[The Soul of the Far East by Percival Lowell]@TWC D-Link bookThe Soul of the Far East CHAPTER 7 16/46
Externally, the likeness was so exact that at first they could not bring themselves to believe that the Buddhist ceremonials had not been filched bodily from the practices of the true faith.
Finding, however, that no known human agency had acted in the matter, they bethought them of introducing, to account for things, a deus ex machina in the shape of the devil.
They were so pleased with this solution of the difficulty that they imparted it at once with much pride to the natives.
You have indeed got, they graciously if somewhat gratuitously informed them, the outward semblance of the true faith, but you are in fact the miserable victims of an impious fraud.
Satan has stolen the insignia of divinity, and is now masquerading before you as the deity; your god is really our devil,--a recognition of antipodal inversion truly worthy the Jesuitical mind! Perhaps it is not matter for great surprise that they converted but few of their hearers.
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