followers and disciples to the new world of harmony and happi

ness.

Having stated many of the chief doctrinal points of the theology of the ancient Persians, it remains now to draw a rational inference, and to make a comparison between them and the Christian faith. We have seen that Zoroaster lived a great number of years before Christ, and we shall find, that by looking back to what has been stated upon his system of religion, that the similitude between that and Christianity is so obvious, as cannot fail to strike every observer. Though not calling themselves Jews, yet the professors of the religion of Jesus believe the accounts transmitted to us by the Jewish writers, and thus far they adopt Judaism as part of their creed. The creation of the world, as described in Genesis, tallies much with the account in the Zendavesta, the numerals being the same, the order of succession being the same, differing only in the length of the periods of time. The destruction of mankind by the deluge, and the renewal of the human race the names of the first peoplers of the earth after that event and the general character of the relation-are so precisely alike in both the books, as to prove their identity; and if it be agreed, that the Persian lawgiver existed in the times to which Aristotle ascribes his date, it affords a strong presumptive proof that the Jewish writings were compiled from those of the Persian. With regard to the more peculiar creed of the Christians, the resemblance is quite as obvious. The doctrine of the immortality of the soul, the ideas of affixing a place of everlasting happiness for the upright, and a place of eternal damnation for the wicked, are tenets which were either totally unknown or altogether rejected by the sons of Israel, but which were adopted by Christ as part of his system; and indeed many of the expressions and sentences ascribed as being delivered by Christ, are the identical same as were related by Zoroaster in his Oracles. It would be tedious here to insert the aphorisms and actions of Jesus Christ, they being so well known and easy of reference; but by looking at what has been related concerning Mithras, the resemblance between the two characters is apparent. Mithras was the mediator, the intercedor, the regenerator, the being endowed with power to overcome the machinations of Satan, and to exalt mankind into realms of bliss. His everlasting existence in Heaven, his descent upon earth, his doctrines, his character, and his miracles, are the same as are told of Christ. His injunction to his disciples to be mild, patient, and meek, to forgive injuries, to be pure of life, &c., are just as are narrated in the New Testament, The baptism of infants, confirmation, auricular confession, and extreme unction are the ceremonies which have ever been practised by Christians as part of their system of worship. The apparatus of Heaven, thrones, angels, cherubs, &c., are what we are taught to believe in the present day to be reality. The mil

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lenarian sentiments are the same as were held by Jesus Christ, who, it was plain, was a millenarian. At what conclusion then must the enquiring and expansive mind arrive when it beholds such striking, such glaring points of resemblance, when the merits and features of each are thus put side by side together, when they are looked into, compared, and examined. It seems impossible for the most incredulous mind to have any other opinion than that they are one and the same, modified and altered by local customs, by climate, and by political views. Their identity being established, and it being admitted by all that Zoroaster did not live less than 500 years before Christ, it necessarily follows that Christianity was in a great measure the adoption of the doctrines of the Zendavesta into Judea-though mixed with some of the reveries of the Brachmans, which we shall find to be in many important respects similar to the Persee religion.

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Thus far we have proceeded, by evidence the most clear and sasisfactory, to prove that Christianity was engrafted upon the doctrine of the Magi, and it will be endeavoured to bring forward as strong and forcible a chain of reasoning to show that Christians are also indebted for the system of religion which they hold so dear, and prize so highly, to the adoption also of some of the tenets of the Brachmans. Whether the Gymnosophists of India were an original sect of philosophers, or whether they borrowed their philosophy from their neighbours the Persians; or if they were previously descended from the Egyptian worshippers of Osiris is a question not accurately determined. The only thing which is known for a certainty is, that the Indian system of religion is of very great antiquity, it being clearly traced beyond the time of Pythagoras, who lived between five and six hundred years before Christ. This philosopher, who travelled into India, brought home with him many opinions and doctrines which had before his time been wholly unknown in Greece: among which were the transmigration of souls, and the aversion to shedding blood. The mythology of the Indian Brachmans acknowledged one supreme god, all-powerful, all-wise, all-creating. That God formed the world by the word of his mouth, and created a female deity, named Bawaney, who, in an enthusiasm of joy and delight, brought forth three eggs, which produced three male deities, Brama, Vichnou, or Christna, and Chiven. To Brama was given the power of creating the things in and belonging to the world. Chiren was the wicked destroyer of the harmony and beauty of the creation, and to Christna was given the power of defeating and expelling evil, and of cherishing and preserving good. This conjunction of deities formed the Brachmanical Trinity. The doctrines of this religious system were contained, and still are found in the Vedas, which were written by Brama in a language called Shanschrit, and delivered to the Priests or Brachmans to be read and expounded to the people. There was a great number of

