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THE 
 
 WORKS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Rev. CLAUDIUS BUCHANAN, LL. D. 
 
 COMPRISING HIS 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES IN ASIA, 
 
 HIS 
 
 MEMOIR ON THE EXPEDIENCY OP AN ECCLESIASTICAL 
 ESTABLISHMENT FOR BRITISH INDIA, 
 
 and his 
 
 STAR IN THE EAST, 
 
 ■WITH 
 
 THREE NEW SERMONS. 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED, 
 
 DR. RERR’s CURIOUS AND INTERESTING REPORT, 
 
 CONCERNING THE STATE OF THE CHRISTIANS IN COCHIN AND 
 
 TRAVANCORE, 
 
 MADE AT THE REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR OF 
 MADRAS. 
 
 NEW-YORK? 
 
 PUBLISHED BY WHITING & WATSON, 
 
 No. 96, Broadway. 
 
 E. & E. Eos/ord... Printers...Albany. 
 
 1812. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2018 with funding from 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 https://archive.org/details/worksofrevclaudiOOunse 
 
> 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 IN ASIA. 
 
 Introduction .... 
 
 The Chinese - 
 
 The Hindoos - ' 
 
 Juggernaut - 
 
 Immolation of Females 
 
 Letters of King George I. and Archbishop Wake 
 Tranquebar - 
 
 Tanjore - 
 
 Tritchinopoly .... 
 
 Versions of the Scriptures for the Hindoos 
 The Ceylonese .... 
 
 The Malays .... 
 
 The Syrian Christians in India - 
 The Malabar Bible ... 
 
 Syriac Bible .... 
 
 Romish Christians in India 
 Inquisition at Goa - 
 
 Translation of the Seriptures for the Romish Cln 
 The Colleges at Goa - 
 The Persians - 
 
 The Arabians - 
 
 The Arabic School for the Translation of the Scr 
 The Jews in Asia .... 
 Their MSS. of the Scriptures 
 The Ten Tribes - 
 
 Restoration of the Jews 
 
 Versions of the Scriptures into the Eastern Lan 
 for the Jews . . * - 
 
 Page. 
 
 
 13 
 
 • 
 
 19 
 
 
 23 
 
 - 
 
 24 
 
 
 35 
 
 • 
 
 41 
 
 
 45 
 
 • 
 
 46 
 
 
 55 
 
 - 
 
 56 
 
 
 58 
 
 m 
 
 63 
 
 
 69 
 
 m 
 
 91 
 
 
 ibid• 
 
 - 
 
 92 
 
 
 95 
 
 s 
 
 113 
 
 
 114 
 
 . 
 
 115 
 
 
 120 
 
 s 
 
 126 
 
 
 130 
 
 
 140 
 
 
 146 
 
 s 
 
 148 
 
 
 152 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Bibliotheca Biblica in Bengal ... 
 
 The Armenians • 
 
 Ecclesiastical Establishment for British India 
 Letter on this subject from Dr. Watson, Bishop of Llan- 
 daff, to the Author .... 
 
 Conclusion - 
 
 Page. 
 - 155 
 158 
 . 161 
 
 17Q 
 . 174 
 
 MEMOIR 
 
 Of the Expediency of an Ecclesiastical Establishment 
 
 for British India. 
 
 Preface to the first American Edition ... - 179 
 
 Dedication ......... 181 
 
 Introduction to Memoir ...... 185 
 
 PART I. 
 
 On the means ofpreserving the profession of the Chris¬ 
 tian religion among our countrymen in India. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Present state of the English church in India • - 387 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Of the establishment of the Romish church in the East 188 
 
 CHAPTER m. 
 
 Of the extent of the proposed ecclesiastical establishment 
 for British India ....... 191 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Considerations deduced from the propriety or necessity of 
 an ecclesiastical establishment .... 192 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Objections to an ecclesiastical establishment considered 194 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 Civilization of the natives, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 On tile practicability of civilizing the natives 
 
 Page. 
 
 199 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 On the policy of civilizing the natives ... 208 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 On the impediments to the civilization of the natives. The 
 philosophical spirit of Europeans formerly an impedi¬ 
 ment to the civilization of the natives ... 212 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The sanguinary superstitions of the natives an impediment 
 to their civilization - - . . . . 215 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The numerousholydays of the natives an impediment to 
 their civilization - 218 
 
 PART III. 
 
 Of the progress already made in civilizing the natives 
 
 of India, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Of the extension of Christianity in India, under the influence 
 of episcopal jurisdiction.221 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Of the extension of Christianity in India, by the labours of 
 protestant missionaries.225 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 A. Record of the superstitious practices of the Hindoos, 
 
 now subsisting, which inflict immediate death, or 
 tend to death ; deducted from the evidence of the 
 Pundits and learned Brahmins in the College of 
 Fort William .... 245 
 
 B. Notes on the practicability of abolishing those prac¬ 
 
 tices of the Hindoos, which inflict immediate death, 
 or tend to produce death ; collated from the infor¬ 
 mation and suggestions of the Pundits and learned 
 Brahmins in the College of Fort William - 250 
 
 C. A. D. 1802. Regulation YI. - - 253 
 
 D. Report of the number of women, who have burned 
 
 themselves on the funeral pile of their husbands 
 within thirty miles round Calcutta, from the be¬ 
 ginning of Bysakh (15th April) to the end of As- 
 win (15th October,) 1804 - - - 254 
 
 E. Religious mendicants - 256 
 
 F. Different Hindoo sects in Bengal - - 257 
 
 G. Ancient civilization of India ... 259 
 
 H. Excessive polygamy of the Koolin Brahmins - 262 
 
 I. Testimonies to the general character of the Hindoos 264 
 
 K. Jewish Scriptures at Cochin - 267 
 
 L. Shanscrit testimonies of Christ - - 270 
 
 M. Chinese version of the Scriptures; and Chinese lit¬ 
 
 erature - - - - - 271 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 SERMON I. 
 
 The Star in the East; a Sermon, preached in the Parish- 
 Church of St. James, Bristol, on Sunday, Feb. 26,1809, 
 for the benefit of the “ Society for Missions to Africa 
 and the East.”. 
 
 SERMON II. 
 
 Preached at the Parish-Church of St Anne, Blackfriars, 
 London, on Tuesday, June 12, 1810, before the Soci¬ 
 ety for Missions to Africa and the East. 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 The Eras of Light, being a Discourse preached before 
 the University of Cambridge, on Commencement Sun¬ 
 day, (Morning) July 1, 1810. ... * 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 The Eras of Light, being a Discourse preached before 
 the University of Cambridge, on Commencement Sun¬ 
 day, (Afternoon) July 1, 1810. - 
 
 Dr. KERR’s REPORT. 
 REVIEW. 
 
 370 
 
 382 
 

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INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In his late Discourses before the University of Cam ¬ 
 bridge, the Author noticed incidentally some general 
 circumstances of the darkness of Paganism, and of the 
 means which are now employed to diffuse the light of 
 Christianity in the East. This awakened a desire in 
 some Members of that learned Body to know the par¬ 
 ticulars ; for if there were a just expectation of success, 
 and if the design were conducted in consonance with 
 the principles and order of the Church of England, it 
 might be a proper subject for their countenance and 
 co-operation. A more detailed account, therefore, will 
 probably be read with interest. Many, doubtless, will 
 rejoice to see the stream of Divine knowledge, and civ¬ 
 ilization flowing to the utmost ends of the earth. And 
 even those who have hitherto heard of the progress of 
 Christianity with little concern, may be induced to re¬ 
 gard it with a humane solicitude. 
 
 In the College of Fort-William in Bengal, there 
 was a department for translating the Scriptures into 
 the Oriental languages ; and, so early as 1805 (the fifth 
 year of its institution) a commencement had been made 
 in five languages. The first version of any of the Gos¬ 
 pels in the Persian and Hindostanee languages which 
 were printed in India, issued from the Press of the 
 College of Fort-William. The Persian was superin¬ 
 tended by Lieut. Colonel Colebrooke, and the Hin¬ 
 dostanee by William Hunter, Esq. The Gospels were 
 translated into the Western Malay by Thomas Jarrett, 
 Esq. of the Civil Service; into the Orissa language by 
 Pooroosh Ram, the Orissa Pundit; and, into the Mah 
 
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14 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ratta language by Vydyunath, the Mahratta Pundit, un¬ 
 der the superintendance of Dr. William Carey.* 
 
 The College was founded on the 4th of May, 1800. 
 After it had flourished for almost seven years, during 
 which period it produced nearly one hundred volumes 
 in Oriental literature,f the Court of Directors resolved 
 on reducing its establishment within narrower limits 
 on the 1st of January, 1807. In consequence of this 
 measure, the translations of the Scriptures and som« 
 other literary works were suspended. 
 
 As this event had been long expected, the Superin- 
 tendants of the College, who were sensible of the im¬ 
 portance of restoring Sacred learning to the East, had 
 begun, some time before, to consider of the means, by 
 which that benefit might yet be secured. Much ex¬ 
 pense had already been incurred. Many learned na¬ 
 tives had come from remote regions to Calcutta, whose 
 services could not be easily replaced; and who never 
 could have been assembled, but by the influence of the 
 supreme government, as exerted by the Marquis Wel¬ 
 lesley. The Court of Directors were probably not ful¬ 
 ly aware of the importance of the works then carry¬ 
 ing on, (although, indeed, their objection was not so 
 much to the utility, as to the expense of the Institution) 
 ».nd it was believed that a time would come, when 
 they would be happy to think that these works had 
 not been permitted to fall to the ground. It was not, 
 however, their causing the expense to cease which was 
 the chief source of regret; but that the unity of the 
 Undertaking was now destroyed. The College of 
 Fort-William had been identified with the Church of 
 England; and, under that character, had extended a 
 liberal patronage to all learned men who could pro¬ 
 mote the translation of the Scriptures. But now these 
 translations being no longer subject to its revision, its 
 responsibility would also cease.j: 
 
 * See “ First Four Years of the College of Fort*Williamp. 
 230. CaJell and Davie s. 
 
 f Ibid. 219. 
 
 t It will be gratifying to the public to learn that the College of 
 Fort-William is now in a flourishing state, and has received the 
 final sanction and patronage of the East-India Company. It owes 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Under these circumstances the Superintendants cf 
 the College resolved to encourage individuals to pro¬ 
 ceed with their versions by such means as they could 
 command; and to trust to the contributions ot the 
 public, and to the future sanction of the Government, 
 for the perpetuity of the design. They purposed at 
 the same time, not to confine the undertaking to Ben¬ 
 gal alone, or to the territories of the Company ; but to 
 extend it to every part of the East, where fit instru¬ 
 ments for translation could be found. With this view, 
 they aided the designs of the Baptist Missionaries in 
 Bengal, of the Lutheran Missionaries in Coromandel 
 
 much to the cultivated mind and liberal spirit of Lord Minto, 
 the present Governor-General of India. His Lordship had not 
 been many months in that country, before he perceived its import¬ 
 ance to the interests of the British Empire in the East; and his 
 annual Speeches at the public Disputations, shew that he thinks 
 the College of Fort-William deserves as much of his attention and 
 support as any department under his Government. It will be yet 
 more gratifying to many to hear that the College of Fort-William 
 is likely to become oncepnore a fountain of Translation for the 
 Sacred Scriptures. Dr. Leyden, Professor of the Ilmdostanee 
 Language, has come forward (March 1810) with a proposal to su¬ 
 perintend the Translation of the Scriptures into seven Langua¬ 
 ges, hitherto little cultivated in India. This subject will be no¬ 
 ticed hereafter. 
 
 It was expected that the East-India College at Hertford would 
 eventually supersede the College in Bengal; but it is obvious, 
 that in order-to give any efficiency to the purposes of a College 
 at home, there must be also a College abroad. Little more than 
 the elements of the Oriental Languages can be conveniently learnt 
 in England. But this elementary labor at home is doubtless so 
 much time saved in India. And thus far the Institution at Hert¬ 
 ford, independently of its other objects, is highly useful, in sub¬ 
 serviency to the College of Fort-William. The two Institutions 
 combine the primary idea of Marquis Wellesley; and the expense 
 is not less than that Statesman had originally intended. There is 
 this difference in the execution, that there are now two Institutions 
 instead of one His Lordship proposed that the two Institutions 
 should be in India, combined in one ; and his reasons were, that 
 the organs of speech in youth are more flexible at an early age 
 for learning a new language : and that the constitution of young 
 persons assimilates more easily to a strange climate. There are 
 various advantages however in having the elementary Institution at 
 home which may counterbalance these reasons ; and if it continue 
 to be conducted with the same spirit and effect which have hith¬ 
 erto distinguished it, I think that the present plan is preferable. 
 
15 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 belonging to a the Society for promoting Christian 
 Knowledge,” and of the other Missionaries in the 
 East connected with Societies in England and Scot¬ 
 land : and also patronized those Roman Catholic 
 Missionaries in the South of India whom they found 
 qualified for conducting useful works. About the 
 same period they exerted themselves in circulating 
 proposals for the translation of the Scriptures into the 
 Oriental Languages, by the Baptist Missionaries in 
 Bengal among the English settlements in Asia, and in 
 promoting subscriptions for that object by all the 
 means in their power ; and when it was proposed to 
 the Governor-General (Lord Minto, then just arrived) 
 to suppress this Mission, a memorial was addressed to 
 the Government in its behalf. 
 
 In order to obtain a distinct view of the state of 
 Christianity and of Superstition in Asia, the Superin- 
 tendants of the College had, before this period, entered 
 into correspondence with intelligent persons in differ¬ 
 ent countries; and, from every quarter, (even from the 
 confines of China) they received encouragement to 
 proceed. But, as contradictory accounts were given 
 by different writers concerning the real state of the 
 numerous tribes in India, both of Christians and Na¬ 
 tives, the Author conceived the design of devoting the 
 last year or two of his residence in the East, to pur¬ 
 poses of local examination and inquiry. With this 
 view, he travelled through the Peninsula of India by 
 land, from Calcutta to Cape Comorin, a continent ex¬ 
 tending through fourteen degrees of latitude, and visi¬ 
 ted Ceylon thrice. And he soon discovered that a per¬ 
 son. may reside all his life in Bengal, and yet know al¬ 
 most as little of other countries in India, for instance, 
 of Travancore, Ceylon, Goa, or Madura, of their man¬ 
 ners, customs, habits, and religion, as if he had never 
 left England.* The principal objects of this tour, were 
 to investigate the state of Superstition at the most 
 celebrated temples of the Hindoos ; to examine the 
 
 * Of the Books published in Britain on the discussion relating 
 to Missions and the state of India, the most sensible and authentic 
 are, in general, those written by learned men of the Universities 
 who have »ever been in the East. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 17 
 
 Churches and Libraries of the Romish, Syrian, and 
 Protestant Christians ; to ascertain the present state 
 and recent history of the Eastern Jews ; and to dis¬ 
 cover what persons might be fit instruments for the 
 promotion of learning in their respective countries, and 
 for maintaining a future correspondence on the subject 
 of disseminating the Scriptures in India. In pursu¬ 
 ance of these objects the Author visited Cuttack, Gan- 
 jam, Visagapatam, Samulcotta, Rajamundry, Ellore, On- 
 gole, Neilore, Madras, Mailapoor, Pondicherry, Cuda- 
 lore, Tranquebar, Tanjore, Tritchinopoly, Aughoor, 
 Madura, Palamcotta, Ramnad, Jaffna-patem, Columbo, 
 Manaar, T utecorin, Augengo, Quilon, Cochin, Cran- 
 ganor, Verapoli, Calicut, Tellicherry, Goa, and other 
 places between Cape Comorin and Bombay ; the interior 
 of Travancore and the interior of Malabar ; also seven 
 principal Temples of the.Hindoos, viz. Seemachalum 
 in the Telinga country, Chillumbrum, Seringham, Ma¬ 
 dura, Ramisseram, Eleplianta, and Juggernaut. 
 
 After this tour, the Author returned to Calcutta, 
 where he remained about three quarters of a year lon¬ 
 ger : and then visited the Jews and the Syrian Chris¬ 
 tians in Malabar and Travancore a second time before 
 bis return to England. 
 
 Those nations or communities for whom translations 
 of the Scriptures have been commenced under the 
 patronage or direction already alluded to, are the fol¬ 
 lowing : the Chinese, the Hindoos, the Cingalese or 
 Ceylonese, the Malays, the Syrian Christians, the Rom¬ 
 ish Christians, the Persians, the Arabians, and the 
 Jews. Of these it is proposed to give some account 
 in their order. 
 
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 1 
 
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES, 
 
 &rc. 8fc. 
 
 THE CHINESE. 
 
 In the discussions concerning the promulgation of 
 Christianity, some writers have confined their views 
 intirely to India, merely, it is supposed, because India 
 is connected, by political relation with Great Britain. 
 India however, contains but a small part of the nations 
 which seek the Revelation of God. The Malayan 
 Archipelago includes more territory and a larger pop¬ 
 ulation than the continent of India. China is a more 
 extensive field than either; and is, in some respects, 
 far more important. The Romish Church has main¬ 
 tained a long and ineffectual contest with that empire ; 
 because it would never give the people, “ the good and 
 perfect gift,” the Bible. It further degraded the doc¬ 
 trine of the Cross by blending it with Pagan rites. 
 
 The means of obtaining a version of the Scriptures 
 in the Chinese language, occupied the minds of the 
 superintendants of the College of Fort-William, at an 
 early period. It appeared an object of the utmost 
 importance to procure an erudite Professor who should 
 undertake such a work ; for, if but a single copy of 
 the Scriptures co\ild be introduced into China, they 
 might be transcribed in almost every part of that im¬ 
 mense empire. Another object in view was to intro¬ 
 duce some knowledge of the Chinese Language among 
 ourselves; for although the Chinese Forts on the Tibet 
 frontier overlook the Company’s territories in Bengal, 
 there was not a person, it was said, in the Company’^ 
 
20 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 service in India, who could read a common Chinese 
 letter. 
 
 After a long inquiry they succeeded in procuring 
 Mr. Joannes Lassar, an Armenian Christian, a native 
 of China and a proficient in the Chinese Language, 
 who had been employed by the Portuguese at Macao, 
 in conducting their official correspondence with the 
 Court of Pekin. He was willing to relinquish his com¬ 
 mercial pursuits and to attach himself to the College, 
 for a salary of £A50 a year. But as the order for re¬ 
 ducing the establishment of the College was daily ex¬ 
 pected, this salary could not be given him. The ob¬ 
 ject however was so important, and Mr. Lassar ap¬ 
 peared to be so well qualified to execute it, that they 
 thought fit to retain him at the above stipend in a pri¬ 
 vate character. He entered immediately on the trans¬ 
 lation of the Scriptures into the Chinese Language, 
 and this work he has continued to carry on to the pre¬ 
 sent time. But, as his services might be made other¬ 
 wise useful, they resolved to establish a class of youths 
 under his tuition ; and as they could not obtain the 
 young civil servants of the Company for this purpose, 
 they proposed to the Baptist Missionaries that Mr. 
 Lassar should reside at Serampore which is near Cal¬ 
 cutta, on the following condition : that one of their 
 elder Missionaries, and three at least of their youths, 
 should immediately engage in the study of the Chinese 
 Language. Dr. Carey declined the offer, but Mr. 
 Marshman accepted it, and v r as joined by two sons of 
 his own, and a son of Dr. Carey ; and they have pros¬ 
 ecuted their studies with unremitted attention for about 
 live years. 
 
