humble carriage of his difciples and apoftles. There was enough also to alarm their jealoufy and fufpicions in a religion which claimed to fuperfede all others,- to be believed upon its first propofal, and which threatened fuch fevere punifhments in cafe of difobedience. This muft have tended either to deter them from giving credit to it, or to excite fo anxious a difpofition to enquire into every particular, as muft have ferved to detect every fallacy and deception, had it been an impofture. Mr. Cook alfo confiders the cafe of Popish miracles which have been "triumphantly" brought forward by Mr. Hume and others, in proof of the difpofition people manifeft to credit the marvellous without examination, infinuating that it was the fame with the Pagans in their first reception of Chriftianity. Mr. Cook fhows that the cafes are plainly different, that "Miracles in the Church of Rome, fo far from oppofing the prepoffeffions of the people, are in perfect harmony with them ;” that they are adduced not to fupport a new religion but to throw reverence and fanctity around one of which no doubt is entertained." "In the cafe of Chriftianity," therefore, he concludes, (it should be the introduction or firft propagation of Christianity) it must be supposed that the love of wonder, not only abstracted from other caufes, but directly oppofed by the ftrongeft principles and feelings of human nature, by every received notion of probability, created belief. Between the two cafes, then, there is not the most distant fimilarity, and we cannot therefore reafon from the one to the other; to draw the fame conclufion with regard to both, is very inconfiftent with that genuine philofophy, which patiently inveftigates every fhade of diversity, breaking down affociations rafhly formed, which fo often and fo infenfibly lead from truth. Whatever there may be faid about the credulity of Popish countries, let it be remembered, that it all may be admitted without warranting the moft remote infinuation against the evidence of Christianity." P. 242. We have merely endeavoured in our review of this work, to acquaint the Reader with the nature of its contents. We have by no means felected fuch paffages as might be thought moft ftriking; the merit of the work confifts in the amount of the whole taken together, and therefore it admits not of being taken to pieces, without great injury. Mr. Cook, himfelf, fums up the argument in this manner. "From thefe circumftances, it is apparent that the truth of the refurrection could have been as eafily afcertained, and with as little danger of mistake, as any man in this country who wifhed to do fo, could fatisfy himfelf of any public fact deeply intereft interefting mankind; that the King of France, for example, was a few years ago brought to the fcaffold; and as it has been fully fhewn from the ftate of the Gentile world, from the nature of Chriftianity, and from the confequences refulting from embracing it, every man previous to his converfion, muft have anxiously, and in a ftate of mind moft unfavourable to the Christian caufe, endeavoured to determine this point that Chrift did rife, it seems plainly and fairly to follow, that the fudden converfion of fuch immenfe numbers from every fituation of life, of all diverfities of character and fentiment, from every country in which the apoftles taught, to a religion which viewed in itfelf they held in deteftation, and the profeffion of which they knew, was to be accompanied with the utmoft mifery in this world, can be explained only by admitting the account which is given in Scripture, that the evidence of the refurrection, the fact which produced fuch effects upon the mind, was fo ftrong, that it was impoffible that they who examined could have any doubt with regard to it." P. 286. We should not have given this extract, if we had not thought that Mr. Cook was juftified in deducing this conclufion from the arguments advanced in the work itself, which therefore we cordially approve. ART. V. Afiatic Refearches, Vol. VII, THE eighth article of the interefting volume under confi deration, difcuffes the Religious Ceremonies of the Hindoos, and of the Brahmins efpecially. It is from the pen of H. T. Colebrooke, Efq. and is a continuation of his former ftrictures on that fubject, prefented to the public in the fifth volume of these Researches, and reviewed in the fixteenth volume of our work. A third differtation on the fame fubject immediately follows in the prefent volume, and the whole collectively exhibits fuch a difplay of fuperftition, mixed with occafional appearances of found and fublime devotion, as cannot fail to excite in every reflecting mind the utmost aftonishment, blended with commiferation for the infatuated votary, who toils through fuch a painful round of ceremonies, in hopes of appeafing the angry deities, fabricated by his ter rors. What a wretched being is man, unaided, uncheered by the light of divine revelation! He adores the elements, and trembles before a fhadow. He ranfacks heaven and earth for Q 2 for fplendid oblations which he may prefent to idols, unconfcious of his prayers, and regardless of his fufferings. The timid Indian, in particular, poffeffing a mind and body alike enervated, is the perpetual sport of ghaftly apprehenfions; and the half, at leaft, of his life is confumed in acts of penance and mortification; his libations to his gods are inceffant, and his perfonal ablutions are innumerable. This consciousness of inherent impurity, thefe perpetual facrifices made to propitiate offended heaven, are inconteftable proofs of the truth of that fublime religion, which afferts man to be a fallen creature; and demonftrate the diffufion of a primæval tradition relative to the GREAT SACRIFICE by which fin was to be atoned for, and hea en regained. Upon no other plan can these univerfat penitentiary practices and expiatory rites in the Pagan world be accounted for. The pampered infidel of Afia or Europe may fcoff at this affertion, and look down with equal indifference upon all fyftems of devotion, but the eye of the humble reflecting Chriftian penetrates through the veil, and fees the light of divine truth beam forth amidst the grofs darkness of Eaftern mythology. The principal religious ceremonies, or, as they are termed by Mr. Colebrooke, facramental duties, difcuffed in this effay, are the worship of FIRE, the funeral rites of Hindoos of different clafles and ages, and the oblations offered to MANES, or departed fpirits. The powerful agency of elementary