Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-03-21
DEGRADATION Of Polytheism.


Society for Moral Religious Inquiry Of the University
st ewsburg permitted to extract for the Chronicle
the following picture the loathsome shameessnsss and
folly of "Classic" Heathenism.-EDI
Such was the mythology Of the Greek
and the Roman, that they suited their
deities to the desires and notions of men,
compared and resembled them to them
selves, made them both male and female,
attributed to them every human passion,
liable to every misfortune, and subject to
the most grievous wants. They married
and reared families as do men, and daily
repaired to the domicil of Jupiter, the
great Olympian king, to participate in the
celestial festival prepared Of ambrosia and
nectar; !; and while in assembly met, they
took counsel concerning the affairs of
heaven and earth, Apollo entertained them
with the sweet tones of his Tyre, to which
the muses. sang in harmonious responsive
strains The celestial gods were often
represented as becoming enamored Of some
terrestrial mortal maid, while the goddesses
we're described as being smitten BY the
charms of some handsome, gallant youth
of earth and these sickening love tales
constitute at Ices. one half Of their relig.
ious creed. They frequently dlnered,
disputed. quarreled, and fought among
themselves and great was the strife, and
desperate the conflict, and terrible the
result, when the gods" resorted to arms
They could bruisc, lacerate, break each
others bones, and metamorphose one ano-
ther into any department of brute or
vegetable creation; but their lives they
could not ex.ermiDate. Among them were
drunkards, gamblers, liars, thieves, harlots
and devils. 80. Such is faint description
of the character and disposition assigned
to the gods Of the classic nations. And
to such legendary beings did the inhabit-
ants of intellectual Greece and Italy pay
their vows, and look for blessings! BY
such, as the disposers Of the oracle's reve-
lations, did they profess to be governed!
Their gods being such, what must lave
been the true character of the people,
people born in total ignorance Of the true
God, and Graded in the superstitions Of
the falsel Could it be expected that the
code of morals with the worshiper would
be any better than that ascribed to the
supreme object Of his worship? Nay, the
heart is too depraved to ever supercede tht
standard of piety. A superficial glance al
, the character of some of their prominent
religious observances, will suffice to answer
the enquiry and sicken the Christian soul
The festivals dedicated to the honor o
Cylebe, the lcentious Venus, and th'
Infamous Bacchus, the Sot,were celebrated
with performances the most notoriously
loathesome. Even the priests acted ik'
: madmen, bowling like starving wolves
, and shrieking as if suffering the mos
intense agony, while the multitude, like
mob of incensed demons, kept up the mos
tumultuous confusion. Roman matron
danced before the consecrated affairs, tn
: iuhuman gladiators performed their hellisl
= gyrations, aud worst of all, the ceremon!
n the most shameful, the sacrifice of humal
T. beings, was frequently resorted to. Ii
), view of all this, well might the wise obsel
e yer exclaim, 81 would not that my mothe
e was goddess"
n If the picture thus drawn be still impel
:. feet, the description given by the inspire
Apostle will complete it: Professin
" themselves to be wise, they became fool'
Is and changed the glory of the ineorruptibl
e God into an image made like to corruptibl
y man, and to birds and four.footed beast
It and creeping things. Wherefore God ais
n gave them up to uncleanuess, who change
N the truth of God into lie, and worshipe
=. and served the creature more than th
n Creator. Being filled with all unrig ghtt
% ousness, fornication, wickedness, covetou
:, ness, maliciousness full of envy, murde1
S, debate, deceit, maliguity whisperer'
ID backbiters, haters Of God /; despitefu
Is proud, boosters, inventors of evil thing
y, disobcdient to parents; without uude
G. standing, covenant breakers, without ma
ID ural affection, implacable, unmerciful.
,e And with Rollin We add, "This appriz
at Us how much we are indebted to Jes,
ne Christ, who has rescued us from the pow
e. of darkness, and introduced US into Il
n. wonderful light Of the Gospel. Befo1
We his time, what was the real character
u. men, even the wisest and most uprigl
men, those celebrated philosophers, tho
-, great politicians, those renowned legisla
:. ors of Greece, those grave Senators
Rome: in . word, what were all IL
- nations of the world, the most polisht
y. aud the most enlightened They We
:: the blind worshipers Of some demon, al
- - bowed the knee before gods of gold, silv
> and marble. They offered incense aI