"snatching back a gift." Incensed at this, he cursed them, to the effect that no Bramhan should ever hold the sovereign right of any land, and should enjoy it only by grant from a Prince of inferior caste. Passing from this point through a narrow lane, you find a small mud temple, kept very clean, with an image of Mariama, the goddess of disease, in the same material. She is painted, and decked with flowers. In the fort is a temple to Hauamunta, the monkey Generalissimo; and another to Shiva the Destroyer; or, as one of the Shastras calls him, "the fierce lord of devils." His images usually represent him adorned with coils of serpents, and a necklace of human skulls. The head of Brumha the Creator, which he cut off with his nail, is sometimes placed in his hand.

*

Besides these public altars, every house has its penates, they being selected according to preference. Of these, perhaps, the most important is Vignayshwara, the god of difficulties, of wisdom, and of gluttony. This hideous idol far outdoes Horace's fancy of a human head on a horse's neck. His form is perfectly unaccountable. An elephant's head rests stupidly on a monstrous rotundity of paunch, which a band encircles, and from behind which two little legs are poking, as if it were a sculpture of a boy hiding behind a hogshead, and holding on the top of it an elephant's head. The image is odious enough; but the explanation increases the disgust. Born from the excrement of Parvati, Shiva's wife, he was her door-keeper; having offended Kumara, he cut off his head, which loss Shiva repaired by decapitating an elephant, and giving him the severed member. He avowed an unnatural passion, and was doomed to perpetual celibacy. On a certain occasion he ate till he was in the act of bursting, when his brother Verabhudra snatched up a snake, and wound it round him, to save his life; which explains the band now encircling his body. Man is far fallen; yet one would think it impossible that he could worship such an image, with such a history. But the honours of Vignayshwara are not impeded either by his deformity or his crimes. He holds firm monarchy over the hopes of millions. It is his to give wisdom, and scatter difficulties: nothing can succeed without his smile. The ceremonies attending the various stages of life; the solemnities of marriage; the commencement of a journey, or a book; in fact, every important undertaking; must be preceded by sacrifices to "the lord of difficulties." One of the finest stanzas in the opening of the Jaimani is in praise of his loathsome figure, comparing his countenance to the dawning day!

Another favourite household god is Vencartaramana, the idol of the great temple at Tripati, from which our Government so long derived a disreputable income, in the shape of pilgrim-tax. The image used for family devotion is a copper cast, hardly so large as one's little finger. Many a time I was told that our countrymen thought more of him than of all the gods, and that his English name was "the Collector," because he brought in such handsome revenues.

Krishtna, again, is a favourite family god. He is worshipped in an image not bigger than an infant's fist, which represents him as a creeping child, having both hands filled with butter, just stolen from his mother's dairy. This feat, performed at the age of nine months, you are soberly informed, was a proof of his divinity; as was also the fact that he had sixteen wives and sixteen thousand concubines. His history is a concrete of vices from very infancy he rejoiced in theft, lying, libertinism, and mur

* Called also Ganesa, and Pulliyar.

der. All his wives and concubines had children, every one of whom he killed.

Of all the domestic idols of Goobbee, there is none for number of votaries, or depth of zeal, to be compared with the Linga, a word we may not translate. Most of the people carry it on the chest, in a shining box of silver; but some have it bound on the arm, and some inserted in the hair. It is daily worshipped. Of all the inventions of Hinduism, this is the most flagitious, the most loathsome, the most unaccountable. One cannot but wonder into what strange chaos of lawless imaginings temptation had borne the man who first conceived this hateful affront to the conscience of man, to the dignity of God; or by what inspiration of satanic audacity he dared to utter the conception when formed, or by what diabolic pollution the heart of men was so corrupted, that it did not spurn with impetuous hostility a dogma so dark, so shameful, and scorch with the wrath of general society the wretch that ventured to propound it.

Perhaps to this head of penates properly belongs the worship paid to implements of industry. A workman, before taking up any tool in the morning, usually raises his hand to his head by way of reverence, that it may be propitious, and cheerfully serve his purpose. On the great day of the Gauri feast, every one brings forth his tools, the clerk his style or pen, the tailor his needles, the goldsmith his hammer, the blacksmith his bellows, the barber his razors, the carpenter his hatchet, the labourer his plough, the housewife her baskets, handmill, and water-pots; each, having gathered his own articles into a heap, presents an offering of incense, flowers, fruit, and grain; then, falling prostrate, invokes them as gods, and prays that they will continue to be propitious, and afford him the means of subsistence.

During the deevarligay, or "feast of lamps," and for confirmation of this almost incredible statement I am glad to refer to the work of the Abbé Dubois, they actually go to the dunghill, place upon it a kindled lamp, with an offering of prepared rice, fruit, and perfume, and, with acts of reverence, pray that it may be propitious, and fertilize their ground.

