v, PERKINS LIBRARY Duke University Kare books I 'IIlU. 'YCES J1M.:/f// f ■■ . %A) ■/- r/W/r •>/' <<>r,hi/> HISTORY m OF ALL RELIGIONS, WITH EXPLANATIONS OF THE DOCTRINES AND ORDER OF WORSHIP, AS HELD AND PRACTISED BY ALL THE DENOMINATIONS OF PROFESSING CHRISTIANS ; COMPREHENDING A SERIES OF RESEARCHES, EXPLANATORY OF THE OPINIONS, CUSTOMS AND REPRESENTATIVE WORSHIP IN THE CHURCHES, WHICH HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN DISPENSATION, THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PROPHECIES OF THE PERSON OF CHRIST ; INCONTROVERTIBLY PROVING BY THE POSITIVE DECLARATI" 5 - OF THE PROPHETS, THAT HE IS TM TTfcUE MESSIAH. BY JOHN BELLAMY, Author of the Ophion, and Biblical Criticisms in the Classical Journal. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION. BOSTON : "CBLISHED BY CHARLES EWER, NO. 51 CORNHILL. 1820. burrill & hersey.... Printers, Haverhill, Mass. University Library CT fiiok 35>| PREFACE. Histories of the different professions of religion have been written by eminent and learned men in all civilized nations ; therefore, a publication of this nature may be deemed, by some, unnecessary. A consideration of this sort would certainly have had its due weight with me, had I not found that, though in many instances the authors have succeeded, yet in oth- ers, and those very important, they have been altogether defective. No writer has attempted to give us any information respecting those cir- cumstances and things, which took place at a more remote date, than that of the ancient Egyp- tians ; or concerning the religions of the first 368083 IV nations after the flood ; or the various states and descent of all the patriarchal churches from Adam to that period. It does not appear to me. that any writer can be justified in presuming to call on the at- tention of the reader, unless he has something hitherto undiscovered to lay before him. I trust it will be found by the learned and the in- telligent reader, that I have not merited any im- putation of this nature, for I should not feel myself excused in sending the following sheets to the press, if they did not contain a variety of information, which has not been made known by any writer, and which 1 consider a duty to lay before the public, I have avoided an ap- peal to opinion as conclusive, but have in these researches, confirmed what is introduced, from the Bible. Some may suppose, that we ought not to carry our inquiries, respecting these rhinos, bevond the time of the most remote Pa- gan antiquity. In such case, we must stop at a iater date, than that of the ancient Egyptians ; ibis would be shutting up the fountain of knowl- edge in the Egyptian labyrinth, where every thing respecting the first people, and their de- g< endants to the flood, would be wrapt in impen* etrable darkness. Here profane history gives us no light ; all is uncertainty and conjecture ; therefore, we are necessarily driven to the sa- cred pages of the Bible, which not only point out the origin of the most ancient nations, but lead us to the beginning of time, when the Al- mighty gave the first dispensation to man. We must, however, acknowledge our grat- itude to those writers, who have laboured to give information respecting the idolatrous wor- ship of the inhabitants of Canaan, and the sur- rounding nations, before the Hebrews came out of Egypt ; but had they attended to the mean- ing of those words, which so frequently occur, the Hebrew pronunciation of which is constant- ly retained in the English, and also in all the European Bibles, much information would at this day have been before the world. In translating the significative nomenclature of the Hebrew, I trust I have shown, that in their original institution, they were not contra- ry to divine order, but were used by the most ancient people as indices pointing to knowl- edge in every page of the book of nature. A knowledge given to the primeval people, who gave names to creatures and things, expressive 368083 VI of their natures, a wonderful singularity fouud only in the Hebrew language. This knowl- edge was not extinct in the time of the proph- ets, who were shown, that clean and unclean beasts of all kinds, signified the good and evil affections of the Jews. 1 have also shown how lliese things, in their origin, innocently signifi- cative and instructive, were in process of time, through the pride, ignorance and sensuality of man, worshipped as idols. With regard to the professions of the Chris- tian religion, I have abandoned the customary method of copying. Whoever will be at the trouble of reading different writers on this sub- ject, will find, that one writer of a particular persuasion, has, with a mild kind of bigotry, from an attachment to his own sect, elaborately recommended his own view. I have avoided every thing of this nature, being well assured from the sacred writings, that true religion con- sists neither in doctrines, nor opinions, but in uprightness of heart. In presuming to speak of the state in Par- adise, I have not advanced any new theory, but have confirmed those views, consistently with what is said by the inspired penman on Vll that subject. It must be obvious, that if any information can be obtained respecting this state, we must necessarily have it from the an- cient part of the Bible. I have also from the same authority given proofs concerning the na- ture of the first dispensation, which God gave to man after the fall. For it has frequently occurred to me, when reading that part of the sacred writings where the first patriarchs are recorded, that the words signifying the names of the men, had also another meaning and ap- plication, according to the custom of the He- brews ; and in this instance I have found them to be applied also to signify the state or quali- ty of the church, as well as the name of the man, when each patriarch succeeded to the su- preme government, until the church by succes- sive states descended, and finally was extinct in the time of Noah, when God gave a new dispensation to him. This, T trust, will give much satisfaction to the biblical reader, as it shows, with what wis- dom and effect these most ancient people