File:Beacon lights of history. (The world's heroes and master minds) (1888) (14763392055).jpg

Identifier: beaconlightsofh01lord (find matches)
Title: Beacon lights of history. (The world's heroes and master minds)
Year: 1888 (1880s)
Authors: Lord, John, 1810-1894
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, J. Clarke
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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pt, but his chief temples were at Abydos andPhilse. He was regarded as mild, beneficent, and good.In opposition to him were Set, malignant and evil, andBes, the god of death. Isis, the wife and sister ofOsiris, was a sort of sun goddess, representing theproductive power of Nature. Khons was the moongod. Maut, the consort of Ammon, represented Na-ture. Sati, the wife of Kneph, bore a resemblance toJuno. Nut was the goddess of the firmament; Mawas the goddess of truth; Horus was the mediatorbetween creation and destruction. But in spite of the multiplicity of deities, the Egyp-tian worship centred in some form upon heat or fire,generally the sun, the most powerful and brilliant ofthe forces of Nature. Among all the ancient pagannations the sun, the moon, and the planets, underdifferent names, whether impersonated or not, werethe principal objects of worship for the people. To
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From a photojrnph TEMPLE OF THE SUN, BAALBEK EGYPTIAN, ASSYRIAN, AND PERSIAN. 35 these temples were erected, statues raised, and sac-rifices made. No ancient nation was more devout, or more con-stant to the service of its gods, than were the Egyptians;and hence, being superstitious, they were pre-eminentlyunder the control of priests, as the people were inIndia. We see, chiefly in India and Egypt, the powerof caste, — tyrannical, exclusive, and pretentious,—andpowerful in proportion to the belief in a future state.Take away the belief in future existence and futurerewards and punishments, and there is not much re-ligion left. There may be philosophy and morality,but not religion, which is based on the fear and loveof God, and the destiny of the soul after death. SaintAugustine, in his City of God, his greatest work,ridicules all gods who are not able to save the soul,and all religions where future existence is not recog-nized as the most important thing which can occupythe mind of

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