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ought to know very well what they are about ; I trust that the writer of 
this paper has no intention to depreciate Christianity by those expressions 
which have been noticed by previous speakers. The great idea which he 
endeavours to bring out, that monotheism is really at the bottom of this 
religion, is no doubt correct. The question as to the age of Zoroaster 
is a very difficult one, and I confess that I cannot get at the bottom of it. 
I have studied the very elaborate examination, by Dr. Chwolson, of St. 
Petersburg, of Eastern authorities respecting this matter ; and he seems to 
prove that the change in the religion of Persia is from Sabaism to the 
religion of Zoroaster. Early idolatry began, according to the Eastern 
authorities, with Tamrnuz. Dr. Chwolson says (i. p. 347) that we know 
almost nothing of the religion of the old Persians, and that it would not be 
correct to identify that which prevailed in the northern provinces with the 
peculiar Persian religion. In Bactria and Media the religion of the reformer 
Zoroaster was prevailing long before Cyrus ; but the old Persians were pro- 
bably no adherents of the religion of Zoroaster, but, as the geographer 
Dimesqui asserts, were Sabians. “ In early days men worshipped God 
and the angels whom He sent ” (vol. ii. pp. 606, 459, 206), but Tamrnuz 
endeavoured to lead his sovereign into idolatry,- to worship the heavenly 
host ; and to consider the stars, and particularly the planets, as the gods 
and directors of mankind ; who governed everything that took place on 
earth. The result of this was that, according to the tradition, Tannnuz 
was put to death by his sovereign ; and his bones were ground in a 
mill, and scattered to the winds. He was put to death in a very cruel 
way ; and in consequence of his death all the gods came together at a 
temple in Babylon, and spent the whole night in weeping and bewailing 
the death of this prophet ; and then betook themselves to their respective 
homes all over the world. This gave occasion to the ceremony of weeping 
for Tamrnuz, which is alluded to in our prophets. They kept up that festival, 
with this peculiarity about it, that the women were not allowed during its 
course to have anything that was ground in a mill, because the bones of 
Tamrnuz had been ground in a mill. Now, this was a world-old institution. 
[According to Mr. Boscawen, “ the god Tamrnuz is evidently the Dumzi,” 
the son of life, “ to seek whom Ishtar descends into Hades.” The deification 
of Tamrnuz, and the complication with, perhaps, a solar myth, seems 
engrafted on the original story. More light will probably be thrown on the 
obscurities of the subject. In the meantime, the tradition strongly indicates 
that, before the introduction of idolatry, a purer religion prevailed. The 
attempt to restore this is perhaps to be attributed to Zoroaster. Is it not 
probable that he is identical with Biidasp ? (confounded with Buddha) ; of 
whom Masudi relates that he came from India, travelled through Sind, 
Segestan, and Zabulistan, and again to Kerman ; until at last he came to 
Persia, everywhere giving himself out as a prophet, and maintaining that he 
was one sent from God, and a mediator between Him and his creatures. This 
took place, according to some, in the reign of the Persian king Thamftrath ; 
according to others, in the time of the King Jemschid. — Chwolson, vol. i. 
