The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-05-26
What the Ancient Religions Taught.

ulSulIleS.
In Sparta was q law that men
should worship the gods with as lit
tie expense as possible.
OF the Roman Sibyls 1t is said that
Apollo threw them into a kind of
ecstacy in which they could foresee
the future. '.H
With the Greeks superior power
not moral excellence was the essential
element in their conception of d.
vine beings. r.......
On the 25th of December the feast
of Bacchus was held to commemo-
rate the return of the sun to fructify
the vineyards. ...
u Pitticus. one of the seven wise men
of Greece, saidi "Do not that to
your neighbor which you would
take illfrOm him."
So fearful were the Athenians that
they should omit the honors of wor-
ship to some deity, that they even
erected affairs to unknown Gods,
/ The Greeks offered sacrifices, but
no prayers to their deities, for it
was believed that not even Jupiter
himself could change their inexora-
BILE DEGREES.
1t is claimed that Zoroaster re-
ceived his book of laws, the Zenda-
Vesta, upon a flaming mount, from
Ormudz himself; also that he final
ly assembled to heaven on thunder
bolt. -... ....
The Greeks believed that departed
human souls fingered around their
former habitations and families to
protect them and hence their Lares
and Penates, household gods.
The idea that heavenly luminaries
were inhabited by spirits of a nature
intermediate between God and man,
first led mortals to address prayers
to the Orbs over which they were
supposed to preside.
Among the Greeks the unity of
God, 1.-THE immortal progress and
destiny of the soul. and other sacred
doctrines, were taught in the sane
tuary to an initiated few but else
where they were yelled in symbols
The Parsees were a prosecuted
company of the followers of 10
rooster, who fed to India. They are
a poor, harmless people, industrious
in their habits and honest in their
dealings. They worship one God
and detest idols.
A sect ofdevil worshippers exists
among the Parsees. They believe in
one God also. and that Satan was
once at the head of the angelic host,
and will eventually be restored
hence they think it well TO concili-
ate him.
Orpheus, one of the old sages and
bards of the Greeks, taught that
| souls are in this world as IL punish
ment of sins committed in d prc-eX-
istent state; that the body is u pris-
Oh in which the soul is kept till its
faults are eXpiated.
During the last ten days of the
year, the Parsees believe that the
spirits of the dead come to the earth
to visit their relatives, therefore
they never leave their homes at that
season, but make great preparation
for their reception. ...
The ancient Persians wOrshiped
fire with peculiar reverence because
they thought it represented, though
imperfectly, the original fire from
Ormudz, the vital principle of life
and motion. Also because it is the
most purifying of all things.
| ZOroaster was the great religious
teacher of the Chaldeans. Tradition
reports that "when he was born
wicked spirits threw him into O
flaming pile, but his mother found
him sleeping. sweetly there, as if il
were a pleasant BATH"
| Cicero believed in one supreme
God who controls the universe as
the human soul does the body; that
it is blasphemy to suppose Deity
capable of anger or vindicuVe pun.
ishment. He thought that all knowl.
edge was a Renaissance of former
state of being. . .a. go.
The Greeks worshiped many del.
ties, all intended 10 represent the
Divine energy acting in various de-
partments of the universe. A few
enlightened among them Taught that
these all proceeded from one Source
of Being; and this belief-confused
and, dim at first-became moro dis
tinct as knowledge increased.
Pythagoras first applied to himself
the new name of philosopher" in
stead Of the term sage 4. e., wiHt
mani, saying "there is none wise but
God.p lie taught that it was allow
able to have but one wife to whom
strict fidelity was due; and that il
was a wrong done to their offspring
when parents INDUCED in licentious
ness. li.. ,.f
;, In Persian theology, Ormudz the
king of light, and Aramanes the
prince of darkness, both emanate
from the Eternal One Everything
had an attendant bad spirit as well
as q good one. Because Ormud2
made guardian spirit to watch over
| every human being, Aramanes made
an evil genius to tempt them. But
| it is said that "the Eternal has do.
creed the ultimate triumph of good
Among the Greeks and Romans
prophecy by direct inspiration was
Of three kinds: First, through per.
sons believed to be possessed by
spirits that spoke out of their breast
or belly; second, by those who were
seized with a sudden and inexpli.
cable frenzy; third, by those wHO
fell into stnpors. and frances, and
spoke things as they saw aud heard
| Music was often resorted TO 10 eX.
| cite the prophetic frenzy Some are
mentioned who had the power Of
sending the soul out OF the body
| Also some whose hearing was So
acute that they could distinguish
| the voices of the gods.
| Anaxagoras is supposed to have
been the first among the Greeks
who conceived of God'as divine
mind entirely distinct from matter
and acting upon it with conscious
Intelligence. He paid the usual
penalty for being more wise than the
maiorities of his contemporaries
He was accused Of not believing IN
I the gods and condemned 10 die, Ia
/ which he answered very quietly
fssThat sentepoe was passed upon me
before Twas Form" Afterwards the
| sentence ,yas committed to Danish.
ment. He died in exile. In his Last
hours the Senate sent and inquired
1 how they could most acceptably ex-
press their respect for his memory
| He replied, "Let all the boys have
a play-day ON the anniversary ofmJ