custom when they go a fishing, and on this occasion they hoist the idol whom they believe presides over the waters. This practice is in all respects similar to what was observed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, who had their titular deities for every one of their undertakings. When they went on voyages, the mariners invoked Neptune as the god of the sea, and images of him were carried along with them. But still they had sometimes the figures of other deities. upon their ships; for we read, that when the apostle Paul and his companions were sent prisoners to Rome, the ship in which he sailed, had for her sign Castor and Pollux, Acts xxiii. 11. Here we may observe, that the Roman Catholics, in conformity. with the Heathens of old, have their titular saints just in the same manner as the Heathens had their deities. Anthony, for instance, is the saint to which mariners address themselves in all cases of danger, and when they return home, they hang up in one of their churches something in honour of him, in consequence of the deliverance they have met with.. These savages of whom we have been treating, divide the government of nature among their gods, or idols, so as to give every one his share. They never pray to them, but in cases of necessity, and perhaps in this case, there are too many Christians who follow the same practice. All the idols whom they worship, are considered as subordinate to one supreme being; but of that being they have very confused notions. They stand in great awe of their priests, and hold them in the utmost veneration. They have a particular house, or rather hut, for the celebration of their ceremonies, and this is to them, what others call a church, or a temple. There their priests address themselves to their gods, and receive answers from their oracles. Their priests have a great authority over the poor deluded people, whose minds being left in a state of darkness, they can practise upon them what tricks they please. They also apply to them, as casuists, for the solution of their doubts; and here they act just in the same manner as some of those who call themselves Christian divines. The Roman Catholic priest is lord of the consciences of all his people, so, that he may direct them to every purpose he thinks proper; and perhaps there are too many among our Protestant clergy, who assume the same dictatorial power. But here we find, that the glory of doing what was never commanded in scripture is not wholly their own, for the Heathens claia an equal share along with them, Perhaps the Heathens have a much better right to it than themselves, for as it was originally their property, we cannot see with what justice the No. 23. Romans rob the Heathens of it. Christ never taught them to do so, either by precept or example; nor is there a single passage in the whole of the new testament, that gives authority to ministers to solve cases. of conscience, except where moral duties are concerned, and there indeed it is easily done; for there is an everlasting difference between right and wrong. But to proceed. When these savages go to war, they apply to their priests for assistance against their enemies, andthe first thing the priests do, is to curse them. This has such a striking similarity to what is related concerning the history of Balaam, that we wonder how any person, who has read civil history, can doubt. the truth of divine revelation. In the most early ages of the world, when one nation declared war against another, the first thing. they did was, to appeal to their gods that their cause was just, and the priests being satisfied with. what they declared, went to the borders of their territories and pronounced a solemn curse on those who had violated the public peace. Something of this nature is still to be found among some of our modern princes, who never declare war, without first endeavouring to make their neighbours believe, that they are not the aggressors. But besides pro-nouncing their curses upon the enemy, these priests present the soldiers with poisonous herbs and arrows, and other weapons. When their priests die, they have such venerationfor every precious relic belonging to them, that they preserve their bones, and lay them in the same cotton beds on which they used to repose when alive. Some of them keep the bodies of their deceased relations in their houses, in order to have a perpetual memento mori before their eyes. Others bury the bodies in large graves, together with every thing belonging to them in their life time; but they ail celebrate their obsequics for several days together, and this time is spent in drinking and weeping to excess. They believe in the immortality of the soul; but then it must not be supposed that they have any other notions of it, than as a corporeal substance: This is owing to the corruption of human nature, which induces men to reject what they cannot com-prehend; and this is, perhaps, the source of all the errors that ever yet took place in the world. Vast discoveries have been made in astronomy, during the present age; but the one half of them are