The apostate Indians worship both Gods and Devils, over which they acknowledge a Supreme, who sends forth other Deities as his Deputies; which they think to be the Souls of good Men; and Devils, the Souls of the Wicked.... They imagine the Sun and Moon to be Gods; their Idols are represented as Monsters of the kind[[438]].
[438]. Atlas Asia. page 662.
“In the Kingdom of Pegu in the East, the People are exceeding superstitious, and scruple not to worship the Devil, whom they reckon the Author of Evil; as they do God, of Good: And in all Calamities, their first Addresses are to the evil Spirit, for Deliverance; and they make Vows to him, which they perform upon their Recovery, with the Assistance of their Priests, whom they call the Devil’s Father, and he directs them to make sacred Feasts with Musick.” Many of them run about in the Morning with a Torch in one Hand, and Rice in the other; pretending to give the Devil his Breakfast, that he may not hurt them that Day. Others at their Meals, throw part of what they have over their Shoulders, to feed him, before they eat any themselves. Ibid. p. 662.
At Tavay in that Country, they replenish their Houses with Victuals, and leave them for three Months, that the Devils may dwell and feed there, and be favourable all the rest of the Year. ibid. They have a sort of Monks called Talapoins, who endeavour to root out this Devil Worship, but without effect.
The Aruspices, were an Order of Priests among the antient Romans, who pretended to foretell Events, chiefly by inspecting the Entrails of Beasts killed in Sacrifice ... Birds, and celestial Appearances. Cato, who was one of the Augurs, conscious of their impious Politicks, used to say, He wondered how one Priest could look at another without laughing in his Face. These Augural Priests made a College, or Community; they bore an Augural Staff or Wand, called Lituus, made in form of a Crozier, or a Bishop’s Staff, or Shepherd’s Crook, as the Ensign of their Office and Authority—— And what is most ridiculous is, that no Affair of Moment could be resolved upon, without first consulting these holy Cheats; and their Advice, be what it would, was by a Decree of the Senate appointed to be exactly and religiously observed. Ornithomancy, or Divination by Birds, was, among the Greeks, the same with Augury among the Romans.
At Angola and Congo in the East-Indies, wooden Idols, resembling Negroes, are erected in the midst of their Towns, which they daily worship. ’Tis their Belief they are never sick, but when their Idols are angry with them; therefore to appease them, they pour at their Feet the Wine of Palms. They wash, paint, and new cloath their Dead, and bury with them Meat, Drink, and some of their Goods, and sprinkle the Grave with the Blood of Goats. Their Priests are in such high Esteem, that they think Plenty and Famine, Life and Death, are in their power[[439]].
[439]. See Purchas.
The old Inhabitants of Virginia believed many Gods, but one principally, who made the rest ... and that the Woman was made before the Man, and propagated by the Help of one of the inferior Gods. The Natives are Anthropomorphites, giving to their Gods the Forms of Men.... When they go abroad, they carry their Gods about with them, and in Matters of Doubt ask Counsel of them. Much of their Devotion consists in howling and dancing about Fires, with Rattles in their Hands. Quære, Whether this Custom be not the Original of Castanets or Snappers in Dancing[[440]]?
[440]. Hackluit in Purchas.
Another Instance of monstrous Degeneracy, we have among the Phenicians, who offer’d yearly Sacrifices to Saturn of young Infants; and in the Temple of Venus, practised not only Whoredom, but the most unnatural Sin of Sodomy also; yea, by the Laws of their Religion, were bound to prostitute their Daughters to Venus, before they married them: In their Temple the Women who refused to be shaved, were obliged to yield up their Honour to Strangers for one day.