His words are, "Under him the bulls Apis in Memphis, and Mnevis in Heliopolis, and the Mendesian goat, were appointed to be gods." This testimony proves the extreme antiquity of this institution. It is evidently an essential and component part of the Egyptian idolatry, and therefore must have arisen contemporaneously with the rest of the system. It is merely the impersonation of Divine attributes by animal forms. Thus the infinite height and depth of the Divine mind are represented by a hawk, because that bird soars perpendicularly up, and drops again perpendicularly down, in her flight. The ape or cynocephalus, was worshipped as the living image of the moon; because, according to their most absurd notions of natural history, this animal becomes blind, and eats nothing during the lunar change. The ape also represented Thoth, the ruler of the moon and the god of letters; because they fancied that there was one species that was acquainted with the art of writing. The vengeance of God was exhibited by a crocodile. In this way representations of the Divine attributes were found in every part of the animal creation, and all were deified.

Mr. Cory, in his "Mythological Inquiry," labours to prove that animal worship originated in the adoration of the cherubic creatures. We believe that there is much truth in this remark, and that several of the compound figures, such as sphinxes, &c., were produced for this purpose.

Yet, whatever might have been the leading thought, or the progressive steps by which this fearful amount of evil was brought into operation, there can be no doubt of its fatal influence on the best interests of mankind. It shut out man from access unto God, blinded his eyes by a mass of absurd dogmas and superstitious rites, and led him to bow in prostrate adoration, not only to bulls and crocodiles, but even to monkeys and beetles.

Nor is it to be imagined that this worship of heavenly bodies, human beings, and animal forms, arose from any philosophical refinement. We are not left in uncertainty as to the great moving principle of all this mass of error. Truth had been revealed; a way of salvation, through faith

in sacrifice, had been appointed. Men rejected the wisdom of God, and introduced their own inventions. Their heart was alienated from God; they affected wisdom at the expense of obedience. The first settlers on the banks of the Nile, then, were idolaters at heart; they had already drunk deep of "the cup of abominations" which the "mother of harlots" had held forth to them. Knowing much of God, they glorified him not as God, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, . and creeping things." (Rom. i. 21-23.) The Egyptian sages reached the full extent of this wickedness and folly. We can only mention a fact which has been fully proved, —that the language, written character, and religion of Egypt arose at the same time. Scattered from Babel, with the curse of God still tingling in their ears, incapacitated for either speaking or writing as they had formerly done, the sons of Mizraim journeyed to the banks of the Nile. Here they employed their cultivated intellect to supply these wants: a language was framed, a written character adopted, and a religious system devised. Yet all these bear indubitable traces of idolatry. Although important elements of primitive truth are preserved, they are neutralized, because God is dethroned, and men worship the creature and not the Creator, who is God over all blessed for ever.

CHAPTER XI.

A GENERAL VIEW OF THE POSTDILUVIAN PERIOD.

DESIGN of the Chapter-Synchronistical Chart-Dispersion-Discrepancy in the Chinese Annals-Origin of Empires--Condition of the People-Use of Balances-Spinning and Weaving-Mode of Travelling--Use of Metals-Coined Money-Military Arts and Weapons Musical Instruments-Hunting and Sporting-Commercial Intercourse-The Phenicians-Tyre-Overland TradeScience and Learning-Summary.

WE have already considered the most prominent particulars in the history of the world, from the Deluge to the death of Isaac. The Dispersion; the history of the scripture patriarchs, and the character of their religion; with the rise of the several primitive empires, their early history, and the origin and progress of idolatry in them; have all in succession passed under our review. We do not now purpose to extend our researches further into any of these subjects. But it will be important for us to regard the history of this period as a whole; to consider the relative position of these several empires; to see how far the accounts of each are sustained or contradicted by those of the others; and, if possible, to form some just estimate of the civilization, science, learning, and religion of that era.

