guage and Opinion (if the Phrafe may be ufed) pre- vailed amongst them, and evidently from the Abufe of the hieroglyphical Writings and Sculptures. OTHER Heathens notonly followed thefeNotions, but made themworfe. What Tome meant for philofophical Refinements, to others became theological Depravities. ` Devilifm. They fay ; 'tis true, that the Devil has at prefent a " Quarrel with GOD ; but the Time will come, when the Pride of ' his Heart being fubdued, he will make his Submiffion to the Al- " mighty : And, as the Deity cannot be implacable, the Devil will , receive a full Pardon for all his pall Tranfgreflions, and both he, 44 and all thofe who paid himAttention during. his Difgrace, will ° be admitted into the bleffed Manfions. This is the Foundation. 44 of their Hope ; and this Chance for Heaven they eIeem to be a , better one, than that of trufting to their own Merits, or the Me. 4 rits of the Leader of any other Religion whatfoever. The Per. ' fon of the Devil they look on as facred ; and, when they affirm ' any thing folemnly, they do it by his Name. All difrefpeaful 44 Expreffions of him they would punifh with Death, did not the " lT'urkifh Power prevent them.Whenever they (peak of him, it ' is with the utmolt Refpeét ; and they always put before his Name r a certain Title, correfpanding to that of Highnefr, or Lord." p. 3 18. Such is their natural Religion ! Nor is the Defeription or Re- prefentation of the Devil letsextraordinary than the Honors paid to him. The Benjans in the Ealt Indies (according to. the Abbé de Guyon in his Hiftory of that Country) fill their Temples or Pagoda with his Statues, defigned in all the horrid Extravagance of the In- dian Tafte. The King of Calicut, in particular, has a Pagodwholly filled with the molt frightful Figures of the Devil, which receives no other Light than what proceeds from the Gleam of a Multitude of Lamps. In the midi} of this kind of Cavern is a Copper Throne, whereon a Devil, formed of the fame Metal, is feated, with a Tia- ra of feveral Rows on his Head, three large Horns, and four others that fpring out of his Forehead. He has a large gaping Mouth, . out of which come four Teeth like the Tulles of aBoar. His Chin is furnilhedwith a long and hideous Beard. He has a crooked Nofe, large fquintingEyes, a Face frightfully inflamed, Fingers crooked like Talons, and Paws rather than Feet. His Breafts hang down upon his Belly, where his hands are laid in a negligent Pofture. From his Belly arifes another, Head, uglier (if poffible) than the firft, with two Horns, and a Tongue hangingout prodigioufly large; ancI behind him a Tail like a Cow's. On his Tongue and in his Hand there are two Figures almoft round, which the Indians fay are Souls, that he is preparing to devour. Thebare Recital of this mon- strous Image, as an Obje& of Worfhip, is fufScient to raffe an Hor- ror at the Blindnefs and Folly of Idolatry. Hilt. ofEa/l Ind. Part II. C. z, S. t. Plato,
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