NOTES.

NOTE 1.

Though the primitive order of divine communications was impeded by this original crime.

All close observers of human nature have recognised that a tendency to evil prevails in man. To their remarks on this point may be added the sentiments of one of the most zealous amongst the partisans of material physiology. "The child is as yet ignorant of the enjoyment derivable from reflection, except those that he procures by artifice, which he is always prepared to substitute for force, whenever he comes into collision with another stronger than himself. This species of pleasure seems to possess more attractions for him than that of beneficence unless he discover in the latter means

to indulge his predominent faculties: thus he protects a child less strong than himself whom immediately after he will make the sport of his tyranny. In general, he prefers evil to good, because it ministers better to his vanity, and affords him greater commotion; an enjoyment which must be procured at any risk. It is for this reason he prides himself in breaking inanimate objects; for he finds therein the two-fold pleasure founded on the necessity of self-satisfaction, viz. that of destroying resistance and exciting the rage of rational creatures, which in his mind is nothing less than a victory that becomes a source of gratification to him, when he has escaped punishment by flight. The delight which he feels on beholding the torture of animals can be accounted for only on the same principle; that of his fellow creatures would be equally agreeable to him, were he not curbed by fear, for even then the principle of self-preservation begins to exercise its influence. Pity restrains him from time to time; but its developement is scarcely perceptible in children of the male sex; it exists more frequently and is felt more deeply in females of a tender age. I grant that all

the acts of children do not bear this impress of depravity. The benevolent disposition which characterizes some in after life begins to shew itself anterior to reason; but the majority is of the class already described. Strong children of the male sex who feel the necessity of exercising their strength in external movements, are more irresistibly born to the commission of evil. There are few who do not employ their force against the weaker class; it is the first impulse of their nature, but when they are not born to be ferocious they are stopt by the tears of their victim, until by a fresh impulse they are excited

to perpetrate a similar crime."* The child prefers evil to good. This indeed is a frightful enigma. Discover, if you can, an explanation preferable to that furnished by christianity. It is true it accounts for this problem of all ages and nations by a primitive mystery; but this mystery, attested by general tradition, is itself the first fact of history, and has it not been rightly asserted that all our science consists in deriving our ignorance from its remotest source.

* Vide Treatise on irritation, by Dr. Broussais, p. 101,

M

NOTE II.

In the ancient mysteries of Mithra, which finally prevailed through a considerable portion of the Roman empire, St.Justin and Tertullian inform us that bread and a vessel full of water were placed before the initiated.

Tertullian says that the devil "whose principal study and business it is to corrupt the truth, strives to imitate in his idolatrous mysteries the holy ceremonies of the christian religion. The devil baptizes some, namely, his own disciples and adherents; by washing, he promises the remission of sin, and if I yet remember, Mithra signs his soldiers on their foreheads: he celebrates the oblation of bread and introduces an image of the resurrection.

Diabolo scilicet, cujus sunt partes, intervertendi veritatem, qui ipsas quoque res sacramentorum divinorum, idolorum mysteriis emulatur. Tingit et ipse quosdam, utique credentes et