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the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. They had traditions transmitted of the principal events from the commencement of time; and had been acquainted with the history of creation and we may, from particular traces, perceive that they knew the mode in which it was carried on; and the hand by which it was effected. But they chose to express every thing by allegory: and these allegories were again described by cymbols, and hieroglyphical representations, to which they paid an idolatrous reverence. By these means the original object became obscure; and the reality was lost in the semblance. They looked upon light and upon fire, the purest of elements, to be proper types of the most pure God. And they regarded the sun, the great fountain of light, as a just emblem of his glory; and likewise of his salutary influence upon the world. This was specious, but of a dangerous tendency; as it drew away their attention from the proper object of worship: which became by degrees obscured, and was at last totally effaced. Both the name and

1 Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.Acts, ch. vii. ver. 22.

Ægyptus artium mater. Macrob. Sat. 1. 1.

C. 15. p. 180.

2

idea of the true God was lost; and all adoration was paid to the sun, and to the earth, under the title of Osiris, Ammon, Orus, Isis, and the like. The sun, in consequence of it, was esteemed to be the soul of the world: and Diodorus Siculus mentions, that the ancient Egyptians supposed this luminary and the moon to rule all things by their influence; and that they were through all ages (ao n αιδια και παλαιας γενεσεως) the chief 3 deities, and the conservators of all things. only the conservators, but the

And not

creators.

Hence it is said, that they esteemed the sun

5

as, mundi caput, the principal being in the uni

'The titles were various.

Te Serapim Nilus, Memphis veneratur Osirim.

Martianus Capella, Hymn. 2.

See Ausonius, Epigram. 30.

The same notion prevailed in other parts. Sol mens mundi. Macrob. Sat. 1. 1. p. 69. and 204.

3 Solem et lunam deos esse. ibid. p. 210.

4 Τους δ' ουν κατ' Αίγυπτον ανθρωπες, το παλαιον γενομένες, ανα βλέψαντας εις τον κόσμον, και την των όλων φυσιν καταπλαγέντας, και θαυμάζοντας, ὑπολαβειν είναι δυο θεός αίδιες τε και πρωτες, τον τε Ηλιον και την Σελήνην, ὧν τον μεν Οσιριν, τον δε Ισιν ονομασαν. 1. 1. p. 11.

5 Solem mundi caput, rerumque satorem.

1. 1. p. 204.

Macrob. Sat.

Τετες δε τες θεὸς ὑφισανται τον συμπαντα κόσμον διοικείν. Diodor.

1. 1. p. 11

verse, by whom all things were produced. Homer, who borrowed from Egypt, ascribed to the sun intellect, and universal perception. Ηελιος, ός παντ' εφορα, και παντ' επακέει,

Odyss. l. 12. v. 108.

Of the Adoration paid to the Sun, and to Fire.

I

Not only the Egyptians, but the Ethiopians, Persians, Phenicians, Syrians, Rhodians, and other nations, esteemed themselves Heliadæ, or descendants of the Sun: and they worshipped him both as their sovereign and parent. Hence Persina, the queen of Ethiopia, is introduced by Heliodorus, as invoking the sun in the following manner. Επικεκλησθω μας ¿ τις γενάρχης ήμων Ήλιος. Let the Sun, the great author of our race, be invoked, as a witness upon this occasion. A like address is made by a person called Hydaspes to both luminaries. at a sacrifice. Ω Δεσποτα Ηλιε, και Σεληνη deoTorvα---Our Lord the Sun; and our Governess the Moon. The Egyptians had a great con

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Æthop. 1. 4. p. 175. See Xenophon Kugsmaidsα, 1. 8. p. 233.

* Heliod. 1. 10. p. 518.

The author stiles himselfανης φοίνιξ, Εμεσηνος, των αφ' Ηλια γενές. Ηλιόδωρος. Ρ. 519.

nection with the Ethiopians: their rites and institutes, and their manner of writing were in great measure the same. In consequence of which we find this luminary invoked by them, as the principal fountain of all human being.

Ω δέσποτα Ηλιε, και θεοι παντες, οι την ζωην τοις ανθρωποις δοντες, προσδέξασθε με, και παραδοτε τοις αίδιος θεοις συνοικον. They are the words, which it was usual for the priest to speak at a funeral in the person of one deceased. At the same time he held up towards heaven an ark, in which the remains of the deceased were deposited. "O, sovereign

66

“ Lord, the Sun, and all ye other deities, who "bestow life upon mankind; receive me, I “beseech you; and suffer me to be admitted "to the society of the immortals."

They worshipped also the elements, and particularly fire and water. Ετι και νυν εν τη ανοίξει το άγιο Σεραπιδος ἡ θεραπεια δια πυρος και ὕδατος γινεται Even at this day, says 3 Porphy

1 Ταδε πλείςα των νομίμων τοις Αιγυπτιοις ὑπαρχειν Αιθιοπικά, της έμενης της παλαιας συνηθείας παρα τοις αποικισθεισί. Το λο Και πολλα τοιαυθ ̓ ἑτερα-Αιθιόπων ὑπαρχειν. Diodorus Sic. 1. 3. p. 145.

p. 144. See also

2

* Porphyry de Abst. 1. 4. p. 379.

L

3 Ibid. p. 374.

ry, at the opening of the sanctuary of the holy Serapis, the service is performed by rites both of fire and water. And he gives a reason for acting in this manner---' ύδωρ και πυρ σεβοντες μάλιςα των ςοιχείων. It seems, that water and fire were two of the chief objects, which they worshipped. Hence fire and water mingled were no improper judgment, as has been observed before. They thought, that fire was a living animal--- Αιγυπτίοισι δε νενομίσαι πως το θηρίον είναι εμψυχον. The Egyptians esteemed fire to be a living informed animal. But in general they had a still higher notion of this element, as we learn from Diodorus.---Το δε πυς μεθερμηνευόμενον Ηφαισον ονόμασαι, νομίσαντες μεγαν ειναι θεον, και πολλα συμβάλλειν πασιν εις γενεσιν τε και τελειαν αυξησιν. They denominated fire Hephaistos, esteeming it a mighty deity; which contributed largely towards * generation,

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3

Porphyry de Abst. 1. 4. p. 373.

Περσαι πυρι, και Αιγυπτιοι ύδατι θυεσι. καιτοι μεν άπασι καινον τοις Αιγυπτίοις το ύδως. Lucianus in Jove Tragado, vol. 2. p. 223.

2 Herodot. 1. 3. c. 16. p. 202. Fire was esteemed a god by the Persians. Πέρσαι γαρ θεον νομίζεσι είναι το πυρ. ibid. 3 L. 1. p. 11.

4 This opinion was followed by Heraclitus.

Εκ πυρός τα παντα συνέσαναι, και ες τετο αναλύεσθαι. Diog..

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