Classical Theology.—Xxxvii.

CLASSICAL THEOLOGY . —XXXVII .

LOXVOX , SATCEDAY , ^ OrSXHBB 2-1 , I 860 .

X . —VESTA A ^ 'D BECEHBEE . The Romish religion , with its pagan and papal forms , lias tivice overspread Europe , and become more or less the faith and fate of its inhabitants . But as the papacy could never get free from the embrace of paganism , modern Eome is overwhelmed by as many statue saints

as ancient Eome ever bad statue gods . In all ancient ordinances of divinity and adoration , called by ns profane in contradistinction to the one only sacred and spiritual lioly order of Avorship , vre find the same first principles shadowed forth—in some cases more indistinctly than in others . Thus CcelumTitanus

, , and Saturn , and to use their combined Greek names , etymologically as the combined li g ht of heaven , the AW , On , orToni ; so also Jupiter Lucetius or Diespiiter , as the father , and Apollo Phanteus , or 2 wr ?; p as the son , ( that is the Son of Light and the Saviour ) —the father ancl the son being indefinitely one , of tbe same nature and

element of light—are each recognizable as the emblem of tbe great First Cause and pre-emanation of all things . Again the Delphis , or evil princi ple , called Python , is similarly significant of that old serpent the devil and Satan . And thus in the true and Scri ptural sense , Christ is to be comprehended in his supreme -wisdom when , as

sboAvn by St . Jolm ( be . — : ¦ _ . ) , he says ;—" I must work the works of Him that sent mc while it is clay : the night cometh when no man can work . As long as I am in the -world , I am tbe light of tbe world . I and my my Father are one . If I do not the works of my Father , believe me not . But , if I do , though ye believe not me , believe the works : that yo may 1-OIOAV , aud believe , that the Father is in me , and I in him . "

Returning to the nrst Eook ot Moses , called Genesis , Ave read IIOAV the earth ivas really made ; and more plainly perceive IIOAV the heathen theologues individualized as deity , the works of the Almighty Architect of the Universe . Eor example in this last respect , Testa iu conjunction ivith Tpaxjiios or Jupiter G-enitor created as deities the sun and moondenominated "b many titles and

, y names , but best known as the god Apollo and the goddess Diana . Jupiter embraced Latona also , who AA-as meant to signify the image of clay , the first daughter so called of Terra and Cceus the Titan , for we cannot but suppose the fabled or pre-adamite race of giants , ivere really the bills and mountainsallegorically represented . Jupiter

, begot of Latona- at a birth Phcebus and Phcebe , by -which were meant Adam and Eve , so named of the sun and moon , as being the first parents of gods and men . Here is sufficient to establish tbe birth of Cain rather than that

of Adam : yet as the G-enitor , ive admit as previously stated , mythologically he as also been personated as ] N oah or Saturn ivho was the legitimate Jupiter of the Latins , prei'iously the Roman adoption and adaptation of tbe Greek gods and religion . As with the Phosnicians before them , and tbe inhabitants of other countries , profound confusion Avas thus introduced Avhich unsettled all prophetic

progress , and eventually came to upset them altogether . In strong contrast to the darkening of knowledge , shines the enlig htening of wisdom . when God beheld tbe light he Lad ordered to come forth , be saw " that it ivas good , " and he divided the light from the darkness . Holy "Writ nei-er groAVS oldbut restores itself of itself and

, becomes new , The Bible is a book ahvays full of the wisest learning and the deepest truth . Hereof Ave all g ladly avail ourselves , we trust in the acquirements and assurance of the text .

' - ' God made the firmament , ancl divided the waters which were under tho firmament from the waters ivhich were above the firmament . And Gocl called the firmament Heaven . And God said , Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place , ancl leo the dry land anpear . "

Tms was accomplished simply as understood , or " it was so , " as the Creator had said " it . " And Gocl called the dry land Earth : and the gathering together of the waters call he Seas : ancl Gocl saw that it was good . " Ancl again it- was so when lie said , '" ' Lee the earth bring forth grass , the herb yielding seed , ancl the fruit tree yielding fruitwhose seed is in itself the earth .

, upon And God said , Let there bo light in the firmament of . the heaven to divide tho clay from the night ; and let them be for signs and for seasons , and for days , and for years : for lights in the firmament ofthe heaven to gii * o light upon the earth . Ancl God made two great- light ? [ that is , as it ivere , with the sun be added to His works the orb of the moon . ] the greater liht to rule the dayand the lesser

; g , light to rule the night ; he made the stars also , ancl set them [ or affixed their courses ] in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth . Ancl the ei'ening and the morning , were the fourth day . "

"We are then further informed that on that nest day , at the command of the Almi ghty , the waters abundautly brought forth the " moving creature that hath life , and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven . " Then on the following day , expressly stated to have been the sixth day , from the first light of ail days ,

ancl time commencing Avith the beginning of creation , " the beast " was brought forth of the earth , and made after his kind . This probably means , of the generality of its species , or of the untameable beast ; yet it lias been by some supposed to signify the serpent , and hy others considered as a wild man . Next were created " cattle after

their kind , and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind . " Here again God the Creator looked upon his works , and SRAV that the } ' were good : and he said , " Let us make man in our image , after our likeness , and let them have dominion over the fish of the seaand over the fowl of the airand over the cattle

, , , and over all the earth , and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth . " "We see bere that Gocl did not speak in the singular , expressing sole and entire unity—as of the Lord the Creator , the Lord the Saviour , and the Lord the S pirit of the Lord—by the names , afterwards knownof JehovahRaphaelMichaelor

, , , , Messiah . This last name is , being interpreted , the Christ , " for the Lord said , ( Gen . vi . ) , " My spirit shall not always strive Avith man , for that he also is flesh . " The words of the text seem to bear rather the plural acceptation of the sense , generally , as of Cherubim and Seraphim , both male and female .

" So Gocl created man in his own image , in the image of Gocl created he him ; male and female created he thorn . And God blessed them , and God said unto them , Be fruitful and multiply , and replenish the earth , and subdue it . " And thus hearing a ICAV more words of exhortation and instruction , man received of his Maker tho world

designed for him , for his , for ali , as one of the great Masonic " many mansions , " exclusively his by inheritance ' 'And Gocl saw everything that he had made , and , behold , it was very good . And , the evening and the morning were the sixth day , " In the next three verseswhichbelong morewe should sayto

, , , , this first than to the second chapter of Genesis are concluded and confirmed the concise records of the creation : — ' ¦ 'Thus the heavens and the earth were finished , ancl all the host of them . And on the seventh day God ended his work ivhich . he had made , and ho rested , on the seventh day