as such always appears in evidence in favor of something more or less remote, that is true. Now, if the Bible had a mythical origin, it sustains some analogy to something found in the mythical or fictitious and fanciful narratives concerning the gods, and is therefore the myth of a myth; the counterfeit of a counterfeit. If such be the truth in the case, where do we find the origin of the myths from which “Bible myths” have descended? Is it found in the true God presiding over the elements of nature and the destinies of men, as well as the events of creation and providence? Or, can it be possible that we have many counterfeits _without a genuine_? Many myths sustaining no analogy, either near or remote, to anything real? It is an absurdity, destructive of the term employed, because _myths_ cease to be _myths_ without some near or remote relation to realities. They _must_ sustain some analogy to something real. And _counterfeits_ also cease to be _counterfeits_ when it is shown that they sustain no relation, through analogy or likeness, to anything that is genuine. In the mythical systems of olden times we have, in the midst of a vast deal of false and fanciful narrative concerning subordinate and secondary gods, evidence of a supreme God presiding over all things; and the secondary gods performing many things which belonged to the province of the “Almighty One,” with many degrading, vile and corrupting habits.