46 OF THE ORIGIN OF 



preference to, and exclusive of the others : the fol-* 

 lowers of Vishnu and Si'va invented new svmbols, 

 each to ascribe to their respective divinity the at- 

 tribute of creation. This contention for pre-emi- 

 nence ended in the total suppression of the worship 

 of Brahma, and the temporary submission of Vish- 

 nu to the superiority of Si'va; but this did not 

 last long; the sects raised crusades against each 

 other ; hordes of armed fanatics, under the titles 

 of Samiyasis and Vairagis, enlisted themselves 

 as champions of their respective f lith ;• the former 

 devoted their lives in support of tlie superiority of 

 Si'va, and the latter were no less zealous for the 

 rights of Vishnu: alternate victory and 'defeat 

 marked the progress of a religious war, which for 

 ages continued to harass the earth, and inflame 

 mankind against each other. 



Plutarch has' said of the Egyptians, that they had 

 inserted nothing into their worship without a rea- 

 son, nothing merely fabulous, nothing supersti- 

 tious (as many suppose); but their institutions have_ 

 eithefa reference to morals, or to something useful 

 in life ; and many of them bear a beautiful resem- 

 blance of some facts in history, or some appearance 

 in nature ; perhaps in the commencement to lead 

 mankind into superstition was not intended nor fore- 

 seen ; it is a weed that springs up naturally when 

 religion is blended with mystery, and burdened 

 with perplexing ceremonials. The mass of mankind 

 lost sight of morality in the nmltiplicity of rites; 

 and as it is easier to practise ceremonies than to sub- 

 due the passions, ceremonies gradually become sub- 

 stitutes for real religion, and usurp the place of 

 morality and virtue. 



This seems to h.ave been the case with the reli- 

 gions of Egypt and India. 