 In the year 1807, a copy of the Gospel of St. Mat¬ 
 thew in the Chinese Language, translated by Mr. Las¬ 
 sar, and beautifully written by himself, was transmit¬ 
 ted to bis Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury for the 
 Lambeth Library. Since that period a considerable 
 portion of the New-Testament has been printed off 
 from blocks, after the Chinese manner. 
 
 The proficiency of ihe Chinese pupils has far sur¬ 
 passed the most sanguine hopes which were previous¬ 
 ly entertained, and has been already publicly noticed- 
 
RESPECTING THE CHINESE. 
 
 21 
 
 His Excellency Lord Minto, Governor-General of In¬ 
 dia, in his first annual Speech to the College of Fort - 
 William, has recorded the following testimony to their 
 progress in the language, and to the importance of 
 their attainments. 
 
 “ If I have not passed beyond the legitimate bounds 
 of this discourse, in ranging to the extremity of those 
 countries, and to the furthest island of that vast Ar¬ 
 chipelago in which the Malay Language prevails, I 
 shall scarcely seem to transgress them, by the short 
 and easy transition thence to the language of China. 
 I am, in truth, strongly inclined, whether regularly or 
 not, to deal one encouraging word to the meritorious, 
 and, I hope, not unsuccessful effort, making, I may 
 say, at the door of our College, though not admitted to 
 its portico, to force that hitherto impregnable fortress, 
 the Chinese Language.—Three young men, I ought 
 indeed to say, boys, have not only acquired a ready 
 use of the Chinese Language, for the purpose of oral 
 communication (which 1 understand is neither difficult 
 nor rare amongst Europeans connected with China) 
 but they have achieved, in a degree worthy of admira¬ 
 tion, that which has been deemed scarcely within the 
 reach of European faculties or industry ; I mean a very 
 extensive and correct acquaintance with the written 
 Language of China. I will not detail the particulars 
 of the Examination which took place on the tenth of 
 this month (February 1808) atSerampore, in the Chinese 
 Language, the report of which 1 have read, however, 
 with great interest, and recommended to the liberal no¬ 
 tice of those whom I have the honor to address. It 
 is enough for my present purpose to say, that these 
 young pupils read Chinese books and translate them ; 
 and they write compositions of their own in the Chi¬ 
 nese Language and character. A Chinese Press too 
 is established, and in actual use. In a word, if the 
 founders and supporters of this little College have not 
 yet dispelled, they have at least sent and admitted a 
 dawn of day through that thick impenetrable cloud; 
 they have passed that Oceanian dissociabilcm , which for 
 
22 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 so many ages has insulated that vast Empire from the 
 rest of mankind.” 
 
 “ I must not omit to commend the zealous and per¬ 
 severing labors of Mr. Lassar, and of those learned 
 and pious persons associated with him, who have ac¬ 
 complished, for the future benefit, we may hope, of 
 that immense and populous region, Chinese Ver¬ 
 sions in the Chinese Character, of the Gospels of 
 Matthew, Mark, and Luke, throwing open that pre¬ 
 cious mine, with all its religious and moral treasure to 
 the largest associated population in the world.”* 
 
 When this Chinese Class was first established, it 
 was directed that there should be regular public Ex¬ 
 aminations and Disputations, as at the College of Fort- 
 William. The Examination in September 1808, (a 
 few months after the above Speech of Lord Minto 
 was pronounced) was held in the presence of J. H. 
 Harington, Esq. Vice-President of the Asiatic Society, 
 Dr. John Leyden, and other Oriental scholars ; when 
 the three youths, mentioned above, maintained a Dis¬ 
 putation in the Chinese Language. On this occasion, 
 the Respondent defended the following position ; “ To 
 commit to memory the Chinese Classics is the best 
 mode of acquiring the Chinese Language.” 
 
 One most valuable effect of these measures is a work 
 just published by Mr. Joshua Marshman, the elder 
 pupil of Mr. Lassar. It is the first volume of “ the 
 Works of Confucius, containing the Original Text, 
 with a translation ; to which is prefixed, a Dissertation 
 on the Chinese Language, pp. 877, 4to ;” to be follow¬ 
 ed by four volumes more. This translation will be 
 received with gratitude by the learned, and will be 
 considered as a singular monument of the indefatiga¬ 
 ble labor of an English Missionary in the acquisition 
 of a new language. 
 
 While treating of the cultivation of the Chinese 
 Language, it will be proper to notice the endeavors of 
 the London Missionary Society in the same depart¬ 
 ment. While Mr. Lassar and Mr. Marshman are 
 translating the Scriptures at Calcutta, Mr. Morrison is 
 prosecuting a similar work at Canton in China, with 
 
 * See College Report for 1808. 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 2S 
 
 the aid of able native scholars. It is stated in the Re¬ 
 port of their Society, that the principal difficulties have 
 been surmounted, and that the period of his acquiring 
 a complete knowledge of the language is by no means 
 so distant as what he once expected. “ It has proved 
 of great advantage to him that he copied and carried 
 out with him the Chinese translation of the Gospels 
 preserved in the British Museum, which he now finds 
 from his own increasing acquaintance with the lan¬ 
 guage, and the opinion of the Chinese assistants, to be 
 exceedingly valuable, and which must, from the excel¬ 
 lency of the style, have been produced by Chinese na¬ 
 tives.” He adds, that the manuscript of the New-Tes- 
 tament is fit to be printed; and that he proposes to 
 publish also a Dictionary and a Grammar of the lan¬ 
 guage, the last of which is already “ prepared for the 
 press.”* The expense to the London Missionary So¬ 
 ciety for the current year, in the Chinese department 
 alone, is stated to be £.500. 
 
 The foregoing notices of the progress of Chinese lit¬ 
 erature will, I doubt not, be acceptable to many; for 
 the cultivation of the Chinese language, considered 
 merely in a political point of view, must prove of the 
 utmost advantage to this country, in her further trans¬ 
 actions with that ancient and ingenious, but jealous, 
 incommunicative, and partially civilized nation. 
 
 THE HINDOOS. 
 
 It is admitted by all writers that the civilization of 
 the Hindoos will be promoted by intercourse with the 
 English. But this only applies to that small portion 
 of the natives, who live in the vicinity of Europeans, 
 and mix with them. As for the bulk of the popula¬ 
 tion, they scarcely ever see an Englishman. It be¬ 
 comes then of importance “ to ascertain what have 
 been the actual effects of Christianity in those interior 
 provinces of Hindostan, where it has been introduced 
 by the Christian Missionaries;” and to compare them 
 with such of their countrymen as remain in their 
 pristine idolatry. It was a chief object of the Author’s 
 
 * Report of London Missionary Society for 1810, p. 22. 
 
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 tour through India, to mark the relative influence of 
 Paganism and Christianity. In order then that the 
 English nation may be able to form a judgment on 
 this subject, he will proceed to give some account of 
 the Hindoos of Juggernaut , and of the native Chris¬ 
 tians in Tanjore . The Hindoos of Juggernaut have 
 as yet had no advantages of Christian instruction: and 
 continue to worship the Idol called Juggernaut. The 
 native Christians of Tanjore, until the light of Revela¬ 
 tion visited them, worshipped an idol also, called the 
 great Black Bull of Tanjore. And, as in this brief 
 work the Author proposes to state merely what he 
 himself has seen, with little comment or observation, 
 it will suffice to give a few extracts from the Journal 
 of his Tour through these Provinces. 
 
 Extracts from the Author’s Journal in his Tour 
 
 to the Temple of Juggernaut in Orissa, in the year 
 
 1806 . 
 
 <( Buddruck in Orissa , May 30th, 1806 . 
 
 We know that we are approaching Juggernaut (and 
 yet we are more than fifty miles from it) by the human 
 bones which we have seen for some days strewed by 
 the way. At this place we have been joined by sev¬ 
 eral large bodies of pilgrims, perhaps 2000 in number, 
 who have come from various parts of Northern India, 
 Some of them, with whom I have conversed, say that 
 they have been two months on their march, travelling 
 slowly in the hottest season of the year, with their wives 
 .and children. Some old persons are among them who 
 wish to die at Juggernaut. Numbers of pilgrims die on 
 the road; and their bodies generally remain unburied. 
 •On a plain by the river, near the pilgrim’s Caravansera 
 at this place, there are more than a hundred skulls. 
 The dogs, jackals, and vultures, seem to live here on 
 human prey. The vultures exhibit a shocking tame¬ 
 ness. The obscene animals will not leave the body 
 sometimes till we come close to them. This Buddruck 
 is a horrid place. Wherever I turn my eyes, I meet 
 death in some shape or other. Surely Juggernaut can¬ 
 not be worse than Buddruck.” 
 
RESPECTING THF, HINDOOS. 
 
 25 
 
 In sight of Juggernaut , 12 th June. 
 
 __ . » 
 
 .. - —■Many thousands of pilgrims have accompanied us 
 for some days past. They cover the road before and 
 behind as far as the eye can reach. At nine o’clock 
 this morning, the temple of Juggernaut appeared in 
 view at a great distance. When the multitude first 
 saw it, they gave a shout, and fell to the ground and 
 worshipped. I have heard nothing to-day but shouts 
 and acclamations by the successive bodies of pilgrims. 
 From the place where I now stand I have a view of a 
 host of people like an army, encamped at the outer 
 gate of the town of Juggernaut; where a guard of sol¬ 
 diers is posted to prevent their entering the town, until 
 they have paid the pilgrim’s tax. I passed a devotee 
 to-day who laid himself down at every step, measuring 
 the road to Juggernaut, by the length of his body , as a 
 penance of merit to please the god.” 
 
 “ Outer Uate of Juggernaut , 12 th June. 
 
 ■-A disaster has just occurred. As I approached 
 
 the gate, the pilgrims crowded from all quarters around 
 me, and shouted, as they usually did when I passed 
 them on the road, an expression of welcome and re¬ 
 spect. I was a little alarmed at their number, and 
 looked round for my guard. A guard of soldiers had 
 accompanied me from Cuttack, the last military sta¬ 
 tion ; but they were now about a quarter of a mile be¬ 
 hind, with my servants and the baggage. The pil¬ 
 grims cried out that they were entitled to some indul¬ 
 gence, that they w r ere poor, that they could not pay 
 the tax; but I was not aware of their design. At this 
 moment, when I was within a few yards of the gate, 
 an old Sanyassee (or holy man) who had travelled soma 
 days by the side of my horse, came up and said, “ Sir, 
 you are in danger ; the people are going to rush through, 
 the gate when it is opened for you.” I immediately 
 dismounted, and endeavored to escape to one side; but 
 it was too late. The mob was now in motion, and with 
 a. tumultuous shout pressed violently towards the gate. 
 The guard within seeing my danger opened it, and 
 tho multitude rushing through, carried me forward 
 
 C 
 
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 29 
 
 in the torrent a considerable space ; so that I was literal¬ 
 ly borne into Juggernaut by the Hindoos themselves. 
 A distressing scene followed. As the number and 
 strength of the mob increased, the narrow way was 
 ehoaked up by the mass of people ; and I apprehended 
 that many of them would have been suffocated, oi* 
 bruised to death. My horse was yet among them. But 
 suddenly one of the side posts of the gate, which was 
 of wood, gave way and fell to the ground. And per¬ 
 haps this circumstance alone prevented the loss of lives. 
 Notice of the event was immediately communicated to 
 Mr. Hunter, the superintendant of the temple, who 
 repaired to the spot, and sent an additional guard to the 
 inner gate, lest the people should force that also; for 
 there is an outer and an inner gate to the town of Jug¬ 
 gernaut ; but both of them are slightly constructed. 
 Mr. Hunter told me that similar accidents sometimes 
 occur, and that many have been crushed to death by 
 the pressure of the mob. He added, that sometimes a 
 body of pilgrims (consisting chiefly of women and 
 children and old men) trusting to the physical weight 
 of their mass, will make, what he called, a charge on 
 the armed guards, and overwhelm them ; the guards 
 not being willing in such circumstances, to oppose 
 their bayonets.” 
 
 ■ u Juggernaut , 14 th June. 
 
 -1 have seen Juggernaut. The scene at Buddruck 
 
 is but the vestibule to Juggernaut. No record of an- ' 
 cient or modern history can give, I think, an adequate 
 idea of this valley of death ; it may be truly compared 
 with the “ vailey of Ilinnom.” The idol called Jug¬ 
 gernaut, has been considered as the Moloch of the 
 present age ; and he is justly so named, for the sacri¬ 
 fices offered up to him by self-devotement, are not less 
 criminal, perhaps not less numerous, than these re¬ 
 corded of the Moloch of Canaan. Two other idols 
 accompany Juggernaut, namely, Boloram and Shubu- 
 dra his brother and sister ; for there are three Deities 
 worshipped here. They receive equal adoration and 
 4 sit on thrones of nearly equal height.” 
 
Respecting the htneuos. 
 
 57 
 
 t: -This morning-1 viewed the Temple ; a stupend¬ 
 
 ous fabric, and truly commensurate with the extensive 
 sway of “ the horrid king.” As other temples are 
 usually adorned with figures emblematical of their Re¬ 
 ligion; .so Juggernaut has representations (numerous 
 and various) of that vice, which constitutes the essence 
 of his worship. The walls and gates are cheered with 
 indecent emblems, in massive and durable sculpture. 
 I have also visited the sand plains by the sea, in some 
 places whitened with the bones of the pilgrims ; and 
 another place a little way out of the town, called by the 
 English, the Golgotha, where the dead bodies are 
 usually cast forth ; and where dogs and vultures are 
 ever seen.* 
 
 “ The grand Hindoo festival of the Rutt Jattra, takes 
 place on the 18th inst. when the idol is to be brought 
 iorth to the people. I reside during my stay here at 
 the house of James Hunter, Esq. the Company’s col¬ 
 lector of the tax on pilgrims, and superintendant of the 
 temple, formerly a student in the College of Fort-Wil¬ 
 liam; by whom I am hospitably entertained, and also 
 by Capt. Patton and Lieut. Woodcock, commanding the 
 military force. Mr. Hunter distinguished himself at 
 the College by his proficiency in the Oriental Lan¬ 
 guage. He is a gentleman of polished manners, and of 
 classical taste. The agreeable society of these gentle¬ 
 men is very refreshing to my spirits in the midst of the 
 present scenes. I was surprised to see how little they 
 seemed to be moved by the scenes of Juggernaut. They 
 s . al ^ they w e 1 e now so accustomed to them, they thought 
 little of them. They had almost forgot their first im¬ 
 pressions. Their houses are on the sea shore, about 
 
 * The vultures generally find out the prey first: and begin with 
 tne intestines; for the flesh of the body is too firm for their beaks 
 immediately after death. l>ut die dogs soon receive notice of 
 the circumstance, generally from seeing the Hurries or corpse- 
 carriers returning from the place. On the approach of the doss, 
 the vultures retire a few yards, and wait till the body be sufficient¬ 
 ly lorn for easy deglutition. The vultures and dogs often feed to- 
 get her; and sometimes begin their attack before the pilgrim be 
 quite dead. There are four animals which are sometimes seen 
 about a carcase, the dog, the jackal, the vulture, and the Hitr- 
 geela, or Adjutant, called by Pennant, the Gigantic Crane. 
 
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 J>8r 
 
 (pir 
 
 a mile or more from the temple. They cannot live 
 nearer, on account of the offensive effluvia of the 
 town. For independently of the enormity of the 
 superstition, there are other circumstances which ren¬ 
 tier Juggernaut noisome in an extreme degree. The 
 senses are assailed by the squalid and ghastly appear¬ 
 ance of the famished pilgrims ; many of whom die in 
 the streets of want or of disease ; while the devotees 
 with clotted hair and painted flesh, are seen practising 
 their various austerities, and modes of self-torture. 
 Persons of both sexes, with little regard to conceal¬ 
 ment, sit down on the sands close to the town, in pub¬ 
 lic view ; and the sacred bulls walk about among 
 them and eat the ordure.* 
 
 “ The vicinity of Juggernaut to the sea probably pre¬ 
 vents the contagion, which otherwise would be produ¬ 
 ced by the putrefactions of the place. There is scarce¬ 
 ly any verdure to refresh the sight near Juggernaut; 
 the temple and town being nearly emcompassed by hills 
 of sand , which has been cast up in the lapse of ages by 
 the surge of the ocean. All is barren and desolate to 
 the eye ; and in the ear there is the never intermitting 
 sound of the roaring sea.” 
 
 “ Juggernaut , 18 th of June. 
 
 li ——I have returned home from witnessing a scene 
 which I shall never forget. At twelve o’clock of this 
 day, being the great day of the feast, the Moloch of 
 Hindoostan was brought out of his temple amidst the 
 acclamations of hundreds of thousands of his worship¬ 
 pers. When the idol was placed on his throne, a 
 shout was raised, by the multitude, such as I had never 
 heard before. It continued equable for a few minutes, 
 and then gradually died away. After a short interval 
 of silence, a murmur was heard at a distance ; all eyes 
 were turned towards the place, and, behold, a grove 
 advancing ! A body of men, having green branches, 
 
 * This singular fact was pointed out to me by the gentlemen 
 here. There is no vegetation for the sacred Hulls on the sand 
 plains. They are fed generally with vegetables from the hands of 
 the pilgrims.' 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 29 
 
 or palms in their hands, approached with great celerity. 
 X lie people opened a way for them ; and when they had 
 come up to the throne, they fell down before him 
 that sat thereon, and worshipped. And the multitude 
 again sent forth a voice u like the sound of a great 
 thunder.” But the voices I now heard, were not those 
 of melody or of joyful acclamation; for there is no 
 harmony in the praise ol Moloch’s worshippers. Their 
 numbei indeed brought to my mind the countless mul¬ 
 titude of the Revelations ; but their voices crave no 
 tuneful Hosannah or Hallelujah ; but rather a ye'll of ap- 
 piobation, united with a kind of hissing applause.* I 
 was at a. loss how to account for this latter noise, until 
 I was directed to notice the women ; who emitted a 
 sound like that of whistling , with the iips circular, and 
 the tongue vibrating: as if a serpent would speak by 
 their organs, uttering human sounds. 
 
 The tut one cl the idol was placed on a stupendous 
 car or tower about sixty feet in height, resting on 
 wneels which indented the ground deeply, as they turn ¬ 
 ed slowly under the ponderous machine. Attached to 
 it were six cables, of the size and length of a ship’s 
 cable, by which the people drew it along. Upon the 
 tower were the priests and satellites of the idol, sur¬ 
 rounding his throne, i he idol is a block of wood, hay- 
 mg a frightful visage painted black, with a distended 
 mouth of a bloody color. His arms are of gold, and 
 he is dressed in gorgeous apparel. The other two idols 
 are of a white and yellow color. Five elephants nre- 
 peded the three towers, bearing towering flags, dressed 
 in crimson caparisons, and having bells hanging to their 
 caparisons, which sounded musically as they moved.” 
 
