﻿THE 
  SANSKRIT 
  VEDAS. 
  191 
  

  

  presented 
  in 
  its 
  earlier 
  form 
  in 
  the 
  Sanskrit 
  

   Vedas,, 
  and 
  the 
  contrast 
  between 
  its 
  doctrines 
  

   and 
  those 
  of 
  existing 
  Hindooism 
  is 
  but 
  a 
  

   sample 
  of 
  the 
  working 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  law 
  which 
  

   can 
  be 
  traced 
  in 
  every 
  region 
  of 
  the 
  world. 
  

   This 
  is 
  no 
  case 
  confined 
  to 
  some 
  little 
  corner 
  

   of 
  the 
  earth, 
  or 
  to 
  some 
  short 
  period 
  of 
  time, 
  

   or 
  to 
  some 
  partial 
  and 
  accidental 
  cause. 
  It 
  

   is 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  a 
  religion 
  which 
  in 
  all 
  its 
  

   branches 
  embraces 
  uncounted 
  millions 
  of 
  the 
  

   human 
  race, 
  and 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  which 
  

   extends 
  over 
  more 
  than 
  3,000 
  years. 
  Nor 
  

   is 
  the 
  sense 
  in 
  which 
  corruption 
  and 
  decay 
  

   are 
  predicated 
  of 
  this 
  religion 
  at 
  all 
  vague 
  

   or 
  indefinite. 
  It 
  has 
  become 
  lower, 
  ruder, 
  

   more 
  corrupt, 
  — 
  in 
  its 
  conceptions 
  of 
  the 
  Divine 
  

   Nature, 
  — 
  in 
  its 
  notions 
  of 
  acceptable 
  worship, 
  

  

  