brave hunger, thirst, and the consuming ardour of the sun. Humbled sometimes, but never subjected, they have bid defiance to all the powers of the earth, and have repulsed those chains which have alternately been borne by other nations. The Romans, those masters of the world, lost whole armies, which were sent to the conquest of this country. The Egyptians, the Persians, and the Ottomans, have never been able to subdue them.* The Arabs are the only nation, except the jews, who have so long remained a distinct people. They are both standing monuments of the exactness of divine predictions, and the veracity of scripture history.† A new sect of religion has of late appeared in Arabia, which explodes every species of idolatry, and enjoins the worship of one eternal Being. It considers Moses and his ancestors in the east as sublime teachers of wisdom, and as such worthy of respect and veneration but it rejects all revelation, and denies that any book was ever penned by the angel Gabriel.t From a paragraph in one of the public papers, we learn that an Arabian scheick, nam- * Savary's Letters on Egypt, vol. ii. pp. 198–204. Pro and in the very country where Abraham lived, the scheick Hajabi, undertook to re-establish the original religion of the ancient patriarchs; inviting to embrace it, Jews, Turks, and Christians themselves. It is further asserted, that this sect is making a rapid progress on the side of Mecca and Medina. PERSIA. THE Persians are mahometans, of the sect of Ali they differ from the Turks concerning the succession of Mohammed. The Turks reckon them thus: Mohammed, Abubeker, Omar, Osman, and Ali. But the Persions reckon Ali to be the immediate successor of Mohammed. At this day there are many sects in Persia that evidently have christianity for the foundation of their religion. Some of them, called Souffees, who are a kind of Quietists, sacrifice their passions to God, and profess the moral duties. The Sabean christians have in their religion a mixture of Judaism and Mahometanism, and are numerous towards the Persian gulf. The Armenian and Georgian christians are also very numerous here. There are a great number of jews spread over the whole empire. They are said to be numerous in Persia, though tolerated in but few places. A combustible ground, about ten miles distant from Baku, a city in the north of Persia, is the scene of their devotions. It must be admitted that this ground is impregnated with very surprising inflammatory qualities, and contains several old little temples; in one of which the Guebres pretend to preserve the sacred flame of the universal fire, which rises from the end of a large hollow cane, stuck into the ground, resembling a lamp burning with pure spirits.* This religion was founded by Zoroaster, who lived about the year of the world 2860. This great philosopher, being struck with the demonstrations he observed of the perfections of that self-existent Being who is the author of all good, and being at a loss to account for the introduction of evil into this world, thought there were two principles of beings; one the cause Guthrie, p. 706. The Guebres, or Gaurs, who pretend to be the disciples and successors of the ancient magi, the followers of Zoroaster. of all good, whom he imagined resembled light; the other the author of 'all evil, whóm he represented by darkness. He, considering light as the most perfect symbol of true wisdom, and darkness as the representative of whatever is hurtful or destructive, inculcated an abhorrence of all images, and taught his followers to worship God only, under the form of fire; considering the brightness, purity, and incorruptibility of that element, as bearing the most perfect resemblance of the nature of the good Deity.* Zoroaster compiled a book for the use of the priests, who were to explain it to the public at large, who attended the sacrifices. This book was called the zend; a word which signifies a kindler of fire, because it was for the use of those who worshipped the fire; but the allegorical meaning was, to kindle the fire of religion in their hearts. In this book there are so many passages taken out of the old testament, that some learned men have supposed the author was a jew. He gave almost the same account of the creation of the world as we find written in the book of Genesis; and of the ancient patriarchs, as recorded in scripture. He enjoins relating to clean and unclean beasts, the same as was done by Moses, and in the same manner orders the people to pay tithes to the priests. The rest of the book contains the life of the author, his pretended visions, the methods he used in order to establish his religion, and concludes with exhortations to obedience. Yet, notwithstanding the striking similarities between the zend and the law of Moses, it will not follow from hence that Zoroaster was a jew. The Chaldeans and Persians were inquisitive people; they even sent students to India and Egypt: and, finding the jews in a state of captivity among them, they would naturally inquire into the mysteries of their