The religious denominations in the United States: their history, doctrine, government and statisticsWith a preliminary sketch of Judaism, paganism and Mohammedanism . Philosopher and his Disciples. PAGANISM. T one period or other, Paganism has covered thewhole earth, it is the religious worship and theadoration of idols, or false gods. Its propername, therefore, is idolatry, but it is calledPaganism from the fact, that when Constantineand his successors forbade the worship of idolsin the cities, the votaries of the heathen deitiesretired to the villages, (pagi, hence pagani,villagers, or count
The religious denominations in the United States: their history, doctrine, government and statisticsWith a preliminary sketch of Judaism, paganism and Mohammedanism . Philosopher and his Disciples. PAGANISM. T one period or other, Paganism has covered thewhole earth, it is the religious worship and theadoration of idols, or false gods. Its propername, therefore, is idolatry, but it is calledPaganism from the fact, that when Constantineand his successors forbade the worship of idolsin the cities, the votaries of the heathen deitiesretired to the villages, (pagi, hence pagani,villagers, or countrymen,) where they couldpractise their rites in security. Dr. Jortin says, that Idolatry had fourthings of which it boasted. The first was a venerable antiquity, moreancient than the Jewish religion; and Idolaters might have said to theIsraelites Where was your religion before Moses and Abraham ? Go,and inquire in Chaldea, and you will find that your fathers served othergods. Secondly, it was wider in its spread than the Jewish 48 Introduction. It was the religion of the greatest, the wisest, and the politest nationsof the Chaldeans, Egyptians, and Phenicians—the parents of civil gov-ernment, and of the arts and sciences. Thirdly, it was more adaptedto the bent which men have towards visible and sensible objects. Menwant gods who shall go before them, and be among them. A God whois every where in power, and no where in appearance, is hard to be con-ceived of. Fourthly, Idolatry favored human passions ; it required nomorality ; its religious ritual consisted of splendid ceremonies, revelling,dancing, nocturnal assemblies, impure and scandalous mysteries, anddebauched priests and gods, who were both slaves and patrons to allsorts of vices. The first objects of idolatrous worship are thought to have beenthe sun, moon and stars. Others think that angels were first worship-ped. In process of time distinguished patriots or deceased kings, animalsof various kinds, plants,
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