148 
belief that the slightest mistake in the words, or in the pronunciation of th 
words, would arouse the anger of the gods. Thus they became the master 
of all religious ceremonies, the teachers of the people, the ministers of king? 
Their favour was courted, their anger was dreaded by a pious but credulous 
race.” * 
With such a beginning we are not surprised that they 
ended in claiming a share in the honour, authority, and power 
of the gods to whom they alone might approach. 
“ There are two kinds of gods : first the gods, then those who are 
Brahmans and who have learnt the Yeda and repeat it. With oblations he 
appeaseth the gods, with gifts the human gods, the Brahmans who have 
learnt the Veda and repeat it. Both gods when they are pleased place him 
in bliss.” f 
And that this was no esoteric doctrine of mere speculation 
appears from the manner in which the Buddha was met when 
he commenced his ministry of emancipation from this priestly 
despotism. He was of the Kshatriya, or kingly caste, which 
for a long time had been able to preserve its equality with the 
Brahmans, or priests. But of him they said, “ How can a 
Kshatriya take upon himself the office of priest ? He breaks 
the most sacred law by attempting to interfere with religious 
matters A Thus it is plain that the true idea of religion was 
lost, and that this priesthood was a human device to prevent 
access to God, and to place men in the unnatural and unwar- 
rantable position of deity or semi-deity over their fellow-men. 
And, when the true idea of brotherhood and consequent 
equality before God was so grossly outraged, it was no wonder 
that the preaching of the Buddha was eagerly followed by 
multitudes, who found in his doctrine deliverance from abject 
mental and spiritual bondage. 
Half of the fifth lecture is devoted to an examination of 
the origin of the idea of law, which is supposed to have come 
from the observation of order and regularity in the motion of 
the sun, the recurrence of the seasons, and the rhythmic 
dances of the stars A But this came only after a long period 
of unconscious cerebration,” and “ was expressed vaguely 
and with difficulty.” How could men have so considered the 
phenomena of the universe as to be able to detect an unvarying 
order in their appearance, and to rise to a perception of law 
as governing them, without at the same time seeing that the 
law was an imposition of their Maker, and not a quality in 
1 hemselves ? At the same time men who had proceeded so 
far in speculation must have known that they themselves, 
Chips, vol. ii. p. 327. 
t Ibid. vol. ii. p. 233. 
