274 ON - THE GOD: > OF GREECE, 



du&ed a terrible war. This motley {lory mud induce 

 an opinion, that the fpurious Gofpels, which abounded 

 in the firft age of Chnflianity, had been brought to 

 India, and the wildeft parts of them repeated to the 

 Hindus, who ingrafted them on the old fable of Cefava^ 

 the Apollo of Greece, 



As to the general extenfion of our pure faith in Hin- 

 du/lan, there are at prefent many fad obftacles to it. The 

 Mufelmans are already a fort of heterodox Chriflians. 

 They are Chriflians^ Locke reafons juftly,becaufe they 

 firmly believe the immaculate conception, divine cha- 

 racter, and miracles of the MeJJiah; but they are hete- 

 rodox, in denying vehemently his character of Son, and 

 his equality, as God, with the Father, of whofe unity 

 and attributes they entertain and exprefs the moft awful 

 ideas; while they confider our doclrineas perfeft blaf- 

 phemy, and infill, that our copies of the Scriptures 

 have been corrupted both by Jews and Chriflians. It 

 will be inexpreffibly difficult to undeceive them, and 

 fcarce poffible to diminifh their veneration for Mohavi- 

 vied and All, who were both very extraordinary men, 

 and the fecond a man of unexceptionable morals. The 

 Koran fhines, indeed, with a borrowed light, fmce moft 

 of its beauties are taken from our Scriptures; but it has 

 great beauties, and the Mufelmans will not be convinced 

 that they were borrowed. The Hindus, on the other 

 hand, would readily admit the truth of the Gofpel; but 

 they contend, that it is perfectly conhilent with their 

 Sdflras. The Deity, they fay , has appeared innumerable 

 times, in many parts of this world, and of all worlds, 

 for the falvation of his creatures ; and though we adore 

 him in one appearance, and they in others, yet we adore, 

 they lay, the fame God, to whom our feveral worfhips, 

 though different in form, are equally acceptable, if they 

 be iincere in fubdance, We may allure ourfelves, that 

 neither Mufelmans nor Hindus will ever be converted 

 by any million from the Church of Rome^ or from any 

 % other 



