250 OM THE RELIGION AND 



pricfts, fo formidable among ignorant people from 

 their hypocrify, mortifications, and impudent prc- 

 tenfions to fupernatural powers. 



I THINK that Sir W. Jones and Paulinus have 

 fucceeded in proving, that the religion o^ the Brahmens 

 is effentially the fame with that of the Egyptians ; and 

 therefore I mull think it probable, that the two reli- 

 gions had a common origin : but notwithftanding the 

 etymological labours of the latter author, I muft agree 

 with the former, and with M. An^uetil du Perron, 

 in thinking, that Egypt is the fource from whence 

 this worfhip has been fpread over a great proportion 

 of the world. In fa6r, during the moO; remote periods, 

 to which hiftory reaches, we find this religion univer- 

 fally eftablifhed in Egypt. Later, but as foon as our 

 knowledge extended to India, we find there eftabliflied 

 two fefts : the Magi, and the Samanians, or priefts of 

 GoDAMA. We afterwards learn, that the Bi'ahmem 

 were a fct of pricfts in India following nearly the fame 

 worfhip with thofe of Egypt. We find them about 

 the time of Christ gaining a fuperiority over the 

 worfhippers of Bouddiia; and about nine hundred 

 vcars afterwards, we find them totally overthrowing 

 his dottrine in its native country*. 'That the Ved/u, 

 which are commonly fuppolfd to be the oldeil books 

 of the Brahmcns, are inferior in antiquity to the time 

 of BouDDHA, is evident from the mention which they 

 make of that perfonage. The ftrongelt objetlion 

 againfl this opinion of the Egyptian origin of the 

 Brahmenical worfliip, appears to me to be the cofino- 

 graphy of the Brahviem, the fame nearly with that 

 of the Rahans, and in my opinion evidently 

 framed in the north of Huidt/Jlan. A folution of 

 this difficulty may however be given. We may 

 readily fuppofe the Brah?nens to have been a colony 

 of Egyptians, who formed their firft ellablifliments in 



the 



* I'AGr. 16^ of iliis Volume, 



