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A passage for editorial review. I 1. BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF Stents m. Sage Cornell University Library BR45 .B21 1809 3 1924 029 180 698 olln A VIEW OF THE BRAHMINICAL RELIGION, IN ITi CONFIRMATION OF THE TRUTH or THE AND IN ITS INFLUENCE ON THE iHotal Character; m A SERIES OF DISCOURSES, FKEACHED BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD IN THE YEAB 1809, AT THE LECTURE FOUNDED BY THE LATE REV. JOHN BkMPTON, M. A. CANON OF SALISBURY. By the Rev. I. B. S. CARWITHEN, M. A. LONDON: fRINTED FOR CADELL AND DAVIES, STRAND J FOR J. M. .GUTCH, BRISTOL; AND FOR J. FARKEft, OXFOR~D^' 1810. { 10^ Bristol s printed ir }• M. Ctcli> TO THE MOST NOBLE RICHARD MARQUIS WELLESLEY,K.G. ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S PRINCIPAL SECRETARIES OF STATE. MY LOBD, Though the inability mth whrich the following Discourses are executed, may bring on me the charge of presumption in selecting a name of such high authority on every question, connected witTi the history and science of the eastern world; yet the motives by which they .were suggested, may, in some degree, recommend them to the ap- probation of Maf quis Wellesley. — To no one, my Lord, could -they be addressed with so much propi-iety ; sincej among tht! many claims, which a vigorous aiidispleiidid admihistra- tipn; in Ii^d^;ha^^ptaile4 q p^Mie esteem and gratitude, it is impossi- ble to forget the obligations, which your Lordship's' patronage has con- ferred on oriental literature. > " Your Lordship needs not to be informed, of what every scholar must know, tha^, in a work, con- fessedly intended for popular use, but on a subject so recondite and difFusiye, it was impossible to a,void all^isions to many points, on which a wide diflPerence of opinion has excited much intemperance and acrimony. That the ensuing i dis- cussion of some of those points, is so temperate,*^ as to^ compose all differ- ence of opinion,! it would be arrox gant to :hope : but no objector to the principles supported will have rea- son to complain; that'his sentiments have been disguised by misrepre- sentatidli, or distorted by prejudice!* 111. In the composition and publica- tion of these (discourses, the great object has been, to establish those sound principles, which, while they include the interests of religion and morality, are the basis of all true policy ; principles, on which the British constitution in Church and State is founded; and to which alone we must look for domestic peace and security, and for the preservation of empire. I have the honor to be, with the greatest respedl, My Loed, Your Lordship's most obliged. And most devoted Servant, LB. S. CARWITHEN. MERE, WILTS, March 31, 1810, ADVERTISEMENT. The author wishes to "observe, respeBing r the few 'Notes attached to' the present work, that they are principally designed for readers unac- quainted with Asiatic literatttre. They might have been-adoafitageously extended, but the Author was imwiliing to add 'more thdnwere absolutely neces' sary, until the sense of the public on the value of his perfdi>fhance should be ascertained. He cannot dismiss the volume without acknow- ledging his o'bligcttions to DoSior FoRT), thePrin- cipal of Magdalen Hall^ and Lord Almoner's Professor of Arabic, for many valuable remarks i and also for a comjnunicatiqn transmitted in the most condescending manner by the learned Bishop OF Glocester. Extra6tfrom the last Will and TeslUment of the late Rev.-John Bampton, Canon of Salisbury. — — — *' I give and bequeath my Lands and Estates to the • ' Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University, of Oxford for f ever, to have and to hold all and singular the said Lands Or Estates *' upon trust, and to the intents and purposes hereinafter mentioned ; " that is to say, I will and appoint, that the Vice-Chancellor of the •' University of Oxford for the time being shall take and receive all *• the rents. Issues, and profit^ thereof, , and (after all taxes, reparations, " and necessary deductions made) that he p^y all the remainder to the " endbvmient of ^ieh.t Divinity Leflure Settaons, to be established for " ever in the said University, and to >be rperformed in the manner "following: " I direS andapppint, that, upon the first Tuesday in Easter term, a •' Leflurer be yearly fhoaen t>y the Heads of Colleges only, and by no " others, in the room adjoiiiing to the Pripting-House, between the " hours of ten in the morning and two in the afternoon, to preach eight " Divinity LeQure Sermons, the year foU&wing, at St. .Mary's, in " Oxford, between the comm^nqemeiit pf the last month in Lent Term, << and the end of the third week in A3 Term' " Also 1 1 direSand appoint, that the eight Divinity Lefture Sermon* "shall