religion. There is a sect of modern philosophers in Persia who are called sufis, either from the greek word for a sage, or from the woollen mantle which they used to wear in some provinces of Persia. Their fundamental tenets are: That nothing exists absolutely but God; that the human soul is an emanation from his essence, and though divided for a time from its heavenly source, will be finally re-united with it; that the highest possible happiness will arise from its *Middleton's Geography, vol. i. p. 69. re-union; and that the chief good of mankind in this transitory world consists in as perfect a union with the eternal spirit as the incumbrances of a mortal frame will allow; that, for this purpose, they should break all connexion with extrinsic objects, and pass through life without attachments, as a swimmer in the ocean strikes freely with out the impediment of cloths; that if mere earthly charms have power to influence the soul, the idea of celestial beauty must overwhelm it in ecstatic light; that, for want of apt words to express the divine perfections and the ardour of devotion, we must borrow such expressions as approach the nearest to our ideas, and speak of beauty and love in a transcendent and mystical sense; that, like a reed torn from its native bank, like wax separated from its delicious honey, the soul of man bewails its disunion with melancholy music, and sheds burning tears, like the lighted taper, waiting passionately for the moment of its extinction, as a disengagement from earthly trammels, and the means of returning to its only beloved. This theology prevails among the learned mussulmans, who avow it without reserve.* All religions, except the sect of Omar, are tolerated in this kingdom.† ASIATIC ISLANDS. JAPAN ISLANDS. THE worship of the Japanese is paganism, divided into several sects, among which the three following are the most conspicuous :-The Sinto, or ancient idol worship of the Japanese-the Budso, or foreign idol worship, introduced into Japan from the empire of China, and the kingdom of Siam-and the religion of their philosophers and moralists. *Some have asserted that the ancient Persians held a co-eternity of these two principles. Other writers agree that the evil principle was created out of darkness, and that Oromasdes first subsisted alone; that by him the light and darkness were created; and that in the composition of this world good and evil are mixed together, and so shall continue till the end of all things, when each shall be separated and reduced to its own sphere. Some have endeavoured to account for the origin of the prince of darkness thus: "Oromasdes (say they) said once within his mind, How shall my power appear, if there be nothing to oppose me?' This reflection called Abriman into being, who thenceforward opposed all the designs of God; and thereby, in spite of himself, contributes to his glory, See Heckford on Religions, p. 109. ↑ Jones's Asiatic Dissertations, 1. The religion of the Sintos. This denomination have some obscure and imperfect notions of the immortality of the soul, and a future state of bliss and misery; and yet worship only those gods whom they believe are peculiarly concerned in the government of the world for though they acknowledge a supreme Being, who, they believe, dwells in the highest heaven, and admit of some inferior gods, whom they place among the stars; yet they do not worship and adore them; nor have they any festivals sacred to them, thinking that beings so much elevated above mankind will concern themselves but little about human affairs. They, however, swear by their superior gods; but they worship and invoke those gods alone whom they believe to have the sovereign control over this world, its elements, productions, and animals: these, they suppose, will not only render them happy here, but, by interceding for them at the hour of death, may procure them a happy condition in the next state of existence, in reward of their good conduct in the present state. Hence their dairis, or ecclesiastical emperors, being esteemed lineally descended from the eldest and The Sintos believe that the soul, after quitting the body, is removed to the high subcelestial fields, seated just beneath the thirty-three heavens, the dwelling places of their gods; that those who have led a good life find immediate admission, while the souls of the wicked are denied entrance, and condemned to wander till they have expiated their crimes; but they do not believe in a hell, or place of torment. One of the essential points of their religion is, that they ought to preserve an inward purity of heart, and to practise or abstain from whatever the dictates of reason, or the express command of the civil magistrate, direct or forbid. The Sintos religion enjoins abstaining from blood, from eating flesh, or being near a dead body; by which a person is for a time rendered unfit to go to the temples, to visit holy places, and to appear in the presence of the gods. The other great points of their re Paine's Epitome of History, vol. ii. p. 36. † Ibid, p. 41. |