538 lord’s discovery of the banians and fersees.

worfhip ; and Cuttery and Wyfe, the ruler and the handicraftfman, do moft correfpondin theirs.

To the Bramanes, which are the priefts, they give the firft and fecond command-ments, as placing the ftrifteft parts of religion in thefe two things. firft, in the prefervationof living creatures from deftruftion ; next, in abftinence from things forbidden, as inthe eating of flefh, or drinking of wine ; to which obfervance they do alfo ftrictly enjointhe merchantman.

Next, more particularly, they apportion to Shuddery, as moft proper to his profeflion,the third and fourth commandments ; which two precepts enjoin to devotion, and bindfrom cozenage in their dealings, a fin too incident to thofe that are converfant in thebalance and weights, who are fo mylterious in that particular, as may well need an aft ofreligion to reftrain them from fuch fraudulency.

To Cuttery, their rulers or magiflrates, they attribute the fifth and fixth command-ments, as knowing oppreflion to be a fin moft common to the mighty ; and enjoiningthem to charity, who are bell able to relieve the neceffities of the poor.

To Wyfe, the handicraftfman, they refer the feventh and eighth commandments, whohave need of fome free times of enjoyment, yet given to lavifhment of their gettings, ifthey were not admonifhed by their law ; as alfo binding them from theft, a fin to whichthey may be invited by opportunity, as they difcharge the duties of their calling in othermen’s houfes.

In fine, to all thefe they owe a general obfervance, but are more particularly cautiousin keeping the commandments appropriated to their own particular tribe or caff.

Since then the laws or precepts of any religion are no further to be allowed, thanthey feem to be well grounded, and to carry truth and good reafon with them; methinks,by the way, here is fomething to be excepted againft, in this Banian law, which, diftin-guifhing them from men of other religions, may be examined, whether it may haveallowance or no.

The principal part of their law 7 , admitting nothing prodigious to opinion, we pafsover, only that which cometh into exception, is that which is laid down in the firft andfecond commandment, and is enjoined the Bramanes and Banians to obferve, namely;firft, that no living creature fhould be killed. Next, that they fhould not tafte wine,or the flefh of living creatures.

Concerning the firft, that they fhould not kill any living creature; the reafon by whichthey confirm this precept is, becaufe it is indued with the fame foul that man is.

This we deny, for the Banians here feem to halt in their philofophy, and the learningof the ancients, who have delivered that there is a three-fold kind of foul. Firft, a vege-tant foul, fuch as is in herbs and plants. Secondly, a fentient foul, fuch as is inbeafts. Thirdly, areafonable foul, fuch as is in man ; which foul hath more noble aftsto diftinguifh itfelf from the other two ; as alfo, that when the other do inter ire cumcorpore , “ perifh with the body this furviveth, and therefore is not the fame foul, asfhall hereafter be proved.

But that this tenet of theirs, denying the daughter of living creatures for man’s ufe isnothing fovereign, may appear by feripture, which after the flood declareth God ’sallowance in this particular, Gen. ix. 3. u Every moving thing that liveth fhall be meatfor you, even as the green herb have I given you all things.” Next, by the cuftoin ofnations who differenced in other points of religion, yet old confent in this daughter ofliving creatures, add unto this the praftice of Pythagoras , one whofe name they adore,and who did lay the ground whereon this feft leaneth, he killed an ox, as Athenteusevifteth, lib. 1. Dipnofoph in this diftichon :

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