Of the Sects, Opinions, Rites, Priests, and other Circumstances of
the Hindoo Religion; with other Observations.
The Hindoos[239] are distributed into eighty and four several sects, all
of which differ materially in opinions. This has often filled me with
wonder; but I know that they are all deluded by Satan, who is the father
of division. Their illiterate priests are called Bramins, being the
same with the Brachmanni of the ancients; and, for aught I could
learn, are so sottishly ignorant and unsteady, that they know not what
they believe. They have little round-built temples, which they call
pagodas, in which are images in most monstrous shapes, which they
worship. Some of them dream, of Elysian fields, to which their souls
pass over a Styx or Acheron, and there assume new bodies. Others hold
that ere long, this world shall have an end, after which they shall live
here again, upon a new earth. They talk of four books which were sent
them about 6000 years ago by their prophet Ram, two of which were
sealed up and might not be opened, the other two being read by the
Bramins only. They say that there are seven orbs, above which is the
seat of God; and they hold that God knoweth not of petty things, or, if
he doth, regardeth them not. They circumscribe God in place or
dimensions, alleging that he may be seen, but far off as in a mist, and
not near or clearly. They believe in the existence of devils or evil
spirits; but that they are so bound in chains, as to be incapable of
doing hurt. They call man Adam, from the first man of that name; whose
wife, as they say, when tempted with the forbidden fruit, swallowed it
down; but, as her husband was about to do the same, it was stopped in
his throat by the hand of God: Whence men have a protuberance in that
part, which we call the pomum adami, which women have not.
[Footnote 239: By Terry, the Hindoos are uniformly denominated the
Gentiles, a word of vague and general meaning, merely signifying
idolaters, or unbelievers, literally the nations, as contradistinguished
from the Jews. By some authors, the natives of Hindoostan are called
Gentoos, a word of uncertain origin. The term of Hindoo seems the more
appropriate name; at least it has now become universal. - E.]
As anciently among the Jews, the priesthood is hereditary with this
people; every son of a Bramin being a priest, and marries with the
daughter of a Bramin. So also among all the Hindoos, the men take their
wives among the daughters of those who are of the same tribe, sect, and
occupation, with their own fathers. Thus the son of a merchant marries a
merchant's daughter, and every man's son that lives by his labour,
marries the daughter of one of the same profession with himself, so that
they never advance themselves to higher situations. The Hindoos take but
one wife, of whom they are not so fearful as are the Mahometans of their
numerous women, for they are suffered to go abroad.
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