The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-03-09
Popular Beliefs.
,Conclusled
BIG STONE Gar, March &, 1893.

BIC STONE Gar, March &, 1873.
Editor Post:-AmonS the Jews there
has been extant, from time lmmemorlal, a
prophecy that The world was destined to
pnd,fre 5000 years., 600 before The food,
1000 yenrs under The Law, anu 2,oo'lyearS
under the Messiah.
This is cordially accepted and strongly
insisted upon by II majority OF the Christ
ian faith.
From the East the doctrincof periodical
revolutions found its way, with misrations
of men, into Europe.
The Persians, the Chaldeans, the Egypt
ans and the ph~nicians adopted it in
Western Asia and in Africa, while the
"Orpl,ic HYMNS afford US the earliest
germinnton Of the Eastern faith in
Greece.
Orpheus and Meandcr, who ilourishcd
in the very twilight Of Greek poetry and
civilization, and who undoubtedly derived
their philosophy from the Egyptians, re-
produce the myth of the Anus Magnus,
and teach that the universe is destined to
be dissolved on the conglction. of this
cycle.
Like the Indians and Jews. the authors
of the 0rphic Hymns assigned definite
duration to the Annus Magnus, as has
been already stated. NJ -
In the Sibyllinc books, whose origin
dates lack, perhaps, 300 years before
our era, this ancient faith is Swallowed
forth in another guise.
The world is destined TO endure ten
ges, the frs, of which is the Golden Age.
After n renovation hy lire the Golden A ge
will return, wlcn, according to the author
ity Of Virgil, the serpent will perish; the
earth will produce her crops spontanc-
ously; the kid will no longer fear the lion;
the grape will be borne upon the thorn
bush, and scarlet, and yellow, aud royal
purple will become the native colors of
pN'F
the woolly fleece.
The Stoics, who derived the doctrine
from tho Phpnicians, and were its prin-
cple advocates among the Greeks, held
that the world be destroyed by usconAa-
grafton.
This they thought would occur "when
the stars shall have drunk mp the sea.
The Stocs, in speaking of the restora-
ton of the earth after the final conaagra-
ton, employ the same terms as we find in
the sacred Scripture.
This, to say the least, is an interesting
coincidence. Chrysippus calls it "Apo-
catastasis," restitution-as st. Peter does
in Acts. Macus Antonias several times
calls it "palingenisen, 'regencration-as
the Savior does in Matthew, and Paul in
the epistle to Titus; and Mumenius has
the two Scripture terms resurrection" and
"restitution."
The doctrines of the Pythogorenns-
save few, who in later times were led oil
by Aristotlc-were nearly identical, in
respects to periodical revolutions, with
those Of the Stoics.
Like the philosophy Of the Stoics, that
of Pythogoras was drawn from tie older
civilization Of Egypt and Persia.
The Ionics dscoursed much Of the
origin of things, aud agreed with the -Epi-
cureans and Stoics in their doctrine Of
secular catastrophes.
platoe, the protector Of the Academies,
admits that the earth is subject to the
transformation of deiuges and confiagra-
tons.
Aristotle alone, Of all the ancient PHI
losophers, maintained The eternity both
of the matter of the universe and Of the
existing order. he confesses to- pride.
in this since the doctrines, as he claims,
is t variance with the unanimous belief
of antiquity. -
Among the Romans, IAucretius, Lucan
aud Ovid openly discourse upon the pre-
valent doctrine of periodical catastrophes;
and Cicero, who inter-mcddled with all
assures US that tie memory OF
mighty deeds cannot be eternal, since
consiagrations and delugcs. periodically
abliterate all record Of human achieve
ments, u. u. AfLE.