Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

ving good order, and for preventing bad example.

The religion of Confucius, profeffed by the literati and perfons of rank in China and Tonquin, confifts in a deep inward veneration for the God or King of heaven, and in the practice of every moral virtue. They have neither temples, nor priests, nor any fettled form of external worship: every one adores the fupreme Being in the manner he himself thinks beft. This is indeed the moft refined fyftem of religion that ever took place among men; but it is not fitted for the human race: an excellent religion it would be for angels; but is far too refined even for fages and philofophers.

Proceeding to deviations from the genuine worship required by our Maker, and grofs deviations there have been, I begin with that fort of worship which is influenced by fear, and which for that reason is univerfal among favages. The American favages believe, that there are inferior deities without end, most of them prone to mischief: they neglect the fupreme Deity because he is good; and direct their worship to foothe the malevolent

inferior

inferior deities from doing harm. The inhabitants of the Molucca islands, who believe the existence of malevolent beings fubordinate to the fupreme benevolent Being, confine their worship to the former, in order to avert their wrath; and one branch of their worship is, to fet meat before them, hoping that when the belly is full, there will be lefs inclination to mifchief. The worship of the inhabitants of Java is much the fame. The negroes of Benin worship the devil, as Dapper expreffes it, and facrifice to him both men and beafts. They acknowledge indeed a fupreme Being, who created the universe, and governs it by his Providence: but they regard him not; "for," fsay they, "it is needlefs, if not impertinent, to "invoke a being, who, good and gra"cious, is incapable of injuring or mo"lefting us." Gratitude, it would appear, is not a ruling principle among savages.

The aufterities and penances that are practifed in almost all religions, fpring from the fame root. One way to please invifible malignant powers, is to make ourfelves as miferable as poffible. Hence

the horrid penances of the Faquirs in Hindoftan, who outdo in mortification whatever is reported of the ancient Christian anchorites. Some of these Faquirs continue for life in one posture: fome never lie down fome have always their arms raised above their head: and fome mangle their bodies with knives and fcourges. The town of Jagrenate in Hindoftan is frequented by pilgrims, fome of them from places 300 leagues diftant; and they travel, not by walking or riding, but by measuring the road with the length of their bodies; in which mode of loco-motion, fome of them confume years before they complete their pilgrimage. A religious fect made its way fome centuries ago into Japan, termed Bubfdoifts, from Bubs, the founder. This fect has prevailed over the ancient fect of the Sintos, chiefly by its aufterity and mortifications. The fpirit of this fect infpires nothing but exceffive fear of the gods, who are painted prone to vengeance and always offended. These fectaries pafs most of their time in tormenting themselves, in order to expiate imaginary faults; and they are treated by their priests with a degree of VOL. IV. O o defpotifm

[ocr errors]

defpotifm and cruelty, that is not parallelled but by the inquifitors of Spain. Their manners are fierce, cruel, and unrelenting, derived from the nature of their fuperftition. The notion of invifible malevolent powers, formerly univerfal, is not to this hour eradicated, even among Christians; for which I appeal to the faftings and flagellations among Roman-Catholics, held by them to be an ef fential part of religion. People infected with religious horrors, are never seriously convinced that an upright heart and found morality make the effence of religion. The doctrine of the Janfenifts concerning repentance and mortification, fhows evidently, however they may deceive themfelves, that they have an impreffion of the Deity as a malevolent being. They hold the guilt contracted by Adam's fall to be a heinous fin, which ought to be expiated by acts of mortification, fuch as the torturing and macerating the body with painful labour, exceffive abftinence, continual prayer and contemplation. Their penances, whether for original or voluntary fin, are carried to extravagance; and thofe who put an end to their lives by fuch fe

verities,

verities, are termed the facred victims of repentance, confumed by the fire of divine love. Such fuicides are esteemed peculiarly meritorious in the eye of Heaven; and it is thought, that their fufferings cannot fail to appeafe the anger of the Deity. That celibacy is a ftate of purity and perfection, is a prevailing notion in many countries: among the Pagans, a married man was forbidden to approach the altar, for fome days after knowing his wife; and this ridiculous notion of pollution, contributed to introduce celibacy among the Roman-Catholic priests*. The Emperor Otho, anno 1218, became at fignal penitent: but instead of atoning for his fins by repentance and restitution, he laid himself down to be trodden under foot by the boys of his kitchen; and frequently fubmitted to the discipline of the whip, inflicted by monks. The Emperor Charles V. toward the end of his days, was forely depreffed in fpirit with fear of hell. Monks were his only companions,

*Fafting and celibacy were by Zoroafter condemned with abhorrence, as a criminal rejection of the beft gifts of Providence.

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »