it. They could not learn such a doctrine from the Old Testament scriptures, for it is not taught there. Many contend that it is taught in the New Testament. Allowing it is, I ask how the writers of the Apocrypha came to believe it and teach it long before the New Testament was written? Did the New Testament writers adopt a doctrine, taught by Apocryphal writers, which they derived from the heathen? This to be sure would be doing great honor to them; but what comes of the honor, or credit of Christ and his apostles if this is admitted?

Such are the religious opinions found in the Apocrypha, all closely connected with our present inquiry. We would candidly ask our orthodox brethren, how those writers came to speak so clearly and explicitly on these topics long before the New Testament was written? As their information could not be derived from the Old Testament, where did they obtain it? Did Daniel reveal it to the Jews while they were in Babylon? If he did, why was it mixed up with such fables as are found in the Apocrypha, and transmitted to posterity by Apocryphal writers? And, if such opinions be true, why did the New Testament writers not avail themselves of such explicit information, and teach them to the world? No man, we think, will affirm that such opinions are taught so explicitly in the New Testament as they are in the Apocrypha. And Christians cannot well deny that the sentiments and even the language of their creeds bear a greater resemblance to what is found in the Apocrypha, than anything taught either in the Old or New Testament. Many doubt the truth of such articles. But could any man have disputed their truth, had the Apocrypha been a part of divine revelation?

7th. What were the religious opinions among the Jews, not found in Scripture, during the days of Christ and his apostles? The New Testament itself affords evidence that opinions prevailed not found in their Scriptures. For example, our Lord told the Jews, in general terms, that they had made God's law void through their tradi

tions. See some of these opinions noticed in the quotations from L'Enfant, Jahn, and others, above. Other opinions we shall have occasion to notice in succeeding Sections. See, also, Whitby on Romans 2, referred to above. The opinions of Josephus concerning a state of future rewards and punishments are well known, and need not be quoted. Those who wish to see a pretty full account of the opinions of the Sadducees, Pharisees, and other sects among the Jews, inay consult Prideaux, vol. iii., pp. 353-389. See, also, Jahn's Arch., pp. 402404, 411, which my limits forbid quoting.

8th. The history of the Christian church shows that many heathen opinions were incorporated with Christianity, and increased from bad to worse, until what was called Christianity became worse than heathenism itself. The first converts were Jews, and vast multitudes of converts were also made from among the Gentiles. Such continued to retain many of their former false opinions. When Christianity became the religion of the Roman empire, men, formerly heathen priests and philosophers, became teachers in the Christian church, so that it soon became popular, but greatly corrupted. Those who wish to see this gradual corruption traced and exposed, may consult Dr. Campbell's Ecclesiastical History, Mosheim's Church History, Milner's, and others. The fact is notorious, and universally admitted. We shall conclude this section by noticing the following facts.

1st. The whole ecclesiastical hierarchy, which has so long been the Diana of the religious world, was the invention of Zoroaster. Prideaux, vol. i., p. 230, thus writes: "And whether it were that these Magians thought it would bring the greater credit to them, or the kings that it would add a greater sacredness to their persons, or whether it were from both these causes, the royal family among the Persians, as long as. this sect prevailed among them, was always reckoned of the sacerdotal tribe. They were divided into three orders. The lowest were the inferior clergy, who served in all the

