f SOCIETY OF INQUIRY ;f Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/lectureonvendidaOOwils V* C'-J) ij’)r U 2 .. ,6U7!rA .l V t ':isKjrr. ' ‘ "‘ ' •' , .iv^'d ..'Ut;.' I t '.-... , .. v.»! 3 .1 .. (zlociisfi y’‘^--*‘-''i t ^ .'-jt-S . ,};:;!H ! >no'o3 .v:!ff !;io;» I'-)!'. A ■?o cI'jj; .) ,s oill-l -Kili (•■•?oo!';)':i '>!;;ui*/l io' jOJaT '■■^ ■ ‘j*^:‘.'syl ‘yr^y/zL :ji '.yjfjii'l A’' , .[xU ,;!co.!y3 tIi:u,fj’X I'-l) f!c-8>ki/i >• '•' .p>2i ,!ji! »i-,ii T IJ .3 "■ ... .(1 «<■•- y^'’ .p;,2i.-';!flii^r.).A- "i3 23:!3 C<:'o -:[) ' i jl) ?'20 i--X -j .-OjI {ck’KI; k vj;f :k!3-:!:2wyi Jal . . ,f!ri !;;'<;*3 SI oilMoi 07 'J)M v )r!yi -JH'-'O: ■> '-1 ..»i .7^51 2 i 37;IiJW •«•»»»* ^ > ' . _ . • • *•* • « « > <» « C> ^ 9 '--V ' * A LECTURE ON THE OF THE PA RSES DELIVERED AT BOMBAY ON THE 19T1I AND 20th JUNE, 1«33. BY THE y REV. JOHN WILSON. Second Edition, isointias: PRINTED AND SOLD AT THE AIMERICAN MISSION PPvESS^ AND SOLD ALSO BY NARAYANA SHANKARA, AT THE SCOTTISH MISSION HOUSE, AND RAGHUNATH HARICHANDRAJI, MEADOW STREET, 1833, ■W' .7 ... ' .'*i i‘?VV , V -• •'iJi * •i)&v ■; t .(•_ ' . V '-■» PREFACE* The following Lecture forms part of a short series of Discourses^ which I have lately deliver- ed on the Parsi Religion. It is published incom- pliance with the expressed wish of a number of respectable individuals who are attached to that faith; and it is submitted to their candid consider- ation, not with the view of wantonly wounding their feelings, but in the hope that it may con- tribute in some degree, to lead them to such in- quiry as may issue in the rejection of error and embracement of truth. The Parsis of India are superior in many respects to most of their coun- trymen; and it is the earnest hope, and desire, of not a few of their European friends, that they may be among the first who will rigidly exa- mine the claims of the different religious systems, and devote themselves, with their acknowledged intelligence and vigour, to the pursuit and prac- tice of truth. The zeal, and good temper, with which they have entered into religious discus- sions during the last two years; the decision with which many of them have already renounced 4 tlie claims of the Bimdesline, and Ardai Viiat Nameh; the encouraoemtiit which they have af- foided to the* Native Newspapers, which, under good rnaiiagemeiit, may prove invaluable bless- ings to the community; the encreased readiness whic hthey evince to proii ote a general education; their gradual inclination to the adoption of what is praiseworthy in European customs; and many otlicr circumstances, which could easily be enu* inerateo, tend to strengthen these expectations. It is greatly to be regretted, that none of the Gujarat^lii translation of the Veiididad Sade have yet been published. Every Parsi has a riglit to examine for himself the foundation of his religious observances. It is my decided per- suasion, that the Vendidad Sade has only to be thoroughly known to be rejected, like the Bun- deshne, by 1 iindreds who now acktiowdedge it as a heavenly directory. The publication of my other Lectures on tlie Parsi Jlel.gion,' 1 shall resefve till such time as 1 shall be able to engross them in a w'ork,whicIi I am preparing, and which is intended to embrace an Analysis of all the books esteemed sacred by the followers of Zoroaster, and a Compendious View' of their Religious History, and iManners and Customs. LECTURE. The Vendidad Sade is the work to which the Parsisj as I formerly stated, attribute most im- porlance. It exists in the original Zand lan- guage. Part of it has been translated into Sanskrita. All of it exists in Gujarathi, though it has not been published in that tongue. It was translated into French by Anquetildu Per- ron, and, along with the other works forming the Zend-Avesta, was published by him in 1771* **^ Prom his version, and with an occas^nal refer- ence to the Gujarathi translations, and to the ori- ginal, which I was enabled to inspect through the assistance of a learned Parsi, shall appeal. I have a considerable degree of confidence, that, in all essential points, my quotations will be found to be correct. That the Vendidad Sade has no claim to be considered as a divine revelation, will, I think, be evident from the following remarks. — I. There aie no proofs either of its antheu- ticity, genuineness, or credibility. * I have not yet seen the new French translation lately puhlishcd in Paris, 6 It IS ascribed to Zoroaster, who is said to have flourished in the reign of Gushtasp, the son of Lohorasp, or Darius Hystaspes, a- bout hOO years before Christ; but there is no proof even of its existence long after his day, far less of the allegation that it was written by him. While it professes to report the result of an interview ot Zoroaster with Hormazd, it speaks of the great Zoroaster as having existed before the time at which this interview took place. Near the commencement of the second Pargard, or Section, Hormazd is represented as saying, ‘^Jamshed, ruler of people and of flocks, O holy Zoroaster, is the first man who has consulted Hormazd as you do now, O Zoroaster. I have clearly revealed to him the law of God, and of Zoroaster.” Near the commencement of the nine- teenth Pargard, Hormazd observes to the per- son whom he addresses in the Vendidad, that “Zoroaster was stronger that Ahriman, author of the evil law; he struck the people given by this Dew, &c.” Whether the Vendidad is the same as when it was originally composed, no man can tell. Its narratives, and even those of them belong- ing to the first Pargard, which refer to the eaily peopling of the world, are entirely destitute of that sobriety and consistency which are the cha- racteristics of truth. Of their absurdity, w e shall afterwards have abundant proof. There is no history which can associate the reported miracles 7 of Zoroaster with the book; and there is not the sliorhtest evidence that these miracles ever took place. have asked/’ I observed in one of my controversial letters/' some persons to state their reasons for believing’ in tba stories about the miracles; and they have not been a little puzzled. Some of them say that they have heard them from their parents; others that they have read them in books Are these sufficient reasons for crediting them? Many foolish tales are afloat in the world; and many errors and falsehoods of various kinds are contained in books. An inve s- tigafion of the strictest kind must be resorted to; and the most diligent search must be made. Who saw these miracles ? who gave testimony respect- ing them ? Who examined the witnesses ? Who recorded the evidence ? Who can prove that it is uncorrupted ? These are inquiries which un- doubtedly ought to be made.” For a long time 1 have challenged the Parsis in this place to bring forward information on this subject ; but, though they have shewed no want of zeal in behalf of their religion, they have as yet done nothing to settle inquiry on the subject. 11. The Vendidad Sadc is very defective as a rule of Faith. It is a mere fragment of a work which is lost; and since this is the case, and since, as 1 remarked in a former lecture, we have reason to infer, that if God be pleased to grant a revelation of his will, he will be pleased to preserve it either en- 8 tire^ or to such a degree as that it will prove suf- ficient fort he instruction of mankind, it become'^ a duty to inquire into the loss of the work to which it is said to have belonged. Why was it permitted to be destroyed, as is alleged, by Sikandar Rumi, Umar Khalifa, or any other individuals? This question requires particnlirly to be urged when the professions of the Vend idad are considered. Hormazd, when addressing Zoroaster thus speaks of it, ^‘^Behold how much this Vendidad, wliicn I have given to Zoroaster, is above every other word: how much more excellent, how much more pure, how much more holy it is. It is as the river Vurokashe compared with all other rivers. Behold, O Asphaiitaman Zoroaster, how much the Vendidad which I have given to Zviroaste.