castes adopted by the Indians and Egyptians from the highest antiquity; the seven idols that the Bonzes carry every year in great pomp to the seven temples; the seven mystical vowels which formed the sacred formula in the temple of the planets; the seven altars of the monument of Mithra; the seven great geniuses invoked by the Persians; the seven archangels of the Jews and the Chaldeans; the seven resounding towers of the ancient Byzance; the seventh day with all people, or the period of seven days, each consecratad to a planet; the period of seven times seven with the Jews; the seven sacraments with the Christians, &c. &c.

Pan's mantle, or clothing, is with great ingenuity made of a leopard's skin; because of the spots it has: for, in like manner, the heavens are sprinkled with stars, the sea with islands, the earth with flowers, and almost each particular thing is variegated, or wears a mottled coat.

The office of Pan could not be more lively expressed, than by making him the god of hunters: for every natural action, every motion and process, is no other than a chace; thus arts and sciences hunt out their works; and human schemes and counsels, their several ends; and all living creatures either hunt out their aliment, pursue their prey, or seek their pleasures; and this in a skilful and sagacious manner. He is also stiled the God of the rural inhabitants; because men in this situation live more according to nature, than they do in cities and courts; which corrupt them with effeminate arts. He is likewise particularly stiled President of the mountains, because in mountains and lofty places, the nature of things lies more open and exposed to the eye and the understanding.

In his being called the messenger of the gods, next after Mercury, lies a divine allegory; as, next after the word of God, the image of the world is the herald of the divine power and wisdom; according to the expression of the Psalmist: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy-works.”.

Pan is delighted with the company of the nymphs; that is, the souls of all living creatures are the delight of the world; and he is properly called their governor, because each of them follows its own nature as a leader; and all dance about their own respective rings, with infinite variety, and never-ceasing motion. And with these continually join the Satyrs and Sileni, that is, Youth and Age; for all things have a kind of young, cheerful, and dancing time; and

again their time of slowness, tottering, and creeping. And whoever in a true light considers the notions and endeavours of both these ages, like another Democritus, will perhaps find them as odd and strange, as the gesticulations and antic motions of the Satyrs and Sileni.

:

The power he had of striking terrors, contains a very sensible doctrine; for nature has implanted fear in all living creatures; as well to keep them from risquing their lives, as to guard against injuries and violence and yet this nature, or passion keeps not its bounds; but with just and profitable fears always mixes such as are vain and senseless; so that all things, if we could see the insides, would appear full of panic terrors. Thus mankind, particularly the vulgar, labour under a high degree of superstition; which is nothing more than a panic dread that principally reigns in unsettled and troublesome times.

The presumption of Pan, in challenging Cupid to the conflict, denotes that matter has an appetite, and tendency to a dissolution of the world, and falling back to its first chaos again; unless this depravity and inclination were restrained and subdued by a more powerful concord and agreement of things, properly expressed by love or Cupid it is therefore well for mankind, and the state of all things, that Pan was thrown and conquered in the struggle.

His catching and detaining Typhon in the net, requires a similar explanation; for whatever vast and unusual swells, which the word Typhon signifies, may sometimes be raised in nature, as in the sea, the clouds, the earth, or the like; yet nature catches, entangles, and holds all such outrages and insurrections in her inextricable net, wove as it were of adamant.

That part of the fable, which attributes the discovery of lost Ceres to Pan, whilst he was hunting; a happiness denied the other gods, though they diligently and expressly sought her, contains an exceeding just and prudent admonition, viz.-that we are not to expect the discovery of things useful in common life, as that of corn denoted by Ceres, from abstract philosophies; as if these were the gods of the first order; no, not though you used your utmost endeavours this way; but only from Pan, that is a sagacious experience and general knowledge of nature; which is often found, even by accident, to stumble upon such discoveries, whilst the pursuit was directed another way.

The event of his contending with Apollo in music, affords us an useful instruction, that may help to humble the human reason and judgment, which is too apt to boast, and glory in itself. There seems to be two kinds of harmony; the one of divine Providence, the other of human reason: but the government of the world, the administration of its affairs, and the more secret divine judgments, sound harsh and dissonant to human ears, or human judgment; and though this ignorance be justly rewarded with asses ears; yet they are put on and wore, not openly, but with great secrecy: nor is the deformity of the thing seen or observed by the vulgar.

