DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.640#0111
xcviii INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
College, in North America, formed such an enthusiastic expecta-
tion from the amazing antiquity of the Hindoo writings, that he
actually wrote to Sir William Jones, to request him to search
among the Hindoos for the Adamic books. Had not this gentle-
man been a zealous Christian, it is likely his extravagant expec-
tations might have led him to ask Sir William to translate and
send him a book two or three millions of years old, written in
some kulpu amidst the endless succession of worlds.
For some time, a very unjust and unhappy impression appeared
to have been made on the public mind, by the encomiums passed
on the Hindoo writings. In the first place, they were thus ele-
vated in their antiquity beyond the Christian scriptures, the writ-
ings of Moses having been -called the productions of yesterday,
compared with those of the bramhuns. The contents of these
books also were treated with the greatest reverence; the primitive
religion of the Hindoos, it was said, revealed the most sublime
doctrines, and inculcated a pure morality. We were taught to
make the greatest distinction between the ancient and modern re-
ligion of the Hindoos; for the apologists for Hindooism did not
approve of its being judged of by present appearances. Some
persons endeavoured to persuade us, that the Hindoos were not
every case wherein the Holy Bible is not concerned ? When he wrote his
' Code of Gentoo laws,' he hesitated to believe the Bible, because it was
outdone in chronology by the histories of the Chinese and Hindoos. With
sacred reverence he exclaims, at the close of his account of the four yoo-
gtis,' To such antiquity the Mosaic creation is but as yesterday; and to
such ages the life of Methuselah is no more than a span!' He says, in
another page,' The conscientious scruples of Brydone will always be of
some weight in the scale of philosophy.' If the age or reign of Brtimha,
viz. 55,987,200,000,000 years, excited such sacred awe in the mind of this
gentleman, what would have been his sensations, and how strong his faith
in the ' holy wrif of the Hindoos, if he had happened to read in the
Ramayiinu the account of Ramii's army; which, this ' holy writ" says,
amounted to 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 soldiers, or rather monkies ?
Again, two thousand times the four yoogns, or 8,640,000,000 years, is the
age of the sage Markiindeku! What, in the name of Mr. Halhed, is the
life of Methuselah to this ?—This unbeliever in Moses became at last, it is
said, a firm believer in Richard Brothers t
College, in North America, formed such an enthusiastic expecta-
tion from the amazing antiquity of the Hindoo writings, that he
actually wrote to Sir William Jones, to request him to search
among the Hindoos for the Adamic books. Had not this gentle-
man been a zealous Christian, it is likely his extravagant expec-
tations might have led him to ask Sir William to translate and
send him a book two or three millions of years old, written in
some kulpu amidst the endless succession of worlds.
For some time, a very unjust and unhappy impression appeared
to have been made on the public mind, by the encomiums passed
on the Hindoo writings. In the first place, they were thus ele-
vated in their antiquity beyond the Christian scriptures, the writ-
ings of Moses having been -called the productions of yesterday,
compared with those of the bramhuns. The contents of these
books also were treated with the greatest reverence; the primitive
religion of the Hindoos, it was said, revealed the most sublime
doctrines, and inculcated a pure morality. We were taught to
make the greatest distinction between the ancient and modern re-
ligion of the Hindoos; for the apologists for Hindooism did not
approve of its being judged of by present appearances. Some
persons endeavoured to persuade us, that the Hindoos were not
every case wherein the Holy Bible is not concerned ? When he wrote his
' Code of Gentoo laws,' he hesitated to believe the Bible, because it was
outdone in chronology by the histories of the Chinese and Hindoos. With
sacred reverence he exclaims, at the close of his account of the four yoo-
gtis,' To such antiquity the Mosaic creation is but as yesterday; and to
such ages the life of Methuselah is no more than a span!' He says, in
another page,' The conscientious scruples of Brydone will always be of
some weight in the scale of philosophy.' If the age or reign of Brtimha,
viz. 55,987,200,000,000 years, excited such sacred awe in the mind of this
gentleman, what would have been his sensations, and how strong his faith
in the ' holy wrif of the Hindoos, if he had happened to read in the
Ramayiinu the account of Ramii's army; which, this ' holy writ" says,
amounted to 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 soldiers, or rather monkies ?
Again, two thousand times the four yoogns, or 8,640,000,000 years, is the
age of the sage Markiindeku! What, in the name of Mr. Halhed, is the
life of Methuselah to this ?—This unbeliever in Moses became at last, it is
said, a firm believer in Richard Brothers t