**, is above every other word, how much more ex- cellent, how much more pure, how much more ho- ly, it is. It is as great waters compared with little ones. Behold, O Asphaiitaman Zoroaster, how much this Vendidad is above every other word, how much more excellent, how much more pure, how much more holy it is. It is as great birds com- pared to little ones. Behold O Asphantaman Zoroaster, how much this Vendidad is above every other word, how much more excellent, how much more pure, how much more holy it is. It is as the land of Alborj in comparison with other lands. Let the Dastur recite the Vendidad. L'jt him who has sinned recite it. Let no one en- ter into the gate of that person who will not 9 recite it. Let liini who will not give what is pre- scribed to hintij get nothing’ to eat.” In the eighth Fargard, the Revelation granted to Zoroaster is called, “ the unalterable law of the Mazdiasnians.” In the view of all this, I ask, H >w comes it to pass that the ^Oth Nosk is all that remains of the Avasta. Had Zoroaster said, that most of his book was to be lost, we should not have framed an objection against him from the violence of the Greeks, and Muhammadans; but when he sajs that all the Avasta was to remain, and we perceive that most of it has perished, we are forced to, de- clare that his claims have no ground in truth. III. The Vendidad Sadc robs God of all his glory, inasmuch as it represents the Supreme God as inactive, as disregardful of the concerns of the universe, a[id as having surrendered the adminis- tration of affairs to Hormazd. Zorwan, or the first cause of all things, is sel- dom mentioned; and his excellence and perfec- tions are not described. He is spoken of as ^^Time without bounds;” as wh >lly absorbed in his own excellence; and as a ^’bird moving on high.” Near the conclusion of the third Fargard, Hor- mazd speaks of the world as belonging that being who is absorbed in his own excellence.’’ He is, perhaps, recognized by Zoroaster in the sixth Fargard, and in some other places. He is invoked as “Time without bounds”, in the nine- teenth Fargard. But this notice which is taken of him is inconsistent with his character as the B 10 Sovereign of all. He is not set forth, as he ought to be, as the Creator, calling all things into existence by the word of his power; and as the Governor, doing according to his will in the ar- mies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth. To Hormazd, indeed, are ascribed most of those perfections, and works, which are peculiar to God. He is called ‘^Hhe Pure, the Just Judge.” He is the ‘^‘^Sovereign Judge, the sovereign ex- cellence, the sovereign knowledge.” He is "the best, the purest, the most intelligent, who pos- sesses "the best body, and who by reason of purity is above all.” (Fargard 19) He is repre- sented in many places as the Creator, and the ru- ler of the visible world. So powerful is the objection to be urged a- gainst the Vendidad from this view of matters, that many of the Behedin, or Lay Parsis, have been led to deny the existence of Zorwan alto- gether, and to maintain that Hormazd is God, and God alone. They do this contrary to the testimonies from Greek, Latin, and Armenian au- thors, which I lately brought before your notice. They do this contrary to the faith of their fore- fathers, as expressed in the verses presented by them to the Hindu Rana on their first arrival in Sanjan, in which Hormazd is described merely as the Divine Hormazd, the chief of the Am^^ shaspandsj or Archangels. *They do tliis can- * The names of the seven Amshaspands are Hormazd, Bahaman, Ardebchisht, Shariver, Asphandad, Kluirdad, Amar- dad or Murdad, u trary to the doctrines of their Dastiirs, and Mo- beds, who, in their conversations with me, have admitted the existence of Zorwan, and spoked of him as Ldrang, the colourless, and Nirdkar, the formless. They do this contrary to the books which they esteem sacred. In the Si-Roze, ap- pointed for Hormazd, he is called an Izad. In the Yesht which bears his name, he is spoken of as “the depositary of the law given by Zorwan.’ In the nineteenth Fargard of the Vendidad Sade, Hormazd is represented as having been created by Zorwan. In the second Fargard of the same work, he speaks of himself as distinct from God. When Zoroaster asked him whence cometh the light which brightens the Virafshue’, which Jams- hed had perfected, he replied, I have given to him a hundred portions of the light given by God” In the nineteenth Fargard, he is represent- ed as opposing Ahriman by the word Honover, and the Law of the Mazdiasnans, or in other works, by means prescribed to him by another. There is no foundation for the opinion, that, ac- cording to the Parsi Religion, Zorwan and Hor- mazd are the same divinity. In a catechism late- ly published by a Mobed, the name of Hormazd, who is all in all in the Vendidad, does not once occur. The author of that work is probably a- shamed to give Hormazd the honours which are conferred on him in the Vendidad, and well he may. IV. The Vendidad Bade gives a highly irrational account of the origin, and operations of natiual good, and evil. Hornuazd Avas opposed by Ahriman in all his works. When Hormazd created the Eriene Viejo, similar to Behisht, Ahriman, according to the first Fargard, produced in the river the great adder or winter; when he created Soghdo, abun- dant in floaks and men, Ahriman created flies which spread mortality among the flocks; when he created Bakhdi pure and brilliant in its co- lours, Ahriman created a multitude of ants which destroyed its pavilions; when he created any thing good, Ahriman was sure to create something evil, Ahriman, this chief of death,” it is said in the beginning of the nineteenth Par- gard, ‘bins chief of the Dews, comes from the north, he proceeds from the places which are north. Ahriman full of death, the master of the evil lavA% runs continually every where producing devastation. He is the author of evil” . . . “They see,” it is said in the same chapter, “running in crowds, and running sepaiately and apart, Ahri- raaii full of death, chief of the Dews, the Dew Aii- dar, the Dew Saval, the Dew Naongs, &c. The author of evil has produced and engendered in tin.e these Dews.” The power ascribed to Ahriman in these passages, viz that of creation, is more than can be possessed by any created being. This remark, i know, does not militate against the 13 - doctrine of two principles, which I believe to be consonant with the Pars! religion, inasmuch as it, and it followers, do not admit, that Ahriman was created b} God, but teach that he is the product of primeval darkness, in the same way that Hor- mazd is the product of primeval light, I do how- ever, oppose this doctrine of two principles, lor the reasons which I brought forward when I lec- tured on the Unity ofGod; and I further add, that it is only the grossest igiiorance which can de- nominate that as evil which is spoken of as hav- ing this character in many of the instances which are given in the Vendidad Sade. The winter, for example, which is said to have been created in Enane Veidjo, takes place according to the established laws of nature, and, notwithstanding' certain inconveniencies which attend it when it is not provided against, it is in the highest degree beneficial to man, and other animals, inasmuch as it forms a diversity in the seasons, and purifies and restores the earth and atmosphere. The flies and ants, which made devastations in Soglido and Bakhdi, bear the marks of benevolent work- manship, and are happy in their own existence. They have their uses to man, inasmuch as they remove many impurities; and he has, generally speaking, the power of defending himself against them, when they prove too numerous, either by removing troin them or destroying them. The power aseribed to the Dews, when they are re- presented as terrifying Hormazd, and as leading 14 him to use enchantments ag-ainst thein^ cannot for a moment be admitted. There are certain actions^ on the other hand, attrihntcd to the devils of v/hich they are cer- tainly innocent. “^‘Zoroaster asked. Does the water strike or destroy) man when he is drown- ing? Tlormazd replied; It is not water which strikes man. -The Dew Astoniad binds