LECTURE XXIX.

Arguments to prove, that the institutions of the Hebrews were not derived from the Hindoos, or from any other human source.

WE will now resume the subject of our last

lecture, with a view still further to satisfy you that the Hebrew institutions were not derived from the Hindoo system, nor indeed from any human source.

One of the chief characteristics of the Hindoo religion is the sacred and hereditary distinction of classes. The institutes of Menu represent Brahma or the supreme Being, as originally producing four grades of men, viz. the Bramins from his mouth, the Chatirya from his arms, the Vaissya from his thighs, and the Sudra from his feet. "To the Bramins he assigned the duties of reading and teaching the Veda, of sacrificing, and assisting others to sacrifice. To defend the people, to read the Veda, and to sacrifice, are the duties of the Chatirya. To keep herds of cattle, to sacrifice, to read the scripture, to carry on trade, and to cultivate the land, are prescribed to the third order. To the Sudra, or lowest degree, is assigned the one duty of serving the higher classes." These four casts are widely distinguished by their outward appearTheir dress, and even their walking staves are different. The three higher orders are called twice born, but the fourth only once born, that is, they have no second birth from the Gayatri, which is a form of prayer from the Vedas, not permitted to the Sudras. These four tribes never intermarry, eat, drink, nor in any way associate with one another, except when they worship at a certain temple. The prerogatives of the Bramins, and the respect they receive, are unexampled in history. They

ance.

are denominated from Bramah, the divine founder of their religion. The prosperity of the state, and even of the world is supposed to depend on them. They are honored as mighty divinities. The greatest merit consists in showing them favor, and the greatest crime in doing them an injury. To lie for their service is declared allowable. But however holy these Bramins are, they are not deemed impeachable. Yet offences committed by them are thought far more venial, and are doomed to much lighter punishments, than the same crimes in other men; and whatever they do, their lives and limbs, their freedom, and even their property, continue inviolable. Their highest punishment is simple exile. On the contrary, the poor Sudra is depressed in the same proportion as the Bramin is elevated. The former was made for servitude. He is restrained by law from collecting wealth, and chained down to extreme and perpetual ignorance. His life is valued at no higher a rate than that of a dog. A Bramin must never read the Veda in his presence, nor give him spiritual counsel or comfort. If he be found reading any of the sacred books, the magistrate is to heat some bitter oil, and pour it into his mouth. If he listen to such reading, then heated oil is poured into his ear, Other heathen na

and its orifice stopped up with it. tions had similar restrictions. The Egyptian priests, and many Grecian philosophers concealed their knowledge from the vulgar in dark hints, mysterious expressions, and romantic fables. So the European Druids threw a veil of mystery over their sacred treasure.

How different were the institutions of Moses! He made no permanent distinction of grades, except an hereditary priesthood; and this order of men, as we formerly showed, were legally precluded from the possession of

much wealth or political power. They were subject to the same civil authority and criminal laws with the lowest of the people. Instead of being enjoined to keep the multitude in ignorance, they were required at stated seasons to dispense to them religious instruction, and all the people were solemnly charged, and earnestly exhorted daily to study the divine law for themselves, and teach it to their children.* Each of their kings was commanded to write a copy of the law with his own hand; that being thoroughly acquainted with it, he might be qualified to administer and enforce it.

This leads us to notice another remarkable difference between the two systems. According to that of the Hindoos, kings are a species of gods. They have a divine origin. They are composed of particles drawn from the substance of their superior deities. They are powerful divinities in human shape. They possess uncontrollable sovereignty. Whereas, according to the original constitution of the Hebrews, God alone was their king; and in subordination to him, a counsel of elders, and a popular assembly governed the nation.

Another striking difference regards the estimation and treatment of women. The female sex is stigmatized in the Hindoo writings and laws as faithless, false, violent, fickle, vain, and impure. The evidence of women in their courts of justice is little regarded. The woman is placed under the absolute dominion of the man. According to the institutes of Menu "a man both day and night must keep his wife in subjection. A wife must always rise before her husband, but never eat with him. She must constantly revere him as a god, however devoid of good qualities he may be, or however enamoured of another woman. In order to insure a mansion in heaven

Deut. iv. 6.

equal to his, she must consent to be burned alive with his corpse. At any rate she must on no account marry again. This practice is said to be fit only for cattle. Women, who are thus undervalued and enslaved, may well be expected to be very low and ignorant beings. Accordingly very few females of this country can either read

or write.

How unspeakably more just and generous is the scripture doctrine on this head! According to this the man and woman possess one nature, and in the main a perfect equality. They are formed to be mutual helpers and confidential friends. They inherit the same high privileges, duties, and prospects. There is nothing in the doctrines, laws, or narratives of the Bible, which sinks the natural disposition or moral character of females below the standard of the other sex.

With respect to the devotion of the Hindoos, even Sir William Jones pronounces it sublime. We grant there is something refined and noble in its professed object, which is to detach the soul from every thing corporeal, and unite it to its great original. This union with God here, acquired by intense adoration, leads, as they think, to a final absorption into his essence hereafter. But unfortunately this high state of union with God is supposed to be produced, not by real piety or virtue, but by the efficacy of certain outward ceremonies; and it terminates in a stupid or affected insensibility to the proper duties and enjoyments of the present life. What this people call prayer is only the frequent repetition of certain words, especially of the mystical name Oum, which operates as a charm in producing what they call the second birth. With respect to the use of this word, and others of peculiar efficacy, the following curious circumstances

are prescribed in their institutes. Treating of the duties of the Bramin, they say, "If he have sitten on the grass of cusa, with the points towards the east, and be purified by rubbing that holy grass on both his hands, and farther prepared by three suppressions of breath, each equal in time to five short vowels, he may then fitly pronounce oum. Brama milked out from the three Vedas these three letters, together with three mysterious words, bhur, bhuvah, swer, or earth, sky, heaven. A priest who shall pronounce both morning and evening that syllable, preceded by the three words, shall attain the sanctity, which the Veda confers. And a thrice born man, who shall a thousand times repeat those three, shall be released in a month even from a great offence. Whoever shall repeat day by day for three years that sacred text, shall hereafter approach the divine essence, and assume an etherial form." A curious traveller gives this general account of the worship of the Hindoos. "Lights being set up in all the temples, and the usual music of drums. and pipes sounding, I saw in one temple a priest dance before the idol naked, flourishing a drawn sword, and performing lascivious gestures. Indeed the greatest part of their worship consists in nothing but music, songs, dances, not only pleasant, but wanton, and in waiting on their idols, viz. presenting them things to eat, washing them, perfuming them, &c."

We may add, much of the religion of this people consists in oblations to inferior deities, and to the manes of their ancestors; and many trivial and superstitious ceremonies accompany these offerings, and likewise the reading and touching of the Vedas. For instance, in making oblations to the manes, the institutes require the Bramins "not to drop a tear, on no account to be angry, to say