exclamation; but its radical part, Iax, is clearly the venerable name of the God of the Hebrews, aspirated as it ought to be; and the sense of vociferation, shouting, or exclamation, attached to its derivatives, lax-n, and Iax-w, was evidently derived from the primitive Hebrew doxology. HALLELU-IAH, "Praise the Lord." Used also at the Oscophoria, or "Procession of Branches," by the primitive Athenians in the time of Theseus, according to Plutarch; "when at the libations, the votaries exclaimed Ex-Ie;" as they did also, at the orgies of Bacchus, or“ the Mystical Lacch-us," the most ancient name of this Heathen God of revelry: whence the " Mystica vannus Iacchi,” recorded by that admirable antiquary Virgil. Georg. i, 166. and of which, the best explanation is furnished by Matt. 3, 12. referring to, or citing Amos, ix. 9. and Isa. v. 24. and 21, 10. The following curious account is furnished by Herodotus, B. 8. §. 65. of an incident said to have happened during the Persian invasion of Greece, by Xerxes, who destroyed all their temples. (See a remarkable oracle delivered on that occasion, Euseb. Præpar. E. B. B. p. 689). "Dicæus, the son of Theocydes, an Athenian exile, in great reputation with the Medes [or Persians], reported, that happening to be in the plain of Thria, with Demaratus, of Lacedemon, after Attica had been abandoned by the Athenians, and ravaged by the land forces of Xerxes, he saw a great cloud of dust rising from Eleusis, such as might be raised by the marching of thirty thousand men; and that while they were wondering thereat, and not knowing who could have occasioned it, they heard, on a sudden, a voice, which seemed to him [that of] the mystical Iacchus. He added, that Demaratus, not being initiated in the Eleusinian mysteries, asked him the meaning of those words. "Demaratus," answered he, some great and inevitable disaster threatens the king's army. Attica being now deserted, it plainly is a divinity that has spoken, which, coming from Eleusis, is hastening to the succour of the Athenians and their allies. If it goes towards Peloponnesus, the king and his land forces will run great risk; if it takes the road to Salamis, where his ships are, the fleet of Xerxes will be in danger of destruction. 66 "The Athenians," proceeded he, " celebrate annually a festival to (Ceres) the mother, and (Proserpine) the daughter, initiating in these mysteries all such of their countrymen, and the rest of the Grecians, as desire it. The voice which you hear is that of Iacchus, which is sung at this festival. "Thereupon, (continued Dicaus) Demaratus said unto him, Be silent, and say nothing to any one of what has happened: for should the King be informed of your conversation, you would lose your head; and neither I, nor any other person could procure your pardon: Be quiet, let the Gods take care of the army." 66 He Such, said Dicæus, was the advice given him by Demaratus. added, That after this dust, and this voice, there appeared a cloud, which rising, advanced towards Salamis, and the Grecian armament; and that by this they understood, that the fleet of Xerxes was doomed to be destroyed. Such was the recital of Dicæus, son of Theocydes, authenticated by the evidence of Demaratus and some other witnesses." Whatever degree of credit we may attach to this recital, there cannot I think, remain a doubt, that the Grecian, and his predecessor the Indian and Egyptian Bacchus, were all caricatures, drawn by the extravagance of Egyptian, Indian, and Grecian Mythology, from a true prototype, the Hebrew, or lax-, whose feast of Tabernacles, at the close of the vintage, was celebrated with so much festivity by the ancient Hebrews, and their descendants the Jews; in allusion to which, the multitude of the disciples at OUR LORD's last public entrance into Jerusalem, on Palm Sunday, "cut down branches of trees, and strewed them in the way, and shouted Hosanna, &c." That IAH was indeed peculiarly the God of the Hebrews, we learn from that sublime ode of Moses, recording the overthrow of the Egyptians in the Red Sea, Exod. xv. 2. salvation: "IAH is my strength and song, and hath been my Here the inspired Poet celebrates the Tutelar God of Israel, both by his ancient and modern titles; as IAH "the Patriarchal God," ( TαTEWR os, Act. xxiv. 9.) and IAHOH, by which he chose to be known,” distinguished and reverenced thenceforth by the Israelites, Exod. vi. 3. Deut. xxviii. 