him who fails into the water; and while he is thus bound, the tish attack him. The body rises afterwards, and then descends again.” — “Does fire attack men? ilormazd replied. Fire attacks not men. It is the Dew Astoniad who binds him; and when he is thus bound the birds attack him, and the fire consumes the bones which confine the soul of this man.” The accusations which are here made are in the highest degree absurd. Every person knows, that death is produced in water by the eut ranee of that clement into the chest, and other parts of the body where the vital functions are performed, and by the w ant of air necessary to breathing which it produces. Fire is known to destroy by combustion. It is the Deification of tlie elements which led to this nonsense. Fire and water are so venerated by the Parsis, that they are supposed to be incapable of being the instrunients of an injury. V. Tiie Yendidad teaches and recognizes the deification of the elements, and other inanimate objectsc When I make this assertion, 1 directly con- 15 tradict many of the mercantile Parsis of this place. When they are called to account about the worship of fire, &c. they come forward with various excuses, and apologies. Some of them inform us, that they view the sun as the emblem of God; some, that they view it as the residence of God; some, like a Mobed, who has published a catechism, to which I have more than once re- ferred, that they view it as a Kihla, in the same way as the Muhammadans view the temple of Mecca. Some maintain, that in looking to the sun, they worship only the Amshaspand who pre- sides over it. In making the assertion, however, I state what is agreeable to the views of the ma- jority of the Piirsis, and particularly of the Priests; and what is borne o ut by several pas- sages and circumstances, to which I shall now direct your attention. In the eighteenth Fargard, the following in- junction is laid down; — ‘'• At the beginning of the first watch of the night, the fire of Hormazd says, I desire the succour of the chiefs of the house. I desire them to rise, to gird on the Kusti, standing or being upon the Sadar or carpet, to w'ash their hands, to carry wood for me, and to maive the flame burn from pure wood, after having washed their hands. I (firej shall inflict evil upon the Dew^ wdio inspires with passion, and who spreads himself every where in the world.”Pire is repre- sented in the same place as making a similar re- quest at the second and third wmtehes of the 16 night, and making similar promises. In a sub- sequent part of the same chapter, we find the fol* lowing passage, ^‘^tle who carries pure wood to the fire of Hormazd, after having washed his hands, shall be great. That fire shall reward liim with thanks and gratitude. Be happy, it shall say to him, be without evil, be filled vvuh good, or wealth. Let your herds be great; let your children encrease to a great number; let your soul be happy in the world; let it live night and day. Such is the prayer which I fire make for him who carries to nm pure and iaflaiiiniable wood well examined.” In the same eh ap ter, and in other places, occur the wo^ds, adore wa- ter.” Of rain, there is, in chapter 21st, the fo lowing exaggerated account; — "^Therain removes Ashare, removes Eghuare, removes Eighiaum, re- moves Ogrhanm, removes envy, removes death, removes fever, weakness, avarice, deranged pas- sions, deafness, and voluntary blindness of mind, removes the serpent, removes the deeeit, the wickedness, impurity and corruption which Ah- riman, has produced in the bodies of men, re- moves every kind of evil and death, and every kind of magic taught by the Paris, and strikes all the Darvands.” The defilement of water is re- presented, in the eighth Fargard, as highl) crimi- nal. "‘If there is water on a road, and if he who was sullied has gone into this water, a crime which merits chastisement, what shall be his pu- nishment? Hormazd replied. He shall be beaten 17 four Imml red times with leatlieim corJsj of the skill of the horsej or of the ^oat ” lii the llth Farg’ardj a curious distinction is made between. Pire^ and Earthy and other oiijects: "You shall purify the sullied places by pronouncing' these words. Protect me entirely who am your servant, O Hormazd, render me great, now and for ever. Ttiou shalt purify the fire by pronouncing well these words, — I approach thee,0 fire, aetive from the beginning, thou principle of union, between Hormazd &c. Thou shalt purify the water by pronouncing these words, 1 adore thee, I de- sire to preserve thee pure. Thou shall purify the earth by pronouncing these words, I adore thee visible earth, chief of Females. Thou shalt purify the cattle in pronouncing these words. Pray that what they require may be given to these cattle. He who acts in this man- ner shall go to Behisht.'’ Fire and earth are here directly addressed and worshipped, while Hor- mazd is supplicated in behalf of places and cattle. "The sun (or Mithra),” it is said in the 21st Far- gard, ^^as a vigorous courser, rises with majesty from the top of the Alborj, and gives light to the world. From this mountain, given by Hormazd, he rules the world”. "The moon, depositary of the seed of the bull, darts with glory from the heights of the terrible Albordj, and gives light to the world. From this mountaiii given by Hormazd, she go- verns, or exerts her sway over, the whole world, which is the road to the two destined places, up- c on grain given in abundance, and upon water.’* In the nineteenth Fargard, the stars are repre- sented as the guardians of the seed of bulls. So sacred is the earth, that its defilement is stated in many places to be one of the greatest sins. N< t a doubt can remain as to the actual deifica- tion of tiie elements, and particularly of fire, whiei) is colh^cted with great care from various quarters, which is regularly fed by dry and con" seciaseri wood, and which is viewed as so sacred that the Pars! s have an aversion to blow out a lamp, or !o carry muskets. In conuectiou with this subject, and the a- pologies to which I have already alluded, I n ay with propriety give a quotation from a let- ter which 1 formerly addressed to the Parsls. ‘‘The Paisis laugh at the Hindus, when they see them bending before a stone, casting flowers up- on it, walking round it, and addressing it in prayer. Their own conduct, however, though not so grossly ridicuous, is, when viewed in re- ference to God, equally dishonourable to his name, and sinful in his sight. The Hindu, having carved an image on a stone, repeats some man- tras, and says that God has taken up his abode within it, and falls down and worship it. The Farsi icoks up to the heavens, and having per- ceived the great light which God has given to enlighten the path of man, he presents it w ith his adorations. He forgets that it has no life. He acts just as absurdly as any man would do, who, 19 iiiBtead ot‘ going’ to the Governor with a petitiori» shoiikl go and pray to the lamp winch is bnruiag on his table. '^There are some persons who say, that there is an Izad who presides over the sun; and, mat when they pray in the direction of that luminary, they pray to him. They say that, that as a King has many servants about him, so G )d has min- isters who transact his business; that they convey the petitions to God; and that all affairs must be managed through their intervention. They liken Him, who is the Lord of all, to weak and igno- rant man. God is everywhere present; and he hears, without any distraction, or trouble, what- ever prayers are addressed to him. God is om- nipotent; and he can effect his will, according to his sovereign pleasure. If a King were ready to hear all his subjects, and to give them direct an- swers; and if his nature were more benevolent, and exalted, than that of his servants, none would ever think of going to them with a petition. They would at once address the King. Why is not God at once addressed? Why is a creature resort- ed to as a Mediator? ^'There are some persons who affirm, that they neither worship the Sun, nor the angel wiio pre- sides over it; but use it as the symbol of God, 1 would