ᏱᏱ8 bours under a profound, although groundless conviction of the complete truth and accuracy of this extraordinary statement, was he not, we beg to inquire, in common fairness obliged to quote the original text of the Vaidanta, from which he derived his authority for inditing and promulgating so starting a misrepresentation ! The whole body of the Waldantic doctrines, upholding, utterly repudiates a, dogma, regnant with such unspeakable absurdity, and ‘mphatically inculcates, that no object whatver, in the Imoral or material universe, 18 pos... od of the attributes of existence, Indepen de.ily of the Sprene Being fপদ-, জগত সন্ম ৭ প্রাণএছfত নিঃসৃত%। “ (, old being eternal existence, the universe, g 总 "e 3 * whatsoever it is, exists and proceeds from hull, অস্মিন দে পৃথিবী চান্তরিক্ষমোথমনঃসক প্রাগৈশ্চ সৰ্দ্দৈঃ “ On God heaven, earth, and space depend, ni,d also intellect, with all the senses.” In like mamor as the mirrored image of the sun is reflected from the surfaces of millions of radiating particles of inftei, and is the invariable and necessary result of the preexistence of the great orb itself. so the bouudless universe is distrnet and se parate from, though inevitably dependent, upon the eternal God. The Vaid:Infa teaches us, that the great and lofty et aracteristic of absolute independence pertains to God alone, and not to a pe ishable atom of this aton-world ' তদের মৃতমুচ্যতে। স্তম্মিলোকাঃ শ্রিতা সৰ্ব্বে তদুনالمهاراة 5ة ف Tfق ) “He alone is called eternal, on whom all the world rests and independently of whom nothing cai, exist ” The Revereud gentl inan proceeds to stat. Íhat ** im, any sense, within the reach of huuran “ understanding, he, (Brahm, ) is “ nothing.” Foi “ the initid of man can sortil 110 notion of mat6 ter tol spirit apat t fronin it- properties or - attributes.” This assertion has been already refuted in substance. We may, however, add *hat Brahm is, in no respect, di »d od sur ttributes as inay be best calcula İAärııı()iso with llie perfection of l:is na is existence, therefore, is not nnintelligible, although his real essence, as coeval and co-extensive with his immensity, Inust for ever baffle the inquisitive mania of controverstal inquirers. For instance : the elementary properties of the constituent particles of the sun, have perpetually eluded the eagle-glance, and the profoundest researches, of ancient and inodern philosophy, nor is human language supplied with any terms to designate or classify those primordial elements : are we, therefore, entitled to deny the existence of that glorions luminary, and belie the united and lacessant testimony of our senses' So it is with Brahm : no human tongue can proclaim or specify his wonderful attributes; but they are, nevertheless, as palpably felt, and as strik তত্ত্ববোধনা পত্রিকা ৷ - ùçi ingly manifested, as the vital air we breathe, in the universality of his power, which acts within, above, below, and around us, in innumerable ways and modes, by visible and invisible instrumentalities, in iike manner as the mysterious influence of the sun is exerted, alike through the most stupendous works of nature, and the minutest particles of matter : To these great and affecting truths, however, the Reverend gentleman turns a deaf and inexorable ear : He maintains, with invincible pertinacity, that “the Brahm of Hindoo theo“ logy is not incomprehensible merely, but is “utterly unintelligible.” We cannot refrain from expressing our legitimate su prise at this novel method of logical argumentation. Dr. l)uff's Brahm, and the Brahm of lindoo theology, are undoubtedly, as morally different from each other, as darkness II on light. The Reverend missionary hurries on to say that : “Unincumbered by the cares of em“pire, or the functions of a superintending “ providence, he effectuates no good, inflicts no “ evil, sitsfers no pain, experiences nog motion ;" “ his beatitude is represented ;is coJi-isting “ in a languid, Inonotonous, and uninter rupted sleep.–a sleep so very deep as never to l disturbed by the visitation of a drearn.” “Cares of empire " [r. Iuff would sain have us, it appears, liken the universal God to a king, an emperor, or some other earthly potentate : “Functions of a superintending provi!” The functions performed by the
- *
6. k “ dence ! Supreme deity are so vast, so illimitable, and infinite, that no mortal man can, without presumption, assume the task of characterising them. “Effectuates no good " The Gud worshipped by the wise of our country, is the eternal source and the sole parent of “good,” and they, in conformity to the revered doctrines of their hastras, daily pour forth their thanksgivings to lími, foi their existence their happiness, tlay, even for their miseries মাথা তথ্যযোগান দ পাস্তোশ্ব শ্ৰীভ্যঃসমাভ্যঃ। “ (Ie has, from eternity, been assigning to all his creatures their respective purposes, with hteousness” “ littlets no evil s” Such a remark is perfectly astounding : IIow can the Revereud ints"lonary incite us, by the clearest implication, to worship such a God as should be the author of evil, in all its repulsive shapes and dire consequences ' Are we then to ascribe the indiscriminate nurder of millions of our fellow beings, through religious fanaticism, or political hostility, to the direct perpetration of our immaculate Creator 7—" Suffers no pain s” How can a deity,represented in our Vaidanta, as “Felicity itself,” be imagined susceptible of those sensations peculiar to our frame, which constitute pain' Where is the man who, in his soberer hours, can even for a single instant, imagine that the eternal and invisible Being is supplied, like himself, with a corporeal frame, with a system of muscles, bones, tissues, blood-vessels, and a nervous apparatus, whence arises his liability
