History of the Parsis : including their manners, customs, religion and present position : with coloured and other illustrations : in two volumes

220 HISTORY OF THE PARSTS. [ CHAP, V.

their opinion, the truest representative of the Good God (good creative principle), but always hated darkness as being what they thought the truest representative of the Evil God (destructive principle), whom they ever had in the utmost detestation, as we now have the Devil.” Sir William Ouseley perfectly agrees with Dean Prideaux, and says: “I shall here express my firm belief that the first Persian altars blazed im honour of God alone; as likewise, that the present disciples of Zarthosht, both in India and the mother-country, Iran or Persia, have no other object when they render to fire a semblance of veneration.” Dr. Hyde, an English theologian, whom we have already quoted, does not hesitate to declare that the ancient Medes and Persians were worshippers of the true God, a race of the faithful, and haters of idolatry.

Anquetil du Perron says that “the religion prevalent in Persia till the destruction of the empire, and carried into India by the Parsis, who still profess it, merits more attention than almost any other. It was at first pure theism, though even in the time of Abraham debased by heterodox opinions; but they have ever zealously preserved the doctrine of the unity of God; and we are not to conclude from the veneration they showed, and still show, to fire and the sun, that they have ever adored either the element or the luminary. Zoroaster, their great