This book shakes the core of Christian belief. It challenged the uncompromising views of the 19th century Catholic Church, put its author in jail, and was endorsed by Charles Darwin.

It’s a collection of sermons delivered by reverend Robert Taylor, establishing that Christianity is based on older religions, and that its rituals are descended from ancient Egyptian and pagan practices. It includes an astronomical introduction to Taylor’s theories, and a sketch of his tumultuous life.

Taylor reveals the real purpose of Jesus and the apostles, providing proof that they’re symbols of astronomical phenomena. Jesus being a symbol of the sun, and the twelve apostles of the twelve zodiac signs. He then goes on to unveil secrets about the origin and practices of freemasonry in four lectures.

Taylor debated with and beat virtually everyone at the time with the contents of this book. You may find his radical views eye-opening to the uncanny origins of Christianity and religion, but only if you’re open-minded enough. You may otherwise find them offensive and blasphemous.

…Throwing some doubt on the reality even of the existence in flesh and blood of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John, for here on the windows of Trinity are they represented as emblems of the seasons, and of these seasons too as they were five thousand years ago.