As for the Spirits, or Inferiour Angels, they believe that they are very evil, and have a hand in all Wickednesses, Murders, Wars, Storms, and Tempests; so that when they solemnize the Funerals of those that are dead, they always present Dishes of Meat, as Offerings unto those Spirits, and sometimes Sacrifice unto them, that they may not hurt the Souls of the Dead.
As they acknowledge the being of a mighty God, so they hold that he created the World, and every thing therein. They believe that there are almost infinite number of Worlds, and that God has oftentimes Annihilated and Re-Created the same. But how he came first to Create the World and Mankind, they relate to have been thus—Once on a time (say they) as he was set in Eternity, it came into his mind to make something, and immediately no sooner had he thought the same, but that the same Minute was a perfect Beautiful Woman present immediately before him, which he called Adea Suktee, that is, the first Woman: Then this figure put into his mind the figure of a Man; which he had no sooner conceived in his mind, but that he also started up, and represented himself before him; this he called Manapuise, that is, the first Man; then upon a reflection of these things, he resolv'd further to create several places for them to abide in, and accordingly assuming a subtil body, he Breath'd in a Minute the whole Universe, and every thing therein, from the least to the greatest.
They constantly believe that the Universe cannot possibly last longer than 71 Joog's, which is a measure of time with them, and is ... years. Which when it is come, God does not only annihilate the whole Universe, but even every thing else, as well Angels, Souls, and Spirits, as Inferiour Creatures; and then he remains in the same State that he was in before the Creation; But say, that after he has a while respired thus he Breaths again, and every thing is Created afresh, as well Angels and Souls, as all other things; but as for the Spirits, they are no more thought of. Yet for all this, after 71 Joogs more all is Annihilated again. How many Joogs are past since the World was last Created they cannot certainly tell; only 'tis observable that in an Almanack of theirs, written in the Sanscript Language in 1670, they make the World then 3892771 years old from its last Creation.
The Bramines of Persia tell certain long Stories of a great Giant that was led into a most delicate Garden, which upon certain conditions should be his own for ever. But one evening in a cool shade, one of the Wicked Dewta's, or Spirits, came to him, and tempted him with vast sums of Gold, and all the most precious Jewels that can be imagined; but he courageously withstood that temptation, as not knowing what value or use they were of: But at length this wicked Dewta brought to him a fair Woman, who so charm'd him, that for her sake he most willingly broke all his Conditions, and thereupon was turned out.
They tell a great many Stories Absurd and Ridiculous enough, of the first Ages of this present World, which would be too tedious here to take notice of; only I shall here give you out of one of their own Books what they tell us of a great Flood that formerly happened. They say, that about 21000 Years ago the Sea overwhelm'd and drowned the whole Earth, except one great Hill, far to the Northwards, called Bindd, and that there fled thither only one Woman and seven Men, the names of whom were Dehoolah, Sunnuk, Sunnaud, Trilleek, Sannotah, Cuppyloshaw, Suraschah and Burroopung; these understanding out of their Books that such a Flood would come, and was then actually coming, prepared against the same, and repaired thither; to which place also went two of all sorts of Creatures, Herbs, Trees, and Grasses, and of every thing that had Life, to the number in all of 1800000 living Souls. This Flood (say they) lasted 120 Years, 5 Months and 5 days: After which time all those Creatures that were thus preserved, descended down again and replenished the Earth: But as for the 7 Men and Women, only one of them came down with her, and dwelt at the Foot of the Mountain, the other six turned Fuchee's, or Holy Men, and spent there the remainder of their days.
They hold in general the Ptolomaic System of the Universe, and say that there are 8 or 9 Heavens, counting the Air and Earth, every one exceeding another in Beauty and Glory.
Their Religion consists of nothing that I could ever see or learn, but the leading of a Pure Life, the Washing away of their Sins in the River Ganges, their muttering over of divers Prayers, and their doing of strange and incredible Penances.
They say, that God is such a one, that whosoever seeks him, let it be after what manner he pleases, whether by thinking that the Sun is he, or the Moon, or the like, if they do it but sincerely and honestly, with a right affected heart, they shall be received of him.
They report, that on a time a Mussulman seeing a Hindoo, or Pagan Priest, in Heaven, he ask'd God how that Infidel came to have admittance thither, whom Mahomet so often calls by the name of Bitter Roots? To whom God answered, What if a Bitter Root bring forth sweeter Fruit than any of you, why should I not receive it? Upon which the Mussulman had no more to say.