, 1875-11-06
Tho Atoncstcnt Idca In tho Myth Of
Rru1lctAHtlAs

Tho close Of Long fellows new poem, like that
Of aaet}.p's a Faust" sntisnsscs ~ Asonetnsnt
through puniahment.-A leason that shs msth Of
Profnol beuu oIsewhoro inculcntoa. Tho "Pl'cdo"
Of Plato exprssaly states that those who lIare
committed crimes which, though great, nro not
objectionable" arc plunged tato Tart.ris,
whence they emerge by tho nl7ors Cocytus and
into Tartelup, and ehoucs into Tho r.ors m
ceaatugly> t,!ti! Atey ot'atn mercy from, those
uhom dicy hars spron9ed." Here co,talaIy, ia
RECONCILIATION and "ssoMeuent through puMislA-
ncnt.. under tue "olymp4an regime" II y
Ia thers mentioned as an arrangement beswecn
Jup.tor .nd Pluto, Of tho Ulsmpian dynasty.
lu further dssc,4ralon Of this Interesting Hub-
lect. tho Springfield Republican says:
gcuolars aud dlvinea llaye found in tho myth
o. Promcthens mt only an atonement. but The
Atouement. Probably The roader will rocognlzo
Dr. Woo.sov Al neither lerotical nor POLITICALLY
faucif1l rot IN his edition of tho "P1ome,
thcus Of AsecllyIus, the Now Haven Bcholar
auya up. 74.5 OF the edition Of 1871:
There is IN Ibis fable [of rronethrusl d strikirg
reaenhauen to The Hcrtpturs! account OF the fs Of
msn, .hough It may he hard to say whether ths fabfo
grow up oil Greek ground, ulterel form, Of
an old tradition. at vt,atshtli we ray OF tbs inter
portion ef Jspltt'. ss a'a q t.* pa.as bo,,.s "
think that hcshen fables know anght Of what wsa but
aafklG sceu. oven BY Jewish proithe.s7
II this question Of Dr.. Woo]sey is to be taken
\ remarkable colncldeucs. perhaps It can 6est be
auBwefed By Mr. Gladstone. who In his " Honor
and Tho uomdric Age expressly gsses bis sanc.
ton to tho doc.r1ne that the Uomsrlc relation Of
Jupiter, Apollo, and Minerva, IL prcciFc!y,
though fantasllcally, that Of tue Father. Bon,
sud uolg Spirit, in the ChtiAtian theology. 10
eeekipg TO account for theso unmlbtakRbla CO.
iucldcncss between tho Crock aud biblical To-
Etuds, Alr. G1atstone has this striking passage,
ntuch Wo commend to our frieud'e cArafui atsea-
ton before hn agaip speaka of "emb, o.lering
tho pagan !egenl with tue Ie+icaa Of a lotor aud
puror thoologg":
Custom haa made II With III \ seropd uHurs to taka
far granted broad line 1f ds!n4skat between those
who live within tho rao Of revelation End hs rcs!dus
Of mankind. But Holy Scripture docs mt appear to
reruGntzs such : severance IN any manner until He
cots ths revelation Of the Mosaic law, Which was
Hka the erection OF temporary shelter rT trfts tdf
had ranged at IaTes orsr the PLAIN. <Dut before this
vineyard planted. Rnd Hk6w4e outside III fence,
there remains, smaller OF greater, Of tbe kuo~i"
edge Of God aud thete waa recognized ralaon be-
tween Jehovah and mankind =. inrolsipg the
Of individuals or communities. IN fhr FRO
tnsfheus4 u .fs.h !s and ths ifo of rtrati have
signs, shon8l grant they arc faint ones, that tho
celestlal rays had net then fsded Into tho light
ot common day fog the heathen world''
We have only 10 add that Honor, whateses
I'll eayiy period in Heblow history, aud that
Eschyius, who wrnto out tho myth Of promothe-
III IN elaborate dramatic forn,* waa contemporary
with DArtuB aud Aerxed, ard wsoto about 400
yeatH before the Christian era. There ia uotls-
ing to show that either Of them lad direct ac-
1uaintance with tie Hebrew sacred books or
with tho Tal.nudio lltorAture.--so winch
may possibly account for the Messlanso pEophe-
cles Of Virgil III hi6 Polio"