58. Isa. xlii. 8. In order to mark by this title, (intimating his Unity) the decided abhorrence of the idolatrous Polytheism, in which the Heathen world was then immersed. The prophet Ethan also in his noble imitation of this passage, Ps. lxxxix. 8. 10. has recorded both names: "O LORD (IAHOH) The God of Hosts, who is like unto Thee! O mighty LORD (IAH), even thy Faithfulness, &c." See p. 125. Isaiah, has combined both together, xii. 2. 66 Lo, GoD (EL) is my salvation, I will trust and fear not : For IAH IAHOH is my strength and my song, And hath been my salvation." And again, in that noble parallel passage, Isa. 26. 4. "Trust ye in IAHOH for ever: For in IAH IAHOH is the Rock of Ages !" Surely we may well say of both these venerable names : Η μαν αμφοτέροισιν όμον γενα, ηδ' ια πατρη. "Both indeed are of LIKE RACE, and SAME PARENTAGE," And their combination in both cases, may be rendered THE SAME LORD; admirably corresponding to "the Rock of Ages,"-Steady and unchangeable in his nature and purposes; as THE LORD and HIS CHRIST," are repeatedly represented in the Old and New Testaments: "For I THE LORD (IAHOH) do not change: Therefore ye, O Sons of Jacob, are not consumed. 46 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above; * אלי + אלהי אבי Vol. II, Churchm, Mag. June, 1802. Sup. 3 C Mal. iii. 6. with whom Jam. i. 17. "Thou "Thou, LORD, at first, didst found the Earth; and the Heavens Are the work of thy hands: They shall perish, but Thou endurest: They all shall wax old as a Garment ; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed; But Thou art THE SAME, and thy years shall not fail.” Ps. 102. xxv. Here the pronoun N, "He," is rendered, Aur, "the same" by the From this venerable title of the God of the Hebrews, IAH, was plainly derived the name of the God of Time, the most ancient of the Divinities both of the Eastern and Western world; called by the Latins, IA-NUS ; and by the Hindus, GA-NES, or GIA-NESA. See Asiat. Res. 1. P. 226. Virgil and Macrobius, represent Janus as earlier than Saturn, "Hanc IA NUS PATER, Hanc SATURNUS condidit Arcem: Janiculum huic, illi fuerat Saturnia nomen.” Æn. 8. 357. And from him the first month of the Roman year was denominated Januarius: Ovid calls him "O principium Deorum! V. יהוה 1. Eis, ONE. 2. Kvgi, THE LORD. Hesychius also explains the article I, by in, One; referring to Hom. Iliad. 6, 422. Θέ μεν πάντες ΙΩ γιον ΗΜΑΤΙ Αίδος εισα "They all, in one day, went into Hades." i. e. were slain. Thus following the ancient scholiast, who explains nur, by f nga while to mark as it seems, its descent from Ia, he renders the same phrase I ur, afterwards, ev n aury nuɛga, “in the same day." And that this was the leading idea attached to the name of God, IAN, IETN; ZAF, or ZETE, by the earliest Greek writers, will appear from the following instances; When the Oracle of the Clarian Apollo, (founded it is said at Claros, a city of Ionia, not far from Colophon, by Manto the daughter of Tiresias, in the second Theban war; and consequently in the heroic age) was consulted which of the Gods is He to be accounted who is called, IAS, the oracular response is thus preserved by Macrobius, Saturnal. 1, 18. Όργια μεν δεδαώτας εxeny νηπενθεα κεύδειν "The Initiated, are bound to conceal Orgies not to be inquired into: But in Disguise is small understanding and a feeble Mind, Learn Learn then, that IAHOH, is GOD SUPREME OF ALL: In Winter, PLUTO; DIS when Spring begins; The Sun in Summer; in Autumn, bounteous IAHOH." [IACCHUS.] On the authority of which, according to Macrobius, was founded the following Orphic verse: Εἷς ΖΕΥΣ, εἷς ΑΔΗΣ, εις ΗΛΙΟΣ, εις ΔΙΟΝΥΣΟΣ In this curious and valuable commentary on the oracle, 1. AI is expressed by ZETE; and 'ACę IAO, "the Bounteous or Festive God of Autumn," by BACCHUS; whose Grecian title, AIONTEOE, is best perhaps explained by Macrobius, AIOE NOTE, "The Mind of Jove;" whence I strongly suspect that IAN, the last word of the Oracle, was originally IAXON, the " Mystical Iacchus" before mentioned. 