CHAP. other works of a similar character, were given to the heathen in lieu of the Word of God, who does not see, that for a Christian missionary to scatter only such flowers to a people who were perishing for lack of the bread of life, was to delude, where he ought to have instructed, and to betray the Saviour's cause? It has been well remarked, by a competent judge, that the tissue of conceits exhibited here " may have been woven for the poet either by the Italian or the Tamul muse, as both, though they often cull from the rose-bush of fancy its fairest flowers, are prone, also, to collect the unsubstantial dew-drops glittering on its leaves." The whole of these Jesuits' writings resemble the early Christians' imitation of the Sibylline oracles. The authors of those original impostures were women, who were supposed by the heathen to be inspired with the spirit of divination. In the second and third centuries of the Christian era, the reputation of these prophetesses began to decline in the pagan world: but the Christians of those times were so far degenerated from the principles of the Gospel, as to imitate the oracles which they had delivered. They began to adopt also the pernicious practice of pious frauds," which was introduced by ancient philosophers, and it now proved extremely injurious, having become "a source of numberless evils to the Christian Church. The Platonists and Pythagoreans held it as a maxim, that it was not only lawful, but even praise 66 penitence; on the flying chariot of resplendent wisdom she worthy, to deceive, and even to use the expedient of a lie, in order to advance the cause of truth and piety. The Jews who lived in Egypt, had learned and received this maxim from them, before the coming of Christ, as appears incontestably from a multitude of ancient records; and the Christians were infected from both these sources with the same pernicious error, as appears from the number of books attributed falsely to great and venerable names, from the Sibylline verses, and several supposititious productions which were spread abroad in this and the following century."9 Another writer remarks upon them-" Those Christians who had some acquaintance with Grecian poetry and style began to entertain the thought of representing passages of the sacred writings, Christian doctrines, precepts, and predictions, as oracles or prophecies of the Sibyls:-but it seems to be doubtful, whether their intention was to introduce their poems as genuine works of the older Sibyls, and by such means convert the heathen; or, whether, as is more probable, without any design of deception, they wished to clothe their communications in a form expressive and acceptable to the heathens."1 Let the writings of the Jesuit missionaries at Madura be compared with these Christian imitations of the Sibylline oracles, eight books of which are extant, and they will be found equally erroneous, mysterious, and pernicious. The motive of an author should always be touched upon with scrupulous care; but in the present instance it can hardly be mistaken. By attributing such predictions, as those quoted 9 Mosheim. Cent. 2, part ii. chap. iii. sect. 15. 1 Tschirners' Fall of Heathenism. See Quarterly Review, September 1836, pp. 36, 37. A. D. 1606. CHAP. Jesuits adopt brah toms. above from the Temba-vani, to the infant Saviour, the writer would, doubtless, expect to prepare the Hindoo to regard the monkish austerities of the Roman Church as sanctioned, if not instituted, by the authority of our Lord. Were there any thing in the history of His infant years to warrant the ascription of any prophecies to Him at the early age of His return from Egypt; and if even these fanciful predictions, instead of being described in language which none but the most erudite could understand, had been delivered in such familiar terms as the Saviour always adopted; yet is it hard to imagine what other purpose they could answer but to give authenticity to Romish legends, and encourage the practice of superstitious mortifications similar to those which our Lord expressly prohibited.2 13. We have, probably, entered far enough minical cus- into this subject to give an adequate view of these Jesuits' mode of instruction. But besides this, they had to imitate the brahmins in their outward appearance, and adopt their habits of life. In order to sustain their fictitious character, they found it necessary to assume the dress of Čavy, a yellow cloth worn by the Indian religious teachers and penitents: they must be frequent in their ablutions: they were never to appear in public without affixing to their foreheads the wafer, made of sandal wood powder, which is worn by brahmins and other Hindoos, to mark their respective castes and gods. Consequently, by wearing this mark, they carried the stamp of idolatry on their very front. They scrupulously abstained from all 3 2 Matt. vi. 3 To the present day the Romish converts in India are suffered to retain this idolatrous token. use of animal food and intoxicating liquors, and, in a word, fared in every respect like the brahmins, living on vegetables and milk.* 14. Having advanced thus far, they were compelled to go forward in a career as subversive of Christian charity, as dishonourable to God. To have trodden in the steps of Francis Xavier, and given due attention to natives in the humbler walks of life, would have proved fatal to their design upon the brahmins, who would immediately have regarded them as an inferior caste of men, and treated them as unworthy of their society. In order, therefore, to sustain their assumed character, they found themselves constrained to treat with apparent scorn those classes of Hindoos who lay no claim to a divine origin. Regardless of the Christian teacher's imperative duty to preach the Gospel to the poor, they paid exclusive attention to the rich, and to those who, though often poor in this world's goods, and living upon alms, esteem themselves the greatest of the sons of men, and receive the adorations of all other classes of Hindoos. Instead, therefore, of condescending "to men of low estate," R. de Nobili and his brethren exacted from them the same reverence which they were accustomed to pay the brahmins, and kept them at a distance with true brahminical arrogance. A. D. 1606. Their con tempt of the lower castes. They are able to the brahmins more accept than the 15. By these means they rendered themselves acceptable to the Hindoo princes, who, pleased with the singularity of their appearance, bestowed their protection upon them as an extra- Franciscans, ordinary caste of men, and granted them full liberty to preach their religion and make proselytes. Lest it should be thought incredible M. Cerri. Millar's History of Christianity, vol. ii. pp. 354-356. Abbé Dubois' Letters, pp. 4-7. 5 Ibid, who retire from Ma dura. CHAP. III. that any class of natives, much more those of the highest castes, could be so easily imposed upon, it ought to be understood, that it was no novelty for them to be visited by brahmins from the northern provinces of India, who were always of a fairer complexion than themselves, and generally regarded as of a superior grade. Brahmins of this description are now residing in the southern provinces, whose skin is almost as fair as that of an Italian or Portuguese. This circumstance favoured the Jesuits' deception; and the fickle natives generally, charmed at the sight of these "new brahmins," soon began to neglect the unpretending Franciscans, who, as we have seen, had proceeded more quietly among them, and not without some success. But their more simple habits and appearance presented too little to flatter the vanity of the highest castes, or to favour the superstitions of all other Hindoos, to enable them to stand against the influence of the Jesuits. Very soon, therefore, they found that it was in vain to endeavour to compete with their more attractive and less scrupulous rivals, and retired from the field in despair. It was not in the East only that the Jesuits were at this time superseding the Franciscans. Hitherto this order seem to have considered the conversion of the Indies as belonging chiefly to them; and they were loud in their complaints against the Jesuits, who, not content with supplanting them every where, accused them also of being such slothful labourers in the missionary vineyard, that for several years, as was alleged, they had not made any conversion worth naming. It concerns not us to inquire into the truth of these allegations; and when we consider the means they used to support |