 “ I wcnt °. n in the procession, close by the tower of 
 Moloch ; which, as it was drawn with difficulty, c rated 
 on its many wheels harsh thunder.f After a few min- 
 
 * See Milton's Pandemonium, Rook X. 
 
 t ^ wo °f tiie military gentlemen had mounted mv elephant that 
 they might witness the spectacle, and had brought him close 
 to the tower ; but the moment it began to move, the animal alarm- 
 t d at the unusual noise, took fright and ran ,fF through the crowd 
 till he was stopped by a wail Tne natural fear of the elephant 
 irn he should injure human life, was remarkably exemplified on 
 
 c 2 
 
so 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 utes it stopped ; and now the worship of the god began. 
 A high priest mounted the car in front of the idol, and 
 pronounced his obscene stanzas in the ears of the peo¬ 
 ple ; who responded at intervals in the same strain. 
 “ These songs,” said he, “ are the delight of the god. 
 His car can only move when he is pleased with the 
 song.” The car moved on a little way and then stopped. 
 A boy of about twelve years was then brought forth to 
 attempt something yet more lascivious, if peradventure 
 the god would move. The “ child perfected the praise” 
 of his idol with such ardent expression and gesture, 
 that the god was pleased, and the multitude emitting 
 a sensual yell of delight, urged the car along. After a 
 few minutes it stopped again. An aged minister of 
 the idol then stood up, and with a long rod in his hand, 
 which he moved with indecent action, completed the 
 variety of this disgusting exhibition. I felt a conscious¬ 
 ness of doing wrong in witnessing it. I was also some¬ 
 what appalled at the magnitude and horror of the spec¬ 
 tacle ; 1 felt like a guilty person, on whom all eyes were 
 fixed, and I was about to withdraw. But a scene of a 
 different kind was now to be presented. The charac¬ 
 teristics of Moloch’s worship are obscenity and blood. 
 We have seen the former. Now comes the blood.” 
 
 “ After the tower had proceeded some way, a pilgrim 
 announced that he was ready to offer himself a sacrifice 
 to the idol. He laid himself down in the road before 
 the tower as it was moving along, lying on his face, 
 with his arms stretched forwards. The multitude 
 passed round him, leaving the space clear, and he was 
 crushed to death by the wheels of the tower. A shout 
 of joy was raised to the god. He is said to smile when 
 the libation of the blood is made. The people threw 
 cowries, or small money, on the body of the victim, 
 
 this occasion. Though the crowd was very closely set, he en¬ 
 deavored, in the midst of his own terror, to throw the people off 
 on both sides with his feet, and it was found that he had only 
 trod upon one person. It was with great concern I afterwards 
 learnt that this was a poor woman, and that the fleshy part of her 
 leg had been torn off. There being no medical person here, 
 "Lieut. Woodcock with great humanity endeavoured to dress the 
 wound and attended Iter daily ; and Mr. Hunter ordered her to bs 
 supplied with every thing that might conduce to her recovery. 
 
HE SPEC TING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 o 1 
 
 O i 
 
 in approbation of the deed. He was left to view a 
 considerable time, and was then carried by the Hurries 
 to the Golgotha, where I have just been viewing his 
 remains. How much I Avished that the Proprietors of 
 India Stock could have attended the Avhecls of Jugger¬ 
 naut, and seen this peculiar source of their revenue.’* 
 
 Juggernaut , 20 th June. 
 
 “ Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood 
 “ Of human sacrifice, and parents’tears.” Milton. 
 
 <c -The horrid solemnities still continue. Yesterday 
 
 a woman devoted herself to the idol. She laid herself 
 -down on the road in an oblique direction, so that the 
 wheel did not kill her instantaneously, as is generally 
 the case ; but she died in a few hours. This morning 
 as I passed the Place of Skulls, nothing remained of hep 
 but her bones.” 
 
 “ And this, thought I, is the worship of the Brahmins 
 of Hindoostan ! And their worship in its sublimest de¬ 
 gree 1 What then shall Ave think of their private man¬ 
 ners, and their moral principles ! For it is equally true 
 of India as of Europe. If you Avould knoAv the state 
 of the people, look at the state of the temple.” 
 
 u I was surprised to see the Brahmins with their 
 heads uncovered in the open plain falling doAvn in the 
 midst of the Sooclers before “ the horrid shape,” and 
 mingling so complacently Avith “ that polluted cast.” 
 But this proved what I had before heard that so great 
 a god is this, that the dignity of high cast disappears 
 before him. This great king recognizes no distinction, 
 of rank among his subjects. All men are equal in his 
 presence.” 
 
 u Juggernaut, 21 st June. 
 
 a The idolatrous processions continue for some days 
 longer, but my spirits are so exhausted by the constant' 
 view of these enormities, that I mean to hasten away 
 from this place sooner than I at first intended. I beheld 
 another distressing scene this morning at the Place of 
 Skulls ; a poor woman lying dead, or nearly dead, and 
 her two children by her, looking at the dogs and yul* 
 
S2 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 1 
 
 tuves which were near. The people passed by with¬ 
 out noticing- the children. 1 asked them where was 
 their home. They said, u they had no home but where 
 their mother was.” O, there is no pity at Juggernaut! 
 no mercy, no tenderness of heart in Moloch’s kingdom ! 
 Those who support his kingdom, err, I trust, from ig¬ 
 norance. “ They know not what they do.” 
 
 “ As to the number of worshippers assembled- here 
 at this time, no accurate calculation can be made. The 
 natives themselves, when speaking of numbers at par¬ 
 ticular festivals, usually say that a lack of people 
 (100,000) would not be missed. I asked a Brahmin 
 how many he supposed were present at the most nu¬ 
 merous festival he had ever witnessed. “ How can I 
 tell,” said he, “ how many grains there are in a hand¬ 
 ful of sand ?” 
 
 u The languages spoken here are various, as there 
 are Hindoos from every country in India: but the two 
 chief languages in use by those who are resident, are 
 the Orissa and the Telinga. The border of the Te- 
 linga Country is only sf few miles distant from the 
 Tower of Juggernaut.” 
 
 u Chilka Lake, 24 ih June. 
 
 -1 felt my mind relieved and happy when I had 
 
 passed beyond the confines of Juggernaut. I certainly 
 was not prepared for the scene. But no one can know 
 what it is who has not seen it. From an eminence* 
 on the pleasant banks of the Chilka Lake (where no 
 human bones are seen,) I had a view of the lofty tower 
 of Juggernaut far remote; and while I viewed it, its 
 abominations came to mind. It was on the morning 
 of the Sabbath. Ruminating long on the wide and ex¬ 
 tended empire of Moloch in the heathen world, I cher¬ 
 ished in my thoughts the design of some “ Christian 
 Institution,” which being fostered by Britain, my 
 Christian country, might gradually undermine this 
 baleful idolatry, and put out the memory of it foreyer.'* 
 
 * Manickpatain. 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 Annual Expenses of the Idol Juggernaut, presented 
 to the English Government. 
 
 [Extracted from the Official Accounts.] 
 
 1. Expenses attending the table of the idol 
 
 2. Ditto of his dress or wearing apparel 
 
 3. Ditto of the wages of his servants - - - 
 
 4. Ditto of contingent expenses at the differ¬ 
 
 ent seasons of pilgrimage - - 
 
 5. Ditto of his elephants and horses - - 
 
 6. Ditto of his rutt or annual state carriage 
 
 Rupees. 1. sterling. 
 36,115 or 4,514 
 
 2.712 339 
 
 10,057 1,259 
 
 10,989 1,373 
 
 3,030 378 
 
 6.713 839 
 
 Rupees 69,616 l. 8,702 
 
 “ In item third, 11 wages of his servants,” are includ¬ 
 ed the wages of the courtezans , who are kept for the 
 service of the temple. 
 
 “ Item sixth. What is here called in the official ac¬ 
 count “ the state carriage,” is the same as the car or 
 tower. Mr. Hunter informed me that the three “ state 
 carriages” were decorated this year (in June 1806) 
 with upwards of /. 200 sterling worth of English broad¬ 
 cloth and baize. 
 
 “ Of the rites celebrated in the interior of Juggernaut 
 called the Daily Service , I can say nothing of my own 
 knowledge, not having been within the Temple.”* 
 
 * The Temple of Juggernaut is under the immediate control of 
 the English Government, who levy a tax on pilgrims as a source 
 of revenue. See “ A Regulation (by the Bengal Government) 
 for levying a Tax from Pilgrims resorting to the Temple of Jug- 
 gernaut, and for the Superintendance and Management of the 
 Temple. Passed April 3, 1806.” 
 
 The province of Orissa first became subject to the British Em¬ 
 pire under the administration of the Marquis Wellesley, who per¬ 
 mitted the pilgrims at first to visit Juggernaut without paying 
 tribute It was proposed to his Lordship, soon after, to pass the 
 above Regulation for the management of the Temple, and levying 
 the tax ; but he did not approve of it, and actually left the Gov¬ 
 ernment without giving his sanction to the approbrious law. When 
 the measure was discussed by the succeeding Government, it was 
 resisted by George Udny, Esq. one of the Members of the Su¬ 
 preme Council, who recorded his solemn dissent on the proceed¬ 
 ings of Government, for tx*fi.,mission to England. The other 
 members considered Juggernaut to be a legitimate source of rev* 
 
34 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 JUGGERNAUT IN BENGAL. 
 
 Lest it should be supposed that the rites of Jug¬ 
 gernaut are confined to the Temple in Orissa, or that 
 the Hindoos there practise a more criminal supersti¬ 
 tion than they do in other places, it may be proper to 
 notice the effects of the same idolatry in Bengal. The 
 English nation will not expect to hear that the blood of 
 Juggernaut is known at Calcutta ; but, alas, it is shed 
 at the very doors of the English, almost under the eye 
 of the Supreme Government. Moloch has many a tow¬ 
 er in the province of Bengal, that fair and fertile pro¬ 
 vince which has been called “ The Garden of Nations.” 
 Close to Ishera, a beautiful villa on the river’s side, 
 about eight miles from Calcutta, once the residence of 
 Governor Hastings, and within view of the present 
 Governor-General’s country-house, there is a temple of 
 this idol which is often stained with human blood. At 
 the festival of the Rutt Jattra in May 1807, the Author 
 visited it, on his return from the South of India, having 
 heard that its rites were similar to those of Jugger¬ 
 naut. 
 
 u Juggernaut's Tcmp.lt , near Ishera , on the Ganges : 
 
 “ Rutt Jattra , May, 1807. 
 
 <c The tower here is drawn along, like that at Jug¬ 
 gernaut, by cables. The number of worshippers at 
 this festival is computed to be about a hundred thou¬ 
 sand. The tower is covered with indecent emblems, 
 which were freshly painted for the occasion, and were 
 
 cnee, on the principle, I believe, that money from other temples 
 in Hindostan had long been brought into the treasury. It is just 
 that I should state that these gentlemen (though their opinion on 
 this subject will differ so much from that of their countrymen at 
 home) are men of the most honorable principles and of unimpeach¬ 
 ed integrity. Nor would any one of them, I believe (for 1 have 
 the honor to know them) do any thing which he thought injurious 
 to the honor or religion of his country. Eut the truth is this, 
 that^hose persons who go to India in early youth, and witness 
 the Hindoo customs all their life, seeing little at the same time of 
 the Christian Religion to counteract the effect, are disposed to 
 view them with complacency, and are sometimes in danger of at 
 length considering them even as proper or necessary. 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 the objects of sensual gaze by both sexes. One of the 
 victims of this year was a well made young man, of 
 healthy appearance and comely aspect. He had a gar¬ 
 land of flowers round his neck, and his long black hair 
 was dishevelled. He danced for a while before the 
 idol, singing in an enthusiastic strain, and then rush¬ 
 ing suddenly to the wheels, he shed his blood under 
 the tower of obscenity. I was not at the spot at the 
 time, my attention having been engaged by a more 
 pleasing scene. 
 
 “ On the other side, on a rising ground by the side 
 of a Tank, stood the Christian Missionaries, and around 
 them a crowd of people listening to their preaching. 
 The town of Serampore, where the Protestant Mission¬ 
 aries reside, is only about a mile and a half from this 
 Temple of Juggernaut. As I passed through the mul¬ 
 titude, I met several persons having the printed papers 
 of the Missionaries in their hands. Some of them were 
 reading them very gravely ; others were laughing with 
 each other at the contents, and saying, “ What do these 
 words mean ?” 
 
 “ I sat down on an elevated spot to contemplate this 
 scene; the tower of blood and impurity on the one 
 hand, and the Christian Preachers on the other. I 
 thought on the commandment of our Saviour, “ Go ye, 
 teach all nations.' I said to myself, How great and 
 glorious a ministry are these humble persons now ex¬ 
 ercising in the presence of God 1” How is it applaud¬ 
 ed by the holy Angels, who « have joy in. heaven over 
 one sinner that repenteth and how far does it trans¬ 
 cend the work of the Warrior or Statesman, in charity, 
 utility, and lasting fame ? And I could not help wishing 
 that the Representatives of the Church of Christ in my 
 own country had been present to witness this scene, that 
 they might have seen how practicable it is to offer Chris¬ 
 tian instruction to our Hindoo subjects.” 
 
 IMMOLATION OF FEMALES. 
 
 Before the author proceeds to shew the happy ef¬ 
 fects of Christianity in those provinces of India where it 
 has been introduced, it may be proper to notice in this 
 
56 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 place that other sanguinary rite of the Hindoo supersti¬ 
 tion, the Female Sacrifice. The report of the num¬ 
 ber of women burned within the period of six months 
 near Calcutta, will give the reader some idea of the mul¬ 
 titude who perish annually in India. 
 
 t( REPORT of the number of Women who were Burn¬ 
 ed Alive on the Funeral Pile of their Husbands with¬ 
 in thirty miles round Calcutta, from the beginning of 
 Bysakh (15th April) to the end of Aswin (15th Oc¬ 
 tober) 1804.” 
 
 Women burned 
 alive. 
 
 From Gurria to Barrypore ; at eleven different 
 
 places* 18 
 
 From Tolly’s Nullah mouth to Gurria; at seven¬ 
 teen different places 36 
 
 From Barrypore to Buhipore; at seven places 11 
 
 From Seebpore to Balleea; at five places 10 
 
 From Balee to Bydyabattee ; at three places 3 
 
 From Bydyabattee to Bassbareea; at five places 10 
 
 From Calcutta to Burahnugur (or Barnagore ;) 
 
 at four places 6 
 
 From Burahnugur to Chanok (or Barrackpore;) 
 
 at six places. 13 
 
 From Chanock to Kachrapara; at four places 8 
 
 Total of women burned alive in six months, 
 
 near Calcutta 115 
 
 “ The above Report was made by persons of the Hin¬ 
 doo cast, deputed for that purpose, under the superin¬ 
 tendance of the Professor of the Shanscrit and Benga¬ 
 lee languages in the College of Fort-William. They 
 were ten in number, and were stationed at different pla¬ 
 ces during the period of six months. They gave in 
 their account monthly, specifying the particulars of each 
 immolation, so that every individual instance was sub¬ 
 ject to investigation immediately after its occurrence. 
 
 “ By an account taken in 1803, the number of wo- 
 
 * See the names of the places and other particulars in Memoir of 
 the Expediency of cm Ecclesiastical Establishment in British India. 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 men sacrificed, during that year, within thirty miles 
 round Calcutta, was two hundred and seventy-five. 
 
 “ In the foregoing Report of six months in 1804, it 
 will be perceived that no account was taken of burnings 
 in a district to the west of Calcutta, nor further than 
 twenty miles in some other directions; so that the whole 
 number of burnings within thirty miles round Cal¬ 
 cutta must have been considerably greater than is here 
 stated.” 
 
 The following account will give the reader some 
 idea of the flagitious circumstances which sometimes 
 attend these sacrifices. 
 
 SACRIFICE OF THE KOOLIN BRAHMIN’S 
 THREE WIVES. 
 
 “ Calcutta , oOth Sejit. 180T. 
 
 “ A horrid tragedy was acted, on the 12th instant, 
 near Barnagore (a place about three miles above Cal¬ 
 cutta.; A Koolin Brahmin of Cammar-hattie, by name 
 Kristo Deb Mookerjee, died at the advanced age of 
 ninety-two. He had twelve wives ;* and three of them 
 were burned alive with his dead body. Of these three, 
 one was a venerable lady, having white locks, who had 
 been long known in the neighborhood. Not being able 
 to walk, she was carried in a palanquin to the place of 
 burning; and was then placed by the Brahmins on the 
 funeral pile. The two other ladies were younger; one 
 of them of a very pleasing and interesting countenance. 
 
 * The Koolin Brahmin is the purest of all Brahmins, and is priv¬ 
 ileged to marry as many wives as he pleases. The Hindoo fam¬ 
 ilies account it an honor to unite their daughters with a Koolin 
 Brahmin. “ The Ghaniucks or Registrars of the Koolin cast state 
 that Rajeb Bonnerjee, now of Calcutta, has forty wives; and that 
 Raj-chunder Bonnerjee, also of Calcutta, has forty-two wives, and 
 intends to marry more : that Ramraja Bonnerjee, of Bicrampore, 
 aged thirty years, and Pooran Bonnerjee, Rajkissore Chutterjee, 
 and lloopram Mookerjee, have each upwards of forty wives, and 
 intend to marry more; that Birjoo Mookerjee, of Bicrampore, 
 who died about five years ago, had ninety wives.” This account 
 was authenticated at Calcutta in the year 1804. See further par¬ 
 ticulars in “ Memoir” before quoted. 
 
£8 
 
 C HR.ISTIAN RLSEARC HUS 
 
 The old lady was placed on one side of the dead hus¬ 
 band, and the two other wives laid themselves down on 
 the other side ; and then an old Brahmin, the eldest son 
 of the deceased, applied his torch to the pile, with una¬ 
 verted face. The pile suddenly blazed, for it was 
 covered with combustibles ; and this human sacrifice 
 was completed amidst the din of drums and cymbals, 
 and the shouts of Brahmins. A person present ob¬ 
 served, ‘ Surely if Lord Minto were here, who is just 
 come from England, and is not used to see women 
 bumed alive, he w ould have saved these three ladies.’ 
 The Mahomedan Governors saved whom they pleased, 
 and suffered no deluded female to commit suicide, with¬ 
 out previous investigation of the circumstances, and of¬ 
 ficial permission. 
 
 “ In a discussion which this event has produced in 
 Calcutta, the following question has been asked, Who 
 
 WAS GUILTY OF THE BLOOD OF THE OLD LADY ? 
 
 for it was manifest that she could not destroy herself? 
 She was carried to be burned. It was also alleged that 
 the Brahmin who fired the pile ivas not guilty, because 
 lie was never informed by the English Government, 
 that there was any immorality in the action. On the 
 contrary, he might argue that the English, witnessing 
 this scene daily, as they do, without remonstrance, ac¬ 
 quiesced in its propriety. The Government in India 
 was exculpated, on the ground that the Government at 
 home never sent any instructions on the subject; and 
 the Court of Directors were exculpated, because they 
 were the agents of others. It remained that the pro¬ 
 prietors of India Stock, who originate and sanction all 
 proceedings of the Court of Directors, -were remotely 
 accessary to the deed.” 
 
 The best vindication of the great body of Proprie¬ 
 tors, is this, that some of them never heard of the Fe¬ 
 male Sacrifice at all; and that few r of them are ac¬ 
 quainted with the full extent and frequency of the 
 crime. Besides, in the above discussion, it was taken 
 for granted that the Court of Directors have done 
 nothing Unvards the suppression of this enormity; and 
 that the Court of Proprietors have looked on, without 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOO'S. 
 
 00 
 
 concern at this omission of duty. But this, perhaps, 
 may not be the case. The question then remains to 
 be asked. Have the Court of Directors at any time 
 sent instructions to their Government in India, to re¬ 
 port on the means by which the frequency of the fe¬ 
 male sacrifice might be diminished, and the practice it¬ 
 self eventually abolished ? Or have the Proprietors 
 of India Stock at any time instructed the Court of 
 Directors to attend to a point of so much consequence 
 to the character of the Company , and the honor of 
 the nation ? 
 