were directed under that dispensation, to the existing state of spiritual things. This served as a per- petual monitor to remind them concerning their Vlll departure from the purity of the life and doc- trines of the church, as it was established by righteous Seth, and the danger into which they were plunging themselves by disobeying the divine commands. I have therefore followed the order of the sacred history, from Adam to the end of the patriarchal churches, introducing those nations in the order of succession from the eldest sons, which appears to have been consistent with the view of the inspired writer. So that, between the first order of patriarchs, from Seth to Noah, the nations descending from Japhet and Ham are introduced, before the second order of patriarchs from Noah to Abraham. It appeared proper to give some informa- tion respecting the worship of those nations whicli descended from Japhet and Ham, which 1 have done by consulting the best authors ; in addition to which, I have endeavoured to de- velope the peculiar nature of their worship, by translating the names of their idols ; and by so doing, it has led me to form a rational con- clusion concerning the application of these words to the things, to which they were evi- dently applied in their origin. IX Tn addition, I have been induced to write a small Treatise ; the circumstance that induced me to write it was the following. A gentle- man called on me, and informed rac, that a pre- mium was offered by the London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews, for the best refutation of David Levi's Disserta- tions on the Prophecies, which are written in three large volumes, octavo. I had these books by me, and was well aware of the abso- lute necessity of such an answer. None of our learned men, whose business it was, hav- ing attempted to meet this Goliath of the Jews, whose arguments appeared to many as conclu- sive against the Christian religion, 1 waited on a respectable gentleman of that society, and was informed by him, that they wished to have a complete refutation of the above mentioned Dissertations on the Prophecies, not only to put into the hands of the Jews in England, but of those of the different nations of Europe also. As this difficult task of literally refuting what has been advanced by this bold writer, seemed to rest here, I began to frame an an- swer in support of our religion against this for midable production, which is now received bj the Jews as the pillar of Judaism ; and 1 have concluded to make a separate treatise of it and annex it to this work. Being convinced of the laudable and be- nevolent intentions of this respectable society, 1 have been particular in meeting the objec- tions of this writer, which are properly not his, but collected from the writings of their modern rabbies. 1 have, I hope, given a ylain, clear and conclusive refutation of those objections, by which the Christian church has so often been disturbed, and which have in- duced this Jewish writer exultingly to conclude each dissertation by saying : " Now as it is clear, that none of those things were accom- plished at their return from Babylon, nor yet in the person of Jesus ; neither can they be explained according to the spiritualizing scheme of the Christians : whence it is mani- fest, that they remain to be fulfilled at the com- ing of the true Messiah." Levi, Dis. vol. 2. p. 229. XI *** I must not omit to say, that for the sake of accu- racy and precision, I have submitted the various arti- cles to the inspection and approval of the leading per- sons of each sect ; the statements, therefore, of their doctrine, as well as the order of their communion, have been sanctioned and confirmed. TO THE SECOND LONDON EDITION. The ftrst edition of this ^woyIl Tiaving l>een sold in the s\*ace of a fe^w months, lias encouraged the «!u- thov to \rrint the second •, tlie Ya\*id sale l>eing the l>est \vroof , that the \mblic liave l>een gratified ^with the i\e>N matter, ^wliich is communicat- ed Ty^ a strict attention to the sa- cked language. iNLanj of t\\e articles liaye again l>een submitted to the inspection of those, ^who are the most intelligent teachexs among the different denom- xiv Advertisement. inations of Christians •, and X need only say, tbat they liaye acknowl- edged tl\e definitions of the doctrines to be perfectly consistent witl\ their yiews. In this edition, the Author has given three sheets of matter move than is contained in tlie first •, many tilings having occurred to l\im of a most important nature, altogether new in TSiblical "Literature, "but such as will impress tiie mind with five sanctity of t\\e original •, and wliich indeed is absolutely necessary to l>e "kno wnlrj all Christians. CONTENTS. A P a g e ABEL, nature of his offering - 33 Abraham, covenant with 72 Abraham, an eastern king - - 72 , the Indian Brahma - - 132 Adamic church - - - 29 Adramelek, meaning of 52 Africa, peopled by the descendants of Japhet - 137 Africans, ancient - - - 137 , modern - - 140 Amalekites 45 America, North - 142 , South - - 143 Ammonites - 44 Anabaptists - - - 179 Anamelek, meaning of 52 Antediluvians, years of the - - 66 Anthropomorphites - - 157 Antinomians - - - 184 Antitrinitarians - - - 184 Arabians, ancient ... 256 XVI CONTENTS. , modern - 257 Aram, meaning of - - - 61 Arians - - - - 187 Armenians, ancient - - - 191 , modern - - - 192 Ashma, meaning of - 52 Ashur - 60 Assyrians - - - 50 Vtheists - - - - 244 B Baal-Peor, meaning of - - 44 JBaal-Zebub, meaning of - - 47 Babel - - - 53 Babylonians 52 Baptists - - - - 177 , Particular and general - 179 , Paedo, - - - 180 , Ana - - 179 , Seventh day - - 179 Baxterians - - - 216 Bel and the Dragon explained - 78 Ben-hadad - - - - 50 Berith - 95 Birthright of Esau, and blessing of Jacob, explained 88 Brahmans - - - - 127 C Caduceus of Mercury, origin and explanation of 81 Cain, nature of his offering - - 29 Cain, rejection of his offering - 30 Calvinists - - - - 184 Canaan, ancientlv called India - 13? CONTENTS. XVli Canaanites * 4d Caphtorim, meaning of - 138 Carpocratians - - - 155 Cerinthians - - - 156 Chinese, ancient - - - 115 , descended from Joktan - 116 , modern - - - 117 China, three sects of religious professors in - 120 , Fo ... 