instituted upon their system of Allegorical Astronomy, and making its
personifications the objects of worship, they thus originated the
anthropomorphic or man-like Gods, and, claiming to have composed them
under the inspiration of these self same divinities, they designated
them as sacred records, or Scriptures, and taught the ignorant masses
that they were literal histories, and their personifications real
personages, who, having once lived upon earth, and; for the good of
mankind, performed the wondrous works imputed to them, were then in
heaven whence they came.

Thus we see that the primary religion, which is popularly known as
Paganism, was founded in the worship of personified nature; that,
according special homage to the imaginary genii of the stars, and
inculcating supreme adoration to the divinity supposed to reside in the
sun, it was anciently known by the general name of Astrolatry, and by
the more specific one of solar worship; and that its founders,
arrogating to themselves the title of Astrologers, gave to its dogmatic
element the name of Astrology.

In studying the primitive forms of religion it will be found that none
of them taught anything relative to a future life, for the simple
reason that their founders had no conceptions of such a state. Hence it
follows that the laws they enacted were intended solely for the
regulation of their social relations, and, to secure their observance,
they were embodied into their sacred records and made part of their
religion. One form of that most ancient worship was known as Sabaism,
or Sabism. Another form of the same religion was the Ancient Judaism,
as portrayed in the Old Testament, and more especially in the
Pentateuch, or first five books; in the Decalogue of which the only
promise made for the observance of one of the Commandments is length of