ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 



nefe priefts arc named Mandarins ; and apply 

 themfelves to religious affairs, to philofophy and 

 government. IT'-re arc many temples and con- 

 vents in all parts of China. The idols of the 

 Chinde are called Pagods or Chines. 'I he latter 

 nade in the fhupe of figured pyramids ; and 

 are held in great awe by the vulgar. When 

 they purchafe a (lave, they bring him before one 

 of thefe chines, and after making an offering of 

 rice, or other matter, they entreat the idol, that 

 the flave, if he mould fly from his matter, may 

 be devoured by tigers and ferpents: and this 

 the Haves fear to io great a degree, that they 

 never dare to leave their mailers, whatever ma/ 

 be the treatment they receive. Idolatry there- 

 fore is very manifcft in the religion of the mo- 

 dern v , but Confucius is not to be blamed 

 for this error ; for in the firlt chapter of the book 

 Ta Kio, which is the only one that he wrote, 

 there is no trace of it to be found. All the reft is 

 the work or his difciples, a clafs of men who con- 

 flantly enlarge, decorate, and disfigure the doc- 

 trines ot their matters. Notwithstanding :ill the 

 abfurdities which we difcover in the religion of 

 the modern Chinefe, that people have lived, for 

 2co: years pad, in peace and tranquillity under 

 its fhadovv, and have derived from it an exterior 

 happim 



VI. ' :;. *7V - A\.';^/tf;; tf tbe Magi. The v. 

 Magus in the ancient Perfian is nearly iynony- 

 mous with that or wile man : and this 



L. III. N name 



