the impurities connected with their idol worship; also of their diviners, observers of times, enchanters, witches, charmers, consulters with familiar spirits, wizards, necromancers. Nor is that all, the Scriptures give us an account of the occasion of these things. "Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened: professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." Here is the origin of their idolatry; and then there follows the origin of those abominations that connected themselves with it, which the reader may see by referring to the passage. God being provoked, "gave them up to their own hearts' lusts;" and not liking to retain God in their knowledge, he also gave them up to the indulgence of all sorts of crimes, and these crimes as the consequence of forsaking him.

Thus venerable are the Scriptures for the information they give us of the origin and occasion of things: but that which should render them more interesting is, that they supply us with an antidote to the wide-spreading evils. From thence shines forth a light which dispels the darkness. There is a salvation from the idolatry and immorality; in short, we have there "grace abound

ing over all through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ, our Lord," to all those who "receive the abounding grace and the gift of righteousness."

Secondly. The foregoing essay, it is presumed, will add another collateral proof to the truth of Revelation, inasmuch as it shews how those ancient records agree with existing facts. Do we read of a Jacob raising a pillar as a place of worship; of his raising another as a memorial of a beloved wife; do we see him, again, placing heaps of stones for boundaries? The same customs appear even in the British Isles to this day. Do we read of a Moses causing twelve pillars to be placed at one time, and twelve stones at another for sacred purposes? We see the same custom has obtained in our own country. Do we read of a king of Ai-of an Achar—of an Absalom, as marked with infamy by a heap of stones being piled over them? We find that so it has been in these northern countries; and our essay has shewn us how also these customs obtained a footing here and does not all this serve to confirm the truth of that ancient record? May it please the great Author of all Good to bless it, therefore, for the purpose of augmenting our esteem of that inestimable treasure, as well as of gratifying a laudable curiosity, and of enlarging the mind!

When the situation was favourable, and rocks pre

E

sented themselves that might be excavated, it is not an improbable supposition that they would make excavations in such rocks for the purposes above mentioned; and this may account for such artificial caves as are found near the castle, and on the southeastern side of the park, at Nottingham. These caves are called "Rock-holes," and "Papists'holes," and more recently, "Druids'-holes.” There are several of them on the side of the river Leer, and those most considerable have a direct southern aspect. Two or three of those have chimnies, though, in consequence of the ground being made good on the top of the rocks, the light does not appear from the sky. In connexion with these excavations, it must be considered that the country before and around it was, in those days, covered with oaks, and the scene must be that of a forest. Now the Druidical priests made their abode in oak forests; what, then, can be more natural than to suppose that this was the residence of the Druidical priests, as connected with Nottingham and the surrounding country; and that here they delivered their instructions and their oracles? The forest of oak,-the southern aspect, not only rendering it warm, but presenting to them the sun, the object of their worship,-the river Leer supplying them with water, and the contiguity to Nottingham, all render the supposition reasonable. But, as we are upon the subject of these caves, it may

be allowed us to suggest, that, if they are not Druidical caves, they are caves of retreat for refuge from invading enemies or persecuting foes, during the many invasions and persecutions that these isles have undergone. We read in Scripture of many facts illustrative of this idea, at least. The five kings that warred against Gibeon, " hid themselves in a cave. ""* When "the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel," "the children of Israel made them dens in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds."+ And when an immense host of the Philistines came up against Israel," the people did hide themselves in caves and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits." The same in cases of persecution, "they wandered in dens and caves of the earth."§ So likewise they might do in this country, even though such refuges were not of Phoenician origin;|| and, possibly, this might be the original design of these caves. But the reader will judge for himself, after that the author has just remarked, that prophets" were "hid by fifty in a cave" by Obadiah, in the time of the persecution by Jezebel;¶ a remark which, perhaps, may bear favourably on the former hypothesis.

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*Josh. x. 16.

1 Sam. xiii. 6.

† Judg. vi. 2.

§ Heb. xi. 38.

Of this origination, see further on.

¶ 1 Kings, xviii. 4 and 13.

CHAPTER III.

THE RELIGION OF THE BRITISH ISLES, IN THE DAYS OF HEATHENISM, AND THAT OF THE PHOENICIANS, MUCH THE SAME; AND THAT THEREFORE THESE ANTIQUITIES ARE OF PHOENICIAN ORIGIN.

In directing our attention to the subject before us, an inquiry naturally arises in the mind, especially of one not much accustomed to historical research, how can monuments of antiquity, existing in these British Isles, so remote from that part of the world where the Scriptures were written, have any connexion with the Scripture narrative? If, however, we can make it appear, first, that there was an intercourse between Israel and the Phoenicians; then, that the Phoenicians had intercourse and formed settlements here; and, lastly, that Phoenicians, particularly their magi or wise men, introduced their religion wherever they thus formed settlements, the difficulty, it is presumed, will be removed, and the inquiry answered. To these points we shall, therefore, direct our attention.

Phoenicia was a country that bordered on the