say to such persons, that they do not ieani the lessons from God’s works which they are fitted to teach. As the workman is «:reater than his work, so God is greater than his work, 20 lie is consequently infinitely more glorious Ilian the sun^ and it is glory which must be re- membered,, ai d conteinpiatedj and adored in wor- slnp;, and not tliat c f the sun. God may com- mand the use of symbols in his worship; but, as he has no likeness, he w'ill not exhibit any sym- bol of himself intrinsically considered, and, as he alone is wor»hy of divine honour, he will not command the w orship of a symbol. The Parsis, however, pray to the sun, and fire, and address them in w orship; and, therefore, it is not neces- sary for me to enlarge on this evil They would be inexcusable, even though they should consider fire as a Kihla. There is in the com- position of it, and in the view of it, no propriety, and no peculiar manifestation of God. Beside the elements, there are numerous other improper objects of worship recognised in the Veil hdad. Many of them are alluded to ha the fol- ioviing passages. "Invoke, O Zoroaster, the pure law of the Mazdeyasnans, Invoke, O Zoroaster, the Amshaspand who gives abundance to the seven Kesliwars of the earth, ? Invoke, O Zoroas- ter, the Ib'aven given by God, Time without bounds, and the birds which move on high. In- voke the sw'ib wind given by Sapandomad, the * Di Hyde, who (lied to apologize as much as possible for (he worship of fire by the followers of Zoroaster, was compell- ed, in the following terms, to admit, that they believe in its in- trinsic saciedness; — “Ideoque omnis Ignis, sive sit coelestis et superior Planetarum et IMeteororum; sive terrestris, aliqiiid Sanctitatis ct Beatituriinis in se habere creditiir,’' 21 pure daughter of Ilormazd. Invoke, O Zoroas- ter, my Paruliar. Invoke me who am Hormazd, the best, the purest, the boldest, the most intel- lig< ntj Avho ])ossess the most excellent body, and who by rea-on ofpuiity am exalted above all. Invoke me, whose soul is the most excellent word. Invoke, O Zoroaster, the people of Hor- rnazdj according to what I have said to Zoroaster. — I invoke, rejoined Zoroaster, Hormazd, who has given the pure wor d. 1 invoke Mithra, who makes he barren earth fertile, brilliant with glo- ry, shining as the light, very great, very excellent, very victorious. I invoke the pure Serosh w’ho strikes with extended arm the congregated Dews. I invoke ISlansraspan (the excellent word,) pure ai d brilliant. 1 invoke the Heaven given by God, Time without bounds, the birds created on high. I invoke the sw ift wind Sapandomad, the pure daughter of Hormazd. I invoke the pure law of the Mazdiasnans given to Zoroaster, and which removes the Dews. — Zoroaster con- sulting Hormazd said to him. Just Judge of the world, who has produced the various beings, How shall I render w orship, agreeable to the produc- tions which proceed from Hormazd? Hormazd re- plied. Approach, O Asphantaman Zoroaster, the trees which are growing. Pronounce distinctly these words near the growingtrees; I pray the trees holy and pure, which Hormazd has given, (Abiiiuhnce & BehishtJ Draw the Barsom from the trees, from the whole length of them; when in tlic act ot cutting the Barsom, holding with the right handj let him worship Honnazd, the Ams- liaspandsj Horn, the colour of gold, the pure Balmian whom Hormazd has f-stablished chief of the pure liehisht.” A passage containing such in- junctions as these cannot be reflected on, with candour, v^ithout the perception of its absurdity and sin. God only can hear prayer, so as to grant an answer to it; and he alone deserves to be worshipped and adored. He is so greatly exalted above all created beings and objects, that there can be no comparison between him and them;and when they are served, this difference is not perceived; and God’s Majesty and glory arc not realized. He requires to be loved with all the heart, and soul, and strength, and mind, and V, oe be to those who make to themselves Gods who are no Gods. VI. The Vendidad gives an erroneous view of the natural state of man. In the seventh Fargard, it is said, that ‘^man is created (o£ produced) pure, and worthy of Be- hist.” in the tenth Fargard, a similar statement is made. The infiuence of these, and ether as* sertions on tlie minds of the Parsis, is very inju- rious. ‘■‘^One of your correspondents,” I have observed in a letter to the Editor of the Harkara and Vartainan, ‘‘’writes, that from the day that his parents bring him from a world replete with light, into this even surpassing it in splendour, a mortal keeps his heart as pure as crystal, yea 23 parei’j unlil the season when lie becomes ac- quainted witli the habits of the woild/ It is the general belief of your tribe^ as I have been in- formed, by your Dasturs, that a person does notliecomea responsible moral agent till such time he is invested with the Kusti; and that after tliis investment, he preserves himself from all sin. These opinions are opposed to the facts which are daily and hourlv witnessed. We see anger, and discontent, and other evil feelings evi 'ced by infants. We see stubbornness, and re- bellion characterize tlie youngest children. We observe them violate truth; and we see them re- move the property which does not belong to them. They easily learn that which which is evil; but it is extremely difficult to teach them that which is good. In every country, and in every age, observations of this kind have been made, and are made, with regard to them. The philosophers of Greece and Rome, though hea- thens, have stated their opinions very freely on the subject, and in conformity with the re- marks wich I have made. The Parsis are ac- quainted with some of their names; and I shall ir ake a few extracts from tlieir writings. 'The body, says Plato, 'is the grave of the soul. In their present state, men have become weak, un- guarded, and thoughtless, hurried away by their own lust and passions, lienee they are reduced to inextricable miseries. Onr present intellectu- al light is darkness, and knowledge is corruoted @4 initssoarce, ^Jii inai’ says Aristotle, ^there is something congenite with our frame, which op- poses, and is co itr ry to reason.’ ‘A man, says Plutarch, ^is ill dispo ed from the beginning - - - all our evils, and sins, and diseases, proceed from an innate evil principle.’ 'We a»’e born,’ says Seneca, 'liable to no fewer diseases of the mind than of the body. The seeds ol all the vices are in us all; but they do not all unfold themselves in every individual. For a itian to acknowledge all this is as necessary as the beginning of a cure. 'Evil,’ says Sallust,, arises from the want of a good principle.’ ‘As wax to the seal,’ says lioiace, 'so we yield to the suggestions of vice, but the monitor to virtue ineefs with a harsh recep- tion. Fixed and immutable in evil, we naturally recur to the practises we condemn, 'I see, andap' prcve that which good,’ 'says Ovid, 'yet notwith- standing I follow that which is evil ” The very Hindus express sentiments similar to these. Tliey tell us that in every human mind, from the be- giin ing, there is lust,) rath,) ohha (avarice,) moha (delusion,) mcida (pride,) and matsara (malice). The Christian scriptures de- clare, that 'the heart of man is deceitful above all things,and desperately wicked; and give many tes- timonies ofa similar kind”. The doctrine of the ori- ginal depravity of man is consistent with general experience. It is strange that the assertions of the Vendidad should be permitted to weaken the con- viction which natin ally exists in connexion with it. 25 VII. The Vendidad contains gross scientific blunders. The alleged origin of winter^ and the asser- tions about the non-drowing ^Yater, aud non- burning by fire^ which I have already noticed, may be classed under this head. The proposi- tion, which 1 have laid down, may, however, be illustrated by other exam[)les. We have errors referring to natural history in the accounts ^vhich are given ol the dog, and particularly in those which are found in the thirteenth Fargard, and from which I make a few ext»*acts. “Among