121 , Confucius - - 120 , Lao-kiun - - - 124 , Tartary - - - 125 Christ, the true Messiah - . - 264 , a priest after the order of Melchizedeck, explained 77 Christian religion - - 147 , different sects of - 150 Christian Syrian church in India - 174 Constellations known to the Antediluvians - 27 Cupid and Psyche, fable of, taken from the Bible 103 Cybele - - - 55 , taken from the Bible 55 D Dagon, meaning of - -47 Daniel cast into the den of lions — cause of - 78 Deists - - . - 251 Destructionists - - - 218 Diluvians, Post, application of the years of - 67 Dissenters - - - - 215 , from the kirk of Scotland - 228 Dunkers - 226 2* KVni CONTEXTS Earth, scriptural application of - Gb , division of, explained - 66 Eber, meaning of - - 64 Egypt, time of the Hebrews sojourning in 91 , peopled by the descendants of Mitzraim 138 Egyptian Mythology, taken from the Bible - 40 Egyptians, ancient - 40 Enthusiasts - - 236 , Thomas of Munster - 238 -, Herman, the Cobler - 239 -, David George - - 239 -, John Matthias - - 238 — , John of Leyden - 238 -, Theodore of Amsterdam - 239 —, Wilhelmina of Bohemia - 242 — . Joanna Southcott - - 240 F Familiar spirit, in Hebrew, a serpent - 77 G Gnostics - - . 150 Greek church - - - 158 Grecians 93 , originally worshippers of the true God 93 , their 12 Gods taken from scripture - 94 H Ham. called Jupiter Ammon - 97 , meaning of - - - 97 Heathen gods, names of, taken from the Bible - 94 . actions of the same as recorded in the Bible 95 CONTENTS. XIX Hebrew language, singular nature of - 28 Hugonots - - ■ - 232 Human sacrifices in India - - 136 Hutchinsonians - - - 221 I Idolatry, introduced by Ham 40 , its origin - 53 Idols worshipped in India - - 136 Immolation of women in India - 133 r-, of children - - 134 Independents - - - 194 Indian nations of the east - - 126 Indians, descended from Joktan - 131 Isaac, the patriarch - o J Jacob, the patriarch - - 91 , eating venison explained - 85 Jephtha's daughter not sacrificed - 113 Jews - 257 Jumpers - 230 Jupiter Olympus taken from the Bible - 107 Jupiter, priests of, twelve - - 114 K Kirk of Scotland - - 227 Knowledge of all cresftures given to Adam - 27 Lama, Grand - - - 118 Levites ... 263 Lutherans - - - 181 XX CONTENTS. M Mahometanism - - - 144 Materialists - - 222 Melchizedeck, meaning of and application - 73 Methodists - - - 204 , new - 209 Millenarians - - 219 Moabites and Midianites - 44 Mogul and Independent Tartary - 126 Moloch - - 45 Moravians - - - 182 Muggletonians - 243 Mystery of the number 666 Rev. 13. 8. - 170 Mystics ... 223 Mythology, heathen - - 40 N Names of the books of the Bible, with their mean- ings according to the Hebrew - 302 , of the Patriarchs - 303 , of the Judges - - 304 , of the kings of Judah - 304 , of the kings of Israel - - 305 , and Titles given to Jesus Christ - 306 , given to the church of God - 310 Nazarites - 263 Nebuchadnezzar - 54 Nebhaz - - v 52 Necessitarians - - - 217 Neptune, origin of 96 Nergal - 52 New Sect in America - - 231 Nicholaitans - - 154 Nisrock - - - 51 CONTENTS. XXI Nod, land of, explained - - 31 Numbers, doctrine of - - 295 , Adam, Cain, Abel, Seth, Noah, Shem, Ham, Japhet - - 297 , Abraham to Amram, Moses to the return from the Captivity - - 298 , Adam lived to the tenth generation. Noah lived to the tenth generation 299 , Time, times and half a time - 299 , Three hundred and ninety - 299 , Forty, number of - - 299 , seven - - - 299 , seventh - - - 300 , four - - - 300 , third 300 , two - - 301 , one ... 301 Paedobaptists - - - 180 Pagan, meaning of - - 140 Paganism - - - - 140 , American - - - 141 , European - - 142 Paradise, state in - - 28 Patriarch Isaac - - 83 , Jacob - - - 91 Patriarchal churches, the first - - 36 , origin of the names of - 36 ! , ages of - - - 38 , the second order of - - 62 , names and ages of the second order - 71 , third order 92 Patripassian* - - - - 190 XXil CONTENTS. Peleg, meaning of - - - 65 Peleg, .application of - - - 63 Persian nation, antiquity of the 58 Persians and Medes - - 57 , from whom descended 58 Persians, modern - - 59 , worship of the 59 Pharisees - - - 261 Philistians - 47 Precepts seven, given to Noah - 62 Presbyterians - - - 186 Presence of the Lord explained - 31 Protestant Church - 232 Puritans - - - 194 Q Quakers - - - - 195 R Religion, pure - 25 Religions, history of 28 Rimmon, meaning of - - 49 Romans, ancient - - - HI Roman Catholic - - - 161 , Sacraments - - - 162- Sabatarians - - - 216 Sabellians - - - - 157 Sacrament, an ancient institution before Christ - 76 Sadducees - - - - 262 Salem, name of Jerusalem in the time of Noah - 73 Sandemanians - 225 CONTENTS. XXlii Scribes - 262 Scripture, and Divine Revelation - 252 Serpent, worship of - - 77 Shakers ... 229 Shem, meaning of - 63 Socinians - - - 188 Sublapsarians - * - 194 Succoth-benoth - 52 Supralapsarians - - 193 Swedenborgians, or trini-unitarians - 213 Syrians - - - 49 Targums - - - 290 Tartary - - - 125 Tartak, meaning of - - 52 Telescope known to the Antediluvians - 48 Theophilanthropists - 250 Trinitarians - - - 191 Trojans - - - 54 , their religion from the Hebrews - 54 Troy, time of 56 U Unitarians - - - 189 , Arian - - 187 , Sabellian - - 190 , Socinian - - 188 Universalists - 224 W Whitneldites - 210 Wine, used as a type - - 76 HISTORY aiili H^IaIGIOXS "W e are informed in the sacred scriptures, that pure religion does not consist in a set of notions or opinions, but that it is the working of divine truth on the heart j agreeably to these words, " thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself.'* But some may ask, how is it possible to love the Lord our God with all the heart, and our neighbours as ourselves, when the love of self is so closely united to our fallen na- ture?*. The Apostle has shown that it is possible for fal- len nature to be restored, James 1. 