For the Panoplist.

LETTER III.

ON THE ARTS OF ERROUR.

Dear Brother,

WHETHER the immutability of religion was proved in the two letters, which I lately fent you, is left to your determination. The manner, in which you speak of the letters, shows not only your friendship to me, but your diligent attention to the subject, and the candour of your difpofition. Your remaining doubts and inquiries concerning the nature of religion fhall not be overlooked. I hope much from your inclination to examine. I hope ftill more from the apparent ferioufness and tenderness of your heart. I hope most of all from the fervent parental prayers, which have been offered up for you, and from that Spirit which guideth into all the

truth.

For the prefent, I think you will excufe me for deferring the confideration of your particular inquiries, and fuggefting a few precautions. Unlefs we are in fome measure aware of the fubtile and difhoneft methods, by which the cause of errour is defended, we may be fatally misguided. I intreat you, therefore, in all your inquiries, to guard against the impofing arts of errour. Be not enfnared by its wiles.

Beware, my brother, of the mutability of errour. The apostle gives us this falutary caution; that we be no more children toffed to and fro, and carried a bout with every wind of doctrine by the fleight of men, and cunning craftinefs whereby they lie in wait to deceive." Here the apostle mentions, as one of the character

iftick qualities of errour, that mutability, which you ascribed to religion. He compares errour with the wind, which is, proverbially, inconftant. From the course of the wind today, we cannot determine its courfe tomorrow. Nay, it frequently undergoes great changes in a few minutes. In like manner, errour has no invariable shape. Though its nature and tendency are always the fame, its form often changes. By this mutability, errour obtains vaft influence. If it continued in one state, its nature would be difcovered, and its basenefs expofed. But, by its variablenefs, it eludes difcovery. When the friends of God, after scrutinizing errour, become able to show the world its fhameful dishonesty, its inconfiftency, and impiety; fuddenly it changes its ground, and defends itself under a new form. In confequence of this, the fuccefsful oppofition, made against it on its former ground, is of no avail. There must be a new arrangement.

The faints must trace the operations of errour under its new form, and furnish themselves with new weapons to oppose it. But before they are ready for the combat, it generally makes alarming progrefs, and perpetrates the deAnd by ftruction of many fouls. the time they are able to come forward to advantage against its powerful influence, it veers about again, and fo avoids fair and open contest.

To find the proof of these obfervations, look, my dear brother, into the hiftory of religion. The friends of truth have conftantly ftruggled with the difficulties just mentioned. Errour has fometimes dared to come forward under the

monftrous form of atheism. But when occasion has required, it has readily caft off that form, and taken the lefs frightful one of deifm. When the weapons of truth have been forcibly directed against deism; errour has not been reluctant, for the fake of avoiding fufpicion and more eafily accomplishing its defign, to affume the name of christianity. Retaining this name it has appeared under various forms. And this is one remarkable trait of every false the ory, which bears the chriftian name; that, while it is erroneous, as a fyftem, it maintains fome important truths. This world, depraved as it is, could not fuftain a fyftem of unmingled falfehood. Every heretical fyftem, therefore, in order to give itself a fair appearance, and to mislead unwary fouls, carries fome truths upon its furface. But, having fufficient internally to destroy the influence of the truths, which it feems to contain, it has, in a measure, the effect of unmingled errour. The fchemes of the most erroneous fects fhow fome important truths on their outfide. They pretend great refpect for revelation, and hang out many fair colours. But when thoroughly examined by the light of fcripture, and confidered, as fchemes of religion, they evidently deny the perfection and ftain the glory of God, befriend the cause of fin, and lead men to perdition. The spirit of errour cares not how often it changes its mode of operation, nor how many names it takes, nor how many truths feem to hang upon its fur. face; if it can only counteract the cause of truth, spread its own delufions, and bear fway over enflaved and ruined immortals.

Now the changeable character of errour is fuited to catch the

fickle temper of mankind; while the many forms, which it bears, give it influence with people of different ranks and circumstances. With only one fhape, it could never prevail. But by means of its conftant mutability, and the endless variety of its shapes, it has power over mankind in every condition, and ftrangely draws them into its dangerous fnares.