 That the abolition is practicable has been demon¬ 
 strated j and that too by the most rational and lenient 
 measures; and these means have been pointed out by 
 the Brahmins themselves.* 
 
 Had Marquis Wellesley remained in India, and 
 been permitted to complete his salutary plans for the 
 improvement of that distant Empire (for he did not 
 finish one half of the civil and political regulations 
 which he had in view, and had actually commenced) 
 the Female Sacrifice would probably have been by this 
 time nearly abolished.! The humanity and intrepid 
 spirit of that nobleman abolished a yet more criminal 
 practice which was considered by the Hindoos as a 
 religious rite, and consecrated by custom, I mean the 
 Sacrifice of Children. His Lordship had been in¬ 
 formed that it had been a custom of the Hindoos to 
 sacrifice children in consequence of vows, by drown¬ 
 ing them, or exposing them to Sharks and Crocodiles ; 
 and that twenty-three persons had perished at Saugor 
 in one month (January 1801) many of whom were 
 sacrificed in this manner. He immediately instituted 
 an inquiry into the principle of this ancient atrocity, 
 heard what Natives and Europeans had to say on the 
 subject; and then passed a law, “ declaring the practice 
 to be murder punishable by death.” The law is en¬ 
 titled “ A Regulation for preventing the Sacrifice of 
 Children at Saugor and other places; passed by the 
 Governor-General in Council on the 20th of August 
 1802.” The purpose of this regulation was completely 
 
 * See them detailed in Memoir , part II. chap. IV. sect. 3. 
 
 t Ibid. 
 
40 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 effected. Not a murmur was heard on the subject: 
 nor has any attempt of the kind come to our knowledge 
 since. It is impossible to calculate the number of 
 human lives that have been saved, during the last 
 eight years, by this humane law of Marquis Welles¬ 
 ley. Now it is well known that it is as easy to pre¬ 
 vent the sacrifice of women as the sacrifice of children. 
 Has this fact ever been denied by any man who is 
 competent to offer a judgment on the subject? Until 
 the supreme Government in Bengal shall declare that 
 it is utterly impracticable to lessen the frequency of the 
 Immolation of Females by any means, the author 
 
 WILL NOT CEASE to CALL THE ATTENTION OF THE 
 
 English Nation to this subject. 
 
 TANJORE. 
 
 The Letters of King George the First to the 
 Missionaries in India, will form a proper introduction 
 to the account which is now intended to give of the 
 Christian Hindoos of Tanjore. The first Protestant 
 Mission in India was founded by Bartholomew Zieg- 
 cmbalg, a man of erudition and piety, educated at the 
 University of Halle in Germany. He was ordained 
 by the learned Burmannus, bishop of Zealand in his 
 twenty-third year, and sailed for India in 1705. In 
 the second year of his ministry he founded a Christian 
 Church among the Hindoos, which has been extending 
 its limits to the present time. In 1714 he returned to 
 Europe for a short time, and on that occasion was 
 honored with an audience by his Majesty George the 
 First, who took much interest in the success of the 
 Mission. He was also patronized by “ the Society for 
 promoting Christian Knowledge,” which was superin¬ 
 tended by men of distinguished learning and piety. 
 The King and the Society, encouraged the Oriental 
 Missionary to proceed in his translation of the Scrip¬ 
 tures into the Tamnl tongue, which they designated 
 “ the grand work.” This was indeed the grand 
 work ; for wherever the Scriptures are translated into 
 the vernacular tongue, and are open and common to 
 all, inviting inquiry and causing discussion, they cannot 
 remain “ a dead letter.” When the Scriptures speak 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 41 
 
 to a heathen in his own tongue, his conscience res¬ 
 ponds, “ This is the word of God.” How little is the 
 importance of a version of the Bible in a new language 
 understood by some ! The man who produces a 
 translation of the Bible into a new language (like 
 Wickliffe, and Luther, and Ziegcnbalg, and Carey) 
 is a greater benefactor to mankind than the Prince 
 who founds an Empire. For the “ incorruptible seed 
 of the word of God” can never die. After ages have 
 revolved, it is still producing new accessions to truth 
 and human happiness. 
 
 In the year 1719, Ziegcnbalg finished the Bible in 
 the Tamul tongue, having devoted fourteen years to 
 the work. The peculiar interest taken by the King 
 in this primary endeavor to evangelize the Hindoos, 
 will appear from the following ietters, addressed to 
 the Missionaries by his Majesty. 
 
 George, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, 
 France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. to 
 the Reverend and Learned Bartholomew Ziegenbal- 
 gius and John Ernest Grundlerus, Missionaries at 
 Tranquebar in the East Indies. 
 
 <£ Reverend and Beloved, 
 
 u Your letters dated the 20th of January of the pre¬ 
 sent year, were most welcome to us ; not only because 
 the work undertaken by you of converting the heathen 
 to the Christian faith, doth, by the grace of God, pros¬ 
 per, but also because that, in this our kingdom, such a 
 laudable zeal for the promotion of the Gospel prevails. 
 
 “ We pray you may be endued with health and 
 strength of body, that you may long continue to fulfil 
 your ministry with good success ; of which, as we shall 
 be rejoiced to hear, so you will always find us ready to 
 succour you in whatever may tend to promote your 
 work, and to excite your zeal. We assure you of the 
 continuance of our royal favor. 
 
 “GEORGE R” 
 
 <( Given at our Palace of Hampton 
 Court, the 23d of August, a. d. 
 
 1717, ip. the 4th year of our Reign.” 
 
 d 2 
 
42 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 1 
 
 The King continued to cherish, with much solicitude, 
 the interests of the mission, after the death of Ziegen- 
 balgius ; and in ten years from the date of the foregoing 
 letter, a second was addressed to the members of the 
 mission, by his. Majesty. 
 
 <£ Reverend and Beloved, 
 
 “ From your letters dated Tranquebar, the 12th of 
 September, 1725, which some time since came to hand, 
 we received much pleasure ; since by them we are in¬ 
 formed not only of your zealous exertions in the prose¬ 
 cution of the work committed to you, but also of the 
 happy success which hath hitherto attended it and which 
 hath been graciously given of God. 
 
 “ We return you thanks for these accounts, and it will 
 be acceptable to us, if you continue to communicate 
 whatever shall occur in the progress of your mission. 
 
 “ In the mean time, we pray you may enjoy strength 
 of body and mind for the long continuance of your la¬ 
 bors in this good work, to the glory of God, and the pro¬ 
 motion of Christianity among the heathens; that its 
 herfietuitv may not fail in generations to come* 
 
 “ GEORGE R.” 
 
 “ Given at our Palace at St. James’s, 
 the 23d of February, 1727, in the 
 13th year of our Reign.” 
 
 Eut these Royal Epistles are not the only evanglic 
 documents, of high authority, in the hands of the Hin¬ 
 doos. They are in possession of letters written by the 
 Archbishop of Canterbury, of the same reign ;f who sup¬ 
 ported the interests of the mission with unexampled 
 liberality, affection and zeal. These letters, which 
 are many in number, are all written in the Latin lan¬ 
 guage. The following is a translation of his Grace’s 
 first letter ; which appears to have been written by him 
 as President of the u Society for promoting Christian 
 Knowledge.” 
 
 * Niec&mpius, Hist. Miss. 
 
 f Archbishop Wake. 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 43 
 
 <£ To Bartholomew Ziegenbalgius, and John Ernest 
 
 Grundlerus, Preachers of the Christian Faith, on the 
 
 Coast of Coromandel. 
 
 “ As often as I behold your letters, Reverend Breth¬ 
 ren, addressed to the venerable Society instituted for 
 the promotion of the Gospel, whose chief honor and 
 ornament ye are ; and as often as I contemplate the 
 light of the Gospel, either now first rising on the Indian 
 nations, or after the intermission of some ages again 
 revived, and as it were restored to its inheritance ; I 
 am constrained to magnify that singular goodness of 
 God in visiting nations so remote ; and to account you, 
 my Brethren, highly honored, whose ministry it hath 
 pleased him to employ in this pious work, to the glory of 
 his name, and the salvation of so many millions of 
 souls. 
 
 “ Let others indulge in a ministry, if not idle, cer¬ 
 tainly less laborious, among Christians at home. Let 
 them enjoy in the bosom of the Church, titles and 
 honors, obtained without labor and without danger. 
 Your praise it will be (a praise of endless duration on 
 earth, and followed by a just recompense in heaven) 
 to have labored in the vineyard which yourselves have 
 planted ; to have declared the name of Christ, where it 
 was not known before : and through much peril and 
 difficulty to have converted to the faith those, among 
 whom ye afterwards fulfilled your ministry. Your 
 province, therefore, Brethren, your office, I place be¬ 
 fore all dignities in the Church. Let others be Pon¬ 
 tiffs, Patriarchs, or Popes ; let them glitter in purple, 
 in scarlet, or in gold ; let them seek the admiration of 
 the wondering multitude, and receive obeisance on the 
 bended knee. Ye have acquired a better name than 
 they, and a more sacred fame. And when that day 
 shall arrive when the chief Shepherd shall give to every 
 man according to his work, a greater reward shall be 
 adjudged to you. Admitted into the glorious society 
 of the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles, ye, with 
 them shall shine, like the sun among the lesser stars, 
 in the kingdom of your Father, for ever. 
 
 “ Since then so great honor is now given unto you 
 
44 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 by all competent judges on earth, and since so great 
 a reward is laid up for you in heaven ; go forth with 
 alacrity to that work, to the which the Holy Ghost hath 
 called you. God hath already given to you an illus¬ 
 trious pledge of his favor, an increase not to be ex¬ 
 pected without the aid of his grace. Ye have begun 
 happily, proceed with spirit. He, who hath carried 
 you safely through the dangers of the seas to such a 
 remote country, and who hath given you favor in the 
 eyes of those whose countenance ye most desired ; he 
 who hath so liberally and unexpectedly ministered un¬ 
 to your wants, and who doth now daily add members 
 to your Church ; he will continue to prosper your en¬ 
 deavors, and will subdue unto himself, by your means, 
 the whole Continent of Oriental India. 
 
 “ O happy men ! who, standing before the tribunal 
 of Christ, shall exhibit so many nations converted to 
 his faith by your preaching ; happy men! to whom it 
 shall be given to say before the assembly of the whole 
 human race, “ Behold us, O Lord, and the children 
 whom thou hast given us happy men ! who being 
 justified by the Saviour, shali receive in that day the 
 reward of your labors, and also shall hear that glorious 
 encomium; “Well done, good and faithful servants, 
 enter ye into the joy of your Lord.” 
 
 “ May Almighty God graciously favor you and your 
 labors, in all things. May he send to your aid fellow- 
 laborers, such and as many as ye wish. May he in¬ 
 crease the bounds of your Churches. May he open 
 the hearts of those to whom ye preach the Gospel of 
 Christ, that hearing you, they may receive life-giving 
 faith. May he protect you and yours from all evils 
 and dangers. And when ye arrive, (may it be late) at 
 the end of your course, may the same God, who hath 
 called you to this work of the Gospel, and hath pre¬ 
 served you in it, grant to you the reward of your labor, 
 an incorruptible crown of glory. 
 
 “ These are the fervent w'ishes and prayers of, ven¬ 
 erable Brethren, your most faithful fellow-servant in 
 Christ, 
 
 “ GULIELMUS CANT.” 
 
 !i From our palace at Lambeth, 
 
 January 7, a. d. 17iy.” 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 45 
 
 Providence hath been pleased to grant the prayer of 
 the King, “ that the work might not fail in genera¬ 
 tions to come and the prophecy of his Archbishop 
 is likely to be fulfilled, that it should extend “ over the 
 whole continent of Oriental India.” After the first 
 Missionary Ziegenbalg had finished his course, he was 
 followed by other learned and zealous men, upwards 
 of fifty in number in the period of a hundred years, 
 among whom were Schultz, Iaenicke, Gericke, and 
 Swartz, whose ministry has been continued in succes¬ 
 sion in different provinces, unto this time. The present 
 state of the Mission, will appear by the following ex¬ 
 tract from the Journal of the Author’s Tour through 
 these provinces. 
 
 “ Tranquebar , 25 th August, 1806. 
 
 “ Tranquebar was the first scene of the Protestant 
 Mission in India. There are at present three Mission¬ 
 aries here, superintending the Hindoo Congregations. 
 Yesterday I visited the Church built by Ziegenbalg. 
 His body lies on one side of the altar, and that of his 
 fellow Missionary Grundler on the other. Above 
 are the epitaphs of both, written in Latin, and engraved 
 on plates of brass. The Church was consecrated in 
 1718, and Ziegenbalg and his companion died in two 
 years after. They laid the foundation for evangelizing 
 India, and then departed, ‘ having finished the work, 
 which was given them to do.’ I saw also the dwelling- 
 house of Ziegenbalg, in the lower apartment of which 
 the registers of the Church are still kept. In these I 
 found the name of the first heathen baptized by him, 
 and recorded in his own hand-writing in the year 1707. 
 In Ziegenbalg’s Church, and from the pulpit where he 
 stood, I first heard the Gospel preached to a con¬ 
 gregation of Hindoos, in their own tongue. The Mis¬ 
 sionaries told me that Religion had suffered much in 
 Tranquebar, of late years, from European Infidelity. 
 French principles had corrupted the Danes, and ren¬ 
 dered them indifferent to their own religion, and there¬ 
 fore hostile to the conversion of the Hindoos. ‘ Reli¬ 
 gion,’ said they, flourishes more among the natives of 
 Tanjore and in other provinces where there are few 
 
46 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 Europeans, than here or at Madras; for we find that 
 European example in the large towns, is the bane of 
 Christian instruction.’ One instance of hostility to the 
 Mission they mentioned, as having occurred only a few 
 weeks before my arrival. On the 9th of July, 1756, the 
 native Christians at Tranquebar celebrated a Jubilee, 
 in commemoration of the fiftieth year since the Chris¬ 
 tian ministers brought the Bible from Europe. The 
 present year 1806, being the second 50th, preparations 
 were made at Tranquebar for-the second Jubilee, on the 
 9th of last month; but the French principles prepon¬ 
 derating in the Government, they would not give it any 
 public support; in consequence of which it was not 
 observed with that solemnity which was intended. But 
 in other places, where there were few Europeans, it 
 was celebrated by the native Christians with enthusiasm 
 and every demonstration of joy. When I expressed 
 my astonishment at this hostility, the aged Missionary, 
 Dr. John, said, 4 I have always remarked that the dis¬ 
 ciples of Voltaire are the true enemies of Missions, 
 and that the enemies of Missions are, in general, the 
 disciples of Voltaire.’ ” 
 
 Tanjore , SQht August, 1806. 
 
 44 On my entering this Province, I stopped an hour 
 at a village near the road ; and there I first heard the 
 name of Swartz pronounced by a Hindoo. When I 
 arrived at the capital, I waited on Major Blackburne, 
 the British Resident at the Court of Tanjore, who in¬ 
 formed me that the Rajah had appointed the next day 
 at 12 o’clock to receive my visit. On the same day I 
 went to Swartz’s garden close to the Christian village, 
 where the Rev. Mr. Kohloff resides. Mr. Kohloff is 
 the worthy successor of Mr. Swartz; and with him I 
 found the Rev. Dr. John, and Mr. Horst, two other 
 Missionaries who were on a visit to Mr. Kohloff. 
 
 44 Next day I visited the Rajah of Tanjore, in compa¬ 
 ny with Major Blackburne. When the first ceremo¬ 
 nial was over, the Rajah conducted us to the grand 
 saloon, which was adorned by the portraits of his ances¬ 
 tors ; and immediately led me up to the portrait of Mr. 
 Swartz. lie then discoursed for a considerable time 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 4 7 
 
 concerning that ‘ good man,’ whom he ever revered as 
 ‘ his father, and guardian.’ The Rajah speaks and 
 writes English very intelligibly. I smiled to see 
 Swartz’s picture amongst' these Hindoo kings, and 
 thought with myself that there are many who would 
 think such a combination scarcely possible. I then ad¬ 
 dressed the Rajah, and thanked him, in the name of the 
 Church of England, for his kindness to the late Mr, 
 Swartz, and to his successors, and particularly for his 
 recent acts of benevolence to the Christians residing 
 within his provinces. The Missionaries had just in¬ 
 formed me that the Rajah had erected ‘ a College for 
 Hindoos, Mahomedans, and Christians ;’ in which pro¬ 
 vision was made for the instruction of ‘ fifty Christian 
 children.’ His Highness is very desirous that I should 
 visit this College, which is only about sixteen miles 
 from the capital. Having heard of the fame of the an¬ 
 cient Shanscrit, and Mahratta Library of the kings of 
 Tanjore, I requested his Highness would present a 
 catalogue of its volumes to the College of Fort-Wil¬ 
 liam ; which he was pleased to do. It is voluminous, 
 and written in the Mahratta character ; for that is the 
 proper language of the Tanjore Court. 
 
 “ In the evening I dined with the Resident, and the 
 Rajah sent his band of music, consisting of eight or 
 more Vinas with other instruments. The Vina or Been , 
 is the ancient instrument which Sir William Jones has 
 described in his interesting descant on the musical 
 science of the Hindoos, in the Asiatic Researches, and 
 the sight of which, he says, he found it so difficult to 
 obtain in northern India. The band played the Eng¬ 
 lish air of ‘ God save the King,’ set to Mahratta words, 
 and applied to the Maha Rajah, or Great King of Tan¬ 
 jore. Two of the Missionaries dined at the Resident’s 
 house, together with some English officers. Mr. Koh- 
 loff informed me that Major Blackburne has promoted 
 the interests of the Mission by every means in his power. 
 Major Blackburne is a man of superior attainments, 
 amiable manners, and a hospitable disposition ; and is 
 well qualified for the important station he has iong held, 
 as English Resident at this Court. 
 
 “ On the day following, I went to view the Hindoo 
 
48 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 Temples, and saw the great Black Bull of Tanjorc, 
 It is said to be of one stone, hewn out of a rock of gra¬ 
 nite ; and so large that the Temple was built around it. 
 While I surveyed it, I reflected on the multitude of na¬ 
 tives, who during the last hundred years, had turned 
 away their eyes from this idol. When I returned, I sat 
 some hours with the Missionaries, conversing on the 
 general state of Christianity in the provinces of Tan- 
 jcre, Tritchinopoly, Madura, and Palamcottah. They 
 want help. Their vineyard is increased, and their la¬ 
 borers are decreased. They have had no supply from 
 Germany in the room of Swartz, Itenicke, and Gericke ; 
 and they have no prospect of further supply, except 
 from ‘ the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge 
 who, they hope, will be able to send out English Preach¬ 
 ers to perpetuate the Mission.” 
 
 “ Tanjore , Sept. 2, 1806. 
 
 « Last Sunday and Monday, were interesting days to 
 me, at Tanjore. It being rumored that a friend of the 
 late Mr. Swartz had arrived, the people assembled from 
 all quarters. On Sunday three Sermons were preached 
 in three different languages. At eight o’clock we pro¬ 
 ceeded to the Church built by Mr. Swartz within the 
 Fort. From Mr. Swartz’s pulpit I preached in English 
 from Mark xiii. 10; ‘And the Gospel must first be 
 published among all nations.’ The English gentlemen, 
 here attended, civil and military, with the Missionaries, 
 Catechists, and British soldiers. After this service was 
 ended, the congregation of Hindoos assembled in the 
 same Church, and filled the aisles and porches. The 
 Tamul Service commenced with some forms of prayer, 
 in which all the congregation joined with loud fervor. 
 A chapter of the Bible was then read, and a hymn of 
 Luther’s sung. After a short extempore prayer, during 
 which the whole congregation knelt on the floor, the 
 Rev. Dr. John delivered an animated Discourse in the 
 Tamul Tongue, from these words, ‘Jesus stood and 
 cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come to me and 
 drink.’ As Mr. Whitefield, on his first going to Scot¬ 
 land, was surprised at the rustling of the leaves of the 
 Bible, which took place immediately on his pronouncing 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 49 
 
 his text (so different from any thing he had seen in his 
 own country) so I was surprised here at the sound of the 
 iron pen engraving the Palmyra leaf. Many persons 
 had their Ollas in their hands writing the Sermon in 
 Tamul short-hand. Mr. Kohloff assured me that some 
 of the elder Students and Catechists will not lose a word 
 of the preacher if he speak deliberately.* This, thought 
 I, is more than some of the Students at our English 
 Universities can do. This aptitude of the people to 
 record the words of the preacher, renders it peculiarly 
 necessary ‘ that the priests’ lips should keep knowledge. 
 An old rule of the Mission is, that the Sermon of the 
 morning should be read to the Schools in the evening, 
 by the Catechist, from his Palmyra leaf. 
 