common offices of their divine worship; next above them were the superintendents, who in their several districts governed their inferior clergy, as the bishops do with us; and above all was the Archimagus, or arch-priest, who, in the same manner as the high priest among the Jews, or the Pope now among the Romanists, was the head of the whole religion. And, according to the number of their orders, the churches or temples in which they officiated were also of three sorts. The lowest sort were the parochial churches, or oratories, which were served by the inferior clergy, as the parochial churches are now with us; and the duties which they there performed were to read the daily offices out of their liturgy, and, at stated and solemn times, to read some part of their sacred writings to the people. In these churches there were no fire altars; but the sacred fire, before which they here worshipped, was maintained only in a lamp. Next above these were their fire temples, in which fire was continually kept burning on a sacred altar. And these were, in the same manner as cathedrals with us, the churches or temples where the superintendents resided. In every one of these were also several of the inferior clergy entertained, who, in the same manner as the choral vicars among us, performed all the divine offices under the superintendent, and also took care of the sacred fire, which they constantly watched day and night, by four and four, in their turns, that it might always be kept burning, and never go out. The highest church above all was the fire temple, where the Archimagus resided, which was had in the same veneration with them as the temple of Mecca among the Mahometans, to which every one of that sect felt obliged to make one pilgrimage. Zoroaster first settled it at Balch, and there he, as Archimagus, usually had his residence. But after the Mahometans had overrun Persia, in the seventh century after Christ, the Archimagus was forced to remove from thence into Kerman, which is a province in Persia, lying upon the Southern Ocean, towards India, and there it hath continued even

to this day. And to the fire temple there erected, at the place of his residency, do they now pay the same veneration as formerly they did to that of Balch. This temple of the Archimagus and the other fire temples were endowed with large revenues in lands; but the parochial clergy depended solely on the tithes and offerings of the people; for this usage also had Zoroaster taken from the Jewish church, and made it one of the establishments among his Magians."

Let it be remembered that Dean Prideaux was a prophet of their own, which forbids the slightest surmise that this account is either misrepresented or exaggerated. But, while eating the fat, and clothing himself with the wool, arising from such an establishment, he frankly confesses that it was invented by Zoroaster, concerning whom he says, p. 220, "He was the greatest impostor, except Mahomet, that ever appeared in the world, and had all the craft and enterprising boldness of that Arab." A very good origin indeed for "Mystery Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth." It was surely proper that the greatest imposition ever palmed on the world should be the invention of one of the greatest impostors the world ever produced. As it was invented at Babylon, published at Babylon, and imported from Babylon, it is very properly called "Mystery Babylon the great." After such a disclosure by one of the craftsmen, that man must be dead drunk with the wine of her fornications who still continues to cry, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!

2d. Another fact is, that all sects and parties in religion are silent about the religion of Zoroaster. The ecclesiastical hierarchy has met with both assault and insult from almost every sect. But, in the course of our reading, we have never met with any one of them who ventured to expose it as an invention of Zoroaster. Many a prayer has been made for the downfall of Mahomet and the destruction of Paganism; but who ever heard a prayer made for the destruction of Magianism

or the religion of Zoroaster?

But why not?

But why not? Is it not

because the creeds of the different sects and that of

From his Lord God the

Zoroaster are very similar? Pope, down to the lowest dissenter, all firmly hold some articles invented by Zoroaster. It would not do for any of the sects to insult the orthodox clergy by telling them that Zoroaster was the inventor of their ecclesiastical establishment, for all the orthodox sects are largely indebted to him. Dean Prideaux loved the inventions of Zoroaster, but called him the greatest impostor that ever arose, Mahomet excepted. Instead of abusing him, the religious world ought to erect a monument to his memory, for to him, more than to Jesus Christ, are they indebted for much that is counted great, glorious and good, in religion.

3d. It has been noticed by many as a remarkable fact, that before the captivity the Jews were prone to idolatry, but after their return, and ever since, have held it in great abhorrence. Is not this great change in the Jews, partly, at least, accounted for by their imbibing Zoroaster's opinions, which were opposed to the worship of idols? But this I merely suggest for consideration, and leave the reader to his own reflections on the topics which have been discussed in the present Section.

SECTION V.

ALL THE PASSAGES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WHERE THE TERM SATAN OCCURS, CONSIDERED.

THE term 66 satan among Christians is as much a proper name for a fallen angel as Peter and Paul are for two of Christ's apostles. In correction of this mistake, Dr. Campbell says, Dissert. 6: "Satan, though con