Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/131

 religious offerings. 119

for every notable favour that Elohim had conferred either on individuals,, or the body, both the war-leader and his religious affiftant go into the woods as foon as they are purified, and there facrifice the firft deer they kill; yet, as hath been obferved, they always celebrate the annual expiation of fins in their religious temples.

The red Hebrews imagine their temples to have fuch a typical holinefs, more than any other place, that if they offered up the annual facrifice elfe- \vhere, it would not atone for the people, but rather bring down the anger' of IJhtoboollo Aba^ and utterly fpoil the power of their holy places and holy- things. They who facrifice in the woods, do it only on the particular occa- fions now mentioned ; unlefs incited by a dream, which they efteem a mo nitory leffon of the Deity, according to a fimilar opinion of the Hebrews. To conclude this argument, it is well known, that the heathens offered the* mod abominable and impure facrifices to a multiplicity of idol gods, fome on favourite high places, others in thick proves, yea, offerings of their own children were made ! and they likewife proftituted their young women in honour of their deities. The former is fo atrocious in the eyes of the Ame rican Hebrews, that they reckon there needs no human law to prevent fa' unnatural a crime; the vileft reptiles being endued with an intenfe love to their young ones : and as to the latter, if even a great war-leader is known* to cohabit with his own wife, while fanctifying himfelf according to their mode on any religious occafion, he is deemed unclean for the fpace of three days and nights, or mould he during the annual atonement of fins, it is deemed fo dangerous a pollution, as to demand a ftricl: ex- clufion from the reft of the fandlified head-men and warriors, till the ge neral atonement has been made at the temple, to appeafe the offended Deity : befides, as a (hameful badge of his impiety, his clothes are (tripped: off. Thus different are the various modes and fubjefts of the heatheniflr worfhip and offerings, from thofe of the favage Americans. The furprizing purity the latter ftill obferve in their religions ceremonies, under the circum- ftanees of time and place, points ftrongly at their origins,

��ARGU-

�� �