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others of the faithful angelic hoft, are doctrines of the Shastah; and are all fully comprised in the gospel, by the fole voluntary facrifice of CHRIST, our conftant Mediator. That there is an intermediate state of punishment and purification between death and the perfect restoration of the human foul, is a pofitive tenet of the Shaftah, and is countenanced by the gofpel, notwithstanding the church of Rome makes fo bad a use of the first, in their system of purgatory. God's general providence over his whole creation, is an express doctrine of the Shaftah; and his particular providence over individuals is obviously implied, from its doctrine of the vifible, or invifible miniftration and interpofition of the angelic beings in human affairs; thefe are alfo fundamental dogmas of the Chriftian fyftem.

71. The comparison might be extended to a much greater length, but the above, we think, will fuffice to prove, that the miffion of Chrift is the strongest confirmation of the authenticity and divine origin of the Chartah Bhade Shaftah of Bramah; and that they both contain all the great primitive truths in their original purity that conftituted the first and univerfal religion; and that the very ancient fcriptures now under our confideration, exhibit also the strongest convic

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tion of the truth of the celeftial origin of Chrift's miffion. Yet the former is the fyftem of divinity and ethics which the Critical Reviewers have indifcriminately (as a specimen of their candor, erudition, and penetration) ftigmatifed with the opprobrious epithets of

nonfenfe, rhapsodies, and abfurdities;" and in proof of their profound judgment, they unfaithfully took the liberty of re-printing our fecond part, without the errata prefixed to the ift page, by which defigned omiffion, they indeed circulate nonfenfe enough of their own making; but, requesting our readers pardon for bestowing fo many lines upon a matter fo little worth our notice, we will pursue our subject.

72. In two points of doctrine the Hindoo and the Chriflian fyftem differ (but the one in mode only), 1ft, The punishment of the damned, or thofe fouls that fhall remain reprobate at the diffolution of the universe, or expiration of their term of probation. 2dly, The refurrection of the fame body. Touching the first, the Shaftah teaches, that thofe reprobate fpirits fhall be caft out, and languish for ever in intenfe darkness, in a particular region prepared for them; the Gospel, that they fhall perish everlaftingly in actual fire. Without difcuffing the point how, or by what mode of action

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action fire will operate on fpiritual beings; we will only fay, that poffibly the latter fentence may act more in terrorem, than in the other; not that we think there is a pin to chufe between them, nor that the matter of difference is of much importance, whilft they both agree in the fundamental point, that those unhappy delinquents will be given over to everlasting punishment.

73. Touching the fecond, which is a matter of deeper concernment to be clear in, the Hindoo fyftem teaches, that the corporeal part, or prifon of the foul or fpirit, being compofed of the four elements, each again receives its part at the diffolution of the body, or death; and that the spirit, according to its merits or demerits, is either conveyed to the first region of purification, or punished for a space, and doomed to enter and animate another corporeal form, body, or prifon, that fhall be prepared for its reception. The Chriftian fyftem, without giving us any lights touching the state or existence of the foul or fpirit, during the long intermediate space between death and the day of judgment, fays, that at that day the graves fhall give up their dead, and that there fhall be a refurrection of the fame body, to which its foul fhall be re-united, and both receive judgment. By both these systems the

the doctrines of future judgment, rewards and punishments, are clearly revealed to us, but with this difference, that the Hindoo dogma pronounces, as we may say, a daily judgment of the foul (for multitudes are fubject to death each revolving fun), as well as a final one, and the Christian postpones it to the day of refurrection, leaving the foul during the intermediate state to exift the Lord knows where. The refurrection of the fame body is a doctrine obviously repugnant to the Hindoo fyftem.

74. The refurrection of Chrift, or the re-union of his fpirit to the body on the third day, is a ftupendous proof of his divine miffion, for he had before declared, "He had power to lay down his life, and "had power to take it up again; for that "commandment (or power) he had receiv"ed from the Father." But this fingle inftance, peculiar to Chrift, does not, we conceive, countenance the general doctrine, as ftated above, which is far from being univerfally believed or received; many learned pens have been drawn against it, and many texts of fcripture urged in oppofition, befides unfurmountable arguments and difficulties that we have to encounter, which stagger the strongest faith; fuch as the state and existence of the foul during the space above

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hinted at; the confideration that matter, of which the body is compofed, being in its nature paffive and inactive, cannot be the object of either rewards or punishment. But the Spirit alone, which is the active, deserving, or offending part, can be the only object of judgment; the non-identity of the body (if we may be allowed the expreffion), which continues not the fame body one hour together, will have its full force on every rational mind, notwithstanding the fpecious cafuiftry of a Liebnitz and Locke to invalidate the objection. How far the Metempfychofis of Bramah will folve these problems, and how far that doctrine will be fupported by the gofpel difpenfation, will appear when we come clofer to that main fpring of all our movements.

75. From what has been advanced in our 70th, and part of our 71ft paragraph, we find that Chriftianity is, bona fide, as old as the creation, although in a very different fenfe from that of the libertine freethinker, who published, fome years fince, a labored treatife to undermine the gofpel-difpenfation, under that title: yet, let us not, although it fprings from a truly learned and pious zeal, pretend to prove, that "the want "of universality is no objection to the Chri"ftian religion," by bringing a chain of

events,

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