114 



The Antiquities of the 



[No. 



" 13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold be- 

 hind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns : and Abra ■ 



" ham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offer - 



" ing in the stead of his son." 



In all countries the descendants of Noah have under some form or 

 other preserved the recollection of this ancient rite. We have just 

 seen how the Egyptians, Chaldeans, Druids have done so. Amongst 

 the Greeks it was perpetuated in the worship of Apollo and Vesta, 

 The ancient Mexicans and Peruvians worshipped the sun. The 

 Hindoos adore this luminary under the name of Surya. The Chinese 

 as Fob, the same perhaps with Buddha. 



Nor can it be doubted, I think, that the pious Patriarch Noah was 

 acquainted with the future redemption of his race through the me- 

 diation of the Second Person of the Trinity, either by Divine intima- 

 tion, or orally from his forefathers. This great promise or prophe- 

 cy, even after his posterity had fallen into the errors of idolatry, was 

 perpetuated in their religions : the most imperishable records of na- 

 tions. Without referring to the Hebrew religion, the remembrance 

 of the Patriarch's revelation has been most carefully treasured, al- 

 though perverted and degraded by its idolatrous association, by the 

 most ancient people. The Egyptians of Thebes had a Triad god, 

 the principal member of which was called Amun. 



The means of the sacrifice or atonement appear in the Crux An- 

 sata or cross of Hermes, so full of mystic meaning, among that 

 people. 



In the Hindoo religion Vishnu the preserver is the second person 

 of its triune god. 



The promise has been also preserved by the Hindoo descendants 

 of Noah in the parentage, name, and death of Chrisna, another name 

 of the preserver. 



In the Greek Mythology the Triad occurs in Ccelus, Terra and 

 Saturn. 



The Chinese Fob is a triune god. 



The following extracts from the Chronicles of Zoroaster manifest 

 that amongst the Chaldeans the same promise was cherished : 



*' The Monad is there first where the paternal Monad subsists.*' 



" The Monad is extended which generates two." 



*' For the Duad sits by this, and glitters with intellectual sections, 

 " to govern all things, and to order each." 