 “ Another custom obtains among them which pleased 
 me much. In the midst of the discourse the preacher 
 sometimes puts a question to the congregation ; who 
 answer it without hesitation, in one voice. The object 
 is to keep their attention awake, and the minister gene¬ 
 rally prompts the answer himself. Thus, suppose that 
 he is saying, ‘ My dear Brethren, it is true that your 
 profession of the faith of Christ is attended with some 
 reproach, and that you have lost your cast with the 
 Brahmins. But your case is not peculiar. The man 
 of the world is the man of cast in Europe ; and he des¬ 
 pises the humble and devout -disciple of Christ, even as 
 your Brahmin contemns the Soocler. But, thus it hath 
 been from the beginning. Every faithful Christian must 
 lose cast for the Gospel ; even as Christ himself, the 
 Forerunner, made himself of no reputation, and was 
 despised and rejected of men. In like manner, you 
 will be despised ; but be of good cheer, and say, Though 
 we have lost our cast and inheritance amongst men, we 
 shall receive in heaven a new name and a better inheri¬ 
 tance, through Jesus Chi 1st our Lord.’ He then adds, 
 What, my beloved Brethren, shall you obtain in hea- 
 
 * It is well known that natives of Tanjore and Travancore can 
 write fluently what is spoken deliberately. They do not look 
 much at their oiias while writing. The fibre of the leaf guides 
 the pen. 
 
 E 
 
30 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 ven ? They answer, c A new name and a better inheri¬ 
 tance, through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ It is impossible 
 for a stranger not to be affected with this scene. This 
 custom is deduced from Ziegenbalg, who proved its use 
 by long experience. 
 
 “ After the Sermon was ended, I returned with the 
 Missionaries into the vestry or library of the Church. 
 Here I was introduced to the Elders and Catechists 
 of the congregation. Among others came Sattian- 
 aden, the Hindoo preacher, one of whose Sermons was 
 published in England some years ago, by the Society 
 for promoting Christian Knowledge. He is now ad¬ 
 vanced in years, and his black locks have grown gray. 
 As I returned from the Church, I saw the Christian 
 families going back in crowds to the country, and the 
 boys looking at their ollas. What a contrast thought 
 I, is this to the scene at Juggernaut! Here there is be¬ 
 coming dress, humane affections, and rational discourse. 
 I see here no skulls, no self-torture, no self-murder, no 
 clogs and vultures tearing human flesh I Here the 
 Christian virtues are found in exercise by the feeble¬ 
 minded Hindoo, in a vigor and purity which will sur¬ 
 prise those who have never known the native char¬ 
 acter but under the greatest disadvantages, as in Ben¬ 
 gal. It certainly surprised myself; and when I reflect¬ 
 ed on the moral conduct, upright dealing, and decorous 
 manners of the native Christians of Tanjore, I found 
 in my breast a new evidence of the peculiar excellence 
 and benign influence of the Christian Faith. 
 
 “ At four o’clock in the afternoon, we attended Di¬ 
 vine Service at the Chapel in the Mission Garden out 
 of the Fort. The Rev. Mr. Horst preached in the 
 Portuguese Language. The organ here accompanied 
 the voice in singing. I sat on a granite stone which 
 covered the grave of Swartz. The epitaph is in Eng¬ 
 lish verse, written by the present Rajah, and signed by 
 him , 4 Serfogec.’ In the evening Mr. Kohloff presided 
 at the exercise in the schools: on which occasion the 
 Tamul Sermon was repeated, and the boys’ ollas ex¬ 
 amined. 
 
 “ In consequence of my having expressed a wish to 
 hear Sattianaden preach, Mr. Kohloff had given notice 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 51 
 
 that there would be Divine Service next day, Monday. 
 Accordingly the Chapel in Swartz’s garden was crowd¬ 
 ed at an early hour. Sattianaden delivered his Dis¬ 
 course in the Tamul Language, with much natural 
 eloquence, and with visible effect. His subject was the 
 ‘ Marvellous Light.’ He first described the pagan dark¬ 
 ness, then the light of Ziegenbalg, then the light of 
 Swartz, and then the heavenly light, ‘ 'when there shall 
 be no more need of the light of the sun, or of the moon.’ 
 In quoting a passage from Scripture, he desired a lower 
 minister to read it, listening to it as to a record; and 
 then proceeded to the illustration. The responses by 
 the audience were more frequently called for than in the 
 former Sermon. He concluded with praying fervently 
 for the glory and prosperity of the Church of England. 
 After the Sermon, I went up to Sattianaden, and the 
 old Christians who had known Swai'tz came around us. 
 They were anxious to hear something of the progress 
 of Christianity in the North of India. They said they 
 had heard good news from Bengal. I told them that 
 the news were good, but that Bengal was exactly a 
 hundred years behind Tanjore. 
 
 “ I have had long conversations with the Missiona¬ 
 ries, relating to the present circumstances of the Tan¬ 
 jore Mission. It is in a languishing state at this mo¬ 
 ment, in consequence of the war on the Continent of 
 Europe. Two of its sources have dried up, the Royal 
 College at Copenhagen , and the Orphan-house at Halle , 
 in Germany. Their remaining resources from Europe 
 is the stipend of “ The Society for promoting Christian 
 Knowledgewhom they never mention but with emo¬ 
 tions of gratitude and affection. But this supply is by 
 no means commensurate with the increasing number 
 of their Churches and Schools. The chief support of 
 the Mission is derived from itself. Mr. Swartz had in 
 his life time acquired a considerable property, through 
 the kindness of the English Government and of the 
 Native Princes. When he -was dying, he said, “ Let 
 the cause of Christ be my heir.” When his colleague, 
 the pious Gericke, was departing, he also bequeathed 
 his property to the Mission. And now Mr. Kohloff 
 gives from his private funds an annual sum; not that 
 
52 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 lie can well afford it; but the Mission is so extended, 
 that he gives it, he told me, to preserve the new and re¬ 
 mote congregations in existence. He stated that there 
 were upwards of ten thousand Protestant Christians be¬ 
 longing to the Tanjore and Tinavelly districts alone, who 
 had not among them one complete copy of the Bible ; 
 and that not one Christian perhaps in a hundred, had a 
 New Testament; and yet there are some copies of the 
 Tamul Scriptures still to be sold at Tranquebar: but 
 the poor natives cannot afford to purchase them. When 
 I mentioned the designs of the Bible Society in Eng¬ 
 land, they received the tidings with very sensible emo¬ 
 tions of thankfulness. Mr. Horst said, If only every 
 tenth person were to obtain a copy of the Scriptures, 
 it would be an event long to be remembered in Tan¬ 
 jore. They lamented much that they were destitute of 
 the aid of a printing-press, and represented to me that 
 the progress of Christianity had been materially retarded 
 of late years by the want of that important auxiliary. 
 They have petitioned the Society for promoting Chris¬ 
 tian Knowledge to send them one. They justly ob¬ 
 served, If you can no longer send us Missionaries to 
 preach the Gospel, send us the means of printing the 
 Gospel.* The Tranquebar Mission and the Madras 
 Mission have both possessed printing-presses for along 
 period; by the means of which they have been exten¬ 
 sively useful in distributing the Scriptures and religious 
 publications in several languages. The Mission Press 
 at Tranquebar may be said to have been the fountain 
 of all the good that was done in India during the last 
 century. It was established by Zicgenbalg. From 
 this press, in conjunction with that at Halle in Germa¬ 
 ny, have proceeded volumes in Arabic, Syriac, Hindos- 
 tanee, Tamul, Telinga, Portuguese, Danish, and Eng- 
 
 *■ The Brahmins in Tanjore have procured a press, “ which 
 they dedicate (say the Missionaries in their last letter) to the glo¬ 
 ry of their gods but the Missionaries, who first introduced 
 the civilization of Christianity at the Tanjore capital, are still 
 without one. Printing is certainly the legitimate instrument of 
 the Christian for the promulgation of Christianity. We Protest¬ 
 ants have put it into the hands of the Brahmins, and we ought to 
 see to it, that the teachers of our own religion are possessed of 
 an ecgial advantage. 
 
RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 53 
 
 lish. I have in my possession the Psalms of David in 
 the Hindostanee Language, printed in the Arabic char¬ 
 acter; and the History of Christ in Syriac , intended 
 probably for thd Syro-Romish Christians on the sea- 
 coast of Travancore, whom a Danish Missionary once 
 visited, both of which volumes were edited by the Mis¬ 
 sionaries of Tranquebar. There is also in Swartz’s 
 Library at Tanjore, a Grammar of the Hindostanee 
 Language in quarto, published at the same press ; an 
 important fact which was not known at the College of 
 Fort-William, when Professor Gilchrist commenced 
 his useful labors in that language.” 
 
 Tanjore , Sept. 3, 1806. 
 
 “ Before I left the capital of Tanjore, the Rajah was 
 pleased to honor me with a second audience. On this 
 occasion he presented to me a portrait of himself, a very 
 striking likeness, painted by a Hindoo artist at the Tan¬ 
 jore Court.* The Missionary, Dr. John, accompanied 
 me to the palace. The Rajah received him with much 
 kindness, and presented to him a piece of gold cloth. 
 Of the resident Missionary Mr. Kohloff, whom the 
 Rajah sees frequently, he spoke to me in terms of high 
 approbation. This cannot be very agreeable to the 
 Brahmins ; but the Rajah, though he yet professes the 
 Brahminical religion, is no longer obedient to the dic¬ 
 tates of the Brahmins, and they are compelled to admit 
 his superior attainments in knowledge. I passed the 
 chief part of this morning in looking over Mr. Swartz’s 
 manuscripts and books: and when 1 was comi g away 
 Mr. Kohloff presented tome a Hebrew Psalter,' vhich 
 had been Mr. Swartz’s companion for fifty years '; also 
 a brass lamp which he had got first when a Student at 
 the College of Halle, and had used in his lucubrations 
 to the time of his death ; for Mr. Swartz seldom Jircach¬ 
 ed to the natives without previous study. I thought I 
 saw the image of Swartz in his successor. Mr. Koh¬ 
 loff is a man of great simplicity of manners, of meek 
 deportment, and of ardent zeai in the cause of revealed 
 
 * It is now placed in the Public Library of the University of 
 Cambridge. 
 
54 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 Religion, and of humanity. He walked with me through 
 the Christian village close to his house ; and I was 
 much pleased to see the affectionate respect of the peo¬ 
 ple towards him; the young people of both sexes com¬ 
 ing forward from the doors on both sides, to salute 
 him and receive his benediction.”* 
 
 “ September 4th , 1806. 
 
 “ Leaving Tanjore, I passed through the woods in¬ 
 habited by the Collaries (or thieves) now humanized 
 by Christianity. When they understood who I was, 
 they followed me on the road, stating their destitute 
 condition, in regard to religious instruction. They 
 were clamorous for Bibles. They supplicated for teach- 
 
 * That I may give to those who are interested in the promotion 
 of Christianity in the East, a more just view of the character of 
 Swartz’s successor, the Rev. Mr. Kohloff, I shall subjoin an Ex¬ 
 tract of a Letter which I have since received from the Rev. Mr. 
 Horst. 
 
 “ Tanjore•, Sept. 24, 1807. 
 
 “ The Rev. Mr. Kohloff is sometimes rather weak, on account 
 of so many and various cares that assail him without ceasing 1 . He 
 provides for the wants of this and the Southern Missions, (Tritch- 
 Inopoly excepted) by disbursing annually upwards of one thou¬ 
 sand pagodas (about <£.250 sterling) but of his private purse, 
 partly to'make up the difference between the income and expend¬ 
 iture of this and the Southern Mission (of which 1 annex an Ab¬ 
 stract) and the rest in assisting the deserving poor, without regard 
 to religion; and for various pious uses. To him, as Arbitrator and 
 Father, apply all Christians that are at variance, disturbed from 
 without or from within, out of service or distressed ; for most of 
 our Christians will do any tiling rather than go to lawn 
 
 “ All these heterogeneous, but, to a Missionary at Tanjore, 
 unavoidable avocations, joined to the ordinary duties of his sta¬ 
 tion, exercise his mind early and late ; and if he is not of a robust 
 constitution, will undermine his health at last. Happily, several 
 neighbouring Churches and new congregations, belonging to the 
 Mission of Tanjore, afford Mr. Kohloff frequent opportunities to 
 relax his mind, and to recruit his health and spirits, by making 
 occasional short excursions to see these new Christians, ivho -were 
 professed thieves only a few years ago , and many of them are now 
 an honor to the Christian profession, and industrious peasants It is 
 pleasing to behold the anxiety with which a great number of our 
 Christian children inquire at such times when their father will re¬ 
 turn; and how they run several miles to meet'him with shouts 
 and clapping of hands, and hymns of thanks to God, as soon as 
 they discern lus palankeen at a distance.” 
 
RESPECTING- THE HINDOOS. 
 
 53 
 
 ers. 1 We don’t want bread or money from you, said 
 they; but we want the word of God.’ Now, thought 
 I, whose duty is it to attend to the moral wants of this 
 people ? Is it that of the English nation, or of some 
 other nation ?” 
 
 “ Tritehinofioly , September 5th. 
 
 “ The first Church built by Swartz is at this place. 
 It is called Christ’s Church, and is a large building, 
 capable of containing perhaps two hundred people.* 
 The aged Missionary, the Rev. Mr. Pohle, presides 
 over this Church, and over the native congregations at 
 this place. Christianity flourishes; but I found that 
 here, as at other places, there is a ‘ famine of Bibles.’ 
 The Jubilee was celebrated on the 9th of July, being 
 the hundredth year from the arrival of the messengers 
 of the Gospel. On this occasion their venerable Pastor 
 preached from Matt, xxviii, 19 ; < Go ye therefore, and 
 teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ At 
 this station, there are about a thousand English troops. 
 Mr. Pehle being a German, does not speak English 
 very well; but he is reverenced for his piety by the 
 English ; and both officers and men are glad to hear 
 the religion of their country preached in any way. On 
 the Sunday morning, I preached in Christ’s Church to 
 a full assembly, from these words, ‘ For we have seen 
 his Star in the East, and are come to worship him.’ 
 Indeed what I had seen in these provinces rendered 
 this text the most appropriate I could select. Next 
 day some of the English soldiers came to me, desiring 
 to know how they might procure Bibles. ‘ It is a de¬ 
 lightful thing, said one of them, to hear our own reli¬ 
 gion preached by our own countryman.’ I am informed 
 that there are at this time above twenty English regi¬ 
 ments in India, and that not one of them has a chaplain. 
 The men live without religion, and then they bury each 
 other. O England, England, it is not for thine own 
 goodness that Providence giveth thee the treasures of' 
 India! 
 
 * Probably an error of the Press for 2000. .timer. Ed. 
 
56 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 “ I proceed hence to visit the Christian Churches in 
 the provinces of Madura, and Tinavelly.” 
 
 The friends of Christianity in India have had it in 
 their power to afford some aid to the Christian 
 Churches in Tanjore. On the 1st of January of the 
 present year (1810,) the Rev. Mr. Brown preached a 
 Sermon at Calcutta, in which he represented the peti¬ 
 tion of the Hindoos for Bibles. A plain statement of 
 the fact was sufficient to open the hearts of the public. 
 A subscription was immediately set on foot, and Lieut. 
 General Hewitt, Commander in Chief, then Deputy 
 Governor in Bengal, subscribed ,£.250. The chief 
 officers of government, and the principal inhabitants 
 of Calcutta, raised the subscription, in a few days, to 
 the sum of £. 1000 sterling. Instructions were sent to 
 Mr. Kohloff, to buy up all the copies of the Tamul 
 Scriptures ; to distribute them at a small price amongst 
 the natives, and to order a new edition to be printed 
 off without loss of time.* 
 
 VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES FOR THE 
 
 HINDOOS. 
 
 Having now seen what the Hindoos are in their state 
 of idolatry, as at Juggernaut, and in Bengal; and what 
 they may become under the influence of Christianity, 
 as at Tranquebar, Tritchinopoiy, and Tanjore; it re¬ 
 mains, to give some account of the translation of the 
 Scriptures into the languages of the Hindoos. 
 
 There are five principal languages spoken by Hin¬ 
 doos in countries subject to the British Empire. These 
 
 * The chief names in this subscription, besides that of Gene- 
 ral Hewitt, were Sir John Royds, Sir W. Borroughs, John Lums- 
 den, Esq. George Udney, Esq. J. H. Harrington, Esq. Sir John 
 D’Oyley, Colonel Carey, John Thornhill, Esq. R. C. Elowden, 
 Esq. Tho’s Hayes, Esq. W. Egerton, Esq. &.c. &c. 
 
 Thus, while we are disputing in England whether the Eible 
 ought to be given to the Hindoos, the Deputy Governor in Bengal, 
 the Members of the Supreme Council,.and of the Supreme Court 
 of Judicature, and the chief officers of the Government, after pe¬ 
 rusing the information concerning the state of India sent from 
 this country, are satisfied that it is an important duty, and a 
 Christian o', ligation. 
 
57 
 
 ■ / 
 
 RESPECTING THE HINDOOS. 
 
 are, the Hindostance , which pervades Hindostan gen¬ 
 erally ; and the four languages of the four great prov¬ 
 inces, viz. the Bengalee , for the province of Bengal ; 
 the Telinga , for the Northern Sircars ; the Tamul, for 
 Coromandel, and the Carnatic ; and the Malayalim , 
 or Malabar , for the coast of Malabar and Travancorc. 
 
 Of these five languages, there are two, into which 
 the Scriptures are already translated ; the Tamul , by 
 the Danish Missionaries in the last century ; and the 
 Bengalee , by the Baptist Missionaries from England. 
 The remaining three languages are in progress of trans¬ 
 lation ; the Hindostance, by the Rev. Henry Martin, 
 B. A. Chaplain in Bengal ;* the Malabar, by Mar 
 Dionysius, Bishop of the Syrian Christians in Travan- 
 core ; both of which translations will be noticed more 
 particularly hereafter; and the Telinga, by Ananda 
 Rayer, a Telinga Brahmin, by birth a Mahratta, under 
 the superintendance of Mr. Augustus Dcsgranges at 
 Vizagapatam, a Missionary belonging to the London 
 Society. 
 
