understanding should ever be so deeply degraded, as to receive, for religious doctrines, the absurdities of poetic mythology. But the fact is, that the legislators, who organized the system of pagan worship, formed it agreeably to that model, which the poets had given. This was the religion, which the legislators designed should be believed and maintained Thenceremonies of the established worship were so constructed, as to preserve, in the minds of the worshippers, not only the virtues, but the vices of those mortals of either sex, whom they denominated gods and goddesses. "Whenever vice comes to be considered, as a divine quality, as well as an act of devotion; or, in other words, when it is practised both in honour and imitation of the gods, it is hereby authorized and sanctioned. We are next to inquire concerning the gods and worship of those modern nations, among which revealed religion is not enjoyed In this part of my discourse, brevity will be peculiarly consulted; as much information on this.. • "The thunder of Jupiter, the agis of Minerva, the trident of Neptune, the torches and snakes of the Furies, the spears of the gods, adorned with ivy, and the whole ancient theology, are all fables, which the legislators, who formed the political constitution of states, employ as bugbears, to overawe the credulous and simple." : STRABO, as quoted by Dr. ROBERTSON. If the religion of antiquity is not to be found either in the writings of the poets, or in the established modes of worship, we are impelled to ask, where it is to be found. † FARMER, on the Worship of Hum, Spir. subject has, of late years, been laid before the public. As the Hindoo religion is of great antiquity, and is not confined to the vast country of Hindostan, but spreads itself, in some form or other, over several divisions of the eastern continent, it is peculiarly entitled to our attention. Besides a supreme God, and his three sons, Brimha, Vishnou, and Sheva, the number of their inferiour deities, we are informed, amounts to many millions. They apply to different gods, according to their different occasions. In sickness, they apply to one; on a journey, to another; and, when engaged in war, to a third. What ideas they have of the moral character of these gods, may be conjectured from the following fact. "They say, that these divine personages quarrelled and fought; and that, during the battle, the earth trembled, and the stars fell from the firmament."* From other sources, and those the most authentic, it appears, that the moral character of the heathen gods is absolutely abominable.t • PRIESTLEY's Institutions of Moses, p. 81. NOTT's Sermon on the Idolatry of the Hindoos, p. 79. "It is not to be understood," says the author of this valuable discourse, "that those, who worship the gods by means of images, pay, at the same time, an indirect worship to the great Supreme. The worship of the gods is not a mode of worshipping the Supreme, but a substitute for it, designed and suited to accommodate beings, actuated by sense and passion, and living in an age of corruption and baseness. P. 48. † NOTT's Sermon, p. 79. th The worship, paid to the souls of the dead, is a great article in the Hindoo system, and it is men tioned, we are told, in almost every page of their sacred books. All the neighbouring nations, whose religion bears some affinity to that of the Hindoos, are polytheists. It has been long since reported, and recently confirmed, that, in the south of Africa, there aret whole nations, among whom are found no ideas of God or religion. In the same deplorablenignorance we find the vast island, or rather continent, of New Holland. In. Pelew there is no appearance of religion of any kind; though they have some idea that the soul survives the body. In Otaheite they have numerous gods, each family, having a guardian spirit, whom they worship. The religion of the ancient, Mexicans seems to have been founded chiefly on fear; the templės being decorated with figures of destructive animals. Of the religion of the Sumatrans, Mr. MARSDEN,as quoted by GOLDSMITH, gives the following account; eff If by religion is meant a public or private worship of any kind; if prayers, processions, meetings, or priests, are necessary to constitute it, these people are totally without religion. They worship neither god, devil, nor idol." Among the ancient pagans, we have seen, living men sometimes received divine worship. The em LOCKE on the Hum. Und. b. 1, ch. iv. KICHERER's Narrative, р. 6, 7. Мг. ТHOM's letter to Dr. SWIFT, published in the Panop. Dec. † PINKERTON's Geog. ii. 473. 1816. perours of Rome were adored, as gods. In that extensive country, called Thibet, lying west of China, we find a whole nation, paying divine honours to a living mortal, under the title of the Grand Lama. He is considered by some, as the vicegerent of God; by others, as God himself. It will not appear upon examination, that, in the religion of modern pagans, there is less, either of the impure or ferocious, than was noticed, as belonging to ancient heathen worship. Indeed it must not be forgotten, that the religion of the Hindoos, which, as already observed, has, in some form or other, overspread the most populous countries of the East, bears no inconsiderable resemblance to the mythology of Greece and Italy. In the North of Europe, before the introduction of Christianity, human sacrifices were offered. The same mode of worship, it is well known, was adopted by the Mexicans. Every captive, taken in war, after having been cruelly tormented, was sacrificed to the gods. I forbear to mention those circumstances of savage barbarity, with which these offerings were accompanied. In the islands of the South Sea, human sacrifices are still offered. Though it does not appear, so far as I know, that the Hindoos, at present, offer human sacrifices, by immolation at an altar, it is nevertheless true, that until within a few years, such victims were offered to the river Ganges. * This sacrifice was performed in fulfilment of a vow, made by parents, apprehensive of not having issue. Under certain circumstances, it is considered, as a religious rite, to offer in sacrifice, either the sick, or such as are far advanced in years. You have often heard of that horrible idol, which, in the province of Orissa, is constituted the object of pagan worship. As other temples are usually adorned with figures, emblematical of their religion, so the temple, which is devoted to this idol, has representations, numerous and various, of that vice, which constitutes the essence of his worship. In this are chanted songs the most licentious.t These, say the infatuated devotees, are the delight of the god. To engage in this worship, incredible numbers assemble annually from various parts of Northern India. Under the wheels of the car, on which this enormous image is conveyed, it is.common for persons to throw themselves for the purpose of being crushed to death. The god is said to smile at beholding these sanguinary libations. This account, let it be considered, is given by an eye witness, a man highly respected for piety and • See Memoirs of an Eccles. Estab. in India, p. 59. The practice was abolished by Lord Wellesley. Chris. Obs. xii. 421.16. CEO In no part of the earth," says Dr. ROBERTSON, " was the connexion between the gratification of sensual desire, and the rites of public religion, displayed with more avowed indecency than in India." |