27. "Pure religion nnd undefiled before God and the Father, is this : to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." Now whoever answers this description, most certain- ly loves his neighbour as himself; for though it be pos- sible to visit the fatherless and the widow in their afflic- tion, without possessing the least pure religion ; yet if, at the same time, such a visitor keeps himself unspotted 26 HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. from the world, he does unto others as he would they should do'unto him. His worldly transactions are governed by a principle of uprightness ; and he is in possession of every virtue, according to the declaration of the prophet, that God has required of man. Micah vi. 3. " And what hath the Lord required of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." Religion be- ing a system of divine faith in God, and of obedience to his commands-, it must be interesting to every individual to be acquainted with the origin and descent of the first dis- pensation, which God gave to man. All, who have hitherto attempted to give an account of the origin and descent of ancient religions, have begun only with the Egyptians. Before this period, every thing of importance respecting the primeval people seems to have been neglected, as if no information concerning them could possibly be gained. Their learning, which must have been profound ; their arts, sciences, manners, customs, and usages, have been altogether unnoticed, as if they had been buried in oblivion with the waters of the deluge. The reason, however, is plain. Profane historians have preserved some remains of the vestiges of antiqui- ty ; to them we are so far indebted for much information concerning the customs of the second race of mej? ; or from the time of Mitsraim, the grandson of Ham, who set- tled in Egypt, which country, in the original Hebrew, is called by his name. Here they have stopped ; here was the great barrier that divided the two worlds ; every thing beyond this pe- riod has been wrapped in darkness and uncertainty. But had they only searched the ancient scriptures attentive- ly, which reach beyond the hoary headed ages of the most remote profane antiquity ; had they attended to the HISTORY OF ALL RELIGION-. n names of persons, places, and things, which are there in- troduced, the Hebrew pronunciation of which has been retained in all the European translations, instead of the true rendering, much information, at this da}', would have been before the public concerning that most ancient peo- ple. That much interesting intelligence might have been communicated relative to the customs of the Antediluvi- an*, by attending to the true meaning of words, instead of the literal rendering, will appear in the following pa- ges. The ancient Egyptians have long had the honor of •he invention of the constellations ; but it is obvious, when we attend to the above mentioned particulars, that they were handed down to them from this scientific peo- ple, among whom the serpent, one of the most ancient symbols, had a place in the celestial sphere. These things will not only appear from the Hebrew words, but also from this consideration, that when God had finished his work, he did not leave man in ignorance, but gave him a complete knowledge of the whole creation, which knowledge he had intuitively ; for such is the meaning of the passage concerning the creatures, " and God brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them : and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof." But it would be inconsistent with the object I have in view, to enter into an investigation of the knowledge of the people before the flood. My present business is to ascertain, as nearly as possible, the different professions of religion that hove appeared in the world from the beginning of time until the present day. I shall therefore proceed to gather as much information concerning this matter as will be necessary, from the only history now extant, which 28 HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. reaches to those ages, and which, on this account, is ca- pable of giving certain knowledge on these subjects. To the ancient part of the Bible, then, we must of necessity turn our attention, and here we shall find an ample field of information concerning the order and pol- icy of the most perfect of all governments that have yet existed on earth ; and of the regular descent of the first dispensation and first church, from Adam, to the time of the last of the Antediluvian patriarchs, Noah. In endeavouring to give a concise history of all the professions of religion, which have been handed down to us, Ave are naturally carried back to the beginning of time, when God gave to man the first religion on record, which is contained in the first chapter of the book of Genesis. This being, through the providence of God- in the hand of every man, who is happy enough to be a subject of the British empire, it may be clearly seen that the unity of God, and the trinity in unity was the grand doctrine which was first given to man. The unity of God is undeniably asserted in the first verse of the book of Genesis, viz. " In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth," and as a proof of man's obedience, he was not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was the first dispensation, the first religion, the religion of innocence, comprehending the most pro- found wisdom : concerning which, it perhaps will be dif- ficult to form an adequate idea. What conception can we have of the wisdom of the first man, when we are told that the creatures were brought to him, " and that what- soever he called every living creature, that was the name thereof?" Now the names of the creatures, in Hebrew, indicate their natures ; but how wonderful must that knowledge have been ! how astonishing that perception ! which enabled Adam to ascertain the natures of the crea- HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. 