PROPOSITION XXXII.

PROVING THE DOCTRINE FROM TRADITION, IN

EGYPT.

HAVING traced the doctrine of the Trinity from tradition in Chaldea, Persia, and Scythia, it was not necessary to treat of it in Syria, Phoenicia, and Palestine; for the same theological tenets with respect to a triad of persons in the Divine Essence, prevailed over all the countries and kingdoms of Asia, with shades of variation introduced by time. And as history records that the Phoenician Taut migrated into Egypt, and introduced his religious tenets there, we have reason to believe that there was little difference between the Phoenician and the Egyptian systems, because both countries were originally peopled by two sons of Ham. The theology of the Egyptians was at one time so awfully sublime, that their priests and philosophers concealed from the vulgar such doctrines as they thought should not be communicated to them, under the veil of hieroglyphics, and wrapped them up closely in the shades of allegory. Now, the chief of these secret tenets was the doctrine of the Trinity. This they at first symbolized in their hieroglyphics by a circle representing the Divine Essence, and by a triangle representing the divine persons. The greatest personage of their triad they called

y, Oser Osiris, which signifies helper or helping, most gracious, kind, and beneficent helper. He was considered the Father of all, the primordial source from which the other two emanated.The inhabitants of Thebais held the purest views of the doctrine in the earliest times, and worshipped one pure spirit, whom they called CNEPH () wing, that is, shelter, safety, protection.How significant! They represented Cneph by the figure of a serpent, and added to his body a hawk's head, emblematical of eternity and omniscience, and venerated this image with the most profound adoration. They used to say of him, if he open his eyes, he fills the universe with light in his first-born region: if he wink, it is darkness.

(כנף)

They also affirmed that the winged Cneph produced the god Phtha (), the persuader, the allurer, the captivator. And thus () Osiris, (9) Cneph, and () Phtha, composed the true Egyptian triad of deity. The name Osiris was afterwards applied to the SUN, Cneph to the WIND, the Yuxn noope, the soul of the world animating and pervading the whole: and Phtha was applied to the fire which issued from the solar orb through the wind (or atmosphere.)These names and qualities ascribed by the Egyptians to their triad, and the other names and qualities which they ascribed to their triune object of worship, clearly prove to the reflecting

enquirer, that the Egyptian triad was in reality nothing but the Hindoo triad, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, under different names.

Farther; Plutarch informs us, that the Egyptian theology was divided into two classes, the spiritual and the physical. The first was secret, and revealed to the initiated only: the second was made known to the vulgar, as better suiting their capacity. The second or vulgar triad, was () Oser, Osiris, considered as the sun; (*) Ish, Isis, the fire; () Or, Orus, the light.

In Thebais the primitive doctrine of the Trinity was kept longer pure than in other parts of Egypt. And it is remarkable, that both in the pure and in the adulterated view of the doctrine, sometimes the worshippers ascribed all perfection to one person of their triune deity, and sometimes to another. Thus, for example, Cneph or Isis is often represented with the whole attributes of divinity, without the least regard to Osiris or Phtha. At other times, the same is done with Osiris; and at other times with Phtha or Orus. And the second Hermes Trismegist writes thus concerning the triad: “Una sola lux fuit intellectualis, ante lucem intellectualem, et fuit semper mens mentis lucida; et nihil aliud fuit hujus unio, quam spiritus omnia connectens."There hath ever been one great intellectual light, which hath always illuminated the mind; and their union is nothing else but the spirit,

which is the bond of all things.'-Upon the whole, the first symbolic representation of the Egyptian triad, when fairly considered, is far more significant and expressive than at first sight one would think. Osiris is symbolized by a globe, -the most perfect figure. Cneph, by a serpent, significant of eternity and wisdom; and Phtha, by wings, significant of spiritual influence.

Taking all these facts and circumstances into consideration, and, moreover, adding the sojourning of Joseph and the other descendants of Jacob so long in Egypt, there can be no doubt that the Egyptians were instructed in the sublime doctrine of the Trinity, both by tradition, which we have already traced, and by immediate oral information by the worshippers of the true God, who had the knowledge of this most important doctrine, and who sojourned so long in that strange land. The inference, therefore, is both logical and conclusive, that the Egyptians had the knowledge of this doctrine from a very early period after the flood, and retained it all along more or

less pure.

PROPOSITION XXXIII.

PROVING THE DOCTRINE FROM TRADITION, AMONG THE GREEKS.

In tracing the doctrine of the Trinity by tradition in Greece, we must attend to Orpheus, the great founder of the Grecian mythology.Who he was, lies under a veil of darkness, which no human efforts can either penetrate or remove. And it is most likely there were more of the same name than one, who had shone conspicuously in mythological studies, during succeeding generations, among the Greeks. Therefore, the only rational way of accounting for Orpheus, is that of the principle of the Metempsychosis, according to which the ancients supposed, that the soul of the first person who was eminent for any pursuit whatever, had entered into, and inspired all others, famous for the same turn of mind. Thus we have accounted for the many Zoroasters, and for the different Hermes' of the Egyptians; and thus we may account for the succession of persons of the name of Orpheus. But whoever the first Grecian Orpheus was, it is generally allowed that he derived his religious knowledge both from the Chaldeans and Egyptians, and brought the secret stores of their religious systems along with him into Greece. His