323 Bevietvs — Lesley^ s Origin and Destiny of Man. 



of two chief members, the lower being a square pyramid, the upper 

 an overhanging box; the former represents Ararat, the latter the 

 ark that rested on its summit. By and by there arose in Egypt a 

 duplicated type of temple, symbolizing two mountains side by side, 

 each with an ark on its summit. The Christian cathedrals, also, 

 according to Mr. Lesley, were built upon this plan, with the differ- 

 ence that a single ark (or nave) was placed between the two mountains 

 (or towers). What is the meaning of this? Why, that the summit 

 of Ararat consists of two cones, between which it is supposed that 

 the Ark rested. In the same manner we have the origin of the 

 the obelisk, the column, and so forth. The Doric column, however, 

 carries the symbolism still further ; for it "is channelled like a 

 mountain with valleys." 



Similarly the discussion of the origin of the alphabet furnishes a 

 number of examples of the dominant Arkite mythology, the letter A 

 being essentially nothing but a pyramid. In fine, according to Mr. 

 Lesley, the beginning of everything is Arkite. 



He refers all forms of religious worship to one or another of four 

 types, namely (1), the worship of the dead ; (2), the worship of the 

 powers of nature; (3), the worship of God in heaven; and (4), the 

 worship of the universe. He regards these as four successive stages 

 in the order of the development of the human intelligence governing 

 the exercise of the instinct of worship ; and not only philosophically 

 consecutive in the order of nature, but to a certain extent also his- 

 torically consecutive in the order of time. He states, however, that 

 in some ages they have co-existed, and in some countries have been 

 intermixed. 



For evidence of the worship of the dead Mr. Lesley refers to the 

 Aurignac cave, to the Druidical dolmens, cromlechs, and other 

 grave structures. The worship of the powers of nature he describes 

 as being in its lowest form Fetichism, and in its higher forms 

 astrology and fire-worship. The description of the third type of 

 religion — " the worship of the invisible God as a creator, preserver, 

 benefactor, and judge," — leads him to the question how this original 

 conception was generated in the soul of man. He discusses the 

 manifestation of this idea as preserved in the Biblical record from 

 the time of Abraham, and in the hymns of the Eig Veda. 



The highest type of the religious idea Mr. Lesley holds to be 

 Pantheism, the philosophic idea of God ; but he regards it impossible 

 that this form of religion should ever become universal. 



The third type of religious worship is of course a fruitful source 

 of discussion and controversy. Its origin, the primary connection 

 of its numerous varieties, the mythologies and the cosmogonies, are 

 subjects which have been discussed by able writers of all ages and 

 all civilised nations. Mr. Lesley rejects the common explanations 

 as possessing no system and no basis ; and he finds the '• safe clue 

 to the labyrinth" in his universal Arkite symbolism. This talisman 

 explains the origin, not only of the alphabet and of architecture, but 

 it unriddles the sphinx and all the symbols and hieroglyphics of 

 Egypt and Asia. Indeed, he states that just as the seven notes of 



