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On The Mysteries Of The Early Ages As Connected With Ewligion.
ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE EARLY AGES AS CONNECTED WITH RELIGION .
THIRD SERIES . / j "We have now to examine , as far as we can , the principles of Druidism , which comprised , as an institution , the only mysterious
brotherhood known to have existed in our own country . We have but little to guide us in this investigation , as , from its precepts being oral , we are left to conjecture much from tradition and from the monuments of former days , now existing in England , and in those parts of Europe where the Celtic race was known to have extended . *
In Hume's " History of England" ( vol . i . p . 4 ) , the following observations occur : — " The religion of the Britons was one of the most considerable parts of their government , and the Druids , who were their priests , possessed great authority among them . Besides ministering at the altar , and directing all religious duties , they presided over the education of youth ; they were endowed with an immunity
from wars and taxes ; they decided all controversies among states as well as private persons , and whoever refused to submit to their decisions was exposed to the most severe penalties . The sentence of excommunication was denounced against him ; he was forbid access to the sacrifices or public worship ; he was debarred all intercourse with his fellow-citizens even in the common affairs of life , and refused the protection of the law . Death itself became to him an acceptable relief from the misery and infamy to which he was exposed .
" No species of superstition was ever more terrible than that of the Druids . Besides the severest penalties , which it was in the power of the ecclesiastics to inflict in this world , they inculcated the eternal transmigration of souls , and thereby extended their authority as far as the fears of their timorous votaries . They practised their rites in dark groves or other secret recesses ; and in order to throw a greater mystery on their religion , they communicated their doctrines only to the initiated , and strictly forbad the committing them to writing , lest they should at
any time he exposed to the examination of the profane vulgar . Human sacrifices were practised among them . The spoils of war were often devoted to their divinities , and they punished with the severest tortures whoever dared to secrete any part of the consecrated offering . These treasures they preserved in woods and forests , secured by no other guard than the terrors of their religion , and this continued conquest over human avidity may be regarded more signal than their
prompting men to the most extraordinary and violent efforts . No idolatrous worship ever attained such an ascendant over mankind as that of the ancient Cauls and Britons ; and the [ Romans were at last obliged to abolish it by penal statutes , —a violence which had never in any other instance been practised by these tolerating conquerors . "
The origin of the Druids is stated as follows : —About six hundred years before the Christian era , the Cimhri , a numerous people , * the inhabitants of Phrygia , in Asia Minor , and occupiers , according to Ezekiel ( xxxviii . G ) , of the country to the north of Judaea , are said to have invaded the north-western parts of Europe , and to have * They were descended from Comer , the eldest son of Japhot ( Gen . x . 2 ) , and named originally Gomeri , Gomenri , and Gomeritaj , which tonus were contracted into Cimbri . The Welch to this day call themselves Kumero , Cymro , and KumerL 'Hence Cambri and Cambria . —See Introduction to Camnden \ s " Britannia , " p , 10 .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Mysteries Of The Early Ages As Connected With Ewligion.
ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE EARLY AGES AS CONNECTED WITH RELIGION .
THIRD SERIES . / j "We have now to examine , as far as we can , the principles of Druidism , which comprised , as an institution , the only mysterious
brotherhood known to have existed in our own country . We have but little to guide us in this investigation , as , from its precepts being oral , we are left to conjecture much from tradition and from the monuments of former days , now existing in England , and in those parts of Europe where the Celtic race was known to have extended . *
In Hume's " History of England" ( vol . i . p . 4 ) , the following observations occur : — " The religion of the Britons was one of the most considerable parts of their government , and the Druids , who were their priests , possessed great authority among them . Besides ministering at the altar , and directing all religious duties , they presided over the education of youth ; they were endowed with an immunity
from wars and taxes ; they decided all controversies among states as well as private persons , and whoever refused to submit to their decisions was exposed to the most severe penalties . The sentence of excommunication was denounced against him ; he was forbid access to the sacrifices or public worship ; he was debarred all intercourse with his fellow-citizens even in the common affairs of life , and refused the protection of the law . Death itself became to him an acceptable relief from the misery and infamy to which he was exposed .
" No species of superstition was ever more terrible than that of the Druids . Besides the severest penalties , which it was in the power of the ecclesiastics to inflict in this world , they inculcated the eternal transmigration of souls , and thereby extended their authority as far as the fears of their timorous votaries . They practised their rites in dark groves or other secret recesses ; and in order to throw a greater mystery on their religion , they communicated their doctrines only to the initiated , and strictly forbad the committing them to writing , lest they should at
any time he exposed to the examination of the profane vulgar . Human sacrifices were practised among them . The spoils of war were often devoted to their divinities , and they punished with the severest tortures whoever dared to secrete any part of the consecrated offering . These treasures they preserved in woods and forests , secured by no other guard than the terrors of their religion , and this continued conquest over human avidity may be regarded more signal than their
prompting men to the most extraordinary and violent efforts . No idolatrous worship ever attained such an ascendant over mankind as that of the ancient Cauls and Britons ; and the [ Romans were at last obliged to abolish it by penal statutes , —a violence which had never in any other instance been practised by these tolerating conquerors . "
The origin of the Druids is stated as follows : —About six hundred years before the Christian era , the Cimhri , a numerous people , * the inhabitants of Phrygia , in Asia Minor , and occupiers , according to Ezekiel ( xxxviii . G ) , of the country to the north of Judaea , are said to have invaded the north-western parts of Europe , and to have * They were descended from Comer , the eldest son of Japhot ( Gen . x . 2 ) , and named originally Gomeri , Gomenri , and Gomeritaj , which tonus were contracted into Cimbri . The Welch to this day call themselves Kumero , Cymro , and KumerL 'Hence Cambri and Cambria . —See Introduction to Camnden \ s " Britannia , " p , 10 .