Temples of India. 63 



and other semi-barbarous nations for metaphysical speculations— he 

 says, " these facts coincide with a curious law of human nature which 

 some eminent philosophers have already remarked. The highest 

 abstractions are not the result of mental culture and intellectual 

 strength." And again, " the propensity to abstract speculations 

 is then the natural result of the state of the human mind in a rude 

 and ignorant age," And it was this that was the triumph of 

 Socrates that he taught that the mind should release itself from 

 the occupation of darkness — vague and useless speculations ; — and 

 should be applied to making ourselves good citizens and subjects, 

 and perfect in our individual calling. It was thus that he was said 

 to have brought down Philosophy from the skies to dwell among 

 men. 



It will perhaps assist in explaining the points which I may have to 

 dwell upon, if I give a slight sketch of what probably was the origin 

 and progress of Boodhism. The best division we could make of the 

 early families of the Globe, would undoubtedly be that which we 

 find in Scripture, into those of Shem, Ham and Japheth — of the last, 

 we know but little in the early ages to which I allude ; for they 

 seem soon to have wandered beyond the precincts of history, and 

 not to have returned within its cognisance until they had been deep- 

 ly imbued with the religious opinions of the other two, But with 

 reference to the families of Shem and Ham ; there appears to have 

 been a marked distinction existing in their natural character, which 

 seems to have so influenced their career, that, although they started 

 from the same worship, they fell into different channels of supersti- 

 tion. The first and original worship of mankind, few will be inclin- 

 ed to deny, was that natural religion, a pure Theism, the belief 

 in an individual Being who was the Supreme Creator of all things 

 and Disposer of all events ; gifted with all the attributes of Omnipo- 

 tence ; Omniscient, and Omnipresent ; the rewarder, and the pun- 

 isher ; the father, and the judge. The mind of man however craves 

 after substantiality, it could not long rest satified with the ideal realisa- 

 tion of a God, or the pure Spiritualism of His Worship. The 

 first errors v/ere induced by the presentation of substantial offerings 

 to the Diety ; this led to the representing him symbolically ; then 

 followed the more materialising influence, which betook itself to the 