2. It is remarkable, that all these distinct characters are considered as emanations or representations of ONE Supreme God, intimated in the emphatic repetition of Eis; which we saw was the proper rendering of Iã, the contraction of law. And, indeed, that the Philosophizing Pagans, interpreted "the GODS many, and LORDS many" of their Political or Poetical Mythology, into so many names or attributes of the ONE SUPREME DEITY, is evident, from the testimonies of Antisthenes, Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus, Plato, Xenocrates, Scævola, Varro, Cicero, Seneca, and many others, recorded by Cudworth, in that copious receptacle of ancient wisdom and ancient folly, heterogeneously blended together; his Intellectual System, p. 494, &c. where we read the following fragment of Hermesionax the Colophonian. Πλυτων, Περσεφόνη, Δημήτηρ, κυπρις, Ερωτες, Ερμης, θ' Ήφαιςος τε κλυτο, Παν. Ζευς τε και Ηρη "Pluto, Proserpine, Ceres, Venus, The Cupids; Tritons, Nereus, Tethys, and Neptune with azure curls, And Valerius Soranus, among the Latins : DEUS UNUS et Omnes. "Even all, are ONE GOD. And the genius of their Mythology, is not ill expressed by Prudentius: In UNO Constituit jus omne DEO; cui serviat ingens Bui But how easily "these imaginations" degenerated into Atheism, we may learn from Aristotle himself, objecting the established Theology, against Zeno: Είπερ άπανία, επικρατιςον τον Θεον, λαμβάνει τατο, δυνατώτατον και βελτιον, λεγων ε δοκει τετο κατα τον νόμον, αλλα πολλα κρέιτες είναι αλληλων οι θεοί εκεν εκ τε δοκέντος ειληφε ταυτην κατα τ8 Θες την ὁμολογίαν "Whereas Zeno takes it for granted, that THE SUPREME GOD, is in all respects, the most powerful and best. This does not seem` according to Law, (or the Established Religion) which maintains, that the Gods are better than each other in sundry respects. It has not therefore taken this (supposed) consent respecting the Deity, from the commonly received opinion:"- -Which Aristotle himself disbelieves. Hence it was, that the poor or Naturalists, came at length to be considered as Aeo or Atheists. See a curious passage of Plutarch to this purpose, and Cudworth's remarks thereon, p. 305, 306. And that they soon became downright Materialists indeed, supposing that the Supreme God, was a subtile Ether, or Electrical Fluid pervading the Universe, is fully proved in the second appendix of Hale's Analysis Fluxionum, p. 93, 102. De Ethere Antiquo, Deo ficto Gentilium. The grand object and benevolent design of Revealed Religion from the earliest ages, has been to inculcate and keep alive in the world a belief of the Unity of THE SUPREME SPIRIT, "THE FATHER OF SPIRITS," 66 THE ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL;" this was acknowledged even by those prime corrupters of Patriarchal Theology, the Heathen Oracies, and Orpheus. When the Pythian Oracle was once consulted, which were the wisest of All Nations? the response was: Μενοι Καλδαίοι σοφίην λαχον, ήδ' αρ' Εβραιοι, Ατογενητον Ανακλα σεβαζόμενοι ΘΕΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ. "Wisdom is allotted to the Chaldeans and Hebrews alone: Who worship the Self-begotten King, GOD HIMSELF." And the honourable testimony of Orpheus to the writings of Moses is most remarkable : Αρχην ΑΥΤΟΣ εχών, άμα και Μεσον, ηδε τελευτην Ως λογ— Αρχαίων· ὡς Ὑδογενης διεταξεν, Εκ ΘΕΟΘΕΝ γνωμαισι λαβων κατα διπλακα Θεσμον "[GOD] HIMSELF, having beginning and Middle and end: As Ancients say; as the Water-born [Moses] ordained, Receiving from GOD, a double tablet of sententious laws." Here, the name Moses, (signifying, " drawn out of the water," Exod. ii. 10.) is translated Tooyems; the word, 'r in ancient Greek, corresponding to 'roup, "water."- Hesychius. And it is truly remarkable, that at the Eleusinian mysteries, instituted in honour of Ceres and Bacchus, (the oldest and most celebrated of the Grecian solemnities.)— "The Holy mysteries were read to the initiated, out of a book called πέτρωμα, |