The heart grows sick in relating these things; but how sick in beholding them! Yet the description is far from complete. Sunday is specially sacred to Garurda, the kite. On that morning I have often seen a number of Bramhans standing on the north side of a certain street, and looking intently to the sky. All the faces were intelligent, the air of some highly contemplative; and, marking their thoughtful looks and upward gaze, you would have supposed they were spurning the ways of vulgar men, and conversing with holy things. But suddenly one gives a signal to the rest in an instant every head turns toward the point indicated; then the joined hands are lifted up like a child at prayer, and every lip utters the sacred invocation, Swami. And as they adored, the white breast and bright brown wing of the kite swept by. It was a sorrowful sight for a Sabbath morn. This bird is voracious, and useful because he preys on snakes: his sacredness makes him tame; but he is cowardly. He is the steed of Vishtnu, and his worshippers frequently address him by the name Hari, which belongs to that high dignitary. One of the Shastras calls Garurda "the Lord of all things movable and immovabi Offerings of food are presented to him; sometimes by being placed on the ground within his sight, sometimes by being thrown up into the air, to be caught in his claws.

In the early morning I have passed an ant-hill, at the base of which was a hole, neatly strewn with flowers. This hole was a temple, and these

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flowers offerings. The being whose presence gave awe to this unlikely shrine, was the potent Adi Sheysha, the cobra di capello. The utility of the cow and of the kite, the monkey's cunning and resemblance to the human figure, have raised them to the very accessible elevation of heathen gods; and the serpent has gained the same distinction by his terrors, as did the crocodile in ancient Egypt. His image graces most temples, and some are reared to his sole honour. The most celebrated of these in the Mysore, and, I believe, one of the largest in India, is at Soubramanya, a place considerably to the west of Goobbee. There a spacious temple is devoted to serpents, who, under a long protection, have vastly increased, and crawl about every corner. A retinue of Priests is in attendance, by whom they are plentifully served with milk, butter, plantains, and other agreeable nourishment. How must a man feel, who is consecrated the Priest of a snake? This temple is very popular: streams of worshippers pour to its solemnities from all the surrounding districts. The serpent, great everywhere, is, on that spot, extolled as supreme. Not that they believe him to be so ; but they look on flattery as on ghee,-they love it themselves, and think the gods must love it. No man of the higher castes will kill the cobra, in consequence of which they abound in the country. At Goobbee I have leaped on the grass within a foot or two of one; and we have had three killed in our ground in a day. One morning, when returning after preaching at a distant village, two men whom I knew were passing, and I entered into conversation with them. My whip took their attention: they said, the thong was evidently made after the pattern of a snake. Yes," said one, "it is exactly like the one we have just seen." This led me to inquire; and I learned that they had just watched a cobra into a hole near the Mission-house. "Why did you not kill it?" I asked. "Kill him!" they said, "kill him! he is our god!" They were quite willing, however, to show me the hole, and stood quietly by while I called my horsekeeper ; when we filled the hole with water, waited to see if he would rise, and poked him with a stick, on which he jetted up his head, and was speedily despatched. Just as we set upon him, they uttered some smothered exclamations; but, as soon as the danger was over, came forward, and, looking at certain marks on the neck, said, that a person would only survive his bite for three hours. This they professed to determine by the marks, saying that they indicated the age, just as those in the horns of a cow; and that the virus was more or less powerful according to age. On another occasion one was discovered in the "go-down," or store-room, among bottles. Being dusk, it was difficult to find him; but, by carefully removing the bottles, no very pleasant task, knowing what was there, we at last disturbed him he hissed loud, and made a rush. Mr. Squarebridge, who happened to be with us, fastened him against the wall with the point of a stick; but in a position so awkward, that it was impossible to get a fair blow at him; and should he slip, some one of us must suffer. By taking short hold of the end of a whip, I managed to get at his head, and hit pat, pat, pat, till he seemed fairly stunned with the number of little blows. Then we let him free, and soon finished the contest. It is a singular illustration of the way in which depravity perverts advantages, that the lowcastes kill this reptile, and the high-castes adore it. When my Moonshee, a Bramhan, learned, on the morning just referred to, what had been done, he quite lost his temper; insisted, with much excitement, that I had been guilty of a great crime in killing his god; and maintained that the serpent never injured any one: if it did bite a person, and he died in consequence,

:

it was only because his fated time had come. They give it great credit for intelligence, asserting that if any one attack it, and fail to kill it, no matter where he may flee to, it traces him out, and never rests till avenged by his death. The ryots are afraid to leave the skeleton in the fields, saying young serpents rise out of every bone: they burn it. They also believe that the cobra di capella is only the female, pointing out as the male a larger snake, which is not venomous, but defends itself by lashing with its tail; for which reason it is called the whip-snake. I have found these generally to measure from eight to nine feet, while the cobra seldom reaches seven. They add, that if any one happen to overlook these two snakes when pairing, they both give chase, and do not rest till he is destroyed.

(To be continued.)

MAN TRIED AND CAST.

