The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-16
DISCUSSIONS ON RELIGION.
The Worship Of the solar Orb-A searcher
Of the Truth.

To THE EDITOR OF TIE SuN-Sir: have
waited over since ccrtaiU" iuhdel notions con
corning Christina found utterance. to see II
anything from Christian sources might he pro-
duccd in regard tn the old sacred ASTRONOMY.
especially In correction Of very important
error viz: the making NJ our worlds sun an OBJ
icct of worship 10y the ancients. All the old def
millions 20 to show that when men wur-hippcd
with their faces toward the sun Ezekiel viii, ld.
they really worshipped an invisible being. ~
whom our sun WAS type. Thus in Manonldos
dialacoth, /, T., y. -, 1t IL said that men re-
Rarded the stars and spheres "a set by God Tor
the government Of the world and so they hon
ored them ~ his ministers, intending thereby to
honor Him who created them. and appointed
them their stations on high. IN his second chap
ter he repeats that the nations knew that the
true God Is above all things but they erred In
stopping at the honoring Of His works Instead
OF offering directly to Him their alterations ana
pray era, they are directed to do IN the secunu
of our Decalogue. In More NevOchim ~ &C.. ~
he says that II never did or will enter into the
minds Of any to suppose that there II no God he
sides the idol that lac worships; but that idols
are supposed to represent something that medi-
ates between God and men.
But Maimonides was jew. and his opinion
may Ice objected to 80 we will appeal to the Em-
peror Julian, whose hatred to both Judaism aud
Christianity was quite equal to that OF oiir inn
dels, though lie might express II In terms more
Courtly than some III our day. After preierring
tOnlnR out the world among many Interiors
the same view, however, with that of the an
Client Jews Dan. ~, ", % 2ll-so also OF the
] Pet, 3, 2l)-he adds Cyr contr. Jul. p. LIZ
spanhelm: THE uniform cause Of all pro-
duced from himself certain Ineligible son.
every way Ike himself. Of which the sensible
sun i but an image. Julian WAS a very good
Christian thinker though he did not know IT..
This Is the doctrine of Christ, the Light of the
world.
Thus, when Dupul- aud his like. down to Cod
INT AL
gods were but different names nl one ahu me
same sun they should explain that thr sun 81
Macrobius Is the Mediator God. the Mniicster,
the Light Of the universe. a. -. john has It,
Il. % with this explanation Dupui- Will be-
come one of the best Christian authors of the
past century; for the basis OF Ills system Is INC
same sacred astronomy that JuseIhus make
the antediluvians cultivate, ana Abraham
teach, to the Egyptian priests. ANT. l, 3 .. and
/, :. ~, and II. Paul diom.. H. - cites from
Psalm ~. 4. To show that all nations had ever
known the Gospel. though all had not oheyed
It, This science, sacred astronomy. alter nearly
leo years neglect. has been restored by certain
Christian nntiquaries. the best known Of whom
Is sir William DrummOnd. His book has been
assaulted and then neglected by his Christian
contemporaries hut inhdcls T. Z. certain That
profess to doubt the truth of Christianity. have
very illogically argued that there can he nothing
In the current religion of the best Christians,
like Newton and Loci because its leading ideas
are all found inscribed upon the face Of the
heavens themselves.
St. Augustine. as Max Muller has shown says
openly that what In later times we name Chris
tlanity is no novelty. Christ originated nothing
during his earthly sojourn. lie only restored
the old paths and afforded men superior light
upon primeyal religious truths. st. Paul before
the Areopagus openly declares that Jesus Is ac-
knowedged by the laws In Athens among other
names by that Of the Unknown Nnreveaedl
God-the meaning Of Apollo, Saturn, Latinus
&c. To this view ali intelligent Christians agree.
Our " inndes' are loss divided from us In dog
mas than they suppose. The difference Is
chiefly one Of feeling, OF prejudice, rather than
Of conviction. II they will follow the example
Of their own Lyttleton and his friend and study
| the Scriptures. We may vet have from some of
them quite ~ mastery defenccs Of Christian
! truth a. from Iyitlcton and West in former
generation. Wishing them no worse issue than
thi-, / have the honor to remain their CnadJutoi
| In the search Of the truth, AsAuEL ABBOTT.