burning, lifting up their hands, and then striking their faces against the floor three times, they implore from him the blessings of sound intellect, and health of body, without any further petition. A note upon this custom observes, that it was probably borrowed by the Tartars from the Chinese. The words inscribed upon the written tablet were, tien, heaven-hoang tien, supreme heaven-shang-ti, Sovereign Lord.Marco Polo, B. 2. ch. 26.

The ancient Scythians taught the being of a Supreme God, master of the Universe, to whom all things were submissive and obedient. The ancient Icelandic mythology calls him the Author of every thing that existeth; the eternal, the ancient, the living and awful Being, the searcher into concealed things, the being that never changeth, possessed of infinite power, boundless knowledge, and incorruptible justice. Tacitus † again tells us, that they were forbidden to represent their Deity under any corporeal form. They were not even to think of confining him within the inclosure of walls, but were taught that it was only within woods and consecrated forests that they could serve him properly.-Mallet's N. Antiquities, V. I. p. 78.

The notions of the Peruvians about one Supreme Being, the first cause of all things, seem to have been much more clear and distinct than those of the Mexicans. "Tis certain also they had a proper name in their tongue to express the Deity by,which was the word Pachacamac; the meaning of which is as much as the Quickner of the Universe, or as some would call it, the great soul of the world. This name was so very sacred and venerable amongst them, that they never mentioned it except upon extreme necessity, and then not without all the signs of devotion imaginable; as bowing the

Tacit de Mor. Germ. c. 35, + Ibid. c. 9.

body and head, lifting up the eyes to heaven, and spreading out the hands. They called him the invisible and unknown Being, and for that reason offered no sacrifices unto him, nor built him ordinarily any temples, but paid him only an internal worship and reverence in their minds; yet in a certain valley in Peru there was a temple dedicated to him, and called by his name. The sun is generally esteemed to have been the great Deity of the Peruvians, as having both temples and sacrifices in abundance; and the Incas making this the main point of the glory of their original, that they were the offspring of the Sun, and consequently in their notion of a divine race. Besides this, several other deities have been brought in for a share of their worship too by Acosta, and other writers; the moon and the stars have been mentioned, the earth, the sea, the meteors of the airy region, the springs and the rivers, and other meaner objects upon the surface; but Garcilasso di Vega, who was himself an Inca, denies all this, and imputes it partly to their ignorance of the Peruvian rites and ceremonies, and partly of the language which agrees with the Chinese in this respect, that one and the same word having a multitude of significations, is to be determined to this or that particular signification by the tone or accent.

The Spaniards therefore might easily mistake, and make the Peruvians seem to be guilty of fouler and grosser idolatries than really they were. And that they acknowledged a being superior in power and majesty to the Sun, to which the most of their temples were erected, is clear from the account the last emperor Atabalipa gave of his faith to the Friar Vincent de Valle Viridi, who came to catechize him. "I hold," says the prince," the sun for God, the earth for mother, and Pachacamac for Creator of all." But there was a

passage of one of his predecessors (the Inca Huyana Capac) which ought not to be forgotten. This prince one day looking up to the sun, (which they held to be unlaw ful to do) the High Priest who was by him, reproved him for it; but he still persisting in his view, and the priest in his reproof of him, at last he turned to the priest with this question, which of you all (says he) dares bid me, who am your sovereign lord, rise up and go a long journey? The priest' replied, none would dare to do so. But (continues he) if I command the greatest of my princes to go from hence to Chili, will he not do it? To this the other returned, that none durst disobey him. Why then I conclude (says the Inca) that our father the sun must needs have a mightier lord than himself, that commands him every day to take such a long journey; for if he were a supreme Lord he would certainly some time or other lie still and rest himself.-Harris's Voyages, Vol. I. p. 772.

A temple to the invisible Pachacamac, or Deity, is further described in the history of the Inca Pachacutee. In the vicinity of the town now called Lima, the Inca found a temple dedicated to the invisible Pachacamac, who was served here with a worship much more inhuman and cruel, than any known and practised in all the parts of Peru, for here were men, women, and children, offered in sacrifice; and it was no uncommon thing to see that more valuable blood mixed with the blood of brute animals at their altars. But they differed from the rites of the religion of the Inca their conqueror, not only in the point of human sacrifices, (of which there were none public, at least in his dominions,) but also in this, that they had an image to represent Pachacamac to their senses, which the others also protested against. This image both the king and the priest reverenced so highly, that when they entered

the temple they always went backwards, not daring to presume to cast an eye upon him. Beside this, they had also an oracle (as they called it) from which they had (as they gave out) the knowledge of things to come. Now when the Inca brought his army into this country he sent to Cuysmancu, the king of it, to demand subjection in the sun's name, whose kinsman and deputy he was: but Cuysmancu refused to yield upon these summonses, and sent word that his Pachacamac was greater than the sun, being the maker of him and all other beings, and that it was to this Deity that he paid all his religious devoirs. The Inca replied again, that he and his country did worship Pachacamac as well as he, but they did it without temple or sacrifice, honouring him only with a mental service, be cause they knew him not, nor what he would be pleased with. And, whereas they were afraid to look upon the image of Pachacamac, he and his people dreaded even to pronounce his awful name.-Harris's Voyages, Vol. I. p. 782.