We must not find it strange if no amours are related of Pan besides his marriage with Echo: for nature enjoys itself, and in itself all other thing; he that loves, desires enjoyment; but in profusion there is no room for desire: and therefore Pan, remaining content with himself, has no passion, unless it be for discourse, which is well shadowed out by Echo, or talk; or when it is more accurate, by Syrinx, or writing. But Echo makes a most excellent wife for Pan, as being no other than genuine philosophy, which faithfully repeats his words: or only transcribes exactly as nature dictates; thus representing the true image and reflection of the world, without adding a tittle.

Philosophers who speak doubtingly of things are much abused and derided by those who hold a more certain creed; but surely to say, as some have said, that we know nothing-one thing is not more certain than another-is far better than to erect our own conceits into oracles, making our faith the standard by which we measure that of other men, when it is manifest that minds like bodies vary as regards strength and fitness, and when again we reflect that about things heavenly there hangs a mystery-a thick mist, which has hitherto clouded the intellects of the most far-seeing of mortals. The world seems given over to our disputes-but did men know all things they would dispute no longer; the heavens teach not their own cause-merely their own existence; and though some may know by revelation the nature of divine things, it is in a sense totally distinct from that now in vogue; for the heavens merely display a character of perpetuity and unchangeableness, which contrasts admirably with the ceaseless motion and and strugglings and changes of matter on our own planet; but whether we cast our eyes towards the stars, or down upon the earth,

it should be with a view, not merely to gape and wonder, but if possible, to grasp and enclose, as in a net, all that it displays; but this has not yet been accomplished by men. Had philosophy done its duty in times past, and not crept timidly along, as dreading the sound of its own footsteps, God would have been glorified by the mind of man, and philosophies would no longer be as a stage play got up for vain shew, and exposed as at a fair, to the highest bidder; but become next to religion, the divinest thing; for religion is to the imagination of man, what philosophy is to the judgment; that is, imagination when it thwarts not judgment, but merely leads the way to things unknown, meddling not with those of earth, except in harmony with judgment, which should be the prime disposer of mortal bliss, and sit enthroned as the supreme arbiter of human destiny. Whereas with the puffed-up and swollen superstitionist, the reverse holds, for he applies his judgment to that it fitteth not, making use of his imagination when the matter lieth beneath his feet, this is mere vanity, and those so acting are generally men of small capacity but large assurance.

It tends also to the support and perfection of Pan or nature, to be without offspring; for the world generates in its parts, and not in the way of a whole; as wanting a body external to itself, wherewith to generate.

Lastly, for the supposed or spurious prattling daughter of Pan, it is an excellent addition to the fable, and aptly represents the talkative philosophies that have at all times been strirring, and filled the world with idle tales: being ever barren, empty, and servile; though sometimes indeed diverting and entertaining; and sometimes again, troublesome and importunate.

We may add-Pan was with the Egyptians what Vishnow seemed to be with the ancient inhabitants of the vast continent of India, as we read in their sacred books-that the Universe is nothing more than the form of Vishnow-that he carries it in his bosom, that he is all that is, all that was, all that will be-that he is the principle and end of all things, that he is all in all, that he is a being who displays himself to our eyes under millions of different forms.

London: H. Hetherington, Strand; A. Heywood, Manchester; and all Booksellers. J. Taylor, Printer, 29, Smallbrook Street, Birmingham.

EXISTENCE OF CHRIST

AS A HUMAN BEING,

DISPROVED!

BY IRRESISTIBLE EVIDENCE, IN A SERIES OF LETTERS,

FROM A GERMAN JEW,

ADDRESSED TO CHRISTIANS OF ALL DENOMINATIONS.

LETTER 5.

WEEKLY.

ONE PENNY.

"I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides me there is no Saviour."-ISAIAH XLIII. 3, 10, 11.

"And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you."— LEVITICUS. XXVI. 30.

CHRISTIANS,

To prove by abstract reasoning that the worship of Christ is a borrowed worship-and, moreover, the worship of an idol, would be difficult, if not impossible. The majority of readers are, we fear, not yet prepared to deal with abstractions-but of historic evidence all may judge. Mere reasoning, however just, will not enable us to effect the object we have in view. Idleness, physical and mental, is the radical vice of the human constitution, and leads us to rest content with what we have, rather than exert our energies to obtain that we ought to have. To arouse, therefore, sluggish minds, much evidence is necessary-and this too, of a clear and simple character, so that its results may be perceived at a glance, and our readers stimulated to inquiry by the interesting thoughts such evidence suggests. We rely, therefore, principally upon historic testimony to bear us out in our assertion-that the Christian religion was borrowed from ancient religions, and was originally a mere solar fable.