produced by their constant meeting a variety of substances, and finally organized forms. Others still held that the world both as to matter and form had existed without beginning, as they then beheld it; "The universe," they said, "is an eternal effect of an eternal cause."

As to the government, or providence that was over the world, the general belief was, that all things were subordinate to an association of powerful spirits, which were called gods. One of these, their deus maximus, was supposed to excel the rest in dignity, and to possess supereminent authority, and assigned to the inferior ones their dominions and offices. His rule over them, however, was regarded as little more than nominal, as he could not legitimately invade their provinces, nor effectually frustrate their designs. Though this idea of associated gods was common, yet every nation held not to the same gods, but each had its particular deities, differing more or less from those of other countries, not only in their names, but in their nature, attributes and actions. Rome, indeed, claiming to be the mistress of the world, became also the pantheon of the world, and the asylum of deposed and fugitive gods from among all nations. Thus there were "gods many, and lords many," even past all enumeration.

The Greeks and Romans named their chief deity Jupiter, whose empire was in the aerial regions; while Neptune ruled over the seas, and rivers, and fountains; Vulcan over burning mountains and fires; Eolus over the winds; Bacchus over the trailing and fruitful vines;

Pan over the hills and pastures, herds and flocks and bees; Ceres over grain, harvests, etc. Hence, it was deemed necessary for those who would ensure protection, success and happiness, religiously to cultivate the patronage of every separate deity, and assiduously to pay that homage to each of them which they respectively claimed. Yet sometimes the gods would quarrel among themselves, and the worshipper in propitiating one would incur the displeasure of another, equally or more powerful. Hence incertitude, timidity and gloom oppressed the common mind, and not unfrequently rendered life a burden.*

The Celts selected for the objects of their adoration a set of ancient Heroes and Leaders, whose memory, so far from being illustrious for virtue, came down to them disgraced with vice, and loaded with infamy. Their fictitious history was a tissue of superhuman abominations, and the rites of their worship for the most part revoltingly unclean.

The Egyptians, whose civilization, arts and sciences antedate recorded history, made similar characters their gods, such as Osiris, Serapis, Typhon, Isis, and others; with the worship of these was joined that of the Constellations, the Sun, the Moon, the Dogstar, Animals of every kind, even voracious and venomous Reptiles. And the worship they paid such deities was absurd, corrupting and disgraceful to the last degree.†

The Chaldeans and Persians believed in one supreme

* Comp. both the Iliad of Homer, and the Eneid of Virgil, passim. † See Jablonski's Pantheon Ægyptiorum.