no better than probable conjectures; the others are doubtful,. and involved in obscurity. In philosophy, and in. physics, vast discoveries have been made; but what man will say that human knowledge is complete? Men, however, should by all means endeavour to t divest themselves of pride, to be ready at all times to acknowledge their own weakness, as well as their ignorance. The foundation of all our happiness, all our honour, and all our glory, whether in time or eternity, must be laid in humility. The wisest man that ever lived in the world, says, "Pride goeth before de"struction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." And Christ, who was greater than Solomon, says, "He "that exalteth himself shall be abased, but he that "humbleth himself shall be exalted." Were men once to be brought acquainted with their own weakness, their own ignorance, and their own unworthiness, compared with the rectitude of the Divine Being, they would not nourish growing doubts in their minds, concerning the truth of the Christian dispensation. We shall conclude this article in the words of the celebrated Shakespeare, which he puts in the mouth of the great cardinal Wolsey, when he was taking leave of lord Cromwell. "Cromwell! I charge thee, fling away ambition; By that sin fell the angels; how can man then, "The image of his maker, hope to win by't? "Love thyself last: Cherish those hearts that hate "thee: "Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace, "Corruption was not more than honesty. "To silence envious tongues; be just, and fear not; "Let all the ends thou aim'st at, be thy country's, Thy God's, and truth's: Then if thou fall'st O "Cromwell! "Thou fall'st a blessed martyr: Serve the king."And pry'thee lead me in ; "Here, take an inventory of all I have, O Cromwell! Crom "well! "Had I but serv'd my God, with half the zeal "I serv'd my king, he would not, in mine age, "Have left me naked to mine enemies." The Religion of the Brasilians. When these people were first discovered by the Europeans, they had neither temples nor monuments erected to any deity whatever, a circumstance in which they differed much from the Peruvians and Mexicans. And even at present they have but dark confused notions concerning the creation of the world, for they regulate their time by moons only. However, it appears that they have some faint notions of the deity; for they often lift up their hands towards the sun and moon, in token of admiration. They have some notion of the universal deluge, for they relate, that a very powerful foreigner, who bore the most violent hatred against their ancestors, caused them all to perish by a violent inundation, two persons only excepted, whom he preserved, in order that they might propogate a new race of beings, from whom they are descended. Here we have the outlines of the truth, although obscured by fable, but even that obscurity, in some measure, points out the truth. They are very much afraid of the devil, whom they call Agneian, and yet do not pay him the least worship. They are equally afraid of thunder, which they suppose to be under the direction of one of their gods, called Toupan; and when they are told to worship the god who created thunder, they answer, that it is very strange, that god, who is a being of so much goodness, should make use of thunder to terrify mankind. They pay a great veneration to a certain fruit, about the bigness of an ostrich's egg, and shaped like a great gourd, which they call Tamaraca; but some travellers have corrupted the word, and call it Maraca. When the priests go on their visitations, they always carry this fruit along with them, and oblige the people to worship it with great solemnity. They fix these fruits at the end of a staff, which they stick in the ground, then dress them with beautiful feathers, and order the inhabitants of the villages to carry them victuals and drink; for (says the priest) this is well pleasing to them, and they like to be entertained in this manner. The chiefs of their tribes, and the fathers of families go and offer part of their provisions to these Maracas; and it is considered as a very great crime for any one to take away what has been consecrated to these idols. The priests assure their votaries, that the spirit pronounces its oracle, by the mouth of the Maraca, so that here we have an instance of fruit speaking. They look upon these Maracas as domestic gods, and therefore every one is obliged to have one in his house, so as to consult it on every occasion; but they are of no service to them, unless purchased of the priests. The essential parts of their festivals consist in dances and songs, the subjects of which are, their glorious atchievements in war, and are also of use in transmitting to posterity, the memories of their warlike heroes. One of the greatest of these festivals, is that of butchering their poor miserable pți soners, soners, who have the misfortune to be taken from their enemies in war. Having put these wretches to death under the most excruciating tortures, they then sit down and feast on the flesh. This is horid