minor deities, but all inferior to the three just mentioned, who were also with those of inferior rank subservient to the great, Almighty God. In speaking of God, one of their sacred books says " As God is immaterial, he is above all conception; as he is invisible he can have no form, but from what we behold of his works, we may conclude that he is eternal, omnipotent, knowing all things and present everywhere. According to the Hindoo chronology, Brama was created upwards of four thousand, eight hundred years ago, and has ever since contained the chief deity in the Triumvirate. Christna being created at the same time, existed quietly in heaven, but in the year three thousand six hundred and six he visited the earth for the purpose of counteracting the malignant purposes of Chiben. His appearance on the terrestial world was mysterious: he was born of poor and obscure parents in a mortal manner though a divinity.

He made war upon the venomous serpent, Calengam, and ultimately after a fierce and obstinate struggle, defeated him by bruising his head, and he himself received a wound in the heel in the conflict. He was represented as the meekest, tenderest, and most benevolent of beings, preaching the most pure and holy doctrines, and living a life of the most exemplary virtue. Of himself be says" I am the understanding of the wise; the glory of the proud; the strength of the strong. I am the eternal seed of all nature; I am death and immortality; I am entity and non-entity: I am the emblem of the immortal; of the incorruptible; of the eternal, of justice, and of endless bliss." Christna was delineated as a man of powerful and gigantic stature; sitting upon a coiled serpent, whom he had conquered and destroyed. Chiven, the deity of destruction and wickedness, was described as a fierce and haughty-looking man with a snake twisted round his neck in amity and good fellowship. Throughout the sacred books containing the principles of this religions faith in the Vedas, the Shaster, and the Purane, which last was said to be written by the supreme God himself, charity, hospitality, mercy, and benevolence, were strictly enjoined. A few of the moral precepts are here inserted. "Neither to hear patiently of evil: nor to speak that which is mischievous and wicked; to observe all the feasts, prayers, and ceremonies, which are instituted; to utter no lies, prevarication, nor hypocrisy ; to use no deceit, nor overreaching in trade or dealings; never to oppress the weak and humble nor to offer any violence to your neighbour; to apportion certain hours of the day to prayer; to keep your hand from pilfering and theft, and in no way whatever to injure a fellow-creature.

Baptism with water is one of the ceremonies observed, in the Hindoo worship. Every infant of the superior cast or Brachmans is soon after birth initiated into the holy faith, by making his body pure and undefiled, for which purpose he is sprinkled with water, blessed for the occasion, and a few more rites being performed

the ceremony is completed. Images are held in high estimation, but not for themselves, but on account of their representing celes tial beings, and preventing the thoughts of those who worship them from wandering. The Brachmans or priests are of great consequence, deeming themselves of more importance than the Sovereigns; they even think it a great degradation to eat the same food as is eaten by the kings. Their persons are held in sacred reverence, and on no account must their blood be shed, even if murder is their offence. On all important occasions they are consulted by the state, and their advice is implicitly followed. The distinction between mind and matter has been observed from a very early age, and no description has ever been more suited to the subject than that given of the soul in the Mahabarat, an epic poem, highly esteemed in India, composed by Kreeshna Divypayen Veias, above three thousand years before the Christian era. "Some regard the soul as a wonder, others hear of it with astonishment, but no one knoweth it; the weapon divideth it not; the wind drieth it not away; the fire burneth it not; the water corrupteth it not, for it is indivisible, inconsumable, incorruptible it is eternal, universal, permanent, immoveable: it is inconceivable and unalterable."

