in which were portrayed, in the most vivid manner, the rewards and
punishments of the imaginary future life, which they taught were the
awards of the Gods for the observance or violation of the laws. These
teachings were inculcated in the lesser degrees only, but those who
were found worthy of so great a distinction were also inducted into the
higher degrees, in which was imparted the knowledge of the Esoteric
philosophy. In both the lesser and higher degrees the initiates
received instruction in an oral manner only; and all were bound by the
most fearful oaths not to reveal the secrets imparted to them.

Thus were the votaries of the ancient Astral worship divided into two
distinct classes, the Esoterics, or Gnostics; and the Exoterics, or
Agnostics; the former comprising those who knew that the Gods were
mythical and the scriptures allegorical; and the latter, those who were
taught that the Gods were real, and the scriptures historical; or, in
other words, it was philosophy for the cultured few, and religion for
the ignorant multitude. The initiates into the secrets of these two
systems recognized them as the two Gospels; and Paul must have had
reference to them in his Epistle to the Galatians ii., 2, where he
distinguishes the Gospel which he preached on ordinary occasions from
that Gospel which he preached "privately to them which were of
reputation."

Such was the system of Astrolatry, which, originating in the Orient,
and becoming, after being remodelled in Egypt, the prototype of all
Occidental forms of worship, was recognized, successively, as the state
religion of the Grecian and Roman Empires; and we propose to describe
the erroneous system of nature upon which it was based, and to develop
the origins of its cycles, dogmas, ordinances, anniversaries,
personifications and symbols, with the view to proving that it was the