The Watchtower Society and John and Morton Edgar - A2Z.org

Presentative of Dagon. As it was an indispensablerule in all idolatrous religions that the high priestshould wear the insignia of the god he worshipped, sothe sculptures discovered by Layard show that thepriests of Dagon were arrayed in clothing resemblinga Ash. This is probably the lL strange apparel " referr.edto in Zeph. 1 : 8. Berosus tells us that in the imageof Dagon the head of the man appeared under thehead of the Ash, while Layard Wnts out that in thecase of the priests the head of the Ash formed amitre above that d the man, while its scaly, fan-liketail fell as a cloak behind, leaving the human limbsand feet exposed " (Babylon and Nineveh,, p. 343). Wehave evidence that at a later period the Pagan priestsdispensed with the body of the Ash, and used the headalone like a cap (Bryant, Vol. v, p. 384). The gapingjaws of the Ash's head, surmounting the head of theman, is the exact appearance of the twckhorned mitreof the pope, or of a Papal bishop at this day1 Mr. A.Trimen, a distinguished London architect and authr,found that on a certain occasion every year theChinese Emperor, as Pontifex Maximus of his nation,wears a mitre which is the very counterpart ori thePapal mitre (Hager, on Chinese HieroglyPhics, B.xxxv, in the British Museum).Thus we see the far-reaching influence of thatidolatrous system set up in ancient Babylon. That"Mystery of Iniquity has indeed cleceived all theworld so that, as the Scriptures truly say, the nationshave been made drunken or mad. But the foll~wersof God and Christ are not deceived; they are notignorant 04 Satan's devices, for "he that is spiritualdbcerneth all things, yet he himself is discerned of noman." The "Mystery of Godliness cannot be penetratedexcept by Ulose who are initiated through the