 Ananda Rayer, a Brahmin of high cast, was lately 
 converted to the Christian faith, and has given un¬ 
 doubted proofs of the serious impression of its princi¬ 
 ples on his heart.t It is remarkable that versions of 
 
 * It was before mentioned that the Gospels were translated into 
 Bhidostanee, and part of them printed in the College of Fort-Wil¬ 
 liam. Another version has since been published by the Baptist 
 Missionaries. The Hindostanee being spoken over such exten¬ 
 sive regions, varies much in its dialects. 
 
 f The account of Ananda Rayer’s conversion is given by the 
 Rev. Dr. John, the aged Missionary at Tranquebar, in a letter to 
 Mr. Desgranges. This Brahmin applied (as many Brahmins and 
 otb.er Hindoos constantly do) to an older Brahmin of some fame 
 for sanctity, to know “ what he should do that he might be sav¬ 
 ed ?” The old Brahmin told him, that “ he must repeat a certain 
 prayer four lack of times:” that is, 400,000 times. This he per¬ 
 formed in a Pagoda, in six months ; and added many painful cer¬ 
 emonies. But finding no comfort or pea.ee from these external 
 rites, he went to a Romish Priest, and asked him if he knew what 
 was the true religion ? The Priest gave him some Christian books 
 it- the Telinga language; and, after a long investigation of Chris¬ 
 tianity, the inquiring Hindoo had no doubt remaining on his mind, 
 that “ Christ was the Saviour of the world.” But he was not sa¬ 
 tisfied with the Romish worship in many points : he disliked the 
 adoration of images, and other superstitions: and having heard 
 
53 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 the Scriptures should be now preparing for the Ma- 
 homedans and Hindoos, by their own converted coun¬ 
 trymen ; namely, the Persian and Arabic versions, by 
 Sab at the Arabian ; and the Telinga version by Anan- 
 ba Rayer, the Telinga Brahmin. The latter has 
 translated the four Gospels, and the Acts of the Apos¬ 
 tles. The progress of Sabat in his translations will be 
 noticed hereafter. 
 
 THE CEYLONESE. 
 
 In the island of Ceylon, the population under the Brit¬ 
 ish Government amounts, according to the best author¬ 
 ities, to upwards of a miiiion and a half; and one-third 
 is supposed to profess Christianity. This population 
 was divided by the Dutch, while they hard possession 
 of the island, into 24© church-ships, and three native 
 schoolmasters were appointed to each church-ship. 
 The Dutch government never gave an official appoint¬ 
 ment to any native who was not a Christian ; a distinc¬ 
 tion which Was ever considered bv them as a -wise 
 
 J 
 
 policy, as well as a Christian duty, and which is con¬ 
 tinued by his Majesty’s Government in Ceylon. Per¬ 
 haps it is not generally known in England that our 
 
 from the Priests themselves, that the Protestant Christians at 
 Tanjore and Tranquebar, professed to have a purer faith, and had 
 got the Bible translated, and worshipped no images; he visited 
 Dr. John, and the other Missionaries at Tranquebar, where he 
 remained four months, conversing, says Dr. John, “ almost every¬ 
 day with me,” and examining- the Holy Scriptures. He soon ac¬ 
 quired the Tamul Language (which has affinity with the Telinga) 
 that he might read the Tamul translation ; and he finally became 
 a member of the Protestant Church. 
 
 The Missionaries at Vizagapatam being in want of a learned 
 Telinga scholar, to assist them in a translation of the Scriptures 
 into the Telinga language. Dr. John recommended Ananda Rayer; 
 “ for he was averse, says he, to undertake any worldly employ¬ 
 ment, and had a great desire to be useful to his brethren of the 
 Telinga nation.” The reverend Missionary concludes thus: 
 
 What Jesus Christ hath required of his followers, this man hath 
 literally done ; lie hath left, father, mother, sisters, and brothers, 
 and houses, and lands, for the Gospel’s sake.” 
 
 See Dr. John’s Letter, dated 29th January, 1808, communica¬ 
 ted to the Bible Society, by the Rev. Mr. Brown. 
 
RESPECTING THE CEYLONESE. 
 
 50 
 
 Bengal and Madras Governments do not patronize the 
 native Christians. They give official appointments 
 to Mahomedans and Hindoos generally in preference 
 to natives professing Christianity. The chief argu¬ 
 ment for the retention of this system is precedent. It 
 was the practice of the first settlers. But it has been 
 often observed that what might be proper or necessary- 
 in a factory, may not be tolerable in a great Empire. 
 It is certain that this system confirms prejudice, ex¬ 
 poses our religion to contempt in the eyes of the na¬ 
 tives, and precludes every ray of hope of the future 
 prevalence of Christianity at the seats of Government. 
 
 cc Jaffna fat am, in Ceylon , Sept. 27, 1806. 
 
 “ From the Hindoo Temple of Ramisseram, I cros¬ 
 sed over to Ceylon, keeping close to Adam’s bridge. 
 I was surprised to find that all the boatmen were Chris¬ 
 tians of Ceylon. I asked the helmsman what religion 
 the English professed, who now governed the island, 
 lie said he could not tell, only that they were not of 
 the Portuguese or Dutch religion. I was not so much 
 surprised at his ignorance afterwards, as I was at the 
 time. 
 
 “ I have had the pleasure to meet here with Alexan¬ 
 der Johnstone, Esq.* of the Supreme Court of Judica¬ 
 ture, who is on the circuit; a man of large and liberal 
 views, the friend of learning, and of Christianity. He 
 is well acquainted with the language of the country, and 
 with the history of the island ; and his professional pur¬ 
 suits afford him a particular knowledge of its present 
 state ; so that his communications are truly valuable. 
 It will be scarcely believed in England, that there are 
 here Protestant Churches under the King’s government, 
 Avhich are without ministers. In the time of Baldjeus, 
 the Dutch preacher and historian, there were thirty - 
 two Christian Churches in the province of Jaffna alone. 
 At this time there is net one Protestant European Min- 
 isterin the whole province. I oughtto except Mr.Palm, 
 a solitary Missionary, who has been sent out by the 
 London Society, and receives some stipend from the 
 
 *' Now Sir Alexander Johnstone, Chief-Justice of Ceylon. 
 
'60 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 British Government. I visited Mr. Palm, at his resi¬ 
 dence a few miles from the town of Jaffna. He is pro¬ 
 secuting the study of the Tamnl Language ; for that is 
 the language of this part of Ceylon, from its proximity 
 to the Tamul Continent. Mrs. Palm has made as great 
 progress in the language as her husband, and is extreme¬ 
 ly active in the instruction of the native women and 
 children. I asked her if she had no wish to return to 
 Europe, after living so long among the uncivilized 
 Cingalese. No, she said ; she was 4 all the day long 
 happy in the communication of knowledge.’ Mr. Palm, 
 has taken possession of the old Protestant Church of 
 Tilly-Pally. By reference to the history, I found it 
 was the Church in which Baldseus himself preached 
 (as he himself mentions) to a congregation of two thou¬ 
 sand natives ; for a view of the Church is given in his 
 work. Most of those handsome Churches, of which 
 views are given in the plates of Baldseus’s history, are 
 now in ruins. Even in the town and fort of Jaffna, 
 where there is a spacious edifice for Divine Worship, 
 and a respectable society of English and Dutch inhabi¬ 
 tants, no Clergyman has been yet appointed. The only 
 Protestant preacher in the town of Jaffna is Christian 
 David , a Hindoo Catechist sent overby the Mission of 
 Tranquebar. His chief ministrations are in the Tamul 
 Tongue ; but he sometimes preaches in the English 
 Language, which he speaks with tolerable propriety; 
 and the Dutch and English resort to hear him. I went 
 with the rest to his Church ; when he delivered extem¬ 
 pore a very excellent Discourse, which his present 
 Majesty George the Third would not have disdained to 
 hear. And this Hindoo supports the interests of the 
 English Churchin the province of Jaffna. The Dutch 
 ministers who formerly officiated here, have gone to 
 Batavia or to Europe. The whole district is now in 
 the hands of the Romish priests from the College of 
 Goa; who perceiving the indifference ot the English 
 nation to their own religion, have assumed quiet and 
 undisturbed possession of the land. And the English 
 Government justly preferring the Romish superstition 
 to the worship of the idol Boodha , thinks it right to 
 countenance the Catholic Religion in Ceylon. But 
 
RESPECTING THE CEYLONESE. bi 
 
 whenever our Church shall direct her attention to the 
 promotion of Christianity in the East, I know of no 
 place which is more worthy of her labor, than the old 
 Protestant Vineyard of Jalfna Patem. 1 he Scriptures 
 are already prepared in the Tamul Language. The 
 language of the rest of Ceylon is the Cingalese , or Cey¬ 
 lonese’* 
 
 « Columbo , in Ceylon , 10 th March , 1808. 
 
 <( _I find that the south part of the island is in much 
 
 the same state as the north, in regard to Christian in¬ 
 struction. There are but two English Cleigyincn in 
 the whole island. 4 What wonder 5 (said a Romish priest 
 to me) 4 that your nation should be so little interested 
 about the conversion of the Pagans to Christianity, when 
 it does not even give teachers to its own subjects who 
 are already Christians ? I was not surprised to hear 
 that great numbers of the Protestants every year go 
 back to idolatry. Being destitute of a Head to take 
 cognizance of their state, they apostatize to Boodha , as 
 the Israelites turned to Baal and Ashteroth. It is per¬ 
 haps true that the religion of Christ has never been so 
 disgraced in any age of the Church, as it has been late¬ 
 ly, by our official neglect of the Protestant Church in 
 
 Ceylon. . . 
 
 “ I passed the day at Mount Lavinia, the country 
 residence of Ceneral Maitland, the Governor of Cey¬ 
 lon ; and had some conversation with his Excellency 
 on the religious state of the country. He _ desired 
 I would commit to writing, and leave with him a 
 memorandum of inquiries which I wished should be 
 made on subjects relating to the former prevalence of 
 the Protestant Religion in the island, and the means of 
 reviving and establishing it once more, His Excel¬ 
 lency expressed his conviction that some Ecclesiastical 
 Establishment ought to be given to Ceylon ; as had 
 been given to other Colonies of His Majesty in America 
 and the West Indies. He asked what was the cause 
 of the delay in giving an Ecclesiastical Establishment 
 to the Continent of India. I told him I supposed the 
 chief cause was the mixed government of our Indian 
 
 F 
 
62 
 
 •CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 Empire. It was said to be a question at home, who 
 ought to originate it. Had there been no revolution 
 in Europe to distract the attention of the nation, and 
 had Mr. Pitt lived, many things of a grand and arduous 
 character would have been done which are yet left un¬ 
 done. There are now three Missionaries of the Lon¬ 
 don Society established in three different parts of the 
 island. It gave me great pleasure to find that General 
 Maitland, and the senior Chaplain at Columbo, the 
 Honorable Mr. Twisleton, had afforded their patronage 
 in the most liberal manner to these useful teachers. 
 Government has allowed to each of them an annual 
 stipend. In returning from the country I passed 
 through the groves of Cinnamon, which extend near¬ 
 ly a mile in length. Ceylon is believed by some of the 
 Easterns, both Mahomedans and Hindoos, to have 
 been the residence of the first man (for the Hindoos 
 have a' First Man, and a Garden of Eden, as well as 
 the Christians) ; because it abounds in “ Trees pleasant 
 to the eyes, and good for food and is famous for its 
 rare metals and precious stones. “ There is gold, 
 bdellium, and the onyx-stone.” The rocky ridge 
 which connects this happy island with the main land, 
 is called Adam’s Bridge ; the lofty mountain in the 
 middle of the island every where visible, is called 
 Adam’s Peak : and there is a sepulchre of immense 
 length, which they call Abel’s Tomb. All these names 
 were given many ages before the introduction of Chris¬ 
 tianity from Europe. The Cinnamon trees love a 
 sandy soil. The surface of the ground appeared to be 
 entirely sand. I thought it wonderful that the most 
 valuable of all trees should grow in luxuriance in such 
 an arid soil without human culture. I compared them 
 in my mind to the Ceylon Christians in their present 
 state, who are left to flourish by themselves under the 
 blessing of heaven, without those external and ration¬ 
 al aids which have been divinely appointed to nourish 
 the Church of Christ.” 
 
 Columbo , 11 th March , 1808. 
 
 “ I have conversed with intelligent persons on the 
 means of translating the Scriptures into the Cingalese 
 
RESPECTING THE JIALAYS. 
 
 Language. The whole cf the New Testament has 
 been translated, but only three books of the Old 
 Testament. But even this portion has been translated 
 almost in vain : for there is no supply of books for the 
 use of the people. I reflected with astonishment on 
 the fact, that there arc by computation 500,000 na¬ 
 tives in Ceylon professing Christianity, and that there 
 should not be one complete copy of the Holy Scrip¬ 
 tures in the vernacular tongue. Samuel Tolfry, Esq. 
 head of a civil department in Colombo, is a good 
 Cingalese scholar, and is now engaged in compiling a 
 Cingalese Dictionary. I proposed to him to undertake 
 the completion of the Cingalese Version; which is 
 easily practicable, as there are many learned Cingalese 
 Christians in Columbo. He professed himself ready 
 
 to engage in the work, provided he should receive the 
 sanction of the government. I mentioned to him what 
 had passed in my conversation with General Maitland* 
 and his Excellency’s favorable sentiments on the sub¬ 
 
 ject ; and added that a correspondence would be im¬ 
 mediately commenced with him from Calcutta con¬ 
 cerning the work, and funds apportioned for the execu¬ 
 tion of it. Alexander Johnstone, Esq. who is now in 
 Columbo, has furnished me with his sentiments on the 
 best means of reviving and maintaining the Protestant 
 interest in Ceylon. Did his professional avocations 
 permit, Mr. Johnstone is himself the fit person to su¬ 
 perintend the translation and printing of the Scriptures. 
 It is a proof of the interest which this gentleman takes 
 in the progress of Christian knowledge, that he hath 
 caused Bishop Porteus’s Evidences of Christianity to 
 be translated into the Cingalese tongue, for distribution 
 among the natives.” 
 
 THE MALAYS. 
 
 A new empire has been added to Great Britain in the 
 East, which may be called her Maylay Empire. The 
 extensive dominion of the Dutch in the Indian Ocean, 
 is devolving upon the English ; and it may be expect¬ 
 ed that Britain will soon be mistress of the whole of 
 the Maylay an Archipelago. But as we increase 
 
64 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 our territories, we increase our obligations. Our du¬ 
 ties to our Hindoo Empire have been long enough the 
 subject of discussion : let us now turn our attention to 
 the obligations which we owe to our Maylay Empire. 
 We are now about to take possession of islands, 
 peopled by numbers of Protestant Christians. For in 
 every island where the Dutch established their govern¬ 
 ment, they endeavored to convert the natives to Chris¬ 
 tianity, and they were successful. Those amongst us 
 who would recommend that the evangelization of bar¬ 
 barous nations should be deferred “ till a more conven¬ 
 ient season,” will have no opportunity of offering the 
 advice in regard to some of these islands : for, behold, 
 the natives are Christians already. They profess the 
 religion of the Bible. Let it be our endeavor then to 
 do more justice to these our new Protestant subjects 
 than we have done to the Christians of Ceylon. We 
 have less excuse in the present instance, for the Malay 
 Scriptures are already translated to our hands. What 
 a noble field here opens to the view of the “ Society for 
 promoting Christian Knowledge,” and of the Bible So¬ 
 ciety 1 Here there is ample room for a praise-worthy 
 emulation, and for the utmost exercise of their benevo¬ 
 lent exertions. One hundred thousand Malay Bibles 
 will not suffice to supply the Maylay Christians. 
 
 The Sacred Scriptures were translated by the Dutch, 
 into the Eastern Maylay ;* for that is the general lan¬ 
 guage of their extensive dominions in the Indian Sea. 
 But the Eastern Maylay is different from the Western 
 Maylay, or that of Sumatra. In the College of Fort- 
 Wiliiam, Thomas Jarret, Esq. of the Honorable Com¬ 
 pany’s Civil Service, was preparing a version of the 
 Scriptures in the Western Maylay ; for which under¬ 
 taking he was well qualified, having resided twelve 
 years in Sumatra. When the progress of the Biblical 
 translations was interrupted in the College, Mr. Jarret 
 prosecuted the work, after his return to Madras. He 
 lias had, as an assistant in the design, a learned Maylay 
 
 * A complete version of the Malay Bible was published in the 
 Arabic character at Batavia, in 5 vols. 8vo. in 1758, under the di¬ 
 rection of Jacob Mossel, Governor-General of the Dutch posses¬ 
 sions in the East Indies. 
 
RESPECTING THE MALAYS. 
 
 65 
 
 of the rank of Rajah in his own country, who came from 
 Sumatra for the purpose. Mr. Jarret has also made 
 considerable progress in compiling a copious Malay 
 Dictionary, which he commenced before he left the isl¬ 
 and. Kis labor, it is to be hoped, will not be lost to the 
 public; for the Maylay language is daily increasing in 
 its importance to the British nation. 
 
 Prince of Wales’ Island, or, as it is called by the 
 natives, Penang, or Pulo Penang, that is, the island 
 Penang, is the capital of our Malay territories, and is 
 the proper place for the cultivation of the Malay Lan¬ 
 guage, being situated close to the main land of Ma¬ 
 lacca. As there is a College in Bengal for instruct¬ 
 ing the English in the languages of the continent of 
 Hindostan, it is equally expedient that there should be 
 an Institution in Penang for the cultivation of the Ma¬ 
 lay Tongue, and of the various dialects of our insular 
 possessions. The Dutch attended to this object in 
 the very infancy of their empire. Besides, it is prob¬ 
 able that Penang will, in the progress of Eastern civ¬ 
 ilization, become the great emporium of Asiatic Com¬ 
 merce. Its sudden elevation, is a prognostic of its fu¬ 
 ture celebrity. It is situated on what may be called, 
 “ the high way,” in which ships sail from either hem¬ 
 isphere ; and is the very centre of British navigation 
 in the East. The Author resided on this island for 
 about a month, and was greatly surprised at the varie¬ 
 ty of languages which are spoken, and at the differ¬ 
 ent races of men who present themselves to view in 
 this infant settlement. The merchants are chiefly of 
 the Malay, and Indo-Chinese nations. John Shaw, 
 Esq. was prosecuting the study of the Eastern Malay 
 Language, when I visited the island, and has since pub¬ 
 lished a considerable portion of a Malay Grammar. 
 
 The author who chiefly claims our notice in regard 
 to the Malay regions is J. C. Leyden, M. D. Professor 
 of Hindostanee in the College of Fort-William. To 
 him the learned world is indebted for “ a Dissertation 
 on the Languages, and Literature of the Indo-Chinese 
 nations,” just published in the Asiatic Researches, in 
 which he illuminates a very dark subject, and opens a 
 new view to Great Britain of her insular possessions 
 
 T 2 
 
66 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 in Asia. Dr. Leyden takes tlie lead in this most use¬ 
 ful science, in the East, being possessed of very rare 
 talents for general Philology, which he has applied al¬ 
 most suddenly, and with admirable effect to the Ori¬ 
 ental Languages. If this erudite scholar should pro¬ 
 secute his researches for some years to come, with 
 equal assiduity and success, he will promote, in the 
 most effectual manner, the general civilization of the 
 East by opening the way for the future exertions of 
 Christian teachers, and preparing them for the study of 
 languages, the names of which are not yet known in 
 Europe. 
 
 Penang, and the neighboring settlement of Malacca, 
 are most favorable stations for the study of the various 
 dialects of the Malay and Chinese Languages ; and 
 for pouring forth from the press useful works for the 
 civilization of maritime and Austral Asia. Every week, 
 boats of different nations are ready to carry off every 
 thing that is printed to their respective regions. The 
 Author found here a general spirit of enquiry, a com¬ 
 municative disposition, and an unusual thirst for knowl¬ 
 edge ; for the civilities of commerce have a tendency 
 to weaken prejudice and superstition among barbarous 
 tribes. 
 