29 tures, and to give them names descriptive of their most predominate or ruling propensities ! Until, therefore, we can form an idea of that state in which man was cre- ated, when the imagination and thoughts of the heart were good continually, it will be in vain to attempt to define, with any degree of accuracy, the nature and operation of that wisdom and knowledge, which was manifested by the first man. How long man continued to obey the commands of God in this happy state, is not for us to determine. Some have attempted to fix one time, some another ; but as we have not the least authority, by which we can determine this matter with any certainty, every assertion of the kind amounts only to supposition. All, therefore, that we can possibly assert with any precision respecting this, is, that according to the divine testimony, man was created per- fect, and fell from this original state by disobedience to the commands of God. But no sooner had man fallen from that state of hap- piness and bliss, than God provided a Redeemer in the promised Messiah, viz. " and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed : it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." He also gave to man a new dispensation, and established a church which comprehended sacrificial worship, and the divine communication by means of the Cherubim, viz. " and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, Cher- ubims, and a flaming sword, which turned ever}' way to keep the way of the tree of life.*' This was the form of the first religion given to man ; and it follows in the his- tory, that in process of time, " Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord." The professions of religion made by Cain appears to have been in opposition to that of Adam and Abel ; and. 3* 30 HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. consequently, contrary to that which was established by the command of God. For Cain brought his offering, which was not accepted : there must, therefore, have been some reason why his offering was rejected. We may, however, collect some information concerning the particulars of this extraordinary departure from the true worship of God by the first-born of men. Cain was told, " it thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted ? and if thou dost not well, sin lieth at the door." From which we are authorized to draw this conclusion, that sin was the cause, viz. tc sin lieth at the door ;" and that his form of worship was not consistent with that, which God had commanded to be observed. The offering itself was acceptable to God, but it was not a sacrifice ; he brought of the fruits of the earth, (agreeably to the occupation of his life) for an offering unto the Lord. The acceptance, therefore, or non-ac- ceptance of it depended on the state of his mind, and on his obedience to the commands of God : and by attending to the following particulars, we may to a certainty know what was the real cause of the rejection of his offering. It is clear from the scriptures that tk? first order of things, as instituted after the fall, continued for a great length of time. In the translation it is said, " and in pro- cess of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord :" in the original, u and it came to pass at the end of days ;" which is a customary phrase in scripture for a great length of time. After the disagreement between Cain and Abel, it is also said in the translation, " and Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden." This passage has frequently been brought forward by deists, to show the inconsistency of HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. 31 "K— ■ ZZ going to dwell in the land of Nod. I shall on that ac- count make a few remarks, to silence future objections. I have before observed, that, when man had disobey- ed the command of God, and the communication between him and his Maker was cut off, as is plain from the words, " and the voice of God went forth in the garden," God provided a medium of communication by the Cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden. A dispensation, an order of worship, very different from that, when the in- tercourse was immediate between God and man. The word Nod, the Hebrew pronunciation of which has been retained in all the translations, means to wander. In this passage it is the participle active, viz. z.-anrferino; ; and the words " from the presence of the Lord,"' though they are truly rendered, have neither meaning nor appli- cation : for in the sense here understood, u the presence of the Lord,' 1 must have been in the land of Nod, as well as in the place where Cain had hitherto resided. But it is evident that this signified the place where the Cheru- bim and flaming sword, or emblematical sacred fire, were kept ; that it was more immediately " in the presence of the Lord ;" because, by this medium, he had condescend- ed to reveal his will to man. These divine symbols were handed down in the believing line of Seth to the He- brews, who had this tabernacle and sacred tire, before that which was erected by Moses. These words, " from the presence of the Lord," con- vey to us this information : that Cain, disapproving of the established order of worship, which God had commanded to be observed, by approaching him who dwelt between the Cherubim, went " from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land, wandering about the east of Eden,'" or began an order of worship contrary to that, which God had commanded. m HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. It is reasonable to conclude that this order of things, which Cain wished to establish, was that without sacri- fice, which was the order observed in the paradisaical state, where no sacrificial worship was necessary. Noth- ing do we read of there but the fruits of the ground; and this deviation from the command of God ; this attempt to assume the state of things as ordained in paradise, by re- jecting sacrificial worship, appears to have been the rea- son why his offering was rejected. But we must collect the particulars of this departure from the worship of God, and the cause of the rejection of his offering, from the scriptures. When man had disobeyed the divine command, and God had graciously promised to send a Redeemer, it be- came necessary that a medium of representation should be introduced, by which man might look through the type or figure by faith, to the promised Redeemer : and therefore offerings and sacrifices were ordained to be ob- served, as representative of Christ who was to come. Noav as sacrifices, as well as offerings, were command- -ed ; and as nothing was acceptable to God without a sac- rifice ; had Cain obeyed the divine command ; had he brought his sacrifice, and had he believed in the prom- ise of God to redeem man by the coming of the Messiah, who was to be the great sacrifice, as all the sacrifices were to terminate in him ; his offering would have been accepted. " And Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof." The offering brought by Abel was accepted ; it was offered agreeably to the command of God; therefore it must appear that Abel believed in the promise of God, that Christ would come and redeem man. Thus we find from scripture, that at this early peri- od of the world there were two professions of religion i HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. 