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felves fo far as they are perceptible to our fenfes, or in the fame fenfe as motion is faid to be action. Accordingly, we find a religious regard was paid to fire, both by Greeks and Romans, and indeed by most, if not all, the nations of the world.

183. The worship of Vesta at Rome was, in truth, the worship of fire.

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faith Ovid in his Fafti. And as in old Rome the eternal fire was religiously kept by virgins, fo in Greece, particularly at Delphi and Athens, it was kept by widows. It is well known that Vulcan or Fire was worshipped with great diftinction by the Ægyptians. The Zabii or Sabeans are also known to have been worshippers of fire. It appears too from the Chaldæan oracles, that fire was regarded as divine by the fages of that nation. And it is fuppofed that Ur of the Chaldæans was fo called from the Hebrew word fignifying fire, because fire was publickly worfhipped in that city. That a religious worship was paid to fire by the ancient Perfians and their Magi, is attefted by all antiquity. And the fect of Perfees, or old Gentils, of whom there are confiderable remains at this day both in the Mogols country and in Perfia, doth testify the fame.

184. It doth not feem that their proftrations before the perpetual fires, preferved with great care in their Pyreia, or fire temples, were merely a civil refpect, as Dr. Hyde would have it thought. Although he brings good proof that they do not invoke the fire on their altars, or pray to it, or call it God and that they acknowledge a fupreme invifible deity. Civil refpects are paid to things

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as related to civil power: but fuch relation doth not appear in the prefent cafe. It fhou'd feem therefore, that they worship God as present in the fire, which they worship or reverence, not ultimately or for it felf, but relatively to the fupreme being. Which it is not unlikely was elfewhere the cafe at firft; though the practice of men, especially of the vulgar, might in length of time degenerate from the original institution, and reft in the object of fenfe.

185. Doctor Hyde, in his hiftory of the religion of the ancient Perfians, would have it thought, that they borrowed the use and reverence of perpetual fires, from the Jewish practice prefcribed in the Levitical law, of keeping a perpetual fire burning on the altar. Whether that was the cafe or not, thus much one may venture to fay, it feems probable that whatever was the original of this cuftom among the Perfians, the like customs among the Greeks and Romans were derived from the fame fource.

186. It must be owned there are many paffages in holy fcripture (a), that would make one, think, the fupreme being was in a peculiar manner prefent and manifeft in the element of fire. Not to infift that God is more than once faid to be a confuming fire, which might be understood in a metaphorical fenfe, the divine apparitions. were by fire, in the bush, at mount Sinai, on the tabernacle, in the cloven tongues. God is reprefented in the infpired writings, as defcend-. ing in fire, as attended by fire, or with fire going before him. Celeftial things, as angels, chariots, and fuch like phænomena are invefted with fire, light, and fplendor. Ezekiel in his vifions beheld,

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fire and brightness, lamps, burning coals of fire, and flashes of lightening. In a vifion of Daniel the throne of God appeared like a fiery flame, and his wheels like burning fire. Alfo a fiery flame iffued and came forth from before him.'

187. At the transfiguration, the apoftles faw our Saviour's face fhining as the fun, and his raiment white as light, alfo a lucid cloud or body of light, out of which the voice came; which vifible light and fplendor was, not many centuries ago, maintained by the Greek church, 'to have been divine, and uncreated, and the very glory of God as may be feen in the history wrote by the emperor John Cantacuzene. And of late years bishop Patrick gives it as his opinion, that in the beginning of the world, the Shecinah or divine prefence, which was then frequent and ordinary, appeared by light or fire. In commenting on that paffage, where Cain is faid to have gone out from the prefence of the Lord, the bifhop obferves, that if Cain after this turned a downright idolater, as many think, it is very likely he introduced the worship of the fun, as the best refemblance he could find of the glory of the Lord, which was wont to appear in a flaming light. It would be endlefs to enumerate all the paffages of holy fcripture, which confirm and illuftrate this notion, or reprefent the Deity as appearing and operating by fire. The mifconftruction of which might poffibly have misled the Gnoftics, Bafilidians, and other ancient heretics into an opinion, that Jefus Chrift was the vifible corporeal fun.

188. We have feen, that in the most remote ages and countries, the vulgar as well as the learned, the inftitutions of lawgivers as well as the reafonings of philofophers, have ever confidered.

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the element of fire in a peculiar light, and treated it with more than common regard, as if it were fomething of a very fingular and extraordinary nature. Nor are there wanting authors of principal account among the moderns, who entertain Îike notions concerning fire, especially among those who are most converfant in that element, and should seem beft acquainted with it.

189. Mr. Homberg the famous modern chemist, who brought that art to fo great perfection, holds the fubftance of light or fire to be the true chemic principal fulphur (a), and to extend it felf throughout the whole univerfe. It is his opinion that this is the only active principle. That mixed with various things it formeth feveral forts of natural productions, with falts making oyl, with earth bitumen, with mercury metal. That this principle of fulphur, fire, or the fubftance of light, is in it felf imperceptible, and only becomes fenfible as it is joined with fome other principle, which ferves as a vehicle for it. That, although it be the most active of all things, yet it is at the fame time the most firm bond and cement to combine and hold the principles together, and give form to the mixed bodies. And, that in the analysis of bodies it is always loft, escaping the skill of the artift, and paffing through the closest veffels.

190. Boerhaave, Niewenty't, and divers other moderns are in the fame way of thinking. They with the ancients diftinguifh a pure, elementary, invifible fire from the culinary, or that which appears in ignited bodies (b). This laft they will not allow to be pure fire. The pure fire is to be dif cerned by it's effects alone; fuch as heat, dilatation of all folid bodies, and rarefaction of fluids, (a) 129. (b) 163, 166.

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the fegregating heterogeneous bodies, and congregating those that are homogeneous. That therefore which fmoakes and flames is not pure fire, but that which is collected in the focus of a mirrour or burning glafs. This fire feems the fource of all the operations in nature without it nothing either vegetates, or putrefies, lives or moves or ferments, is diffolved or compounded or altered, throughout this whole natural world in which we fubfift. Were it not for this, the whole wou'd be one great ftupid inanimate mafs. But this active element is fuppofed to be every where, and always prefent, imparting different degrees of life, heat, and motion, to the various animals, vegetables, and other natural productions, as well as to the elements themselves, wherein they are produced and nourished.

191. As water acts upon falt, or aqua fortis upon iron, fo fire diffolves all other bodies. Fire, air, and water are all three menftruums: but the two laft seem to derive all their force and activity from the first (a). And indeed there feems to be, originally or ultimately, but one menftruum in nature, to which all other menftruums, may be reduced. Acid falts are a menftruum, but their force and diftinct powers are from fulphur. Confidered as pure, or in themselves, they are all of the fame nature. But, as obtained by diftillation, they are conftantly joined with fome fulphur, which characterizeth and cannot be fepárated from them. This is the doctrine of mon fieur Homberg. But what is it that charecterizeth or differenceth the fulphurs themselves? If fulphur be the fubftance of light, as that author will have it, whence is it that animal, vege

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