t-yrs, and to be
conquered with the love of women; and at last, being unable to take the
cloak off of Nessus, he kindled his own funeral pile and died. Such are
specimens of the ancient myths. Their character is such as to leave an
impassible gulf between them and the character of the God revealed in our
religion. No development theory, seeking the origin of our religion in the
old mythical system, can bridge across this chasm. It is as deep and broad
as the distance between the antipodes. There is no analogy between these
counterfeits or myths and the "true God," save that remote power of God
which is divided up and parceled out among them. Their morals were the
worst. The whole mythical system is simply one grand demonstration of
human apostacy from the "true God." Homer introduces Zeus in love, and
bitterly complaining and bewailing himself, and plotted against by the
other gods. He represents the gods as suffering at the hands of men. Mars
and Venus were wounded by Di-o-me-de. He says, "Great Pluto's self the
stinging arrow felt when that same son of Jupiter assailed him in the very
gates of hell, and wrought him keenest anguish. Pierced with pain, to the
high Olympus, to the courts of Jupiter groaning he came. The bitter shaft
remained deep in his shoulder fixed, and grieved his soul." In the
mythical system the gods are not presented as creators or first causes.
Homer says, They were in the beginning generated from the waters of the
ocean, and thousands were added by deifying departed heroes and
philosophers. The thought of one supreme Intelligence, the "God of Gods,",
runs through all the system of myths. It is found anterior to the myths,
and, therefore, could not have had its origin with them. The character
ascribed to our God, in our scriptures, has no place among the ancient
myths. They hold the "Master God" before us only in connection with power,
being altogether ignorant of His true character. They even went so far as
to attribute much to Him that was ridiculous. One of the ancients said,
"The utmost that a man can do is to attribute to the being he worships his
imperfections and impurities, magnified to infinity, it may be, and then
become worse by their reflex action upon his own nature." This was
verified in the ancient mythical religion, without exception, and without
doubt.

"The character of all the gods was simply human character extended in all
its powers, appetites, lusts and passions. Scholars say