tlie peo- ple created by the Being absorbed in excellence, what is the hidden excellent production which on ail gahs present itself against Ahrimaii, who abounds on every side. Hormazd replied. It is the dog whose head and whose mouth are sharp as aderem, whoisnamed Venghapere, and whom men improperly call Dojeke. For what purpose has the dog Peshosheron been given to the world? Hormazd replies, he carefully surveys, or travels over the world, and attacks the robber and the wolt”. ... “I have given to the dog, O Asphantaman Zoroaster, hair for clothing, I have given him a lofty, prompt, and quick attitude, hav- i g sharp teeth, enlarged intelligence, as becomes a ruler of the world. lain who am Hormazd have given him a strong and beautiful body. By his intelligence, the world is preserved. When he causes his voice to be heard, the world is in a brilliant state.” We have an error relating to D 26 metaphysics, when^ in reference to the dog Ven- ghapere it is observed, that ^"he who strikes it shall have his soul broken into nine pieces.” We have an error relating to geology, when it is ob- served, that '‘^after the earth was well united the devil made holes in it.” We have an error con- trary to common sense, when, respecting the man who eats food, or who puts on clothes, which have been near the dead, it is observed, "that he shall become old and impotent”. VIII. The Vendidad prescribes an immense number of absurd ceremonies. Many examples might be adduced in support of this proposition; but I content myself by giving a few. "If the INIazdiasiians wish to make brooks or rivulets, wnthin or around any particu- lar land, to moisten it, to wl at ouglit the Maz- diasnans to direct their attention? llormazd repli- ed; Let the Mazdiasnaus search if they can find in this land bones, hair, nails, skin, or blood newly shed. Just Judge,” "If the Mazdias- nas do not examine with care, if there is in the ground bones, hair, the skin, or blood newly shed, what shall be their punishmentt Hormazd repled. This is the crime of the Tanatur; the offend- er shall be struck two hundred times with leather cords of the skin of the horse.” More exam- ples will appear in the quotations to be made un- der the next head. IX. The Vendidad ascribes an absurd power, or influence, to ceremonies. "He who walks upon the stones taking the Ber- ashnoni, if he is in poverty, shall have abund- ance: he shall have children, if he has none; if lie has no wealth, he stiall be rich. He shall have excellent lands filled with all kinds of animals. Afterhaving wanted all, he shall possess all things till death.” "Many cures, O Asphantaman Zoroaster, are efiected by the good word (Honover.) It is su- perior to any other.” "He who has been sul- lied by the dead shall say, I address my prayer to thee, O soft Sapandoinad. These words shall make the Daruj powerless. They shall strike the Darvand Ahriman. They shall stike Esher whose glory is cruelty; they shall strike the Dews of Mazendran; they shall strike all the Dews. ( Fargard 9.) What are the words which must be recited twice. . . .After Laving' distinctly and clearly pronounced these holy and powerful words, which must be repeated twice, you shall exterminate, or drive away Ahriman from the house, from the streets, from the cities, from the provinces, from all that is pure in the world. You shall exterminate the Daruj Nesosh. You shall drive away all that is impure from houses, from villages, from cities, from streets, from provinces, from your own body, from the corpse of a man, from the corpse of a woman, from the chief of a house, of a street, of a vil- lage, or of a province, or of all that is pure in the world.” (Fargard 11.) "By this word (Hon- over) I augment Behislit. It is in observing this v/ord with respecb in making vows with this word, that thon shall have life and happinessj Ahrirr.an master of theevillaw.” Words it may- be saidj according to the Vendidad^ are almost omnipotent. W hen a man becomes impure by touching a dead body^ a number of foolish ceremonies must be performed. He must then be washed. ‘^‘When the pure water has reached the crown of his head, the Daruj Nesosh shall go to the back of the head, when the pure water shell go to the back ot the head this devil shall go to the front;” ■when the pure water has reached the front, the devil shall go to the right ear; when the pure water has reached the right ear; the devil shall go to the left ear, and in this manner he shall be dri- ven about till he reach the toes, and then be dri- ven out in the form of a fly. X, I’he Vendidad represents ceremonial ob- sei varices, as more important than moral obser- vances. Ceremonies may be lawfully used in religion; but they must always have a good tendency, and be indicative ci, or subordinate to, morality. They do not hold this situation in the Vendidad, as will be abtmdanlly proved by tlic following examples. “The person who caries a dead body into tire fire or into the water, and so defiles the elements, 29 becomes Dai’vand”. "‘'He who aids a person who even wishes to carry a corpse into the water be- comes Darvaud”. ""The Darnj shall seize upon thesevvu'ked men from the head to thefoot. They shall be impure while ages run their course”. The punishment allotted for carrying a dead bo- dy into the water is greater than the punishment of theftj or other more heinous crimes. I extract the whole of the 17th Fargard, that we rnav have a connected specimen of the Ven- didad Sade. It is not necessary to make any comment upon it. It is as follows: — ""Zoroaster^ consulting Hormazdj said to him, O Hormazd^ absorbed in exce lence, just Judge of the world, which exists by thy power.) What actions of men increase death in the world as much as if men made izeschne to the Dews? ""Hormazd replied. Behold, O pure Zoroaster! When in the world which exists by my power, men arrange the hair of the head, pull out bad hairs, or cut them off entirely, or when they cut the nails without observing the prescribed cere- monies; — by these two criminal actions, the Dews come upon the earth, by these two criminal ac- tions are produced the Kharfesfars, whicli men call lice, which go into men, and which run upon their clothes. ""O Zoroaster! when, in the world which exists by my power, you pull out the hair or cut it all oft) carry it to the distance of ten gams from men, twenty from pure fiie, thirty from water, and 30 fifty gams from the united Barsom. You must take a hard stone from the uncultivated ground, as large as a veteshte, hard as an almond; you must put it into a hole or pit, leaving the hairs under it, and pronouncing the victorious word, O Zoroaster! Now, O Holy Hormazd, cause trees to spring up abundantly in this place. You must trace round the stone, or mark out, three, six, or nine Keishas, with a metal knife, reciting three, six, or nine honovers. (It is the desire of Hormazd &c. &c. ‘^‘^You must in like manner take another stone of the length of a little finger, which must be placed at the side nearest to Hormazd. You must lay the nails under it, pronouncing the vic- torious word, O Zoroaster! O Holy Bahmaii! I invoke thee with purity ! Trace around the stone three or nine Keishas with a steel knife, reciting three, six, or nine honovers, and saying. Bird Ashoshest I address my prayer to thee. I invoke thee. I adore thee. Those who address this Bird Ashoshest shall be assisted against the Dews of jMazcndraii with the lance, the poignard, the bow, the arrow, the pike, and the sling fitted for stones. ‘^Tf this bird be not invoked, and addressed, all tliese weapons will become the prey of the devils of hlazeiidran, viz. the lance, the poig- nard iScc. with which the dews of Mazendran can be opposed. The offenders are worthy of hell; they become the possession of the Daruj 31 without a chief; they receive no assistance from Serosh; they are impure, and are i^uilty of the Tana fur.” (“Abundance and Behislit.”) Ceremonial impurity is, according to what fol- lows, more heinous than moral impurity. “Can he who eats of a dead dog, or of a dead man, ever become pure, O holy Hormazd? Hor- mazd replied: he is impure. This person may shed tears, become yellow by grief, mourn till the cbrystalline substance comes out of his eyes; it will avail him nothing, it shall not prevent the Daruj Nesosh from invading his whole body from the head even to the feet. He shall remain impure while ages run their course. “Can that person ever become pure, O holy Hormazd, who carries a dead body into the fire, or into the water, and so pollutes the elements? Hormazd replied: such a person is impure; O ho- ly Zoroaster. He who even assists a dog to car_ ry a dead body into the water is impure, he is Darvand. He who aids a person who even wish- es to carry a corpse into the water is Darvand. He who assists the Dew who has created winter, who kills cattle, who by his mouth, and in his heart, seeks only the accomplishment of evil, he who by carrying a corpse into the water as- sists to augment the power of his enemy of hu- man kind is Darvand. The Daruj shall seize upon these wicked men from the head to the foot. They shall be impure while ages run tlieir course.” 