33 1. the religion of Cain, who did not believe the promise of God to redeem man; which profession, being found- ed in the pride of man, brought forth the idolatry of the whole world, or the worship of departed men ; and which descended through five generations to Lamech : 2. the religion of Abel, who, as above, believed in the ful- filment of the promise, and offered sacrifices as represen- tative of Christ, agreeably to the divine command ; which descended through nine generations from Seth to Noah. We may also further remark concerning Cain, that at the beginning, he, for a considerable time, continued to offer sacrifices as well as offerings ; because it is said, " and in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground " only, without a sacrifice : for we cannot suppose that during this long interval, signifi- ed by the words, " and it came to pass in process of time " Cain had neither brought offering nor sacrifice. It is proper to remark that the Hebrew Van in the first word of the next verse, which is rendered and Abel, should agreeably to the rule of the Hebrew language, be ren- dered but, viz. but u Abel brought, " that is, u Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord " but " Abel brought even from the firstlings of his flock," which sufficiently proves that Cain despaired of ever seeing the paradisaical state of things restored, which he had supposed would be the case, and therefore presumed to establish the first order of things : while Abel continued in faith to offer sacrifice, believing the promise of God to redeem man by Christ. One of two things we are under the necessity of ad- mitting, either that Cain for a great length of time after the fall brought neither offering nor sacrifice ; or that for a great length of time after the fall, he brought both of- fering and sacrifice ; and then in process of time it came 34 HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. to pass, that he omitted, or held sacrifice unnecessary, and, after the manner of the Eden state, fct he brought of the fruit of the ground" only " an offering unto the Lord ;" which was the reason that the man was rejected as well as the offering. The scripture fully justifies this view of the subject ; otherwise, where would have been the consistency of the divine legislation, unless some justifiable reason could be assigned why God rejected his offerings ? viz. " But unto Cain and his offering he had no respect.'" Neither can Ave suppose that there was any partiality shown at this period ; because God said, " if thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted?" or, according to the marginal reading, which is nearer the true sense of the original, " if thou dost well, shalt thou not have the excellency ? but if thou dost not well, sin lieth at the door." Which ev- idently refers, agreeably to the order of primogeniture, to him, that he was to have had the excellency, or honor of the Messiah's coming in his line, had he done well, by continuing in the belief of the promise, and the continu- ance of the types and sacrifices, which signified the com- ing of the Redeemer. These words, also, evidently infer that Cain had had the excellency, or had been accepted in this sense, by the question, M if thou dost well, shalt thou not be ac- cepted ?" that is, thou hast heretofore done well, and hast been accepted, and if thou dost well, thou shalt be accepted again. Otherwise, the question would have been unnecessary, unless it had had reference to his hav- ing been once considered the head of the line, in which the Messiah would have made his appearance. Respecting the doctrines of this most ancient church, we cannot doubt that the first grand essentials were, love to God ; charity to man, and faith in the fulfilment of the HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. 35 promise that the " seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent ;" that man should regain by the Re- deemer, what was lost by the transgression of the first man ; because these essentials of true religion are com- prehended in the commands, which God had given to Adam. It is not necessary here to enter into a discussion con- cerning the longevity of the Antediluvians : much remains to be said on that subject ; but it is proper to remark that (lie patriarchs, from Adam to Noah, who were supreme heads both in ecclesiastical and civil affairs, gave names to the church for the term of their natural life, during the whole of which term they governed : names signify- ing its declining state, and which names were changed at the accession of the hereditary successor in the order of primogeniture. It perhaps may afford pleasure and information to the reader, if I show with what wisdom and effect the vener- able patriarchs applied this most significant nomencla- ture to the different states of the church. I dfro not know that it has been made known by any author, therefore it may be the more acceptable. It adds a great beauty to the original scriptures, because it shows us how the church gradually fell away to the time of Noah, when no true church existed. And as no nation can possibly have the form of a regular government, to keep man in a state of civil society, unless there be a visible religion, and God be worshipped in sincerity ; it also informs us how necessary it was for God to give a new dispensation, which he did to Noah, the second visible father of all mankind. 