be preached upon either of thefoUow'ng sobjefls — to confirm , "and establish the Christian Faith, and to confute ^all heretics ai;d " schismatics— 'upon the divine authority of the Holy Scriptures — upon " the authority of the writings of the primitive Fathers, as to the faith ' and praftice of the primitive Church — upo;! the Divinity of our Lord " and Saviour Jesus Christ — upon, tlje Divinity of the Holy Ghost-^ " upon the Articles of th^ Christian Faith, as corap!x:hcnded in the " Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. " Also I direft, that thirty copies of the eight Divinity Lefture " Sermons shall be always printed, within two months after they arc " preached, and one copy shall be given to the Chancellor of the " University, and one copy t6 the Head of every College, and one copy " to the Mayor of the City of Oxford, and one copy to be put into the " Bodleian Library ; and the expence of printing them shall be paid " out of the revenue of the Lands or Estates given for establishing the " Divinity Lefture Sermons ; and the Preacher shall not be paid, i nor " be entitled to the revenue, before they are printed. " Also 1 dire& and appoint, that no person shall be qualified to preach " the Divinity Lefture Sermons, unless he hath taken the Degree of " Master of Arts at least, in one of the two Universities of Oxford or " Cambridge ; and that the same person shall never preach the " Divi;iity Le£lure Sermons twice." ERRAtA. Page 25, line 6, for Purdnas read Puranu SO, 7 , fir their rcai its 33, 10, fir idiotcy read idiocj SS, Note, jor Bhag^ret read Bhagavat 91, line 17, fir Kasbup rw</Kushup 96, 17j fir superaded read superadded 101, 21, yb-perspnsgrfri/ personage 112, 8, /or or rfarf and 120, IS, fir are read is. , 122, Note, fir Dalistan read Dabistan 127, line 20, fir Ethiopia read Ethiopian] 154, 19, /or their rsarf the 181, 15, /or impunities rrai/ impurities 117, 17, /or from rfurf with. 190, 17, /or represent rf representing 195, 17, fir cabbalistic reai cabalistic, 204, 12, fir give rearf gives 241, 2, /or division rirni divisions S63, 10, /or unlimittedrMrf unlimited 272, 28, fir ancestor read ancestors S87, 9, ^ter originated imert in 294, 17, fir these read this 295, 6, fir goverment read government 301, 7, /or acquieserearf acquiesce DISCOURSE I. GENERAL VIEW OF THE BEAHMINICAL SYSTEM. IntroduBion — Sketch of the History of Itindoostan as connected with religion — Authenticity of the Vedas — Probable antiquity of the V&das — Of the Purdnas and other sacred records of the Brahmins — Design of the following, Discourses. DISCOURSE I. GENEKAI, VIEW OE THE BEAHM1NICA.L STfSTEM. Malachi, C. 1. V. 11. From tite rising of th& sun, unto the going doivii Of the same, my name shall be great among the ' Gentiles, and in every place, incense shall be offered . to my name, and a pure offering ; for my name s'hall be 'great oMong the Heathen^ saith the Lord of Hosts. In contemplating the scheme of ancient prp- phecy, there is no circumstance which bears a stronger evidence of divine inspiration, than the universality of design, by which it stands essen- tially distinguished, fi-om the legal and ceremonial parts of the Jewish covenant. That ", salvation is of the Jews" form^ indeed a leading doftrine, both of the Law and of ^the Prophets. But the law 'being subservient to the great " mystery of gbdliness" to be revealed in a future age, was intended by the peculiarity of its rites, and the contrafted pra£bicability of its ordinances, to se- parate a singly nation, from the idolatrous worship which OYei:spread.;;the world. Its injian£l|ons therefare, when praftised with scfupulpus rlgbf; were calculated to form a temper sullen and unsocial J and its promises,' wlien interpreted by supercilious vanity, eventually contributed to foster a spirit of praftical intolerance. Different however were the views, and more ' important wa^ the commission, of the Prophets of the Lord of Hosts. Commanded to proclaim " the glad tidings of salvation" to all the nations of tiie earth, they were guided by none of those motives which commonly, and sometimes laudaljly, regu- late human condufit. Those venerable charafiters, " who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," exhibit a disposition equally distant froni unfeeling bigotry, interested concealment, or ser- vile adulation. Through all their prediftions concerning the future condition of the chosen people of God, in which enthusiasm or imposture might have successfully administered to the gra- tification of any selfish or sinister passion, there is nothing to inflame the- restless cupidity of national ambition, and little to soothe, even the honest prejudices of national attachment. With equal boldness ithey chastise the rebellious Spirit of their countrymen, and.