Ishtohoollo is, with the North American Indians, an appellative for God. Ishtohoollo points at the greatness, purity, and goodness, of the Creator; it is derived from Ishto, great, which was the usual name of God through all the prophetic wri tings; likewise from the present tense of the infinitive mood of the active verb Ahoollo, " I love ;" and from the preter tense of the passive verb Hoollo, which signifies sanctifying, sanctified, divine, or holy. So that Ishtohoollo, when applied to God, in its true radical meaning imports, The great beloved holy cause. They have also another ap pellative, which with them is the mysterious, essential name of God; the tetragrammaton, or great four lettered name, which they never mention in common speech; of the time and place when and where they mention it, they are very par ticular, and always with a solemn

air. There is a specie of tea, that grows spontaneously, and in great plenty, along the sea coast of the two Carolinas, Georgia, and East and West Florida, which we call Yopon, or Cusseena. The Indians transplant, and are exceeding fond of it; they drink it on certain stated occasions, and in their most religious solemnities, with awful in vocations; but the women, and children, and those who have not successfully accompanied their holy ark, pro aris et focis, dare not even enter the sacred square, when they are on this religious duty; other wise they would be dry scratched with snakes' teeth, fixed in the middle of a split reed, or piece of wood, without the privilege of warm water to supple the stiffened skin. When this liquid, or supposed holy drink offering, is fully prepared, and fit to be drank, one of their Magi brings two old consecrated, large conch shells, out of a place appropriated for containing the holy things, and delivers them into the hands of two religious attendants, who, after a wild ceremony, fill them with the supposed sanctifying, bitter liquid then they approach near to the two central red and white seats, stooping with their heads and bodies pretty low; advancing a few steps in this posture, they carry their shells with both hands, at an instant, to one of the most principal men, on those red and white seats, saying, on a bass key, Yah, quite short; then in like manner they retreat backward, facing each other, with their heads bowing forward, their arms across, rather below their breast, and their eyes half shut; thus, in a very grave, solemn manner, they sing on a strong bass key, the awful monosyllable 0, for the space of a minute; then they strike up majetic, He, on the treble, with a very intent voice, as long as their breath allows them; and on a bass key, with a bold voice, and short REMEMBRANCER, No. 35.

accent, they at last utter the strong mysterious sound, Wah, and thus finish the great song, or most so lemn invocation of the divine essence. The notes together compose ther sacred mysterious name, Y-O-He-Wah.

That this seems to be the true Hebrew pronunciation of the divine essential name, Jehovah, will appear more obvious from the sound they seem to have given their characters. The Greeks, who chiefly copied their alphabet from the Hebrew, had not jod, but iota, very nearly resembling the sound of our Y. The ancient Teutonic and Sclavonian dialects, have Yah as a affirmative, and use the consonant W instead of V. The high importance of the subject, necessarily would lead these supposed red Hebrews, when separated from other people in America, to continue to repeat the favorite name of God YOHEWAH, according to the ancient pronunciation. Contrary to the usage of all the ancient heathen world, the American Indians not only name God by several strong compounded appellatives, expressive of many of his divine attributes, but likewise say YAH, at the beginning of their religious dances, with a bowing posture of the body; then they sing Yo Yo, He He, and repeat those sacred notes on every religious occasion; the religious attendants calling to Yah, to enable them humbly to supplicate, seems to point to the Hebrew custom of pronouncing Yah, which likewise signifies the divine essence. It is well known what sacred regard the Jews had to the four lettered divine name, so as scarcely ever to mention it but once a year, when the high priest went into the holy sanctuary, at the expiation of sins. Might not the Indians copy from them this sacred invocation? Their method of invoking God, in a solemn hymn, with that reverential deportment, hath a surprizing ana-, logy to the Jewish custom, and 40

such as no other nation or people even with the advantage of written records, have retained.

It may be worthy of notice, that they never prostrate themselves, nor bow their bodies to each other, by way of salute or homage, though usual with the eastern nations, except when they are making or renewing peace with strangers, who come in the name of Yah; then they bow their bodies in that religious solemnity, but they always bow in their religious dances, because then they sing what they call divine hymns, chiefly composed of the great, beloved, and divine name, and addressed to Yo, He, Wah.

