The sect of the Faose appeared in Cliina near six hundred years before Christ. It was founded by the phi losopher, Lao-Kiun, of whose birth the ntost extraordi nary and absurd stories are told. His morals seem to have approached near to those of Epicurus; but his phy sical doctrines are wrapt up in impenetrable obscurity. Those who made profession of this sect were much ad dicted to magic and alchen)y, in order, it is said, to dis cover the secret, by means of which they might become immottal. The author of this sect was himself ranked among the gods; a stately temple was erected to him ; and the emperor Huila) Tsong caused the statue of this new God to he brought into his palace.
About 551 years before the Christian era appeared the famous Chinese philosopher, Con-fut-se, or Confu cius. His birth also is tepresenterl in the legendary tales of the Chinese as miraculous. He lived an austere, asce tic life, taught and inculcated the doctrines of pure mo rality, and, at his death, left behind him a great reputa tion for superior wisdom.
About the 65th year or the Christian era, a new sect was introduced into China. The emperor, Ming-ti, struck with some words which Confucius had often re peated, viz. that it was in the west they should find the Holy One, sent ambassadors into India in quest of him, and to learn the law he taught. Those envoys believed they had at last found him out among the worshippers of an idol, named Fo, or Foe. They accordingly trans ported. into China several images of this idol, together with the fables and superstitions of which the hidian books were full, the doctrine of the Metempsychosis, or transmigration of souls, ke. The worship of Foe, once introduced, made a most rapid progress all over China, Japan, Siam, ke. The priests of Foe are called among the Siarnese, Talapoins ; by the Tartars, Lamas ; by the Chinese, Ro-chang ; and by the Japanese, Bonzes ; by which last appell :don they are most commonly known in Europe. A vast number of temples were erected to this idol in Chilia ; and an inexhaustible store of the most monstrous fahles concerning the life and adventures of Foe weie propagated by his disciples, the Bonzes— the most ignorant, the most superstitious, and the most despicable of all mortals.
The Hindoos, like the other eastern nations, appear to have retained, for a long period, the worship of the true God. In the course of time, however, idolatry broke in among them, and overspread the country ; and the genu ine history of the origin of the world was corruptLci and disguised under a variety of fictions and allegories. All
mankind, we are told, are sprung from their supreme God, Brahma, or Britnha, who is said to have produced as many worlds as there are parts in his body. The first of these worlds, which is above the heavens, siirting from his brain ; the second, from his eyes; the third, from his mouth, Exc. According to another tradition, Brahma produced the Brahmins front his mouth, to pray, to read, to instruct ; the Chiltern from his arms, to draw the bow, to fight, to govei n ; the Bice, from his belly or thighs, to nourish, to provide the necessaries of lift: by agriculture and commerce ; the Soder, from his {let, for subjection, to serve, to labour, to travel. The Ilindoos have also some mythological traditions, which obviously appear to relate to the general deluge ; but the history is adapted to their own religious tenets. But the vulgar religion of the ancient IIintloos appears to have been that of Foe, which, as we have already observer!, was imported from India into China, and which probably came origin ally into India from Egypt. The traditions respecting this personage are so ridiculous and extravagant, that our readers may spare us the trouble of reciting them. One of the principal doctrines inculcated by Foe and his disciples was the metempsychosis, or tiansmigration of souls. Some have imagined that this doctrine gave rise to the multitude of idols reverenced in every country where the religion of Foe prevailed, and particularly to the worship of animals. To this doctrine, too, ma) be ascribed the story of the incarnations of Vishnou—who, along with Bud, Butzen, or Budda, is held to be the same with Foe. An infinitude of fables concerning him were propagated by his disciples, after his death. They pretended that their master was still alive; that he had been already born 8000 times, and that Ile had succes sively appeared under the figure of an ape, a lion, a dra gon, an elephant, a boar, Exc. At length he was con founded with thc supreme God ; and all the titles, attri butes, operations, perfections, and ensigns of the Most High were ascribed to him. There are other wilcl and extravagant mythological and cosmological notions of the Indians, for an account of which we must refer our readers to,t he authors who have written upon the subject.