33 Ceremonies, or works approach! to them, accordin*^ to what follows, are more excellent than good moral actions. long time must elapse before they till and cultivate the ground where a burying ground has been erected? Hormazd replied; this cannot be until the bodies shall have mingled with the dust. They who are careful to destroy Dokh- mehs in the world which exists by my power, O Zoroaster, shall, if they have destroyed gieat Dokhmehs where were the bodi«^s of dead men, be as if they has made the Patete* of thought, of word, and of action. They shall possess the merit of him who is pure in thought, in word, and in action. ‘^"Ahriman shall have no power over the tenth being, (or man absorbed in this excellence.) He shall shine with glory in the cwelliiigs of Be- hisht. He shall go above the sun, the moon, and the stars. I am who Hormazd, the just Judge, sliall recompense him. Thou who performest this action art pure. Thou shall go from the world where the Dew Sedj, author of evil, reigns, into that abode where he is not. If he has corii- Hiitted the Tauafur it shall be forgiven him. He shall have long life; the pure fire shall contribute to his preservation. He shall neither receive blows nor w ounds; and the day of his trial, which * Patete signifies to repent. The prayers which bear this name are confessions which, it is said, specify ail the sins which a man can commit. ~~ 33 ls\he fourth after his death, shall be to him a day of repose as well as the three nights which precede it.” Moral distinctions, the perception of which is so important lor the icgulatian of human cou«- duct, are here entirely lost sight of. Morality is consequently essentially injured. When it is be- lieved, that particular ceremonies are more ef- ficacious than general obedience, the molives to good conduct are sadly weakened, a id the eter- nal claims of the divine Being lamentably over- looked. XI. The Vendidad Sade contains some pas- sages directly opposed to morality. In the filth Fargard, the Parsis are instructed to commit murder. “If a man has commerce with a woman, subject or not subject to a chief, given or not given to a legitimate master, and if she has a child, and if she attribute the child to any particular person, and if he say. Let her aunt be interrogated, then they shall interrogate the aunt of this woman; they shall bring them before the Dastur, or before the King, who shall strike, and destroy, or in some inanner or other cause the child to die by giving it of the juice of a tree; but they shall not destroy the man, the woman, or the aunt.” The injunction to kill an innocent child is here express. 1 know nothing similar to it in any book with which I an acquainted, and particularly in a book professing to be a E 34 divine revelation. It is an injunction, to whicf), at the present day, no Pars! will attend. The conversation between Serosh, and the Dan j Eshein, recorded in the eighteenth Far- gaid, IS so impure, that I cannot here quote it. XII. The Vendidad Sade does not propose a reasonable scheme of salvation. The pardon of sin, the sanctification of the soul, and the obtainment of future felicity, in which salvation consists, are subjects of infinite importance to men. Respecting them, the light of nature gives us little information; and the de- sirableness of instruction about them by direct Revelation, must be admitted by every person who devotes himself to serious reflection. 1 have carefully examined the information which we find respecting them in the Vendidad Sade; and I find from a comparison of many of its statements, that the means of salvation may be stated to be, the practice ot the rites of the Maz- diasnan faith, charity, repentance, and penance, and the intercession ot friends. 1 shall select, as I proceed, a few passages referring to each of the five points to which 1 have now alluded, which will enable you clearly to see the doc- trines which are taught. 1. The practice of the rites of the Mazdias- nan faith is said to be a most efficacious mean of salvation. “The holy man, O Asphantaman Zo- roaster,” it is said in the second Fargard, "who 3 ^ rfe faithful to the law of the Mazdiasnans, shall fully efface that which is evil in his thoughts, in h s words, and in his actions, as a wind which blows from afar sweeps quickly away the dust.” A statement is made almost in the same words in the eight Fargard. Numerous blessings are pro- mised throughout the volume to the observance of particular ceremonies. We do them no injustice when we characterize many of them as absurd. Those of them, which refer to the expulsion and frightening of devils, by the ablution with water, and the paring of nails^ and others which have already passed under our notice, under the preceding heads of this lecture, certainly possess this character. The most im- portant of them, as those which refer to the wor- ship of Hormazd, and the elements, and other animate and inanimate objects, are exceedingly sinful, and directly opposed to the discoveries which God makes of himself in his works. 2. The practice of works of benevolence, and and especially of charity to the poor, to priests, to dogs, and to birds, is frequently inculcated, and highly extolled. “^He who gives grain (to the indigent) shall vanquish the Dews. When man gives according to the necessity of the case, the devils are hurl. Let him give yet more, and they shall weep with vexation. However little grain a man gives, it shall destroy the Dew in the place where it is given.” (Fargard 3.) ‘^"What is the most excellent earth, the most smiling and ^'6 propitious to men? Hormazd replied: It is that which men proniise to « ive to holy men, O As- phantan an Zoroaster, He who violates his pro-^ inise of {giving fo holy men, Sapandomad shall throw inio darkness. There are many persons who love not to give: the abode which awaits them is that of hell.” (Fargard 3.) ^"When a man,” says the Darnj Esliem, ""collects together goods which he has acquired, and puts them into tlie hands of the just man, then he strikes the fruit which I have conceived.” (Fargard 18.) ""The Mazdiasnans who do not give these ani- mals (dogs) any thing to eat, shall suffer in this world; they shall suffer «till more in the next, Ac.” (Fargard 13.) ""If any one give food to the Parodarash (to the cock which represents him upon the earth) who has a noble body, and whom I have produced, that one shall shine glo- riously in the celestial mansions.” (Fargard 18.) Pas.sages of a similar nature can easily be mul- tiplied. I am only required, iu this place, to sa} a few words on them. The practice of cha- rity is a good thing; and it is a duty iuctimbcnt on nil according to their abi ity. It ought not, iu\\ever, lobe enforced by such promises, and diricted by such precepts, as are contained in the Vei.didad Sade. When it is performed the lack ot other duties is not supplied, and the gniii of sin committed is not cancelled or remov- ed, and heaven is not purchased, as is taught in taut volame. 