36 HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. THE FIRST PATRIARCHAL CHURCHES. Adam, at the birth of Seth, named him according to the state of the church. Seth means to settle, dispose, place, constitute, or reduce to order : which it is natural to suppose was necessary, as much confusion must have taken place during the time of Cain and Abel. At the birth of Enos, the patriarch Seth gave him a name consistent with the state of the church, over which he was to preside, directed no doubt by Adam who had ail knowledge intuitively in himself, and called him Enos, which signifies a mortal state by sin ; significant of the fall of Adam, by which the church was reduced to a state of miser}'. A similar state of the church was meant at the birth of Cain an the son of Enos. Cainan means to lament, to mourn, to be in a depressed state of mind ; and so was sig- nificant of that state, in which it is natural to suppose the mind would experience sorrow by the loss of the blissful, paradisaical state of Eden. Mahalaleel succeeded, who was so called in con- formity to the custom at that day. Mahalaleel signifies a departure from the praise or 'worship of the true God. The literal sense of which is, that the state of the church at this period was worse, as to doctrines and life, than it was at the beginning of the reign of Cainan, or any of the former churches, and that they departed more and more from the true worship of God universally. This departure continued when Jarad, the next suc- cessor, presided over the church and state. Jarad means to decline, to descend, and so was descriptive of that or- HISTORY OF ALL RKLIGlOiV der of things in their progress towards the last state of that church. But Enoch, the son of Jarad, who next succeeded to the supreme government, appears to have attempted to restore the worship of God by setting an example him- self. Enoch has the following signification, to dedicate, to train up, and the word, which is rendered walked, is in the Hithpael conjugation, which means, he walked himself training up with God, or worshipped God, and instructed or trained up those who were willing to worship the true God. From this expression it appears, that the great mass of the people did not walk with, or worship, God ; but were worshippers of idols. Therefore all the attempts of Enoch to establish the true worship of God, seem to have been altogether ineffectual. Methuselah, his son, succeeded him, when a more ruinous state of things com- menced, agreeably to the meaning of the word Methuse- lah* viz. and he sent forth death, which indicates a state of universal idolatry, in scripture termed a spiritual death. This appears to be confirmed by the next successor, his son Lamech, the import of which is, a total decay or falling away, so complete in its kind as not to leave a single vestige of what this church was in its origin. Love to God and charity to man, which were the actuating principles that constituted this church, appear to have been banished, and the love of self and the world, guid- ed and directed every motion in the heart and soul of the whole human race. This is sufficiently evident, from what is said in the 5th verse of the next chapter, con- cerning the state of the world at this time, viz. u and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually."" A more complete ill HISTORY OF ALL RELIGION'S. picture of the universal departure from every principle and act of virtue and moral rectitude, was never drawn by any pen. The whole man was a lump of evil, for it is emphatically said, only evil, not in word only, but the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil — not for a time only, but the imagination of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually. We come now to that period of the world when churches and different forms of religion began to be mul- tiplied. Shem and Japhet were worshippers of the true God ; but Ham appears to have approved of the popular idolatrous religion of the old world. Accordingly his grandson Nimrod built Babel, and laid the foundation of the Babylonian, or great Assyrian, empire ; and estab- lished idolatry, for which worship twenty two nations of the east became famous. This brings us to the end of this first patriarchal church, comprehending the second dispensation God had NAMES AND AGES OF THE PATRIARCHS OF THE FIRST ORDER. A. M. Died. Aged. Adam born 930 930 Seth . . , 130 1042 912 Enos . . , 235 1140 905 Cainan . 325 1235 910 Mahalaleel 395 1290 895 Jared . . 460 1422 962 HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. 39 A M. Died. Aged. Enoch . . . 622 987 365* Methuselah 687 1656 969 Lamech . 874 1651 777 Noah . . . 1056 2006 950 Agreeably to the order of the sacred history, I shall begin with the descendants of Japhet. Gen. x. 2. " The sons of Japhet, Gomer, and Magog, and Medai, and .la- van, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tims." There can be no doubt, but that the worship of the true God was communicated by Japhet to his posterity, who governed fourteen nations. How long they continued in the true worship of God, as given by their progenitor, does not appear. But the records of the Bible inform us, that some of these nations, which were distinguished by the name of their respective founders, were very powerful at the time of the prophet Ezekiel, chap, xxxviii. 2. c; Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Ma- gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, ver. 4. I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horse- men, ver. 5. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them." Thus we find that they were of such consequence, as to bring Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them against Is- rael. We have a certain rule for determining that these nations at length fell away from the true worship of God, and became idolaters ; because it is said, that by these descendants of Japhet, the isles of the Gentiles were di- vided in their land; and the Gentiles, or nations, for so the original word signifies, were universally idolaters. Ham i; ; next on record ; and here the sacred historian lias been particular, in giving the origin and descent of idolatrous worship, after the flood. It appears to have * Who was translated. 