enough, and such as human nature shudders back at the thought of; but still it is too true to admit of the least doubt, there is no exaggeration in the least, and to dispute it would be to say, that all our voyagers and travellers, many of whom were men of integrity, told nothing but falsehood. All their Boias, or priests, are fortune-tellers, and interpreters of dreams, which knowledge they make the people believe the devil communicates to them. The Boia consults the oracle in a hut built for that purpose, where a virgin of about ten or twelve years of age, prepares a hammock for him, with a good quantity of provisions. The priest, or Boia, who is obliged to abstain for nine days together, from all commerce with women, washes himself before he goes to bed, and there consults the spirit, who is so good-natured that he never fails to answer his prayers; but it is proper to observe, that he is always alone when he consults the spirit. These savages, in the Brasils, never marry any of their relations, within those lines of consanguinity, which we call incest; so that it seems they have, at least in that instance, some traces of morality among them The moment a youth is considered as fit for. marriage, he is allowed to look out for a wife; for they never consider whether he has means sufficient to support a family, or conduct to guide himself through the world. Formerly, a young man was not permitted to marry till he had killed one of the enemy; but now, when a young savage has placed his affections upon a young woman of his own tribe, he addresses himself to her parents, and asks their consent to marry her. These savages are unacquainted with all our preliminaries of marriage, for there is no such thing among them as a declaration of a mutual passion, nor any amorous intercourse. If the young woman's relations give their consent, he is from that moment her husband, for the ceremonies afterwards are but trifling. Polygamy is in as much esteem among them as in any parts of Asia, and although the women frequently live together in harmony, yet their tyrannical husbands have a right to put them away whenever they please. When a woman is delivered of a child, there are many ridiculous ceremonies observed; for if it is a boy, the father lays down beside it a bow, an arrow, and a knife, exhorts it to bravery and courage, and concludes by naming him after the object that makes the greatest impression on his mind. The girls are brought up in domestic affairs, and generally married very young. These people have some faint notions of the immortality of the soul; for they believe that when a person dies, his soul goes to reside in paradise, behind their high mountains. When a person is taken. sick, one of his relations throws himself with so much violence upon him, as almost knocks out what little breath he has remained. If the sick person dies in the evening, the following night is spent in mournings and lamentations, and the neighbours of both sexes are invited to join in the mournful solemnity. When the patient expires they wash and comb him, after which they wrap him up in callico, and if it be one of their chiefs, in his hammock, adorned with all his feathers and other ornaments. They lay him in a kind of coffin, but in such a manner as not to let any earth touch the body, and they carry him provisions every day, in order to prevent his dying with hunger, after he is dead; nay, they believe that he wearies himself so much with dancing in the other world, that he is glad to return to earth to get a little refreshment. It appears evident from what we have related of those people, and indeed of all other heathens whatever, that the knowledge of the one true God, and life and immortality were never brought to light till the promulgation of the gospel, and this should teach us, above all things, to set a proper value upon that more than inestimable blessing. The Religion of the People who inhabit near the River La Plata. The river La Plata, that is, the river of Plate, is perhaps the largest in the universe, and an inexhaustible source of wealth to the Spaniards. It was' in this river that the famous Sir Francis Drake destroyed a vast number of ships belonging to the Spaniards, and brought into England an enormous load of plate. There are vast numbers of people inhabiting near the banks of this celebrated river, but the Spaniards do all they can to keep other Europeans ignorant of them. However, we have learned as much concerning them as is necessary to give us an idea of their religious sentiments. Some of them consecrate the skins of their enemies as so many trophies in certain houses, which seem to have been designed for religious worship, and others adore the sun and moon. Some of these nations, at the new or full moon, make certain incisions with bones. to which they give an edge, and use them instead of knives Those of Tucu man man have some notion of a deity, and have priests among them who act the part of sooth sayers, upon which Coreal makes the following just reflection; I am of opinion, says he, that wherever there are priests, there