3. Repentance is recognized as an atonement for sin, and the procuring cause of merit. "Let him (the man who eats food, or who puts on clothes, which were near the dead) say: I repent, from the heart, of my evil thoughts, of my evil words, and of my evil actions. If this man thus avow the evil which he has done, this confession, this repentance, shall be an expiation.’’ "The ‘pure law cf the Mazdiasnans has ordained, that he w’ho repents of his sins shall only have to pass the bridge.” (Pargard 3.) "The pure law of the Mazdiasnans has only appointed for him who repents ot his crimes the pain of passing' the bridge.” (Pargard 8 ) These statements are intelligible; but they will not stand the test of reason. Repentance, tljough, as it involves the hatred of sin, and the turning to God, it is indispensable as a condition of our acceptance with God, does not, and cannot purchase the par- don of sin. It dees not make an atonement for the ofleiice which is committed against the di- vine majesty, by a violation of the divine laws. It does not remedy the evil effects of transgres- sion. No earthly governor,” 1 formerly observ- ed to you, "would say to his subjects. You have only to get sorry for your sins, and then I will pardon you. His authority would net be respect- ed were he to recognize repentance as an atone- ment; and God’s authority would not be respect- ed were he to recognize repentance as an atone- ment. If uuui wmre to have the power of sin- 3S uing, ai d of removing his sin when be pleases^ it is manifest, that he would never continue obedi- ent, and that he would be guilty of procrastina- tion, and that ang( Is and other intelligent beings, on seeing his conduct and success, might be tem- pled to disrespect the divine authority, and lev rebel against the divine law. A man who squan- ders away his substance and his health in sinful courses does not recover them on repen-* tance. A man who loses his character does not regain the confidence of his fellow creatures, when he confesses his guilt. The criminal who is condemned to death generally sutlers his me- rited punishment, notwithstanding all his tears, reii'rets, and entreaties.” Genuine repentance, it may be said, leads to obedience. This is certainly the case; but men ought not to delude themselves on the subject of obedience. The holiness and justice of God are so perfect, that they cannot accept of it as an atonement for disobedience. I prove this ob- servation by two remarks. 1 . The obedience of men can have no retros- pective effect. God, at every moment of our ex- isterree, demands all our aftection, and reverence, and service. When we have done our best in any given cir'cumstances, we have just done what we ouirht to do, and what cannot exceed the un- doubted claims which God has upon us. AVe have no overplus to ^^upply deficiencies, and those deficicnces which have taken place, and which 39 are innumerable, must ever remain. They form, as it were, a debt; and a debt contracted with a merchant is not cancelled, though every article purchased after its contraction be regularly and fully y>aid for. The Parsis, who think that God will in tlie end weigh the gf)od and bad actions of men to* geiher, and judge accordingly, overlook the fact which I have noticed, that God requires all the services ot men, according to the fullest extent of their power, at every moment of their exis- tence. The imaginatic,n that good and bad ac- tions may counterbalance one another, is repul- sive to every proper idea which we can form of the divine law. According to it, God does not require us to be perfect, or to have a perfect righteousnes, in order to escape punishment, but be requires of us only to have as much goodness as we have evil! If the judgment of God, how- ever, which accords with the holiness and justice of his nature, is really to be illustrated by the process of weighing, we must suppose a perfect righteousness in the scale according to which the trial is to be made. What the result will be in regard to man, as far as his own works are con- cerned, i need scarcely mention. Men, even though they were perfectly to obey the law of God from the fi( St moment of their repentance, would be found deficient on account of their former sins, and they would consequently be re- jected. 40 2. The obedience of men is 7iot perfect at any period of their lives. Though they ma^ be sin- cere in their repentance; though they may carry on a perpetual struggle against sin; and though by divine grace they may be in a great degree successful, they do not, till death, become imtiie- ly free from sin. Their obedience, then, though it be demanded of them as a dul v, cannot be the price of their admission into heaven. S. Many penances are prescribed in the Ven- didad Sade. Some of them are to be inflicted by men upon themselves, and some by priests, and magistrates. They are said to be of the greatest avail in purging from sin, and restoring to the divine favour. I give a specimen of the injunctions which are given respecting them “if a man commit a certain crime in certain circum- stances, let him procure a thousand hares; let him carry into the pure and holy fire the tat of these animals, while pronouncing the word; let carry under his arms pure water to wash this fat; let him carry into the pure fire wood well dried, and well examined; let him carry into the pure and holy fire a thousand bundles of wood cut, with pure odour, of a good kind, and well pre- pared, and with the best odour drawn from odo- riferous trees; let him bind a thousand pure I3ar- sems; let Inm carry a thousand Zaurs 04 the Horn, aud ot the flesh of an animal, pure and well examined, which ought to torin a pioduriion pure and well examined: aud if it happen io die. 41 let him offer for himself the trees, and espe- cially those which are considered of a good kind, (let him offer for himself) pure water. Let this man destroy a thousand adders, which cod themselves, and creep upon the belly, and two thousand of a different species; let him kill a thousand frogs, which move upon the earth, and two thousand which move in the waters; let him kill a thousand of the ants, which carry giain into their holes, and two thousand of another kind; let him build with care thirty boats to move upon the mighty waters; let him be struck a thousand times with leather cords of goat’s, or of horse’s skin, which is equal to a thousand derems. Such shall be the punishment of those who commit such crimes. If they submit to it, they shall go into the abode of the saints, if they sub- mit not, they shall go into the abode of the Dar- vands, the place of thickest darkness,” Different punishments are prescribed for different sins; and they are not represented merely as beneficial in a moral or civil point of view; but as beneficial in removiiig the punishment of sin in a future world. The prescription of them cannot be reposed in,’ They can never stand in the room of that pun- ishment which is due to transgression. The evil of sin is not adequately demonstrated by them. They are not sufficient to deter from iniquity. They are not sufficient to vindicate the honour ind glory of an offended lawgiver. 5. Prayers for the dead arc prescribed in the F 42 twelfth Pargardj and other places, as highly be- neficial to the condemned sinner. The doctrine, that the deceased may be either relieved from their just punishments or difficulties, or ad- vanced in their bliss by the conduct of those who survive them, is highly injurious to the best interests of mankind. It is calculated to harden them in their sinful courses, and to lead tliem to dtday repentance. There is no method of salvation proposed in the Vendidad which can shew that mercy can be exercised toward the guilty without an impeach- ment of the divine justice. As far as it is con- cerned, then, the grand problem of redemption, in comparison ot which all others sink into in- significance, and which should ever occupy the supreme attention of mankind, is still unsolved. The anxious sinner can find in it no relief, and no foundation of hope for the future. The con- sideration is calculated to produce the most ago- nizing solicitude in the bosom of every person who has hitherto depended upon it. XIII. The Vendidad Sade does not give a be- coming account of the Future State. The intorraation which it does profess to give on this subject, and which is principally com- prized in the eighteenth Fargard, is very brieft and far from being satisfactory. When a man is dead, "the Dew, master of the evil law”, it is said, "possesses the corpse before and behind, or the whole corpse, for three 4i nights.