Mr. Blount's oracles of reason examined and answered in nine sections in which his many heterodox opinions are refuted, the Holy Scriptures and revealed religion are asserted against deism & atheism / by Josiah King ...

SECT. IV. Of the Modern Brachmans.

PAG. 77.

Having spoken already of the Mo∣dern Brachmans in the Indies, whom besides the near Resemblance of their Studies and Customs, we have several other Arguments to show they are descended of the ancient Race.

ANSWER.

There is a Treatise amongst the Works of St. Ambrose, whose Title is, de Moribus Brach∣manorum; this Treatise is in three Libraries in Italy, viz. the Vatican, the Millain, and Me∣dicean, under the Name of St. Ambrose; but there are good Arguments to induce us to be∣lieve this Treatise to be Spurious. In this Trea∣tise are several commendable Qualities of the Brachmans represented: and the Dialogue be∣tween Dandamis and Alexander, contains good Morality. But the Account we have here is so different from that in ancient Authors, as that it may easily induce us to conceive a vast diffe∣rence between the Ancient and Modern Brach∣mans.

Pag. 78.

Now their Body of Learning doth not teach nor treat of each little Point or Nieity in Philosophy, as our Modern Philosophers use to do; but like the Natural Theology of the Ancients, it treats of God, of the World, of the Beginning and Ending of Things, of the Primitive State of Nature, of the Periods of Worlds, and their Re∣novations.

ANSWER.

If our Modern Brachmans philosophize in these things, as the Ancient Brachmans did; the Modern could not philosophize out of Books given by God to the great Prophet Brahma, as formerly the Law of the Israelites was to Moses; as Mr. Blount reports they were wont to pretend.

Clemens Alexandrinus, p. 451. says, They wor∣shiped Hercules and Pan. And a little after- 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. They Worshipped a certain Pyramid, under which they thought a certain God to be buried. Porphury in his 4th Book, De Abstinentia, accuses them of Polutheism; and so doth Quintus Curtius, in his Eighth Book.

Maffeius, in his Book of the Indians; affirms that they worshipped God, or a Daemon in the Figure of an Ox, as the Egyptians did Apys; and that they also worshipped an Ele∣phant as God.

Pag. 83.

They affirm there are several Worlds existing at one and the same time, in divers Regi∣ons of the Ʋniverse; and that there are several successive ones. So that the same World is destroy∣ed and renewed again according to certain Peri∣ods.

ANSWER.

Of these several Worlds existing at one time in divers Regions of the Universe, I find no mention, either in that Book under the Name of St. Ambrose, nor in Porphury, nor in Cle∣mens of Alexandria. Strabo indeed, lib. 15. says, That their Opinion of the World was, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. That the World had a Beginning, and was Corruptible and Orbicular; but he hath not a Word of the Multitude of Worlds, nor of their Reno∣vations, nor Periods. The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Cle∣mens of Alexandria, is the Metempsychosis, and relates not to successive Worlds.

Strabo moreover acquaints us, that they did philosophize about the Immortality of the Soul as Plato did; as also of the Punishments in Hell, which Strabo impiously calls Fables. But as to this Account of the Opinion of the Modern Brachmans, of whom we should have so many Particulars, seems very strange; when our Author, p. 79. tells us, That they are said to conceal their Divinity, and their Opinions in Phy∣losophy in all kinds, besides the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. And it must be confessed that these two Opinions were entertained by the ancient Brachmans; for there is plain Proof thereof in Porphury, and in Philostratus in Photius's Bibliothec.

The Account we have in Quintus Curtius, lib. 8. is, That they approved of Self-murther, they worshipped many Gods, and especially Trees for Gods. The Remark of Curtius is worth Notice, Quis credat inter haec vitia esse curam sapientiae? Who can think where there were such Vices, any regard could be had for Philosophy?

What Mr. Blount could design by this Secti∣on, cannot by me be comprehended; his Ar∣guments have little strength; and supposing they were convincing, yet nothing could from thence be collected worthy of Observation.

Pag. 87.

We have a Letter to Dr. Sydenham, where he writes of the Deists Arguments, and says, That human Reason is like a Pitcher with two Ears, and may be taken on either side.

ANSWER.

What he writes of human Reason, in compa∣ring of it to a Pitcher with two Ears, may be allowed, and gives us some Light how to behold his Oracles as we ought; for most of them have two Handles, and are proposed (as the Devils Oracles were of Old) full of Ambiguity; E∣picterus in his Enchiridion, c. 65. says, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; every thing hath two Handles; Reason certainly hath so. And from hence we may infer what a bad Foundation it is in Matters of Religion. The necessity of re∣vealed Religion from hence appears, as also doth the little Support we can have from that which is commonly called Natural.

In a Word, This Assertion of Mr. Blount's is both a sufficient Reproof to the Vainglorious Title of his Book, and subverts the very design for which it was written,

Pag. 87.

Tho' Deism is a good manuring of a Man's Conscience, yet certainly if sowed with Chri∣stianity, it will produce the most profitable Crop.

ANSWER.

This Assertion is very absurd; for Christia∣nity and Deism are wholly inconsistent; the one supposing the necessity of a Mediator, the other renounces it, and accounts all Mediatorship with respect to God unnecessary. So that sup∣posing Deism, the very Essence of Christianity is destroyed; so ridiculous is it to talk of sowing Christianity on a Conscience manured with Deism.