To aid the reader in comprehending this subject, we invite his attention to the annexed Synchronistical Chart, which exhibits collaterally the principal events of each kingdom in the same century, and shows the contemporary scripture patriarchs for the whole of the time. This, in connexion with the Genealogical Table already given, will enable us further to elucidate those points which it may be necessary to notice.

The first particular which calls for attention is the Dispersion. This event, according to the best opinion we have been able to form, took place in the latter part of the fourth century after the Deluge. But, if this is correct, we have to

Shuckford,

account for the discrepancy presented by the annals of China. The Chart shows that Fohee is supposed to have begun to reign in China B.C. 2953, and died B.c. 2838. who, although an advocate for the abbreviated chronology, perceived that on any principle Fohee would be contemporary with Noah, first suggested the idea, that Fohee was the same as Noah, and that, leaving his sons to journey toward Shinar, he conducted a portion of the population eastward, and settled in China. He supports his views by the following reasons: "The first king of China was Fohi; and as I have before observed that Fohi and Noah were contemporaries, at least, so there are many reasons from the Chinese traditions concerning Fohi to think him and Noah the same person. 1. They say Fohi had no father, that is, Noah was the first man in the postdiluvian world: his ancestors perished in the Flood; and, no tradition hereof being preserved in the Chinese annals, Noah, or Fohi, stands there as if he had no father at all. 2. Fohi's mother is said to have conceived him, encompassed with a rainbow; a conceit very probably arising from the rainbow's first appearing to Noah, and the Chinese being willing to give some account of his original. 3. Fohi is said to have carefully bred seven sorts of creatures, which he used to sacrifice to the supreme Spirit of heaven and earth; and Moses tells us, that Noah took into the ark of every clean beast by sevens, and of fowls of the air by sevens and after the Flood Noah built an altar, and took of every clean beast, and every clean fowl, and offered burntofferings. 4. The Chinese derive the name of Fohi from his oblation, and Moses gives Noah his name upon account of the grant of the creatures for the use of men, which he obtained by his offering. 5. Lastly, the Chinese history supposes Fohi to have settled in the province of Xeusi, which is the north-west province of China, and near to Ararat, (in Cashgar,) where the ark rested. But, 6, The history we have of the world does necessarily suppose, that these eastern parts were as soon peopled, and as populous, as the land of Shinar; for within a few ages in the days of Ninus and Semiramis,"

* SHUCKFORD'S "Sacred and Profane History," vol. i. p. 62.

they were fully able to resist the Assyrian invasion. Although the chronology and history of this extract are very different from our own, we have thought it right to give it, because its principal arguments are applicable to the chronological arrangement which we have adopted; according to which Fohee died about half a century before the death of Noah ; and therefore, when the remoteness of the period is considered, these events may be said nearly to synchronize. Besides this chronological coincidence, there are the points of resemblance noticed by Shuckford; most of which, notwithstanding his defective chronology, deserve attention. Are we, then, to believe that Noah, leaving his sons, departed from Armenia, and, journeying with his attendants, settled in the east? We confess that, to our judgment, this notion is too fanciful to be seriously entertained. Besides, scripture clearly teaches that Noah had no children after the Flood. What then is the solution of the apparent discrepancy Evidently this: the Chinese carried back their history to the time of Noah, and regarded him as their king who was only their ancestor. We have seen that, in effect, the Egyptians did the same. Sanchoniatho carries up the series of generations from Misraim to Noah, without any interruption; and almost every ancient people connected the patriarch of the ark, and the leading circumstances of the Deluge, with their own history.

It seems therefore probable in this case, that early tradition, brought to China by the first emigrants from Shinar, was appended to their history; and there is no reason why, soon after the death of Arphaxad, China might not have been occupied. Egypt was colonized even at an earlier period than this.

The Dispersion is a great fact, uniformly attested by sacred and profane history, and supported by all accounts of the present character of all nations, and the nature and relation of all languages.

The origin of empires is a subject involved in much obscurity, and rendered doubly difficult by the learned labour which has been employed to elucidate it, in utter contempt