Part 14

Page 268.—“_All are of the dust_,” _&c._—While Voltaire, Volney, &c. refer to the Ecclesiastes, as abounding with tenets of materialism and Epicurism, Mr. Des Voeux and others find in it strong proofs of belief in a future state. The chief difficulty lies in the chapter from which this text is quoted; and the mode of construction by which some writers attempt to get rid of it,—namely, by putting these texts into the mouth of a foolish reasoner,—appears forced and gratuitous. v. _Dr. Hales’s Analysis_.

Page 270.—“_The noblest and first‐created_,” _&c._—This opinion of the Hermit may be supposed to have been derived from his master, Origen; but it is not easy to ascertain the exact doctrine of Origen on this subject. In the Treatise on Prayer attributed to him, he asserts that God the Father alone should be invoked,—which, says Bayle, is “encherir sur les Hérésies des Sociniens.” Notwithstanding this, however, and some other indications of, what was afterwards called, Arianism, (such as the opinion of the divinity being received by _communication_, which _Milner_ asserts to have been held by this Father,) Origen was one of the authorities quoted by Athanasius in support of his high doctrines of co‐eternity and co‐essentiality. What Priestley says is, perhaps, the best solution of these inconsistencies;—“Origen, as well as Clemens Alexandrinus, has been thought to favour the Arian principle; but he did it only in words and not in ideas.” _Early Opinions_, _&c._ Whatever uncertainty, however, there may exist with respect to the opinion of Origen himself on this subject, there is no doubt that the doctrines of his immediate followers were, at least, Anti‐Athanasian. “So many Bishops of Africa,” says Priestley, “were, at this period (between the years 255 and 258), Unitarians, that Athanasius says, ‘The Son of God,’—meaning his divinity,—‘was scarcely any longer preached in the churches.’”

Page 271.—“_The restoration of the whole human race to purity and happiness._”—This benevolent doctrine,—which not only goes far to solve the great problem of moral and physical evil, but which would, if received more generally, tend to soften the spirit of uncharitableness, so fatally prevalent among Christian sects,—was maintained by that great light of the early Church, Origen, and has not wanted supporters among more modern Theologians. That Tillotson was inclined to the opinion appears from his sermon preached before the queen. Paley is supposed to have held the same amiable doctrine; and Newton (the author of the work on the Prophecies) is also among the supporters of it. For a full account of the arguments in favour of this opinion, derived both from reason and the express language of Scripture, see Dr. Southwood Smith’s very interesting work, “On the Divine Government.” See also _Magee on the Atonement_, where the doctrine of the advocates of Universal Restoration is thus briefly and fairly explained:—“Beginning with the existence of an infinitely powerful, wise, and good Being, as the first and fundamental principle of rational religion, they pronounce the essence of this Being to be _love_, and from this infer, as a demonstrable consequence, that none of the creatures formed by such a Being will ever be made eternally miserable.... Since God (they say) would act unjustly in inflicting eternal misery for temporary crimes, the sufferings of the wicked can be but remedial, and will terminate in a complete purification from moral disorder, and in their ultimate restoration to virtue and happiness.”

Page 273.—“_Fruit of the desert shrub._”—v. _Hamilton’s Ægyptiaca_.

Page 278.—“_The white garment she wore, and the ring of gold on her finger._”—See, for the custom among the early Christians of wearing white for a few days after baptism, _Ambros. de Myst._—With respect to the ring, the Bishop of Lincoln says, in his work on Tertullian, “The natural inference from these words (_Tertull. de Pudicitiâ_) appears to be that a ring used to be given in baptism; but I have found no other trace of such a custom.”

Page 280.—“_Pebbles of jasper._”—v. _Clarke_.

Ib.—“_Stunted marigold_,” _&c._—“Les _Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum_ et _Zygophyllum coccineum_, plantes grasses des déserts, rejetées à cause de leur âcreté par les chameaux, les chèvres, et les gazelles.” _M. Delile upon the plants of Egypt._

Page 281.—“_Antinoë._”—v. _Savary_ and _Quatremere_.

Page 286.—“_I have observed in my walks._”—“Je remarquai avec une réflexion triste, qu’un animal de proie accompagne presque toujours les pas de ce joli et frêle individu.”

Page 272.—“_Glistened over its silver letters._”—The Codex Cottonianus of the New Testament is written in silver letters on a purple ground. The Codex Cottonianus of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament is supposed to be the identical copy that belonged to Origen.

Page 289.—“_Some denier of Christ._”—Those Christians who sacrificed to idols to save themselves were called by various names, _Thurificati_, _Sacrificati_, _Mittentes_, _Negatores_, &c. Baronius mentions a bishop of this period (253), Marcellinus, who, yielding to the threats of the Gentiles, threw incense upon the altar. v. _Arnob. contra Gent._ lib. 7.

Page 297.—“_The clear voice with which_,” _&c._—The merit of the confession “Christianus sum,” or “Christiana sum,” was considerably enhanced by the clearness and distinctness with which it was pronounced. _Eusebius_ mentions the martyr Vetius as making it _λαμπροτατη φωνη_.

Page 304.—“_The band round the young Christian’s brow._”—We find poisonous crowns mentioned by _Pliny_, under the designation of “coronæ ferales.” _Paschalius_, too, gives the following account of these “deadly garlands,” as he calls them:—“Sed mirum est tam salutare inventum humanam nequitiam reperisse, quomodo ad nefarios usus traducent. Nempe, repertæ sunt nefandæ coronæ harum, quas dixi, tam salubrium per nomen quidem et speciem imitatrices, at re et effectu ferales, atque adeo capitis, cui imponuntur, interfectrices.” _De Coronis._

THE END.

LONDON: Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoode, New‐Street‐Square.

FOOTNOTES

1 The description, here alluded to, may also be found, copied _verbatim_ from Sethos, in the “Voyages d’Anténor.”—“In that philosophical romance, called ‘La Vie de Séthos,’” says Warburton, “we find a much juster account of old Egyptian wisdom, than in all the pretended ‘Histoire du Ciel.’” _Div. Leg._ book 4. sect. 14.

2 A cross was, among the Egyptians, the emblem of a future life.

3 “On s’étoit même avisé, depuis la première construction de ces demeures, de percer en plusieurs endroits jusq’au haut les terres qui les couvroient; non pas, à la vérité, pour tirer un jour qui n’auroit jamais été suffisant, mais pour recevoir un air salutaire, &c.”—_Sethos._

4 Osiris.

5 In the language of Plato, Hierocles, &c. to “restore to the soul its wings,” is the main object both of religion and philosophy.

6 See an account of this sensitive tree, which bends down its branches to those who approach it, in M. Jomard’s Description of Syene and the Cataracts.

7 The province of Arsinoë, now Fioum.

8 In the original the discourses of the Hermit are given much more at length.

9 A rank, resembling that of Colonel.

10 “Une de ces couronnes de grain de corail, dont les vierges martyres ornoient leurs cheveaux en allant à la mort.” _Les Martyrs._

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Variations in hyphenation (e.g. “daybreak”, “day‐break”, “overhead”, “over‐head”) have not been changed.

In the notes, some references are to the wrong pages or out of sequence.

Other changes, which have been made to the text:

page 32, “alrea d” changed to “already” page 81, “stirke” changed to “strike” page 93, “grashopper” changed to “grasshopper” page 188, quote mark added before “The state of misery” page 194, “decome” changed to “become” page 312, quote mark added before “There is, to the north of Memphis”