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this one lie places the one thing that is indivisible , to ev apspsQ, 
and calls it the first 'principle of magic, pay cv/ict, which he also 
names Eicton, wherein is first found that which understands 
and may be understood, and is worshipped in silence only. 
Besides these, other chiefs preside over the visible creation ; 
but the creative mind and guardian of truth and wisdom is 
called Amon in the Egyptian language, and he that skilfully 
and truly makes everything perfect without failure is called 
Phtha^ (sec. viii. chap. 3). Now, again, come other gods in 
full strength, making up the Egyptian pantheon, and bringing 
into full view the main fact that their monad, unity, first prin- 
ciple, self-begotten father, or whatever else, is but something 
in a stage of development from the primeval water, not yet 
complete, and in advance towards the divine multitude, con- 
sisting of gods, of whom each was imperfect, and for most of 
what one sufficient god would be capable, impotent alone. It 
could receive certain offerings, hear only some select prayers, 
and tako its turn only for a part of what each worshipper 
would have to give, in the course of his devotions, to a larger 
crowd of gods than any man living could have lived long 
enough to worship all. 
The twelve chief gods of Egypt must have been well known 
by name to Moses, and other writers of the Old Testament, 
but were only mentioned by them with the clearest expression 
of abhorrence as false gods. No resemblance of name, or 
attributes, or history, appears in any title, or mingles in any 
description of the true God ; neither does any resemblance of 
Egyptian idolatry find place in the divinely-appointed ritual 
of Moses. Between the theogonies quoted in this paper and 
the divine revelation of Holy Scripture can be traced no 
resemblance, nor can any abatement of the most emphatic 
condemnation be detected. As to the religion of Egypt, as 
expounded by the latest oi’iginal authority just quoted, I venture 
to think that it has characteristics undiscoverable in the Boole 
of the Bead, having been introduced during the Ptolemaic 
period, when the Egyptian priests flattered the conquerors of 
Egypt by admitting them also into the number of their gods. 
Of this the Canopus inscription is a sufficient evidence. 
I may remark further that there was always so utter an 
incongruity of tho conceptions of heathenism with the truths 
of Revelation, that even the terms by which truth was ori- 
ginally conveyed in Holy Scripture lose their meaning when 
borrowsd by tho idolater. Tako, for example, tho title of 
Most High. It was used in tho time of Abraham by tho patri- 
arch himself, and by tho king-priest Molchizodck, to namo 
tho one truo God, as is distinctly stated in the book of Genesis. 
