LORD.’s DISCOVERY OF THE BANIANS AND PERSEES.

553

Ciiap. XIV. — Shewing the Beginning of the third Age ; the Refioration of the fame byRam ; new Evils bring a Judgment , concluding the third Age by an Earthquake orChafma.

RUDDERY having reftrained the winds from their former violence, all now washufhed ; but miferable and lamentable it was to behold the earth fo defolate and void ofinhabitants, more miferable to fee the carcafes that were fcattered on her furface, fomeblown from the tops of high mountains, others bruifed to mafh, all ruined and deftroyed ;fo that the Almighty repented- him of his own work, and Rudderv was forry that hefhould be an inftrument of fo great fury and deftrudion. '

But becaufe the head of all the former diforders was from the wickednefs and illgovernment of the kings and rulers, therefore the Lord utterly rafed out all of the tribe orcaff of the Cutterys; thofe that were preferved from deftrudtion by the fkirt of Vyftney’sprefervation, being fome few of the other three cafts or tribes.

Now, becaufe thefe four cafts were fo neceffary to the world’s government, that itcould not fublift without them, though the call of the Cutterys perilhed entirely fortheir wickednefs ; yet that they might be renewed again from a holier beginning, theLord appointed that from the Bramanes the line of the kings fhould be renewed. So thechief of the Bramanes that was then preferved by Vyftney, was called Ducerat; thenext child that was born after this deftruction, and which was the youngeft of four, waschofen to propagate the race of their kings and rulers, who being religioufly educated,might as well favour piety as policy, and with holinefs and prudence govern men intheir feveral tribes.

So he did many worthy ads, and exceedingly maintained religion, was a patron to theBramanes and churchmen, and his -name was Ram ; who became fo memorable forhis worthy deeds, that his name is made honourable in the mention amongft them, evento this day, that w r henfoever they meet and falute one another, they cry Ram ! Ram !as a word importing the wifhes of all good.

It is like that after him there ruled many worthy kings ; but trad of time renderingevery thing worfe at the latter ending than at the beginning, brought forth fuch asfollowed the courfe of the ancient wickednefs, and new ambitions, and new hypocrifies,and new frauds and circumventions, and daily breaches of the law delivered in Bre-maw’s book began afrefh to make intrufion ampngft them.

So the Almighty was again angry, that after fo many judgments, the people wouldnot be warned to his fear, therefore by God ’s appointment, Ruddery caufed the earthto open and fwallow them up alive, referving only fome few of the four tribes, as alaft trial for the new peopling of the world again. And fuch was the conclufion of thethird age of the world.

Chap. XV. — The fourth and laft Age of the World; Viflney's Rapture to Heaven ;the Banian’s Opinion touching the final Conclufion of the World, and in what Mannerthey J'uppofe it Jhall be.

AFTER this, the Almighty again commanded, that the world fhould be peopled bythofe that were referved, among whom there was one Kyftney, a famous ruler andpious king, of whofe virtues they have ample record, as being one moil notable in thelaft age, which they think now by the courfe of time to be devolved upon us ; he did■wonderfully promote religion, upon which there was a reformed beginning ofgoodnels.

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