40 HISTORY OF ALL RELIGION-. been his design particularly to notice idolatry* and the true worship of God ; the first introduced by Ham, the latter established by the patriarch Shem : therefore ;i- Mitsraim, the son of Ham, settled in Egypt, I shall begin the inquiry concerning4dolatrous worship, with the Egyp- tians. THE RELIGION OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS I have, in another place, said, that the mythology of the heathens had its origin in Egypt, that from thence it passed to the Hebrews, then to the Phoenicians, and the Cre- tans, and lastly to the Greeks and Romans, from whom it spread over Europe. I shall, therefore, make a few re- marks concerning the Egyptian mythology, and show that it was an application of the names, circumstances, and transactions, related in the ancient part of scripture, to ihe theology of the day ; which, in its origin, no doubt, was as pure as the scripture. But in aftertime, we must be allowed, that it became perverted, and the nations fell into idolatry, by worshipping those things, which, in that representative state of the church, were originally signif- icative of the passions and affections in man. This was confirmed by the prophet, when he was shown in the chamber of imagery, clean and unclean beasts, which sig- nified the good and evil affections of the Jews. Apis appears to have been one of the ancient Egyp- tian idols, in the form of a cow ; many writers have said, that it was applied to Joseph ; I am of the same opinion ; but with regard to the origin of the name Apis, 1 have not HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS. 41 met with any writer who has satisfied me on that subject. It must be granted, that the very ancient Hebrew was the language of Egypt, which only took that name from the time of Eber. It is therefore reasonable to conclude, that Apis must be originally Hebrew. Accordingly, I find it derived from OS, pas, ' embroidery of various colors, embroidered garments,' 1 such as were worn by the priests, to typify, as Parkhurst justly observes, the various glories and graces irradiating from the divine light. Joseph had an embroidered coat, and married the daughter of the priest of On. It is obvious, that the priesthood was con- ferred on Joseph, 1 Chron. v. 1. 2. for the birth-right was given to him, consequently the priesthood. Now after he had done such wonders for the Egyptians, by preserving them from the direful effect of a seven years famine, and Pharaoh had honored him by arraying him in vestments of tine linen, with a gold chain about his neck, saying, •• without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt ; ? ' calling him, Zaphnath-paancah, the preacher, or manifester, of hidden things : it is not strange that the Egyptians should call him Apis, from the nature of his office as a priest, wearing embroidered garments. We may also remark, that as the Egyptians had experi- enced the greatest possible good from Joseph's wisdom, in laying up corn during the years of plenty, they could not have chosen a more significant figure to represent him. than their Apis, or cow, because of its priority to all other amimals, as to its usefulness to man. This also had reference to the fat and lean kine, as a primary reason why they represented him by a cow. We find again that he is compared to the " glory of the firstling of the bullock," Deut. xxxiii. 17. — Suidas, in Ser- apis, says, that " Apis being dead, had a temple built for him, wherein a bullock was kept/' 4* 42 HISTORY OF ALL RELIGION-, Sera])!* was an idol of Egypt in aftertimc. It has been thought by many writers, that this word was appli- ed to an object differing- in every respect from Apis ; but we shall find that it was originally applied to the same person, viz. to Joseph. The word Scrapis is evidently Hebrew ; it is a com- pound of "ity ser. l to rule, to regulate — a prince ; and of 03 pas. l the official department, or supreme head of the church ;' literally, the ruler of the priestly office, the primate, or archbishop of Egypt, and therefore called >cr-apis. Vossius is of opinion, that Serapis was Joseph, which he shows from ancient authority. The image had a bushel on its head, to remind posterity that Joseph saved i lie country by providing corn for their support. These things were done first, only as an honorary commemora- tion for signal services, as is the custom at this day, in erecting monuments to departed heroes, and great men. Bochart has made some ingenious observations con- cerning the origin of the fabulous metamorphoses of the Egyptian gods. " The Egyptian fable, that his was chang- ed into a swallow, from the Hebrew D^D Sis, l a swal- /ott'.' Anubis was said to have the head of a dog, because rD'U Xobeach, means ' to bark.'' Jupiter, the supreme of the gods, was said to have turned himself into a ram, because Stf E.I, ' a name of god,'' and ^*)K Ayil, ' a ram,'' are nearly alike. Bacchus, who was called by the Egyp- tians Osiris, was said to be changed into a goat, for no other reason than that *V>y£? Sangar, which means c a "oatf also means Osiris. Juno was represented by an ox, because rVHHttty, Ashteroth, one of the names of Juno, and also Astarte means l a herd of oxen.'' "* Hist, de Animal. Sacris. Part n. 1. I.e. 10. fol. 62. HISTORY OF ALL RELIGIONS But the religion of the ancient Egyptian, after the flood, consisted in the worship of the serpent, which spe- cies of idolatry was handed down to them by Ham, and which was, no doubt, the universal worship of the An- tediluvians. According to Pliny,* the Egyptians had a great many inferior deities, which they supposed to have a power over nature : as Jupiter, or spirit : Vulcan, or fire ; Ceres, or the earth ; Oceanus, or the sea ; Minerva, or the air. They also had their terrestrial deities, or deified men, some of whom had the vanity to assume the names of their celestial gods. Thus, Chronus, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Juno, Vulcan, Vesta, Hermes, Orus, Venus, Pan, Apollo, Typhon, Mars,