Let me, therefore, warn you, beloved brother, not to imagine yourself safe, because you have escaped any particular form of errour. Though you abhor the wickedness of atheism and deism; though you reject the focinian and antinomian schemes, and a hundred other forms of errour; you may be captivated by it in fome other fhape. Let this friendly alarm excite you to perfevering diligence in refearch, and to unceafing watchfulness against the arts of errour.

Beware of the "cunning crafti nefs," and fecrecy of errour. If we can fee the approach of the enemy, and obferve his motions and defigns, we can prepare ourselves for defence. But when he comes unfeen and tries to take us by fecret ftratagems, our danger is great.

Beware of the force of errour. The wind, though invifible, has great power. It carries about clouds fraught with rain, and wafts the largest veffels over the ocean. It tears up fturdy oaks, and levels the proudest buildings with the duft. Like this is the power of errour. not only enflaves the untaught multitude, but holds in subjection the most profound understandings. What prodigies of genius and learning have fallen before it.

It

Beware of the misrepresentations of errour. While on the one hand,

it gives itfelf the face of truth, and fets off itself by advantages ftolen from the caufe, which it aims to overthrow; on the other hand, it puts a falfe colouring upon the doctrines of eternal truth,, and furrounds them with appendages, which partake of its own deformity.

While you allow me to use this freedom in warning you a gainst the arts and delutions of erYour; permit me to recommend, moft earnestly to recommend to you that holy book, which contains truth unmixed with falfehood. Turn away from the falfe lights, which allure you, and take heed to the BIBLE, from which fhines forth the true light. The Bible can folve all your doubts, anfwer all your inquiries, relieve all your difficulties, and guide your feet, which have hitherto greatly wandered, in the way to glory. Thefe, my dearly beloved brother, were often the infructions of our worthy parents, who now fleep in duft; and are now brought to your remembrance by your ever affectionate CONSTANS.

defired. Deucalion prayed that he might be the restorer of mankind.

This is one of numerous tradi.

tions refpecting the flood, which fuppofed it confined to the country where they were told. The ftory was related by the ancients to their poflerity, who, little acquainted with other countries, fuppofed only their own affected by the event. happened, not only in Greece and Armenia, but in China and America, that there are traditions that the country was once destroyed by a deluge.

In this way it has

Notwithstanding many fictitious circumstances in the hiftory of the Argonautick expedition, there is no good reafon to conclude the whole legend was invented in Egypt or any other country. Traces of this celebrated voyage are found in almost every quarter of the globe. This will be easily accounted for, if we fuppofe the Argo was the ark; but if the expedition to Colchi be admitted as authentick, no fatisfactory reafon can be given for its fame being extended through nations fo widely feparated.

Pindar brings the Argonauts to Libya through the ocean, which laves the fhores of Hindcoftan. Accordingly, we find fuch a tradition of the Argo ftill preferved among the Hindcos, as indifputably proves it to have been the ark of Noah. The fummit of one of their mountains, C'haifa-ghar, is always covered with fnow, in the midit of which are feen leveral freaks of a reddith hue, fuppofed by pilgrims to be the impreflions made by the feet of the dove, which Noah let cut of the ark. It is the uniform tra+ Wilford.

• Faber.

dition of that country, that Noah built the ark on the fummit of this mountain, that when the flood abated, this fummit first appeared, and was the refting place of the dove. The ark itfelf, fay they, refted half way up the mountain, on a projecting plain of fmall ex

tent.

The Pauranicks infift, that as it is declared in their facred books, that Satyavrata, or Noah, made falt the ark to the famous peak, called Nau-Bandha, from Nau, a thip, and Bandha, to make faft, that, therefore, he must have built it in the adjacent country. The famous peak is in Cafhmir, three days journey to the northnortheast of the Purganats of Lar. It is the refort of pilgrims from all parts of India, who climb up the rocks, to a cavern, the limit of their afcent. A few doves, frightened with the noife, fly from rock to rock; thefe the pilgrims fuppofe to be their guides to the holy place, and that they are the genuine defcendants of the dove that Noah let out of the ark.