must necessarily be some shadow of religion, and that the one is always relative to the other." However, the dispute does not relate to the true signification of the word religion, but to the idea only. The other savages of Paraguay and Uragha, that is, those whom the Jesuits have not civilized, do not differ from these Tucumans in these particulars. Their priests are also physicians, as in other places, and cure their patients by sucking the diseased part or by the smoak of tobacco. They admit an universal spirit who pervades matter, and acts on all parts of it; but this it too philosophical for savages. Let us rather say, that they imagine every thing is informed with its peculiar genius or spirit, which flows from their gross ignorance; though after all, it is certain, that some very polite nations, both ancient and modern, have supposed the immediate action of an universal spirit, and that of genii upon earthly bodies. Agreeable to this notion, we are assured, that the savages in question address invocations to these genii, and some worship a pretended invisible tyger. Such as are candidates for the priesthood or physic, are obliged to fast often, and for a long time together; must have fought several times against wild beasts, particularly tygers, and at least have been bit or scratched by them. After this, they may be raised to the priesthood; for they look upon tygers as almost divine animals, and the imposition of his holy paw is as honourable among them, as the receiving the doctor's cap in the university of Salamanica in Spain. Afterwards, the juice of certain distilled herbs is poured upon their eyes, and this is the priestly anointing; after which, these new priests know how to calm the spirits of all beings, animate, or inanimate; hold secret intelligences with those spirits; and share with them in their vir tues.. There are other medico-physicians superior to the above-mentioned, whose office extends no farther than to calm the spirits, and receive their oracles. They never attain to this supreme dignity till after having ractised physic for a long course of years; they are also obliged to fast for a whole year tegether, and their abstinence, says the relation of the Moxes, must exhibit itself by their pale and wan countenances. At certain seasons of the year, articularly at the new moon, they assemble their people on some hill at a little distance from the town At break of slay, all the assembly march to that place with a deep silence, but the moment they arrive at the halting place, they break out into hideous cries, say they, to molify the hearts of their deities. The whole day is spent in fasting and confused noises, and, towards the evening, they conclude with the following ceremonies. The priests begin by cutting the hair, which among them is a token of great joy and gladness, and cover their bodies with red and yellow feathers; which being done, they have great vessels brought them, into which they pour the liquor prepared for the solemnity; this they receive as the first-fruits offered to their idols, of which they drink inordinately, then give it to all the people, who quaff it off to great excess, and the whole night is spent in drinking and dancing. One of them sings the song, when all of them drawing round him in a circle, begin to draw their feet after them in cadence, and to loll their heads from one side to another with a careless air, at the same time throwing their bodies into very indecent postures; and the warmth of their piety and religion, is judged by the distortions into which they throw themselves. Some other nations, who are all confounded under the name of Moxes in the relations of the Jesuits, worship the sun, moon, and stars, and others pay adoration to rivers. Some always carry about them a great number of little idols, made in a very ridiculous shape. Every act of piety and religion flows from a principle of fear, and among so great a number of people, to whom the missionaries and Spaniards have given the name of Moxes, they, says the author of that relation, have not been able to discover but one or two nations who employ any kind of sacrifice. Their medico-physicians, enchanters, or quacks, prescribe also to their sick, but we do not hear that they take their degrees like the priests. of Paraguay: Be that as it will, when the former are sent for to the sick, they mumble certain superstitious prayers over them, promise to fast for their health sake, and to smoak tobacco a certain number of times every day. But it may be a question whether they really do it as sincerely as they pretend to do? They also suck the diseased part, which is a prodigious favour; after this, they withdraw, but upon condition, however, of being libe'rally rewarded for their services. Their marriage consists in the mutual consent of both parties, and in some presents which the bridegroom makes to the bride's father, or nearest relation. The consent of those who contract it, is looked upon as nothing; and they have another very whimsical custom among them, viz. that a wife may live where she pleases, and