** What, I ask, can induce the devil to take up his abode in a corpse? Can any injury accrue from this possession? The body, when it ceases to be animated by the soul, is merely a mass of lifeless clay. The happiness, ur misery, of the departed is altogether unaffected by its treatment. Let us pass over this circumstance, however, and trace the soul in its progress to the o- ther world. “^By the way of time, or the path given by time, they shall arrive upon the bridge Chi- nevad given by Hormazd. . .The holy souls who have done good shall approach protected by the dog of cattle, or the dog which watches over flocks covered with glory. Those whose guilty souls merit hell shall tremble with the fear of their impending fate. The souls of the just shall go upon a mountain terribly high. They shall pass the bridge Chinevad, which inspires with fear, accompanied by the celeslial Izeds. Bah- maii shall rise from his throne of gold, and shall say. How came you here, O holy souls, from the world of evil, into those pure abodes where the author of evil has no power. Well may these Iioly souls come near Hormazd, near the Ams- haspands, the holy men &c.’* The bridge which is here mentioned, forms an ordeal, which does not well befit the omniscient God, who is ac- quainted with all the thoughts, and words, and actions of men. The guardianship of the dog, said to be enjoyed by the just, is unworthy of that being who is infinite in power, and glory. 44 ; riieir introduction into the presence of Bahman and Ilormazd, and other created beings, and ■without any manifestion of, or acknowledgement, by the Supreme God, cannot be the highest spe- cies ot bliss to which the heart of man aspires. The restoration of the wicked from the tor- ments ofhell, after the sufferance of them for a limited period, or at what the Parsis call the ge- neral resurrection, which is alluded to in the fourth Fargard, and in other passages, takes it for granted that mere suffering will purge from sin, which is a hypothesis contrary to the expe- rience of mankind. Punishment alone has never been known to eradicate the love of iniquity, and to inspire the person on whom it is inflicted with the love of God. It cannot be seen how any measure of it can atone for unpardoned sin, for that iniquity which is an offence against the majesty and grace of the Lord of all. The of- fender, who has no righteousness independent of his own, to which to betake himself, has every reason to apprehend eternal punishment. Such arc the remarks which I have to make at present on the Vendidad Sade, 1 beg of you, when forming a judgment of them, to bear in mind what 1 have already stated to you on the subject of a direct revelation. It may be above reason, but it can in no respect be contrary to reason, and the discoveries which God makes of himself in his works, it roust, like the w orks ofGcd, bear the impress of the Divinity, and be 45 such as is calculated to secure the faith of the candid and humble inquirer; to instruct him in the most important of all subjects; and to direct him in the path which leads to heaven. As the Vendidad Sade, does not support its pretensions to a divine revelation^ and is^ as I have shown, in many respects inconsistent with them, the con- clusion is warranted, that it has not been given as a Revelation by God. The Parsis, w hom I have the pleasure of addressing-, and many of their tribe, will, 1 trust, cevote themselves to such considera- tion as will issue in their admission of its accura- cy. I am desirous that their decision may accord with their acute discernment in secular affairs; and that they may show that the interests of truth are paramount in their estimation. Let prejudice of every kind be laid aside; and let the fullest determination be manifested to follow on- ly that which is right. Trials may be reasonably expected in the course which ought to be pursu- ed; but when the interests of the soul, and the eternity to which we look forward, are realized, they appear as comparatively trifling and unim- portant. The servant of truth has God on his side; and greater is he that is for him than all that can be against him. The divine authority ought to be view'ed as the foundation of our ac- tions; and the divine grace to be supplicated for the communication of needful support. The blessing of God can never be enjoyed, w'hile we obstinately cling to error, and refuse to honour 46 lliiOj by exercising* the judgement and reason which he has conferred upon uSj by attending to the intimations of his character and operations which he has given to us, and by following the dictates of eternal truth. I make an earnest ap- peal to you on these subjects; and I fondly trust, that you will respect the motives with which I profess to be actuated. I seek only your good. ] have no more anxious desire, than that w^hich respects your happiness in time, and throughout eternity; and it shall ever be my constant prayer and endeavour to promote it. For all my Chris- tian brethren who are present on this occasion, for many throughout the country, and for thou- sands in my native land, I can freely make a similar declaration. It is our hope, that as you are superior in education and and reflection to many of those around you, you may be among the first of the inhabitants of this great country to embrace the religion revealed by God, and the most powerful instruments of advancing it throughout the length and breadth of India. When I have directed your attention, in a sin- gle lectuie, to the Vedanta system of the Hin- dus, I shall, God willing, bring before your no- tice the claims of the Bible. I hope to be able to shew, from a consideration of its contents, history, and effects, that it is indeed the w ord of Gcd, In the mean time, I would solicit on its behalt voiir serious attention. It has sustained the most rigorous investigation by friend and foe; 4!'7 it has commanded the assent, and veneration, of men of the greatest intellect and education. It has proved victorious over persecution the niosl direful, and barbarism and ignorance the most gross, and disseminated civilization and holi- ness in many a land. Its statements are distin- guished by the greatest simplicity, consistency, importance, wisdom and truth. The revela- tion, which it makes of the character of God, comports with the discoveries which he makes of his character and moral government in his works, and is calculated to advance his glory in a man- ner which the unaided imagination cannot conceive. Its discovery of the state of man explains all the perplexing appearances which force themselves on our attention, and lays the very thoughts and intents of his heart open to our view. It manifests a scheme of salvation, in the appointment of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to be the surety and substitute ot^ and sacrifice for, sinful man, which accords both with the mer- cy and justice of God; which is calculated in the highest degree to advance the divine glory; which emphatically illustrates the evil of sin, and deters from its commission; and which effectual- ly, secures the pardon and sanctification, by the Divine Spirit, of all those who sincerely rest upon it, and harmonize with it in their conduct. It furnishes man with the most powerful motives to obedience, and communicates to him the most glorious hopes. It supports him under the hea- 48 viest afflictions^ and calamities^ illumines the darkness of the grave, and makes known to him an immortality ot perfect happiness, and unalloy- ed and unutterable joy. Blessed, infinitely blessed, are those who are brought under its in- fluence. May many of you be found among them, and numbered among the children of God and the heirs of heaven ! p I y j Sv