 Although the Dutch introduced Christianity on eve¬ 
 ry island where they established a Government, yet 
 the greater part of the Malay islands are involved in 
 darkness. The natives are of three general casts, 
 Pagans, Mahomedans, and Chinese. The Mahome- 
 dans chiefly inhabit the shores, and the Pagans the 
 interior parts of the islands. The barbarism of the 
 interior nations in Sumatra, Borneo, and other isl¬ 
 ands almost exceeds belief. Marsden, in hik history of 
 Sumatra, had informed us that it was usual with the 
 natives of the interior, called the Batta tribes, to kiil 
 and eat their criminals, and prisoners of war ; but the 
 researches of Dr. Leyden have led to the discovery 
 that they sometimes sacrifice their own relations. 
 « They themselves declare,” says he, “ that they fre¬ 
 quently eat their own relations when aged and infirm : 
 and that not so much to gratify their appetite, as to 
 perform a pious ceremony. Thus, when a man be- 
 
RESPECTING THE MALAYS. 
 
 6 7 
 
 comes infirm and weary of the world, he is said to 
 invite his own children to eat him in the season when 
 salt and limes are cheapest. He then ascends a tree, 
 round which his friends and offspring assemble, and a a 
 they shake the tree, join in a funeral dirge the import 
 of which is, ‘ The season is come, the fruit is ripe, and 
 it must descend.’ The victim descends, and those that 
 are nearest and dearest to him deprive him of life, and 
 devour his remains in a solemn banquet.”* 
 
 These cannibals inhabit the interior of the island of 
 Sumatra, on the shore of which is the English settle¬ 
 ment, Bencoolen, or Fort-Mariborough. We have 
 been settled there for a long period, and trade with 
 the inhabitants for their spices. In return for the pep- 
 per which the natives give us, it would well become 
 our character as a Christian nation, were we now at 
 length, to offer them the New-Test ament. 
 
 Another description of barbarians in the Eastern 
 Isles, are the Haraforas , called by the Dutch, the 
 Alfoers. They are to be found in almost all the larger 
 islands. “ In their manners, says Dr. Leyden, the most 
 singular feature is the necessity imposed on every per¬ 
 son of, sometime in his life, imbruing his hands in hu¬ 
 man blood: and in general, among all their tribes, no 
 person is permitted to marry, ’till he can shew the 
 skull of a man whom he has slaughtered. They eat 
 the flesh of their enemies like the Buttas , and drink 
 out of their skulls ; and the ornaments of their houses 
 are human skulls and teeth.”f When the Author 
 was at Pulo Penang, he himself saw a Chief of the 
 Malay tribe who had a staff', on the head of which was 
 a bushy lock of human hair ; which he said he had cut 
 from the head* of his enemy whom he had killed. 
 
 The Author has mentioned the foregoing circum¬ 
 stances to shew what Paganism is in its natural state, 
 and to awaken some desire of civilizing a people, w ho 
 are now so accessible to us. Some Philosophers of 
 the school of Voltaire and Gibbon, have been extrav¬ 
 agant in their eulogium of man in a state of nature, 
 cr in some other state devoid of Christianity ; and it. 
 
 * Asiatic Researches, yol. X. p. 203. 
 
 t Ibid, p. 217. 
 
68 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 is to be lamented that some Christian writers have 
 tried of late to draw the same picture. But Pagan¬ 
 ism in its best estate, is well described by one line of 
 the Poet: 
 
 Monstrum, horrendum, intorme, ingens cui LUMEN ademptum. Virg* 
 
 No quarter of the globe promises to be more aus¬ 
 picious to Christian Missions than the Malayan Archi¬ 
 pelago. In regard to the probable success of our en¬ 
 deavors, the Dutch have already shewn what is prac¬ 
 ticable. The natives are of different casts, and are a 
 divided people. The communication is easy from 
 island to island ; our own ships are continually plying 
 on their shores. The China fleets pass through twice 
 or oftener every year ; and with most of the islands we 
 have intercourse by what is called in India, the coun¬ 
 try trade. And now there will be, of course, an Eng¬ 
 lish Government established in each of the conquered 
 islands in lieu of the Dutch. 
 
 The Mahomcdans found it easy to translate the 
 Koran into the languages of Java , and of the Celebes ; 
 but the Sacred Scriptures are not yet translated into 
 either of these languages. The proper language of 
 Java is different from the Malay of the city of .Bata¬ 
 via. The language of the Celebes is called the Bugis, 
 or Bougucse.* The natives of Celebes are distinguish¬ 
 ed for their vigor of mind and strength of body ; and 
 are acknowledged to be the first of the Orang Timor , 
 or Eastern men. Literature was formerly cultivatecj. 
 among them. Dr. Leyden enumerates fifty-three dif¬ 
 ferent volumes. “ Their songs,” says he, “and roman¬ 
 ces arc famous among all the islands of the East.” 
 Their language extends to other islands ; for they for¬ 
 merly carried their conquests beyond the Moluccas. 
 The man who shall first translate the Bible into the 
 language of the Celebes, will probably be read by as 
 many islanders as have read the translation of Wick- 
 liffe. Let us consider how long these nations have 
 
 * Lord Minto notices in liis Speech to the College of Fort-'Wil¬ 
 liam, that Thos. Raffles, Esq. Secretary to the Government in 
 Prince of AVales’ Island, is employed in compiling a code of Ma¬ 
 lay Laws, in the Malay, and JSouguese Languages. 
 
RESPECTING THE SYRIANS. 
 
 69 
 
 waited for Christian instruction, and contemplate the 
 words of the prophecy, “ The isles shall wait for HIS 
 Law,” Is. xlii, 4. ^ 
 
 The facilities for civilizing the Malayan isles are cer¬ 
 tainly very great; and these facilities are our strongest 
 encouragement to make the attempt. Both in our 
 translation of the Scriptures and in missions to the hea¬ 
 then, we should avoid as much as possible what may be 
 called enterprise. Let us follow the path that is easy 
 and secure, and make use of those means which are al¬ 
 ready afforded to us by Providence. Thus the most 
 valuable and important translation of the Scriptures in 
 the present circumstances, will be that for which a peo¬ 
 ple are already prepared, such as the Malayalim, the 
 Cingalese,and Malay. And the most judiciously plan¬ 
 ned Missions will be those where there is a prospect of 
 personal security to the teachers ; and where there are, 
 judging from human probabilities, the greatest facilities 
 for the conversion of the people. 
 
 THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN INDIA. 
 
 The Syrian Christians inhabit the interior of Travan- 
 core and Malabar, in the South of India ; and have 
 been settled there from the early ages of Christianity. 
 The first notices of this ancient people in recent times 
 are to be found in the Portuguese histories. When 
 Vasco de Gama arrived at Cochin on the coast of 
 Malabar, in the year 1503, he saw the sceptre of the 
 Christian King ; for the Syrian Christians had formerly 
 regal power in Malay-ala.* The name or title of their 
 last King was Beliarte ; and he dying without issue, 
 the dominion devolved on the King of Cochin and Di- 
 amper. 
 
 When the Portuguese arrived, they were agreeably 
 surprised to find upwards of a hundred Christian 
 Churches on the coast of Malabar. But when they 
 
 * Malay-ala is the proper name for the whole country of Tra- 
 vancore and Malabar, comprehending the territory between the 
 mountains and the sea, from Cape Comorin to Cape Illi or Dilly. 
 The language of these extensive regions is called Malayalim, and 
 sometimes Malabar. We shall use the word Malabar, as being of 
 easier pronunciation. 
 
70 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 became acquainted with the purity and simplicity of 
 their worship, they were offended. “These Churches, ,r 
 said the Portuguese, “belong to the Pope.” “Whohr 
 the Pope,” said the natives, “ we never heard of him.” 
 The European priests were yet more alarmed, when 
 they found that these Hindoo Christians maintained 
 the order and discipline of a regular Church under 
 Episcopal Jurisdiction ; and that, for 1300 years past, 
 they had enjoyed a succession of Bishops appointed by 
 the Patriarch of Antioch. “ We,” said they, “ are of 
 the true faith, whatever you from the West may be ; for 
 we come from the place where the followers of Christ 
 were first called Christians.” 
 
 When the power of the Portuguese became suffi¬ 
 cient for their purpose, they invaded these tranquil 
 Churches, seized some of the Clergy, and devoted 
 them to the death of heritics. Then the inhabitants 
 heard for the first time that there was a place called 
 the Inquisition; and that its fires had been lately light¬ 
 ed at Goa, near their own land. But the Portuguese, 
 finding that the people were resolute in defending 
 their ancient faith, began to try more conciliatory meas¬ 
 ures. They seized the Syrian Bishop Mar Joseph, 
 and sent him prisoner to Lisbon : and then convened 
 a Synod at one of the Syrian Churches called Diam- 
 per, near Cochin, at which the Romish Archbishop 
 Menezes presided. At this compulsory Synod, 150 
 of the Syrian Clergy appeared. They were accused 
 of the following practices and opinions : “ That they 
 had married wives; that they owned but two Sacra¬ 
 ments, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; that they 
 neither invoked Saints, nor worshipped Images, nor 
 believed in Purgatory : and that they had no other or¬ 
 ders or names of dignity in the Church, than Bishop, 
 Priest, and Deacon.” These tenets they were called 
 on to abjure, or to suffer suspension from all Church 
 benefices. It was also decreed that all the Syrian books 
 on Ecclesiastical subjects that could be found, should 
 be burned ; “ in order,” said the Inquisitors, “ that no 
 pretended apostolical monuments may remain.” 
 
 The Churches on the sea-coast were thus compel¬ 
 led to acknowledge the supremacy of the Pope : but 
 
RESPECTING THE SYRIANS. 
 
 1 
 
 they refused to pray in Latin, and insisted on retaining 
 their own language and Liturgy. This point they said 
 they would only give up with their lives. The 'Pope 
 compromised with them : Menezr s purged their Litur¬ 
 gy ol its errors: and they retain their Syriac Lan¬ 
 guage, and have a Syriac College unto this day. These 
 are called the Svro-Roman Churches, and are princi¬ 
 pally situated on the sea-coast, 
 
 I he Churches in the interior would not yield to 
 Rome. After a show of submission for a little while, 
 they proclaimed eternal war against the Inquisition • 
 they hid their books, fled occasionally to the moun¬ 
 tains, and sought the protection of the Native Princes 
 who had always been proud of their alliance. 
 
 . ° centuries had elapsed without any particular 
 
 information concerning the Syrian Christians in the 
 interior of India. It was doubted by many whether 
 they existed at all ; but if they did exist, it was thought 
 piobable that they must possess some interesting docu¬ 
 ments of Christian antiquity. The Author conceived 
 the design of visiting them, if practicable, in his tour 
 tnrough Hindostan. He presented a short memoir 
 on the subject in 1805, to Marquis Wellesley, then 
 Governor General of India ; who was pleased to give 
 orders that every facility should be afforded to him in 
 tne prosecution of his inquiries. About a year after 
 that Jsobleman had left India, the Author proceeded 
 on his Tour. It was necessary that he should visit 
 nrst the Court of the Rajah of Travancore, in whose 
 dominions the Syrian Christians resided, that he might 
 obtain permission to pass to their country. The two 
 duet objects which he proposed to himself in explor¬ 
 ing the state of this ancient people, were these: First 
 'n e , s !!S ate the ir literature and history, and to col- 
 lect Biblical manuscripts. Secondly, if he should find 
 them ° bean mteihgent people, and well acquainted 
 wnh the Syriac Scriptures, to endeavor to make them 
 instruments of illuminating the Southern part of India 
 by engaging them in translating their Scriptures into’ 
 
 tne i>ative Languages. He had reason to believe that 
 this had not yet been done ; and he was prepared not to 
 wonder at the delay, by the reflection how long it was 
 
n 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 before his own countrymen began to think it their duty 
 to make versions of the Scriptures, for the use of other 
 nations. 
 
 t£ Palace of Travancore, 19 th Oct. 1806. 
 
 I have now been a week at the Palace of Trivand- 
 uram, where the Rajah resides. A letter of introduc¬ 
 tion from Lieut. Colonel Macaulay, the British Resi¬ 
 dent at Travancore, procured me a proper reception. 
 At my first audience His Highness was very inquisitive 
 as to the objects of my journey. As I had servants 
 with me of different casts and languages, it was very 
 easy for the Brahmins to discover every particular they 
 might wish to know, in regard to my profession, pur¬ 
 suits, and manner of life. When I told the Rajah that 
 the Syrian Christians were supposed to be of the same 
 religion with the English, he said he thought that could 
 not be the case, else he must have heard it before ; if 
 however it was so, he considered my desire to visit them 
 as being very reasonable. I assured His Highness that 
 their Shunter and ours was the same ; and shewed him 
 a Syriac New Testament which I had at hand. The 
 book being bound and guilt after the European manner, 
 the Rajah shook his head, and said he was sure there 
 was not a native in his dominions who could read that 
 book. I observed that this would be proved in a few 
 days. The Dewan (or Prime Minister) thought the 
 character something like what he had seen sometimes 
 in the houses of the Sooriani. The Rajah said he would 
 afford me every facility for my journey in his power. 
 He put an emerald ring on my finger, as a fnark of his 
 friendship, and to secure me respect in passing through 
 his country; and he directed his Dewan to send proper 
 persons with me as guides. 
 
 “ I requested that the Rajah would be pleased to pre¬ 
 sent a Catalogue of all the Hindoo Manuscripts in the 
 Temples of Travancore to the College of Fort-William 
 in Bengal. The Brahmins were very averse to this ; 
 but when I shewed the Rajah the catalogues of the 
 books in the Temples of Tanjore, given by the Rajah of 
 Tanjore, and those of the Temple of Remisseram, giv¬ 
 en me by order of the Rannie (or Queen) of Ramnad ; 
 
73 
 
 RESPECTING THE SYRIANS. 
 
 b.c desired it might be done ; and orders have been sent 
 the Hindoo College of Trichoor for that purpose.”* 
 
 “ C-hinganoor ; a Church of the Syrian Christians, 
 JVov, 1C ih, 1806. 
 
 u From the palace of Travancore I proceeded to 
 Mavely-car, and thence to the bids at the bottom of the 
 high Ghauts which divide the Carnatic from Malay-ala. 
 The face of the country in general in the vicinity of the 
 mountains, exhibits a varied scene of hill and dale, and 
 winding streams. These streams fall trom. the moun- 
 tains, and preserve the vailies in perpetual verdure. 
 The woods produce pepper, cardamoms, and cassia, or 
 common cinnamon ; also frankincense and other aro¬ 
 matic gums. What adds much to the grandeur of the 
 scenery in this country is, that the adjacent mountains 
 of Travancore are not barren , but are covered with for¬ 
 ests of teak wood ; the Indian oak, producing, it is 
 , said, the largest timber in the world. 
 
 “ The first view of the Christian Churches in this se¬ 
 questered region of Hindostan, connected with the idea 
 of their tranquil duration for so many ages, cannot fail 
 to excite pleasing emotions in the mind of the beholder. 
 1 iie form of the oldest buildings is not unlike that of 
 some of the old Parish Churches in England ; the style 
 oi building in both being of Saracenic origin. They 
 have sloping roofs, pointed arch windows, and buttres¬ 
 ses supporting the walls. The beams of the roof being 
 exposed to view are ornamented ; and the ceiling of the 
 choir and altar is circular and fretted. In the Cathe- 
 dral Churches, the shrines of the deceased bishops are 
 placed on each side of the altar. Most of the Churches 
 are built of a redish stone squared and polished at the 
 quarry ; and are of durable construction, the front wall 
 ol the largest edifices being six feet thick. The bells 
 oi the Churches are cast in the founderies of the 
 country : some of them are of large dimensions, and 
 
 * These three Catalogues, together with that of the Rajah of 
 Cochin, which the Author procured afterwards, are now deposit 
 cn in the College of Fort-William, and probably contain all the 
 Hindoo Literature of the Soutn of India. 
 
 G 
 
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 74 
 
 have inscriptions in Syriac and Malay-alim. In ap¬ 
 proaching a town in the evening, I once heard the 
 sound of the bells among the hills; a circumstance 
 which made me forget for a moment that I was in Hin- 
 dostan, and reminded me of another country. 
 
 “ The first Syrian Church which I saw was at Mave- 
 ly-car : but the Syrians here are in the vicinity of the 
 Romish Christians ; and are not so simple in their man¬ 
 ners as those nearer the mountains. They had been 
 often visited by Romish emissaries in former times : and 
 they at first suspected that I belonged to that commun¬ 
 ion. They had heard of the English, but strangely 
 supposed that they belonged to the Church of the Pope 
 in the West. They had been so little accustomed to 
 see a friend, that they could not believe that I was come 
 with any friendly purpose. Added to this, I had some 
 discussions with a most intelligent priest, in regard to 
 the original language of the Four Gospels, which he 
 maintained to be Syriac ; and they suspected from the 
 complexion of my argument, that I wished to weaken 
 the evidences for their antiquity.* Soon however the 
 
 * “ You concede,” said the Syrian, “ that our Saviour spoke in 
 our language; how do you know it?” From Syriac expressions 
 in the Greek Gospels. It appears that he spoke Syriac when he 
 walked by the way (Ephphatha,) and when he sat in the house 
 (Talitha Cumi,) and when he was upon the cross (Eli, Eli, lama 
 sabachthani.) The Syrians were pleased when they heard that 
 we had got their language in our English books. The priest ob¬ 
 served that these last were not the exact words, but ‘Ail, Ail, 
 lamono sabachthani.* I answered that the word must have been 
 very like Eli, for one said “ He calleth for Elias.” “ True, said 
 he, but yet it was more likely to be Ail, Ail, (pronounced II or 
 Eel) for Jlil or Hila, is old Syriac for Vinegar ; and one thought 
 he wanted Vinegar, and filled immediately a sponge with it. But 
 our Saviour did not want the meditated drink as they supposed. 
 But, added he, if the parables and discourses of our Lord were 
 in Syriac, and the people of Jerusalem commonly used it, is it 
 not marvellous that his Disciples did not record his parables in 
 the Syriac Language; and that they should have recourse to the 
 Greek ?” I observed that the Gospel was for the world, and* the 
 Greek was then the universal language, and therefore Providence 
 selected it. It is very probable, said he, that the Gospels were 
 translated immediately afterwards into Greek, as into other lan¬ 
 guages ; but surely there must have been a Syriac original. The 
 poor people in Jerusalem could not read Greek. Had they no re¬ 
 cord in their hands, of Christ’s parables which they had heard. 
 
RESPECTING THE SYRIANS. 
 
 75 
 
 gloom and suspicion subsided; they gave me the 
 right hand of fellowship, in the primitive manner; and 
 one of their number was deputed to accompany me to 
 the Churches in the interior. 
 
