apprehend, will not be great. The theology of both was nearly the fame: "what is fuppofed to be performed by the power of Jupiter, of Neptune, of Æolus, of Mars, of Venus, according to the mythology of the Weft, is afcribed, in the Eaft, to the agency of Agrio the god of fire, Varoon the god of oceans, Vayoo the god of wind, Cama the god of love*." The facred rites of the Western Polytheifm were gay, festive, and licentious; the rites of the public religion in the East partake of the fame character, with a more avowed indecency. every function performed in the pagodas, as well as in every public proceffion, it is the office of thefe women (i. e. of women prepared by the Brahmins for the purpose) to dance before the idol, and to fing hymns in his praise; and it is difficult to fay whether they trespass most against decency by the geftures they exhibit, or by the verfes which they recite. The walls of the pa " In * Baghvat Geeta, p. 94, quoted by Dr. Robertfon, Ind. Dif. p. 306. godas godas were covered with paintings in a style no less indelicate *t." On both fides of the comparison the po pular religion had a ftrong establishment. In ancient Greece and Rome it was ftrictly incorporated with the state. The magiftrate was the priest. The highest officers of government bore the moft diftinguished part in the celebration of the public rites. In India, a powerful and numerous caft poffefs exclufively the adminiftration of the eftablished worship; and are, of confequence, devoted to its fervice, and attached to its intereft. In both, the prevailing mythology was deftitute of any proper evidence; or rather, in both, the origin of the tradition is run up into ages long anterior to the exift *Others of the deities of the East are of an auftere and gloomy character, to be propitiated by victims, fometimes by human facrifices, and by voluntary torments of the moft excruciating kind. + Voyage de Gentil. vol. i. p. 244-260. Preface to Code of Gentoo Laws, p. 57, quoted by Dr. Robertfon, p. 320. ence of credible hiftory, or of written language. The Indian chronology computes æras by millions of years, and the life of man by thousands *; and in these, or prior to these, is placed the history of their divinities. In both, [the established fuperftition held the fame place in the public opinion; that is to fay, in both it was credited by the bulk of the people †, but by the learned and philofophic "The Suffec Jogue, or age of purity, is faid to have lafted three million two hundred thousand years, and they hold that the life of man was extended in that age to one hundred thousand years; but there is a difference amongst the Indian writers of fix millions of years in the computation of this æra." Ib. +"How abfurd foever the articles of faith may be which fuperftition has adopted, or how unhallowed the rites which it prefcribes, the former are received, in every age and country, with unhesitating affent, by the great body of the people, and the latter obferved with fcrupulous exactness. In our reasonings concerning opinions and practices which differ widely from our own, we are extremely apt to err. Having been inftructed ourselves in the principles of a religion worthy in every refpect of that divine wifdom by which they were dictated, we frequently exprefs wonder at the credulity of nations, in embracing fyftems of belief which appear philofophic part of the community, either derided, or regarded by them as only fit to be upholden for the fake of its political ufes* Or if it should be allowed, that the ancient heathens believed in their religion less appear to us fo directly repugnant to right reafon; and fometimes fufpect, that tenets fo wild and extravagant do not really gain credit with them. But experience may fatisfy us, that neither our wonder nor suspicions are well founded. No article of the public religion was called in question by thofe people of ancient Europe with whofe history we are beft acquainted; and no practice, which it enjoined, appeared improper to them. On the other hand, every opinion that tended to diminish the reverence of men for the gods of their country, or to alienate them from their worship, ex-i cited, among the Greeks and Romans, that indignant zeal which is natural to every people attached to their religion by a firm perfuafion of its truth." Ind. Dif. p. 321. That the learned Brahmins of the Eaft are rational theifts, and fecretly reject the established theory, and contemn the rites that were founded upon them, or rather confider them as contrivances to be fupported for their political ufes, fee Dr. Robertfon's Ind. Dif. P. 324-334 generally it generally than the prefent Indians do, I am far from thinking that this circumftance would afford any facility to the work of the apoftles, above that of the modern miffionaries. To me it appears, and I think it material to be remarked, that a difbelief of the established religion of their country has no tendency to difpofe men for the reception of another; but that, on the contrary, generates a fettled contempt of all religious pretenfions whatever. General infidelity is the hardest foil which the propagators of a new religion can have to work upon. Could a Methodist or Moravian promise himself a better chance of fuccefs with a French efprit fort, who had been accustomed to laugh at the Popery of his country, than with a believing Mahometan or Hindoo? Or are our modern unbelievers in Christianity, for that reafon, in danger of becoming Maho metans or Hindoos? It does not appear that the Jews, who had a body of historical evidence to offer for their religion, and who at that time undoubtedly entertained and held forth the expectation of a future ftate, VOL. II. S derived |