fire, in the operations of nature, very early attracted the notice of the anceflors of the human race. In the tropical regions of the globe, particularly, they faw and trembled at its tremendous effects in the lightning, that ftruck the fummits of the gauts, or fet the forefts of Afia in flames. A numen was fuppofed to prefide in it, and to direct its energies: to that numen they paid their blind adoration, in order to avert his fury, or obtain his genial assistance. Of the fame nature, and founded upon the fame principle, was their vene ration paid to the fun, the planets, and the ftarry hoft, which they fuppofed to be formed of etherial fire; as is evident from a folemn invocation to the nine plancts, which is inferted in the prefent effay, and which, from its great curiofity, we fhall presently quote. In India, FIRE-WORSHIP feems anciently to have taken as deep a root as among the neighbouring race of Perfians, (if the race were not originally the fame) whofe fages vifited the fprings of burning naphta at Baku. Indeed, to judge from the evidence before us, the Indians adored that element with ftill more fervent zeal, and more numerous and complicated rites. They are detailed at length by Mr. C. from page 235 to 237 of this volume, but muft appear appear fo tedious, and even puerile, to European theologians, that we forbear to cite the paffage. The facred grafs called CUSA, fandal, and other perfumed woods, and clarified butter, are profufely ufed in this myfterious ceremony; while the proftrations are numerous, and the mantras, or recited prayers, inceffant. The facrifice to the nine planets is faid to confift of nine oblations, with the following addrefs to each, verbally translated from the Sanfcrit. By the nine planets are meant the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and the two NODES, which are here exalted to planetary honours. The reader will not fail to obferve, that to each orb are imputed certain influences, refembling thofe anciently afcribed to the ftarry train by the infane and exploded tribe of European aftrologers. 1. The divine fun approaches with his golden car; returning alternately with the shades of night; roufing mortal and immortal beings; and furveying worlds. May this oblation to the folar planet be efficacious. "2. Gods! produce that [Moon,] which has no foe; which is the fon of the folar orb, and became the offspring of space, for the benefit of this world; produce it, for the advancement of knowledge; for protection from danger; for vaft fupremacy; for empire; and for the fake of Indra's organs of fenfe. May this oblation to the lunar planet be efficacious. "3. This gem of the fky, whofe head resembles fire, is the lord of waters, and replenishes the feeds of the earth. May this oblation to the planet Mars be efficacious. "4. Be roufed, O fire; and thou [O Bud'ha] perfect this facrificial rite, and affociate with us: let this votary and all the gods fit in this most excellent affembly. May this oblation to the planet Mercury be efficacious. 5. O Vrihafpati, fprung from eternal truth, confer on us abundantly that various wealth, which the moft venerable of beings may revere: which fhines gloriously amongst all people; which ferves to defray facrifices; which is preferved by ftrength. May this oblation to the planet Jupiter be efficacious. "6. The lord of creatures drank the invigorating effence diftilled from food; he drank milk and the juice of the moon-plant. By means of fcripture, which is truth itfelf, this beverage, thus quaffed, became a prolific effence; the eternal organ of univerfal perception; Indra's organs of fenfe; the milk of immortality; and honey to the manes of ancestors. May this oblation to the planet Venus be efficacious. 7. May divine waters be aufpicious to us, for accumulation, for gain, and for refreshing draughts; may they liften to us, that we may be affociated with good aufpices. May this oblation to the planet Saturn be efficacious. " 8. ä 8. O Dúrvá, which doft germinate at every knot, at every joint, multiply us through a hundred, through a thousand defcents. May this ablation to the planet of the afcending node be effica cious. 9. Be thou produced by dwellers in this world, to give knowledge to ignorant mortals, and wealth to the indigent, or beauty to the ugly. May this oblation to the planet of the defcending node be efficacious." P. 237. We come now to confider the funeral obfequies of the Indians, which are folemn and impreffive, though blended. with fome abfurdities, at leaft as they appear to us. At the point of death, donations of cattle, land, gold, or tilver, are to be made by the expiring man, according to his ability, His head is to be fprinkled with water brought from the facred Ganges, and Imeared with its mud. That mud fanctifies his finking frame, and that water is his paffport to paradife. When he has paffed the awful bourn, the corpfe is wafhed, perfumed, and decked with flowers. Soon after, a perfumed cloth is thrown over it, and it is carried by the neareft relations to fome holy fpot in the foreft, or to the banks of fome facred river. It is to be accompanied by. mufic of all forts, drums, cymbals, and wind inftruments; confonantly to the prevailing doctrine of the metempfychofis, that death is only an introduction to a new flate of being; a change devoutly to be wifhed, rather than dreaded. Whence, we may afk, did the Indians derive this doctrine, and that of the gradual progreffion of the emancipated foul through various fpheres, till its final abforption, if its courfe has been virtuous, in the SUPREME BRAHME? It is impoffible to conceive of it otherwife than as a fragment, by tradition preferved, among them, of the patriarchal dogma of the foul's immortality. When the corpfe fhall have been depofited on a spot proper for the laft folemn rite of burning, new lavations take place: it is robed in new vestments, and perfumed with new odours. Then the funeral pile is carefully prepared according to the inftructions of the facred books, and after innu merable ceremonies, as ufual, the body being laid upon it, with its head towards the north, the nearest relation, with a brand, lighted at fome confecrated flame, fets fire to it; and, amidst a thousand invocations on the great tutelary gods of India by the furrounding throng, it is confumed to ashes. Thofe alhes, and the bones unconfumed, are afterwards carefully collected with much folemnity, placed in a cafket, and at length reverently configned to that earth from which they came. |