it before a tribunal, incompetent to decide upon fo important a question; and is, in fact, to exalt a terreftrial judge before the eternal Judge of all things. Since, however, the ancient Jews did not think it repugnant to reafon to distinguish the divine Effence into THREE LIGHTS, affigning them names very nearly refembling those by which we denominate the three hypostases of the Christian Trinity, and fince they affirm that number in God does not deftroy his unity; fince, alfo, the system of emanations, iffuing from, and returning into, the abyss of the Divinity, was fo generally admitted into the theology of those pagan nations, whofe fole guide in forming that theology is averred to have been the light of reason ; we are justified in afferting that this doctrine, though not founded upon reafon as a basis, is by no means deftitute of its decided support and concurrence. The bafis upon which it refts is far more noble as well as durable, DIVINE REVELATION, ftrengthened by the moft ancient traditions, and the confenting creed of nearly all the kingdoms of the Greater Afia. This fact, already in part established, will be ftill more fully evinced, as we continue the progrefs of our investigation through that extenfive quarter of the globe,

From

From India, if we direct our eyes northward to the great empires of Tangut and Thibet, and over the vast Tartarian deferts to Siberia itself, we shall find the fame fentiments predominate. In the former country, if the authors quoted in Parfons's Remains of Japhet may be credited, medals, having the figure of the TRI-UNE DEITY ftamped upon them, are given to the people by the Dalai-Lama, who unites in his own perfon the hierarchal and regal character, to be fufpended as a holy object around their necks, or confpicuously elevated in the chapels where they perform their devotions.* It is there also afferted that the Roman miffionaries, arriving in those regions, found the people already in poffeffion of that fundamental doctrine of the true religion, which, among others, they came to impress upon their minds, and univerfally adoring an idol fabricated to resemble, as nearly as poffible, a Trinity in Unity. Dr. Parfons is of opinion, that, as there is no record of their having had the principles of the Christian religion ever propagated among them, they could only have attained to the knowledge of that mysterious truth by means of traditional dogmas, handed down to them from

Ddd

• See Parfons's Remains of Japhet, p. 185 and 206.

from very high antiquity, which, in the courfe of fo many revolving ages and fuch numerous viciffitudes as Afia has undergone, has never been obliterated from their minds, although it has been degraded by being blended with the fuperftitions of the neighbouring brahmins and the magi. With refpect to the Tartars and Siberians, Van Strahlenburg, there cited, after remarking how univerfal a veneration prevails through all northern Tartary for the facred number THREE, acquaints us that "a race of Tartars, called Jakuthi, who are idolaters, and the most numerous people of all Siberia, adore in fact only one indivifible God under three different denominations, which, in their vernacular tongue, are ARTUGON, SCHUCO-TEUGON, TANGARA;" the firft of which words Colonel Grant tranflates. Creator of all things; the fecond, the God of armies; and the third he renders, Amor ab. utroque procedens, the Spirit of heavenly love, proceeding from the two former.

The celebrated SIBERIAN MEDAL, published by Dr. Parfons, and now deposited in the valuable cabinet of the Emprefs at Petersburg, on one fide of which is engraved the figure of a tri-une deity, and, on the other fide, certain Thibetian characters, illuftrative of that

figure,

figure, was found in an old ruined chapel, together, with many ancient manufcripts, near the river Kemptfchyk, which falls into the great river Jenifei near its head. It is compofed, according to M. Van Strahlenburg, of a fubftance resembling terra figillata, and is of the exact shape and size of the accompanying engraving, the border of one part of the medal being very much corroded. Of this medal Dr. Parfons's description is as follows: "The image, which appears upon one fide, and which represents a deity, is one human figure as to the body and lower extremities, but is diftinguished above by three heads. The figure fits cross-legged upon a low fopha, or stool, in the manner of Eaftern fovereigns: an arched urn, or fomething refembling it, is under the fopha, but seems empty. It is thought that this figure is thus made, with one body, three heads, and fix arms, from an idea prevailing among those who fabricated it of a Trinity in Unity."* To this account of Dr. Parfons I fhall add the remark of Strahlenburg; that the people who fabricated this figure were perhaps of opinion that the first perfon in it, content with having created all things, rested in tranquillity: they

* Remains of Japhet, p. 187, ubi fequent.

therefore drew him with his hands folded across, as if he had refigned all care of the univerfe to the other two: and they figured out this his pre-eminence by adorning his head with a high mitre cap. The infcription on the oppofite fide of the medal is in English, as follows: "The bright and facred image of Deity, confpicuous in three figures. Gather the holy purpose of God from THEM: love HIM." The mode of expreffion and the alternate ufe of the fingular and the plural noun decifively mark the real fentiments and intent of those who caufed it to be thus engraved.

Dr. Parfons describes this triple image as feated upon a low fopha, with an arched urn, or fomething resembling it, underneath. It is rather furprizing that our author, who was by profeffion a phyfician, an order of men to whom one should suppose botany ought to be fomewhat familiar, and a member of the Society of Antiquaries, in whofe noble engraved collection the lotos perpetually appears fculptured on innumerable medallions, vafes, and other precious relics of Egyptian and Afiatic antiquities, fhould have not discovered that the urn, or cup, alluded to, is that of the lotos. In respect to the figure itself, it is evidently