An Account of the remains of the worship of Priapus : lately existing at Isernia, in the kingdom of Naples; in two letters : one from Sir William Hamilton ... to Sir Joseph Banks ... : and the other from a person residing at Isernia : to which is added, A discourse on the worship of Priapus : and its connexion with the mystic theology of the ancients / By R.P. Knight.

Date:
1786
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An Account of the remains of the worship of Priapus : lately existing at Isernia, in the kingdom of Naples; in two letters : one from Sir William Hamilton ... to Sir Joseph Banks ... : and the other from a person residing at Isernia : to which is added, A discourse on the worship of Priapus : and its connexion with the mystic theology of the ancients / By R.P. Knight. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ «3 ] of all tilings and hence the ufe of water in bap- tifm, which was to regenerate, and, in a manner, new create the perfon baptifed; for the foul, fup- pofed by many of the primitive Chriflians to be naturally mortal, was then fuppofed to become immortal.t Upon the fame principle, the figure of Pan, engraved in Plate V. Fig. I.:J: is reprefented pouring water upon the Organ of Generation ; that is, invigorating the adtive creative power by the pro- lific element upon which it adted ; for water was confidered as the efi’ence of the pafiive principle, as fire was of the adive ; the one being of terreftrial, and the other of asthcrial origin. Hence, St.JoHN the Baptifl, who might have acquired fome knowledge of the an- cient theology, through its revivers, the Ecledic Jews, fays: /, indeed^ baptifeyou in Water to repentance \ but he that C07neth after 7ne^ who is more powerful than I am^ Jhall b apt ife you in the Holy Spirit ^ and in Fire :§ that is, I only purify and refrefh the foul, by a commu- nion with the terreftrial principle of life ; but he that cometh after me, will regenerate and reftore it, by a communion * II. ver. 246. & (p ver. 196. f Clementina, XII. Arnob. adv. Centes, Lib. II. J See tail-piece to the Italian Letter. The original is among the antiquities found in Herculaneum, now in the Mufeum ofPoRTicu