For the Man Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter's carnate son,
the mystical Essene and occultist, Shelley exceeded in love and
reverence many of the most earnest Christians, and in no theological
writings can there be discovered such beautiful sentiments concerning
the "The Regenerator of the World," and the "Meek Reformer," of whom
he speaks as contemplating that mysterious principle called God, the
fundamental of all good, and the source of all happiness, as every
true poet and philosopher must have done. It is impossible to turn to
any page of his works, where, in speaking of Christ, he fails in
this--he expatiates with as great fervor as Renan, Seeley, or
Strauss, on Christ's exposing with earnest eloquence, like all true
members of the brotherhood of Illuminati, to which he belonged, the
panic fears and hateful superstitions which have enslaved mankind for
ages, and extols

"His extraordinary genius, the wide and rapid effects of his
unexampled doctrines, his invincible gentleness and
benignity, (and) the devoted love borne to him by his
adherents."

For the God Christ, as depicted by the Sacerdotal order, he had the
greatest contempt. It was impossible for a mind constituted like his
to tamely rest contented with the incredible story forced on mankind's
intelligence, that the Supreme Power could or would for any wise
purpose be transformed into a dove, and re-enact the mythical part of
Jupiter with a Christian Leda, the Jew carpenter's wife, Mary, under
the disguise of a bird. Such a story and the theory on which it rests
Shelley summarised as follows: