Classical Theology.—Vi.

CLASSICAL THEOLOGY . —VI .

LO . YDON , SATURDAY , JAXCAHV 21 , 18 ( 10 ,

CERES AND AUGUST . RHEA DINDYMENE , Bona Dea ( the good goddess ) , were names applied to Cybele , and some have designated her by the title Pasithea ( rao-iSio'Ie fn ' injp , omnibus dii . t maler ) , or Magna Dcorum Mater ( the great mother of the gods ) , an incoi-reot appellation , unless as the younger or second Vesta ,

who was supposed to bo the mother of all the terrestrials , or deities , after the flood . Like the elder Vesta , her name stood for heat and fire , as well as for the earth and the clay , of which man was made . But as these particulars will have to be examined in their proper place , our object will now only require such a convenient reference to Cybele as may

make us more familiar with the generalities of Ceres . The adventurous , inquiring , and scientific among the ancients doubtless made some strange discoveries in their explorations of exhausted volcanoes , from which resulted their conviction of there being much inflammatory compression , central hollownessand everlasting combustion existing

, within the bowels of the earth . These internal heats , issuing through the fissures and openings of the surface , it was thought conveyed a vital heat to vegetative existence , whilst the larger vents occasionally terminate in the terror-inspiring craters , varying from a mile to a few hundred feet in extent , fulminating with flame , liquid lava , and red hot cinders .

The geology of modem times does not attempt to explode this theory ; even speculative geologists have not disturbed it : but until they can give us an authentic survey of Hades , we shall conclude that modern philosophers are less proficient in the economy of cosmogony than the learned who were taught the arts of civilization and of building houses

and cities by Vesta . Seriously , for want of li ght to discern truths in strange things , we may stumble in not holding a candle to the sun . We are of those who believe in the created works of the Almi ghty Architect as described by the pen of the more than inspired historian . Like other created things , the earth has increased in size since the days

of its infancy . Nevertheless its superfices or crusts ( so called ) are not deeper in the east than they are in the south ; nor greater or less on their level with the sea , out of whose depths they were brought forth from the void supernaturally , from the replenished deep naturally . We are all liable to err ; but should this be a parallogismits antithesis subsists

, —in going right we cannot go wrong ; such are the steps we are desirous of taking . The proposition , whether of the two it is harder or easier for God to form a shell , or ]) ebble , or diamond , an ore of silver , or a metal of gold , in the earth , or to create a leviathan , or a madvepora in the sea , is an argumenium ad hominem in our favour .

It is therefore upon sacred grounds that we adhere to the literal truth of the Mosaic account of the creation . Of course , individually , we are as free to think for ourselves as to assort the earnest opinions and reasonings of others , either separately or conformably with our own . We are assured that no science would be able to inform us of the an-e of the

world , even could it discover where its corner stone was first fixed , without also knowing from the Great Architect of the universe when it was first laid . In all other respects than those referred to , we acknowledge our obligations to geolooy , and the mental interest we take in the further development of that science . In investigating this subject our attention

has been attracted to two statements , apparently dissimilar , —at least in our judgment , who have no other evidence of their agreement than the mere supposition of their equal correctness . Lantech , the father of Noah , it is written in the fifth chapter of Genesis , lived an hundred eighty and two years , and begat a son , and he called his name Noah ,-

saying , " This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands , because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed . " This does not say inucb in favour of an

avboriferous fertility , or of any spontaneous luxuriance and richness of the ground , or of pihysical exigency being sustained on acorns , edible roots , and such like diet . On the contrary , it would seem , when we consider the verse , " And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred eighty and five yearsand begat sons and daughters : And all the days

, of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years "—if we are to give any weight to the supposition of one American computer , that the total number of human souls at the time of the deluge , in the year of the world 16-56 , could not have been less than thirteen millions of millions , man could have had for food little besides fish and flesh , and not much

of that ; and likewise that the animals themselves were almost altogether carnivorous . As a contrast with the above extraordinary estimate , we number the population of the whole now known inhabitable globe , at the most , short of a thousand millions . But we must leave the philosophy of Vesta to return to

that of Ceres . Cybele either received her name from Mount Gybelus , in Phrygia , where her sacrifices were first instituted , or else , as others say , from the mad behaviour of her priests , the Galli , who used to shake and toss about their hanginghair , and dance on their hands ( after the mariner of the modern London street boys ) to the confused uproar of screams , howlings , and prophesyings , as described by Luciau , " Crinemque rotautes ,

Sauguineum popuhs ulularimt tnstia Gam . " " Shaking their gory locks , with awful yells , The Galli on the people cast their spells . " Indeed we are told that the sacrificanfcs profaned the fane of their goddess and the ears and eyes of her adherents with words and actions of the vilest character ; yet the temple of the false goddessit was fabledwas not opened with hands

, , , but by the prayers of her priests and devotees . The celebrations of the Metroa , like the sacrifices of Bacchus , were continued amid a clangour rather than a concord of tabours , timbrels , pipes and cymbals . But within the Opertum , or place where the Cybelean offerings , named Opertanea , were performed ( so sty led from the strict privacy observed by the

votaries of Bona Dea ) "Sacra Bonai maribus non adeunda Dece—all men were excluded from her rites . " Secrecy in a most peculiar manner was kept ; in fact the wine of the solemnized feast , with the vessels containing it , were covered ; and when the women partook of the juice of the grape the jovial matrons called it milk . Be that as it may , they had

an excuse for this little artifice in respect to their goddess , since at this , no less than at other sacrifices to her honour " , a more than usual silence was devoutly maintained by her votaresses , in accordance with the doctrine of the

Pythagoreans and Brachmanes , which inculcated the idea that supernal intelligence , distinguished from the soul or souls of nature , should bo worshipped with unheard utterance and inward reverence ; because thence , as the first cause , all things had their orig in and ordinance in silence ; and the ladies of ancient times we know were as eloquent and vivacious as the

dear creatures of the present day . Plutarch expressly says to the same purpose , " Our mortal preceptors teach us to speak , but silence was taught by the gods ; from them , in their rites and initiations , we learn , to govern our tongue , restrain our lips , and be mute . " This custom of silence , as we have remarked , was far from

being adopted in the worship of Ceres under many of her other appellations . The Curet . es were Cretans , iEtolians , or perhaps Euueeana , or even identical with the Tehhines , who came from Crete into Cyprus and thence into . Rhodes , which island had its name of Telchinis from them ; they were famous magicians

and necromancers , according to the old legends ; more reasonable accounts admit the probability of their deservingmerit as astrologers and learned men , who invented many useful arts and set up the statues and . images of the gods to beguile the ignorance of semi-barbarians , arid contrive some