THERE is no man's case so dangerous as his whom Satan hath persuaded that his own righteousness shall present him pure and blameless in the sight of God. If we could say we were not guilty of anything at all in our consciences, should we, therefore, plead not guilty before the presence of our Judge, who sees farther into our hearts than we ourselves can do? If our hands did never offer violence to our brethren, a bloody thought doth prove us murderers before Him. If we had never opened our mouth to utter any scandalous, offensive, or hurtful word, the cry of our secret cogitations is heard in the ears of God. If we did not commit the sins which daily and hourly, either in deed, word, or thought, we do commit; yet, in the good things which we do, how many defects are there intermingled! God, in that which is done, respecteth the mind and intention of the doer. Cut off, then, all those things wherein we have regarded our own glory; those things which men do to please men; those things which we do for any by-end, not sincerely and purely for the love of God; and a small score will serve for the number of our righteous deeds. Let the holiest and best things which we do be considered. We are never better affected unto God than when we pray; yet, when we pray, how are our affections many times distracted! how little reverence do we show unto the grand majesty of God, to whom we speak! how little remorse of our own miseries! how little taste of the sweet influence of his tender mercies do we feel! Are we not as unwilling many times to begin, and as glad to make an end, as if in saying, "Call upon me," he had set us a very burdensome task? It may appear somewhat extreme which I will speak; therefore let every one judge of it even as his own heart shall tell him, and no otherwise. If God should yield unto us, not as unto Abraham, that, if ten good persons could be found in a city, for their sakes the city should not be destroyed, but if he should make unto us an offer thus large: "Search all the generations of men since the fall of Adam; find one man that hath done one action which passed from him pure, without any stain or blemish at all; and for that one man's only action neither man nor angel shall feel the torments which are prepared for both :" do you think that this ransom could be found to be among the sons of men? The best of things which we do have somewhat in them to be pardoned: how, then, can we do anything meritorious, or worthy to be rewarded? Wherefore we acknowledge a dutiful necessity of doing well; but the meritorious dignity of doing well we utterly renounce.

We see how far we are from the perfect righteousness of the law: the little fruit which we have in holiness, it is, God knoweth, corrupt and unsound. We put no confidence at all in it; we challenge nothing in the world for it; we dare not call God to reckoning, as if we had him in our debt-books: our continual suit to him is, and must be, to bear with our infirmities, and pardon our offences.-Hooker's Discourse on Justification.

THE MORALITY OF THE JESUITS.

FROM THE ENGLISH REVIEW.

THE morality of the Jesuits owes some, and some of the very worst, of its corruptions to the attitude which they have assumed towards all whom they brand with the name of heretics. The perpetual warfare upon which they have entered against these, and which is the very life and soul of the order, its chief occupation as well as its most prominent feature,—being a conflict, not for the faith of the true Church, which would have constrained them to abide in the truth, but for the ascendancy of the lying Church of Rome, which threw them at once into a position of falsehood, they were compelled by the very necessity of that position to have recourse to weapons such as never could have been employed in the cause of truth and charity. The infamous maxim, that as towards heretics all the rules of truth and justice cease to have any validity, that hæreticis non est habenda fides, led, in its practical application to the various circumstances under which the Jesuits had to encounter both evangelic truth and apostolic order, to a system of perfidious treachery beyond all past example, which has for ever identified in all the idioms of Europe the name of the order with all that is disingenuous and traitorous. Nor should we forget, in estimating the influence which this source of corruption must have had upon the general tone of Jesuit morality, that inasmuch as in many of the conflicts in which they engaged against the so-called heretics, they in fact took up arms against the true and living church of Christ, their sin assumed the awful character of a wilful and deliberate opposition against Christ and against the Holy Ghost, and consequently brought upon them that terrible recompence of spiritual wickedness, the hardness and blindness of a reprobate mind.

Under the influence, then, of these various causes of moral deterioration, was the system of Jesuit morality developed. The first requisite, to make it practically available, was, that it should be sufficiently pliant, affording a choice of rules of every imaginable degree of strictness and laxity. This want is admirably met by the doctrine of probable opinions,* which the

"The authority of one good Doctor is a sufficient reason on which to ground the probability of any opinion, so that every one may safely follow it." (Georgii de Rhodes Disput. Theol. Schol. De Act. Hum., tom. i., disp. 2, qu. 2, s. 3, § 1. Extr., p. 81.)

"There are two kinds of probable propositions; one being certainly probable, the other probably probable." (Honor. Fabri Apolog. Doctr. Mor. Soc. Jesu, dial. i., n. 23. Extr., p. 82.)

"He acts prudently upon a moral opinion, who is certain that it is probable; and this, in my opinion, no one will deny. For if it is certain that it is probable, it is also certain that it is safe; that is, that the use of it is safe, and the practice lawful." (Ibid., n. 53. Extr., p. 83.)

"When the opinions of the Doctors are divided upon any point, we may follow