her husband is obliged to follow her up and down. If they have but one wife, it is because they can get no more, for they favour polygamy both by custom and inclination, and always put it in pratice whenever they have an opportunity to do it. They look upon the incontinence of women as a most enormous crime; and if any of them happens to run counter to her duty, she is looked upon as an infamous, creature, and a prostitute, and is liable to be put to death. If men are unjust in any thing, it is certainly on this occasion; for why are not women allowed to punish the lewdness of men? Or at least, why do we not indulge a sex, whose frailty is the daily subject of our ridicule, to divert themselves at the men's expence, who are vastly more frail than women? forgetting twenty times a day at their feet, their so much boasted strength of mind, and sacrificing all that is most valuable to their charms. The women prepare the liquor which their husbands drink, and take care of the children. They have the barbarity, whenever a woman dies, to bury her little children with her, and in case she happens to brought to bed of twins, she buries one them, and the reason she gives for it is, that it is impossible to nurse two children well together. They have a very obscure idea of the immortality of the soul, and bury their dead with very little ceremony. The relations of the deceased dig a grave, whither they attend upon the body with a deep silence, which is interrupted by nothing but sobs; and as soon as the body is laid in the ground, they divide between themselves the things it was wrapt in. Father Sepp tells us, in a letter of his published in the eleventh collection of curious and edifying letters, That some people of Paraguay cut off their own fingers, and afterward their toes, according as their relations go off the spot. A man is very unhappy in that country who has a great many old relations; for he runs the hazzard of being mutilated very young: But then we may ask father Sepp, if he himself was an eyewitness to that unaccountable mutilation. The truth is, the Jesuits in all their accounts of these people, consider particular practices as general rules; and thus because there really are some such enthusiasts among these people, who cut off their fingers and toes, so they have told us that they all do so. There are many women in the East Indies, as has been already taken notice of, who burn themselves along with the dead bodies of their husbands; but this is so far from being an imposed law, that no one is obliged to do it. Indeed, when we consider the nature of the Spanish government, and the bigotry of the people, we need not be surprised that these savages have No. 23. remained so long in ignorance. The Heathens see nothing in the Romish ceremonies, except a few gaudy genteel ornaments; and probably the man of reading and experience, will pay little regard to the difference subsisting between rudeness and politeness in religion, so as both consist of idolatry. The Religion of the Peruvians. PERU was long a celebrated empire, and it we may believe some writers, silver and gold were in as great plenty here, as the basest metals, nay, even as coals are with us. But what we have to treat of are their religious sentiments. The Peruvians, before their being governed by their Incas, worshipped a numberless multitude of gods, or rather genii. There was no nation, family, city, street, or even house, but had its peculiar gods; and that because they thought none but the god to whom they should immediately devote themselves, was able to assist them in time of need. They worshipped herbs, plants, flowers, trees, mountains, caves; and in the province of Puerto Viege,. emeralds, tygers, lions, adders; and, not to tire the reader with an numeration of the several objects they thought worthy of religious worship, every thing that appeared wonderful in their eyes, was thought worthy of adoration. These ancient idolators of Peru offered not only the fruits of the earth and animals to these gods, but also their captives, like the rest of the Americans. We are assured, that they are used to sącrifice their own children, whenever there was a scarcity of victims. These sacrifices were performed by cutting open the victims alive, and afterwards tearing out their hearts; they then smeared the idol, to whom they were sacrificing, with the blood yet reeking, as was the custom of Mexico. The priest burnt the victims heart, after having viewed it in order to see whether the sacrifice would be agreeable to the idol. Some other idolators offered their own blood to their deities, which they drew from their arms and thighs, according as the sacrifice was more or less solemn; and they even used, on extraordinary occasions, to let themselves blood at the tips of their nostrils, or between the eye-brows. We are however to observe, that these kinds of bleeding were not always an act of religious worship, but were often employed purely to prevent. diseases. Such was the state of idolatry all over Peru, when Mango-capac, the law giver of that vast empire,. taught 6T |