Mythological Inquiry to the Recondite Theoidgy of the Heathens
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M Y TH O LO GICAL INQUIR Y . he heo o ca s ecu a ons as we O F t T l gi l p l ti , ll a f the i era ure of G reece ere were s o l t t , th three perfectly distinct eras but the light which at these three eras was spread over Greece was not confined to that coun r . or na e e sew ere and t y It igi t d l h , was extended to the world at large ; and was connec ed w e en s w ose in it t ith v t , h fluence upon the destinies of mankind will never cease to Operate The first authenticated era of Greek civilization and celebrity commences with the colony of Danaus from Egypt and the theology of that age was derived from r eus the d sc e of usmus . i O ph , i ipl M W th the ei ception of the poems of Homer and B 2 M Y H L I L I N U IR Y T O OG CA Q . es od e has sur ed to a es its H i , littl viv tt t literary greatness : yet there have been handed down to us some few theological and historical fragments of the deepest r t th an u r n inte est o e tiq a ia . The secon the class c a e of reece d , i g G , af er an n er a of se era cen ur es is t i t v l v l t i , ushered in with the philosophical specu lations of Thales and Pythagoras : and the writings of Herodotus take up the s or of the wor w ere was ef hi t y ld , h it l t his co em orar e em a the ast by t p y N h i h, l wa of the inspired historians . It s a pe riod in w c oso and e er art hi h phil phy, v y , and almost every kind of polished litera ure reac e an une ua ed em nence t , h d q ll i , and in which the theological speculations of many of its philosophers soared above the gross materialism of preceding times : but it was an age remarkable for the ignorance of its learned in every thing connected with mythological an d anti quarian research . With the promulgation of Christianity L G I A L I U R Y 3 M Y TIiO O C N Q I . commences another era and whether we re ar the ree s as a na on em g d G k , ti , rac n the octr nes of the os e or b i g d i g p l , opposing it by the systems of the later a on s is an era in e r era ure Pl t ist , it th i lit t , as we as in e r eo o com e e ll th i th l gy , pl t ly w T w ne . he light hich broke forth with the promulgation of the gospel was pre ceded in some degree by the publication of the Septuagint : and the attention of many a learned antiquarian was turned to e ore the h s or of e r coun r es xpl i t y th i t i , and to develope the theological significa on of the s ra e e en s w c were ti t ng l g d , hi h still held sacred over so large a portion of th e ear . The fra ments owe er th g , h v , which lay before the antiquarian of that da were too muc ro en to resent to y, h b k p him the entire system of heathen theo logy ; and the want of sufficient data dis a ed him from rac n the connex on bl t i g i , which he j ustly presumed must have ori ginally existed between those legends and th cre recor s e sa d d . 4 M Y TH O LOGI CA L I N QUIRY . The connecting links in that broken c a n of w c the man earned an h i , hi h y l ti uarians of reece who our s ed in the q G , fl i h ear a es of the urc s ood so muc ly g Ch h , t h in need a e in our own mes een , h v ti b su e b two er s n u ar d sco r ppli d y v y i g l i ve ies . The rs of t ese the n er re a on of fi t h , i t p t ti the H ero l cs a s the un s u sed i g yphi , l y di g i historic records of Egypt in ju xta- posi tion with the Hebrew scriptures : and this will eventually fi x the history of the world by means of the authentic archives of two of its most celebrated nations ; and at the same time has given us ano ther key to the interpretation of the my i n T thology of the anc e ts . he other dis cover has een su ed from n y b ppli I dia, w ere ea en sm our s n in all it h h th i , fl i hi g s ar s and our is s cu a ed p t vig , till ltiv t amongst a peopl e under our own do m n on w ere has een reser e i i , h it b p v d by an un n erru ed r es ood who s i t pt p i th , till ossess and in a reat measure under p , g s and its anc en o umes and to w om t , i t v l , h T N R Y 5 M Y H OLOGI CAL I QUI . we may stillhave recourse for explana tion . At first sight the Mythological frag ments of antiquity present to us a mass f nf n n o co us o . o a c oser exam na on i Up l i ti , owe er we fi nd in em all c r a n fea h v , th e t i ures in w c t e corre on and we t hi h h y sp d , ma o ser e a so certa n d fferences eou y b v l i i , p liar to se f in w c eac na on arie it l , hi h h ti v s f m l ro al others . By rej ecting these dif ferences and reta n n the o n s of re , i i g p i t sem ance hus co at n the d fferen bl , by t ll i g i t s s ems and e e n s nduc n y t , xt ndi g thi i tio to all the fra men s w n our reac w g t ithi h , e may extract the original and fundamental tenets of their mythology : and we may likewise in some degree ascertain how muc of a ru w c was subse h th t t th , hi h uent a a e r st an had q ly prop g t d by Ch i i ity , t the r arc l been revealed o pat i hs of o d . The most remarkable feature in the heathen theology is the multiplicity of 6 M Y TH OLOGI CAL I N QUI RY . t Th i s gods . e easy temper of poly e sm as has een ca e es a e th i , it b ll d , h it t d not to adopt the divinities of the sur roun n na ons w e the deification di g ti ; hil , not on of eroes and n s but of the ly h ki g , ‘ v r ues and ces w the en of the i t vi , ith g ii woo s and wa ers moun a ns and c es d t , t i iti , contributed to introduce new and strange n But if inmates into thePantheo . we e ec ese modern n ruders if we te j t th i t , store to their original seats the imported e es s uc as Pan to rca a ermes d iti , h A di , H to ercu es to re and Dion Egypt, H l Ty , y sus to India ; and if we investigate the or n of eac we s a find e er na igi h , h ll v y on no w s and n the ar e of ti , t ith t i g v i ty names ac now ed n the same e es , k l gi g d iti , and the same s s em of eo o and , y t th l gy , however humble any of the deities may appear in the Pantheons of Greece and ome eac who has an c a m to an R , h , y l i ti uit w be foun u ma e if not q y, ill d lti t ly, mmed a e reso a e n o one or o er i i t ly, lv bl i t th M Y TH OLOGIC A L I N QUI R Y .