It remains now to draw an inference from the abridged account which has been given of the Hindoo mythology, and that which appears most obvious on perusal is that Christianity has in part adopted it for its model, We have seen what a close ap proximation there is between the doctrines of Zoroaster and Christ, and have clearly deduced a rational ground of belief that the religion of Jesus was in a great measure engrafted upon the Persian. Though the similitude between Christianity and Brachmanism is not so apparent, yet there are many points of resemblance strong enough to prove their reciprocal relation. The name of the mediator being the same in both systems, varying only in the termination, which translation into a different language accounts for, is a striking point of consistency, and is of itself quite sufficient to establish the axiom of Christianity, being borrowed in a measure from the reveries of the Indian philosophers. The creation of the world as described in the Vedas by the word of God, tallies precisely with the account in Genesis, and adopted as a truth by Christianity" In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God," and the following verses. The trinity of the Godhead is similar to the Trinity of the Christians; the divine and miraculous composition of the sacred books and the ideas of the nature of the supreme deity are such as are acknowledged at the present day. The serpent, emblem of evil, corresponds with the serpent in the garden of Eden. The existence of Christna in Heaven, before his divine mission on earth, agrees with the opinion of Christianity as old as the creation," His mortal birth, his parentage, his doct

trines, are the same as told of the Saviour of the New Testament, The bruising of the serpent's head, and his retort by biting his adversary's heel, is the same account which is related in Genesis, and which bruising of the head is understood by Christians to imply the victory gained over Satan by Jesus, who, though conqueror, yet was wounded mortally in the flesh by the crucifixion. The heel being the extremity, the most ignoble part of the body, is said to be a figurative expression for Christ's earthly body, which compared to his heavenly nature, was ignoble and unworthy, so that wounding the heel or extremity of the animal frame, was typical of destroying the earthly and manlike form of Christ. The baptism of infants is another strong point of resemblance, and the name of the Mediator, and the identity of his office, being so exactly alike in both cases, establish beyond any reasonable doubt, that Christianity must have been founded at least in part upon the system of the Brachmans.

Upon taking a retrospective view of what has been stated, it appears clearly that Christianity is a religion of many mixtures. The first professors of its doctrines were Jews; some of whom had travelled into the neighbouring countries, and had imbibed their mythological reveries. For seventy years, numbers of the priests and great men resided in Babylon, and during that time became thoroughly embued with the theological tenets of the Chaldeans. This adoption, embracing the belief of three gods, was very congenial to the minds of the Israelites, who, ever since their establishment as a nation, had indicated a great disposition to desert the worship of one God, taught them by their lawgiver, Moses. Receiving the opinions of the Persian Magi of the Mediator, who was to act as an interceder between the human race and the Almighty, and conforming to the chief of their tenets, a new system of religion was projected. By an intercourse with the Hindoos, and an acquaintance with their mode of worship,which they found to be similar in many points to the one to which they were inclining, they were strengthened in their attachment to this new faith, and by the adoption of the name of the second person in the Hindoo Trinity, Christna, their religion was established, which henceforth it has been held blasphemy to disbelieve. Whether such a man as Jesus Christ ever did exist, is, at least, very doubtful: and whether he did or no, is very immaterial; if he did he was merely a being by some fortuitous chain of circumstances, consecrated by the existing opinions, and mag nified into a God by the priesthood; and if he did not, the same opinions were adopted without being typified on earth.

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In no point, whatever, have the believers in Christianity more intentively and vigorously adhered to the system of the progenitors than in the intolerant despotism and artful cunning of the priesthood. They have been even the same in all ages, and in all countries. To acquire worldly wealth, honourable distinctions,