The mountains of Coh-Suleiman are fometimes by the natives called the mountains of the dove. The whole range as far as Gazni is called by Ptolemy the Paruetoi mountains, probably from Parvata, or Paravat, which fignifies a dre. According to the Pauranicks, and the followers of Buddha, the ark refted on the mountain Aryawart, a name not unlike the Araraut of fcripture. A tomb at Naulakhi, the Bandhifts fuppofe, contains the bones of Buddha-Narayana, or Buddah dwelling in the waters; but the Hindoos denominate the perfon Mach'hodar-Nath, or the fovereign prince in the belly of the fish. This re

Afiatick Refearches.

fers to Noah; by the belly of the fish, fays Wilford, they understand the cavity or infide of the ark. In China we find the fame evidence of the flood. Near Pekin is a temple called Maha-Cala-Myau, from its chief deity Maha-Cala, or the great arkite cavity.

Plato gives a particular account of Atlantis. He fays it was peopled by one pair, who were formed from the earth; that the island was divided into ten parts, the number of their pofterity. Thefe were at firft remarkable for their piety, and were the favourites of heaven. Afterward they were guilty of all kinds of violence and impurity. Jupiter overwhelmed the ifland with the waves of the fea, and deftroyed the people: Cofmas Indico Pleuftes relates that when the island was buried in the waters, Noah efcaped to the continent in an ark. The first pair, formed from the ground, were doubtlefs Adam and Eve. The ten defcendants were doubtlefs the ten generations preceding the flood.

As the deluge was univerfal, the ftory of the Atlantians is universal. Hence we find an Atlas in Phenicia, and in Arcadia, as well as in the island Atlantis. The widely extending traditions of this island prove that a remembrance of the flood was preferved in every quarter of the globe.

As the finking of the Phlegyan ifle, and the fubmerfion of Atlantis, relate to the deluge; fo the Chinese have preferved a fimilar tradition refpecting the pious Peiruun, and the ifland Maurigafima.

Maurigafima, fays Kempfer, was anciently famous for its fertility. The inhabitants became rich; this produced luxury and contempt of religion. The gods

were angry and determined to deftroy the whole ifland. But Peiruun the king of the island, being upright and godly, the decree of the gods was revealed to him in a dream; and he was commanded to flee to his fhips, and leave the island, as foon as the faces of the two idols in the temple fhould become red. Immediately he published an account of the ruin coming on the island, and the figns of its approach, by which they might fave themfelves. His fubjects ridiculed him for his fuperftitious belief; by his zeal he became contemptible. Sometime after, to make sport for his companions and to ridicule the king, a vain and impious fellow went in the night, and painted the faces of the idols red. In the morning news was carried to the king, who, fuppofing it a miracle, went on board his fhips with all his family, and failed for China. Soon after his departure, the island funk, and the fcoffer, little thinking his frolick would coft him fo dear, with all the remaining inhabitants, was overwhelmed by the waves of the fea. The king and his friends reached the fhore of China in fafety, where the memory of his arrival is now celebrated by a yearly festival. In the maritime provinces the people divert themselves on the water, rowing up and down in their boats, as if they were preparing

ed, that Jupiter ordained, that every oath taken by Styx, the daughter of Oceanus, should be inviolable. If any of the gods fwore falfely by this river, he loft his divinity for a hundred years. This honour was put on Styx, because the had affifted with all her children in the war against the Titans. The Titans seem to have been the whole race of mankind living at the time of the flood; one of them is called Japetus.* Styx then must be the deluge, perfonified. Confequently the inviolable oath of Jupiter muft refer to the oath of God, that he would no more drown the world. Accordingly, Iris is reprefented by Hefiod as hovering over the ocean when the oath of Jupiter was taken. Iris is the rainbow. Here then is another minute coincidence between Gentile and Jewish hiftory, concerning the flood. Mofes exprefsly informs us that the phenomenon of the rainbow appeared immediately after the deluge, and was vifible, as a special sign of the irrevocable oath of God to Neah. perpetuate the memory of the awful event, the title of Styx was given to a fountain in Arcadia, or the land of the divine ark.

* Faber.

To

PHILO.

For the Panoplist.

ON THE OLD DIVINES.

The

fame festival has been introduced

from page 105.]

LECTURE III.

age.

By Apollodorus we are inform

EVANS. His ftyle is grave, plain, manly, and nervous. His heads are always diftinct and well arranged; fcripture is properly collected, and thoughts efpecially in the application, clofely thrown