Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1847 Excerpt:... things, and the spirituality of its movements; and the egg which came from his mouth indicated the world, of which he was the maker. This opinion is confirmed by the testimony of Iamblichus, who, in the time of Eusebius, applied himself to the study of Egyptian theology, and who endeavours to prove what Chaaremon had stated, that the general belief of the Egyptians was not that an inanimate Being was the cause of all things, but that in the world, as well as in ourselves, they recognised the soul superior to nature, and the intelligence which created the world superior to the soul." But I have already shown how unsatisfactory are the opinions of Greek writers respecting the religion of the Egyptians; and, with the exception of a few notions, which may be gleaned from the tenets of those who had studied, and were initiated into, the mysteries of Egypt, little can be learnt of their philosophy, or their religious system. Iamblichus, Plato, and some others, indeed, have contributed to throw some light on the subject, and the former gives the following account of the Cosmogony of Egypt from the ancient Hermetic books. "Before all things that essentially exist, and before the total principles, there is one God, prior to the first God and King, remaining immoveable This' is the translation given in Mr. Cory's valuable collection of "Ancient Fragments," p. 283. in the solitude of his Unity; for neither is the Intelligible immixed with him, nor is any other thing. He is established, the exemplar of the God who is the father of himself, self-begotten, the only father, who is truly good. For he is something greater, and the first, the fountain of all things, and the root of all primary Intelligible Existing forms. But out of this one, the self-ru...