That these red savages formerly understood the radical meaning, and emblematical design, of the important words they use in their religious dances and sacred hymns, is pretty obvious, if we consider the reverence they pay to the mysterious divine name Yo, He, Wah, in pausing during a long breath on each of the two first syilables; their defining good by joining Wah at the end of a word, which otherwise expresses moral evil, and again by making the same word a negative of good, by separating the first syllable of that divine name into syllables, and adding U, as a superlative termination, Y-O-U: all their sacred songs seem likewise to illustrate it very clearly; Halelu-Yah, Shilu Wah, Meshi-Wah, Meshiha Yo, Lu. The words which they repeat in their divine hymns, while dancing in circles round their supposed holy fire, are deemed so sacred, that they have not been known ever to mention them at any other time: and as they are a most erect people, their bowing posture during the time of these religious acclamations and invocations, helps to confirm their Hebrew origin. Adair, p. 47.

As a further illustration of this snbject, I shall add Mr. Adair's account of one of their great festivals.

"While their sanctified new fruits are dressing, a religious at

tendant is ordered to call six of their old beloved women to come to the temple, and dance the beloved dance with joyful hearts, according to the old beloved speech. They cheerfully obey, and enter the supposed holy ground in solemn procession, each carrying in her hand a bundle of small branches of various green trees; and they join the same number of old magi, or priests, who carry a cane in one hand adorned with white feathers, having likewise green boughs in the other hand, which they pulled from their holy arbour, and carefully place there, encircling it with several rounds. These beloved men have their heads dressed with white plumes; but the women are decked in their finest, and anointed with bears' grease, having small tortoise-shells, and white pebbles, fastened to a piece of white dressed deer skin, which is tied to each of their legs.

"The eldest of the priests leads the sacred dance, a head of the innermost row, which of course is next the holy fire. He begins the dance round the supposed holy fire, by invoking Yah, after their usual manner on a bass key, and with a short accent; then he sings Yo, Yo, which is repeated by the rest of the religious procession; and he continues his sacred invocations and praises, repeating the divine word or notes, till they return to the same point of the circular course where they began: then He, He, in the same manner, and Wah, Wah. While dancing they never fail to repeat those notes; and frequently the holy train strike up Halelu, Halelu then Haleluiah, Halelu Yah, and Alleluiah and Alelu-Yah-" Irradiation to the divine essence," with great earnestness and fervor, till they encircle the altar, while each strikes the ground with right and left feet alternately, very quick, but well timed. Then the awful magi join the sacred choir, which invite the old female singers to chaunt forth their pious notes, and grateful

praises, before the divine essence, and to redouble their former quick joyful steps, in imitation of the leader of the sacred dance, and the religious men a head of them. What with the manly strong notes of the one, and the shrill voices of the other, in concert with the bead shells, and the two sounding drumlike earthen vessels, with the voices of the musicians who beat them, the reputed holy ground echoes with the praises of Yo, He, Wah. Their religious singing and dancing in three circles round the sacred fire, appears to have a reference to a similar religious custom of the Hebrews. And may we not reasonably suppose that they formerly understood the psalms or divine hymns? At least those that begin with Halelu Yah; otherwise how came all the inhabitants of the extensive regions of North and South America, to have and retain those very expressive words? or how repeat them so distinctly, and apply them after the manner of the Hebrews, in their religious acclamations? The like cannnot be found in any other countries."

In another place Mr. Adair mentions that "Lact, in his description of America, and Escarbotus assure us, they often heard the South American Indians to repeat the sacred word Hallelujah, which made them admire how they first attained it. And Malvenda says, that the natives of St. Michael had tomb stones, which the Spaniards digged up, with several Hebrew ancient characters upon them, as Why is God gone away?" And, "He is dead God knows." Had his curiosity induced him to transcribe the epitaph, it would have given more satisfaction; for, as they yet repeat the divine essential name Yo, He, Wah, so as not to profane it, when they mourn for their dead, it is probable they could write or engrave it after the like manner when they first arrived at this main continent.

Adair's Indians, p. 96 and 214,

To the Editor of the Remembrancer. Sir,

N. R. has recommended to my attention a note of Macknight, on Eph. ii. 3. and an extract from a sermon of Bishop Butler's, with the view of covering by their authority his own very vulnerable positions→ but I trust it will be easy to show that the hopes with which this mode of defence may have inspired him, are utterly fallacious.

I am surprised indeed that he has quoted the explanation of Eph. ii. 3. from Macknight, rather than from the earlier and higher autho rity of Hammond, whence it appears to have been almost literally transcribed, since to have done so would in fact have favoured his own argument. I shall therefore without hesitation confine my own examination to the views which Hammond appears to have entertained on the question under dispute-and in doing this, I will attempt a slight historical deduction of the progress of opinions on the points connected with it, confined of course to our own Church, and professing only to be such as the opportunities of a very limited library may furnish. It will therefore I feel admit certainly of addition and perhaps of correction also—and I shall be grateful to any of your correspondents who may favour me with either through the medium of your pages. Meanwhile by opening the way to this investigation, I am persuaded that I shall at once render the discussion both shorter and more instructive. I conceive that it will be almost unnecessary for me to remark, in beginning this de duction, that all our theological writers before the accession of Charles I. carry the doctrine of original sin to the full extent of those representations which form the "excess of statement" charged by N. R. against the Homilies. I will only select a single passage