 “ When we were approaching the Church of Chinga- 
 noor, we met one of the Cassanarsj or Syrian Clergy. 
 He was dressed in a white loose vestment with a cap 
 of red silk hanging down behind. Being informed who 
 lie was, 1 said to him in the Syriac Language, 4 Peace 
 be unto you. He was surprised at the salutation ; but 
 immediately answered, 4 1 he God of peace be with you:* 
 lie accosted the Rajah’s servants in the language of the 
 country to know who I was; and immediately returned 
 to the village to announce our approach. When ive 
 arrived I was received at the door of the Church by 
 three ICashees/ias, that is, Presbyters, or Priests, who 
 were habited m like manner, in white vestments. Their 
 names were. Jesu, Zecharias, and Urias, which they 
 wiote down in my Journal, each of them adding to his 
 name die title of Kasheesha. There were also present 
 two S/nanshanas , or Deacons. The elder Priest was a 
 very intelligent man, of reverend appearance, having a 
 long white beard, and of an affable and engaging de¬ 
 pot tment. The three principal Christians, or lay elders 
 belonging to the Church, were named Abraham, Tho- 
 ma, and Alexandras. After some conversation with 
 iny attendants they received me with confidence and 
 affection ; and the people of the neighbouring villages 
 came round, women as well as men. The sight of the 
 women assured me that I was once more (after a long 
 absence from England) in a Christian country. For 
 che Hindoo women, and the Mahomedan women, and 
 m short, all women who arc not Christians are account- 
 
 and ofhia sublime discourses recorded by St.John, after his ascen- 
 sion ? I acknowledged that it was generally believed by the learn- 
 ed that the Gospel of St. Matthew was written originally in Syri- 
 ac “So you admit St. Matthew ? You may as'well admit St. 
 John Or was one Gospel enough for die inhabitants of Jerusa¬ 
 lem } I contended that there were many Greek and Roman words 
 m their own Syriac Gospels. “ True,” said he, “ Roman words 
 lor Roman things ” They Wished however to see some of these 
 words. The discussion afterwards, particularly in reference to 
 the Gospel of St. Luke, was more in my favor. 
 
75 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 cd by the men an inferior race ; and, in general, are con¬ 
 fined to the house for life, like irrational creatures. In 
 every countenance now before me I thought I could 
 discover the intelligence of Christianity. But at the 
 same time, I perceived, all around, symptoms of pov¬ 
 erty and political depression. In the Churches, and in 
 the people, there was the air of falling greatness. I said 
 to the senior Priest, 4 You appear to me like a people 
 who have known better days.’ 4 It is even so,’ said he. 
 4 We are in a degenerate state compared with our fore¬ 
 fathers.’ He noticed that there were too causes of 
 their present decay. 4 About 300 years ago an enemy 
 came from the We6t bearing the name of Christ, but 
 armed with the Inquisition : and compelled us to seek 
 the protection of the native Princes. And the native 
 Princes have kept us in a state of depression ever since. 
 They indeed recognize our ancient personal privileges, 
 for we rank in general next to the JVairs , the nobility 
 of the country ; but they have encroached by degrees 
 en our property, till we have been reduced to the hum¬ 
 ble state in which you find us. The glory of our 
 Church has passed away; but we hope your nation will 
 revive it again.’ I observed that 4 the glory cf a Church 
 could never die, if it preserved the Bible.’ 4 We have 
 preserved the Bible,’ said he ; 4 the Hindoo Princes nev¬ 
 er touched our liberty of conscience. We were form¬ 
 erly on a footing with them in political power ; and they 
 respect our religion. We have also converts from time 
 to time ; but in this Christian duty we are not so active 
 as we once were ; besides it is not so creditable now to 
 become Christian in our low estate.’ He then pointed 
 out to me a Mamboory Brahmin, (that is, a Brahmin of 
 the highest cast) who had lately become a Christian, 
 and assumed the white vestment of a Syrian Priest. 
 4 The learning too of the Bible,’ he added, 4 is in alow 
 state amongst us. Our copies are few in number ; and 
 that number is diminishing instead of increasing ; and 
 the writing out a whole copy of the Sacred Scriptures 
 is a great labor, where there is no profit and little piety.* 
 I then produced a printed copy of the Syriac New Tes¬ 
 tament. There was not one of them who had ever seen 
 a printed copy before. They admired it much i and 
 
RESPECTING THE SYRIANS. 
 
 77 
 
 every Priest, as it came into his hands, began to read a 
 pouion, which he did fluently, while the women came 
 round to hear. I asked the old Priest whether I should 
 send them some copies from Europe. ‘ They would be 
 worth their weight in silver,’ said he. He asked me 
 wnether the Old Testament was printed in Syriac, as 
 well as the New. 1 told him it was, but I had not a 
 copy. I hey professed an earnest desire to obtain some 
 copies of the whole Syriac Bible ; and asked whether it 
 would be practicable to obtain one copy for every 
 Church. ‘ I must confess to you,’ said Zecharias, ‘ that 
 we have very few copies of the prophetical Scriptures in 
 the Church. Our Church languishes for want of the 
 Scriptures.’ But he added, ‘ the language that is most 
 in use among the people is the Malayaiim, (or Malabar) 
 the vernacular language of the country. Tiie.Syriac is 
 now only the learned language, and the language of the 
 Cnurch : but we generally expound the Scriptures to 
 the people in the vernacular tongue.’ 
 
 “ I then entered on the subject of the translation of 
 the Scriptures. He said ‘ a version could be made with 
 critical accuracy; for there were many of the Syrian 
 Clergy who were perfect masters of both languages, 
 having spoken them from their infancy. But,’ said he, 
 our Bishop will rejoice to see you, and to discourse 
 with you on this and other subjects.’ I told them that 
 it a translation could be prepared, I should be able to 
 gel it punted, and to distribute copies among their tifiy- 
 iiye Churches at a small price. ‘ That indeed would 
 give joy, said old Abraham. There was here a mur¬ 
 mur oi satisfaction among the people. If I understand 
 }ou right, said I, the greatest blessing the English 
 Church can bestow upon you, is the Bible. ‘ It is so.’ 
 s.dd he. 1 And what is the next greatest,’ said I. 4 Some 
 freedom and personal consequence as a people.’ By 
 which he meant political liberty. ‘ We are here in 
 bondage, like Israel in Egypt.’ I observed that the 
 English nat on would doubtless recognize a nation of 
 fellow-Christians ; and would be happy to interest itself 
 in their behalf, as far as our political relation with the 
 Prince of the country would permit. They wished to 
 know what were the principles of the English Govern* 
 
 G 2 
 
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 rs 
 
 ment, civil and religious. I answered that our Govern¬ 
 ment might be said to be founded generally on the prin¬ 
 ciples of the Bible. ‘ Ah,’ said old Zecharias, ‘ that must 
 be a glorious Government which is founded on the prin¬ 
 ciples of the Bible.’ The Priests then desired I would 
 give them some account of the History of the English 
 nation, and of our secession from their enemy the 
 Church of Rome. And in return, I requested they 
 would give me some account of their history. My 
 communications with the Syrians are rendered very 
 easy, by means cf an Interpreter whom I brought with 
 me all the way from the Tanjore Country. He is a 
 Hindoo by descent, but is an intelligent Christian, and 
 was a pupil and catechist of the late Mr. Swartz. The 
 Rev. Mr. Kohlorf recommended him to me. He form¬ 
 erly lived in Travancore, and is well acquainted with 
 the vernacular tongue. Pie also reads and writes Eng¬ 
 lish very well, and is as much interested in favor cf the 
 Syrian Christians as I myself. Besides Mr. Swartz’s 
 catechist, there are two natives of Travancore here, who 
 speak the Hindostanee Language, which is familiar to¬ 
 me. My knowledge of the Syriac is sufficient to refer 
 to texts of Scriptures ; but I do not well understand the 
 pronunciation of the Syrians. I hope to be better ac¬ 
 quainted with their language before I leave the country.” 
 
 “ Ranniel , a Syrian Churchy Nov. 12 th, 1806. 
 
 “ This Church is built upon i rocky hill on the banks 
 ef the river ; and is the most remote of all the Churches 
 in this quarter. The two Kasheeshas here are Lucas 
 and Mattai (Luke and Matthew.) The chief Lay 
 members are Abraham, Georgius, Thoma, and Philip- 
 pus. Some of the Priests accompany me from Church 
 to Church. I have now visited eight Churches, and 
 scarcely believe sometimes that I am in the iand of the 
 Hindoos ; only that I now and then see a Hindoo tem¬ 
 ple on the banks of the river. I observed that the bells 
 of most of the Churches are within the building, and 
 not in a tower. The reason they said was this. When 
 a flindoo temple happens to be near a Church, the Hi n¬ 
 doos do not like the bell to sound loud, for they say it 
 frightens their God. I perceive that the Syrian Chris- 
 
Respecting the Syrians. 
 
 79 
 
 lians assimilate much to the Hindoos in the practice of 
 frequent ablutions for health and cleanliness, and in the 
 use of vegetables and light food. 
 
 “ I attended divine service on the Sunday. Their 
 Liturgy is that which was formerly used in the Churches 
 of the Patriarch of Antioch. During the prayers, there 
 were intervals of silence : the Priest praying in a low 
 voice, and every man praying for himself. These silent 
 intervals add much to the solemnity and appearance of 
 devotion. They use incense in the Churches, it grows 
 in the woods around them ; and contributes much, they 
 say, to health, and to the warmth and comfort of the 
 Church, during the cold and raiirv season of the year. 
 At the conclusion of the service, a ceremony takes place 
 which pleased me much. The Priest (or Bishop, if he 
 be present) comes forward, and all the people pass by 
 him as they go out, receiving his benediction individu¬ 
 ally. If any man has been guilty of any immorality, he 
 does not receive the blessing ; and this, in their prim¬ 
 itive and patriarchal state, is accounted a severe pun¬ 
 ishment. Instruction by preaching is little in use umon" 
 them now. Many of the old men lamented the decay 
 of piety, and religious knowledge ; and spoke with 
 pleasure of the record of ancient times. They have 
 some ceremonies nearly allied to those of the Greek 
 Church. Here, as in all Churches in a state of decline, 
 there is too much formality in the worship. But they 
 have the Bible and a scriptural Liturgy ; and these will 
 save a Church in the worst of times. These may pre¬ 
 serve the spark and life of religion, though the flame 
 be out. And as there were but few copies of the Bible 
 among the Syrians (for every copy was transcribed with 
 the pen) it is highly probable that, if they had not en¬ 
 joyed the advantage of the daily prayers, and daily por¬ 
 tions of Scripture in their Liturgy, there would have 
 been in the revolution of ages, no vestige of Christian¬ 
 ity left among them.* 
 
 * In a nation like ours, overflowing with knowledge, men are 
 not always in circumstances to perceive the value of a scriptural 
 Liturgy. When Christians are well taught, they think they want 
 something better. But the young and the ignorant, who form a. 
 great proportion of the community, are edified by a little plain in ■ 
 
80 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 “ The doctrines of the Syrian Christians are few in 
 number, but pure, and agree in essential points with 
 those of the Church of England : so that, although 
 the body of the Church appears to be ignorant, and 
 formal, and dead, there are individuals who are alive 
 to righteousness, who are distinguished from the rest 
 by their purity of life, and are sometimes censured for 
 too rigid a piety. In every Church, and in many of 
 the private houses, there are manuscripts in the Syriac 
 Language ; and I have been successful in procuring 
 some old and valuable copies of the Scriptures and 
 other books, written in different ages and in different 
 characters.” 
 
 “ Candc-nad , a Church of the Syrian Christians , 
 
 November 23, 1806. 
 
 “ This is the residence of Mar Dionysius the 
 Metropolitan of the Syrian Church. A great number 
 of the Priests from the other Churches had assembled 
 by desire of the Bishop, before my arrival. The 
 Bishop resides in a building attached to the Church. 
 I was much struck with his first appearance. He was 
 dressed in a vestment of dark red silk; a large golden 
 cross hung from his neck, and his venerable beard 
 reached below his girdle. Such, thought I, was the 
 appearance of Chrysostom in the fourth century. On 
 public occasions, he wears the Episcopal mitre, and a 
 muslin robe is thrown over his under garment; and 
 in his hand he bears the crosier, or pastoral staff. He 
 is a man of highly respectable character in his Church, 
 eminent for his piety, and for the attention he devotes 
 to his sacred functions. I found him to be far superior 
 in general learning to any of his clergy whom 1 had 
 
 struction frequently repeated. A small Church or Sect may do 
 without a form for a while. But a national Liturgy is that which 
 preserves a relic of the true faith among the people in a large Em. 
 pire, when the Priests leave their articles and their confes- 
 sioNsof faith. Woe to the declining Church which hath no 
 tiospel Liturgy ! Witness the Presbyterians in die West of Eng¬ 
 land, and some other sects, who are said to have become Allans 
 and Socinians to a man. The Puritans of a former age did not 
 live long enough to see the use of an evaiv elical Formulary. 
 
RESPECTING THE SYRIANS. 
 
 81 
 
 vet seen. He told me that all my conversations with 
 his Priests since my arrival in the country had been 
 communicated to him. You have come,” said he, 
 u to visit a declining Church, and I am now an g’cI 
 man : but the hopes of its seeing better days cheer my 
 old age, though I may not live to see them.” 1 sub¬ 
 mitted to the Bishop my wishes in regard to the 
 translation and printing of the Holy Scriptures. “ 1 
 have already fully considered the subject,” said he, 
 “ and have determined to superintend the work myself, 
 and to cali the most learned of my clergy to my aid. 
 It is a work which will illuminate these dark regions, 
 and God wdll give it his blessing.” I was much "pleas¬ 
 ed when I heard this pious resolution of the venerable 
 man ; for I had now ascertained that there are upwards 
 of 200,000 Christians in the south of India, besides 
 the Syrians who speak the Malabar Language. The 
 next subject of importance in my mind, was the col¬ 
 lection of useful manuscripts in the Chaldaic and Syriac 
 Languages ; and the Bishop was pleased to say that he 
 would jissist my inquiries and add to my collection. 
 He descanted with great satisfaction on the hope of 
 seeing printed Syriac Bibles from England; and said 
 they would be “ a treasure to his Church.” 
 
 “ Cande-nad, 24ih November , 1806. 
 
 “ Since my coming amongst this people, I had cher¬ 
 ished the hope that they might be one day united with 
 the Church of England. When I reflected on the im¬ 
 mense power of the Romish Church in India, and on 
 our inability to withstand its influence, alone, it appear¬ 
 ed to be an object of great consequence to secure the 
 aid and co-operation of the Syrian Church, and the 
 sanction of its antiquity in the East. I thought it 
 might be serviceable, at least, to lay such a foundation 
 by the discussion of the subject, as our Church might 
 act upon hereafter, if she should think it expedient. 
 I was afraid to mention the subject to the Bishop at our 
 first interview ; but he himself intimated that he would 
 be glad I would communicate freely upon it with two 
 of his clergy. I had hitherto observed somewhat of a 
 reserve in those with whom I had conversed on this 
 
82 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 matter: and now the cause was explained. The 
 Bishop’s chaplains confessed to me that they had doubts 
 as to the purity of English Ordination. “ The English,” 
 said they, “ may be a warlike and great people ; but 
 their Church by your own account, is but of recent 
 origin. Whence do you derive your Ordination ?” 
 From Rome, “ You derive it from a Church which is 
 our ancient enemy, and with which we would never 
 unite.” They acknowledged that there might be sal¬ 
 vation in every Church where “ the name of Christ was 
 named but in the question of an union, i.t was to 
 he considered that they had existed a pure Church of 
 Christ from the earliest ages, ; that if there was such a 
 thing in the world as Ordination by the laying on of 
 hands, in succession from the Apostles, it was probable 
 that they possessed it; that there was no record of 
 history or tradition to impeach their claim. I observed 
 that there was reason to believe that the same Ordina¬ 
 tion had descended from the Apostles to the Church of 
 Rome. “ It might be so : but that Church had departed 
 from the faith.” I answered that the impurity of the 
 channel had not corrupted the ordinance itself, or invali¬ 
 dated the legitamacy of the imposition of hands ; any 
 more than the wickedness of a High Priest in Israel 
 could disqualify his successors. The Church of Eng¬ 
 land assumed that she derived Apostolical Ordination 
 through the Church of Rome, as she might have deriv¬ 
 ed it through the Church of Antioch. I did not con¬ 
 sider that the Church of England was entitled to reck¬ 
 on her Ordination to be higher or more sacred than 
 that of the Syrian Church. This was the point upon 
 which they wished me to be explicit. They expected 
 that in any official negociation on this subject, the anti¬ 
 quity and purity of Syrian Ordination should be express¬ 
 ly admitted. 
 
 “ Our conversation was reported to the Bishop. He 
 ■wished me to state the advantages of an Union. One ad¬ 
 vantage would be, I observed, that English Clergymen, 
 or rather Missionaries ordained by the Church of Eng¬ 
 land, might be permitted hereafter to preach in the nu¬ 
 merous Churches of the Syrians in India, and aid them 
 in the promulgation of pure religion, against the pre- 
 
RESPECTING THE SYRIANS. 
 
 SJ 
 
 ponderating and increasing influence of the Romish 
 Church ; And again, That Ordination by the Syrian 
 Bishop might qualify for preaching in the English 
 Churches in India; for we had an immense Empire in 
 Hindostan, but few preachers : and of these few scarce¬ 
 ly any could Preach in the native languages. The 
 Bishop said, “ I would sacrifice much for such an 
 Union ; only let me not be called to compromise any 
 thing of the dignity and purity of our Church.” I told 
 him, we did not wish to degrade, we would rather protect 
 and defend it. All must confess that it was Christ’s 
 Church in the midst of a heathen land. The Church 
 of England would be happy to promote its welfare, to 
 revive its spirit, and to use it as an instrument of future 
 good in the midst of her own Empire. I took this oc¬ 
 casion to observe that there were some rites and prac¬ 
 tices in the Syrian Church, which our Church might 
 consider objectionable or nugatory. The Bishop 
 confessed that some customs had been introduced du- 
 ling their decline in the latter centuries, which had no 
 necessary connexion with the constitution of the 
 Church, and might be removed without inconvenience. 
 He asked whether I had authority from my own 
 Chiu ch to make any proposition to him. I answered 
 that I had not: that my own Church scarcely knew that 
 the Syrian Church existed : but I could anticipate the 
 wishes and purposes of good men. He thought it 
 stiange that there was no Bishop in India to superintend 
 so large an Empire : and said he did no perfectly com¬ 
 prehend our ecclesiastical principles. I told him that 
 we had sent Bishcps to other countries ; but that our 
 Indian Empire was yet in its infancy. Next day, the 
 Bishop, after conferring with his clergy on the subject, 
 returned an answer in writing to the following effect; 
 
 I hat an union with the English Church or, at least, 
 such a connexion as should appear to both Churches 
 Practicable and expedient, would be a happy event and 
 favorable to the advancement of Religion in India.” 
 In making this communication, he used his official de¬ 
 signation, “ Mar Dionysius, Metropolitan of Malabar.” 
 
 I asked the Bishop if he would permit two of the young 
 Cassauars to go to England to finish their education, 
 
84 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 and then return to India. He said he should be very- 
 happy to give his permission, if any should be found 
 who were willing to go. I have accordingly made the 
 offer to two youths of good abilities, who are well 
 skilled in the Syriac Language.” 
 
 u Cande-?iad, 0,5th A r ov. 
 
 t£ The Bishop was desirous to know something of the 
 other Churches which had separated from Rome. I 
 was ashamed to tell him how many they were. I men¬ 
 tioned that there was a Kashee&ha or Presbyter Church 
 in our own kingdom, in which every Kasheesha was 
 equal to another. u Are there no Shumshanas ?” (Dea¬ 
 cons in holy orders.) None. “ And what, is there no¬ 
 body to overlook the Kasheeshas ?” Notone. “There 
 must be something imperfect there,” said he.* This led 
 to the mention of the different sects. Those which most 
 interested him were the Quakers and Baptists. He said 
 it was an imposing idea to wash the body with water, 
 to begin a new life. He asked whether they were bap¬ 
 tized again every time they relapsed into sin and known 
 apostasy. “ Are there good men among these sects ?” 
 Excellent men almost in all. “ I see it is with you as 
 it was in the first ages; new sects were produced by 
 true piety, but it was piety founded on ignorance. But 
 do not good men in these sects relax a little when they 
 grow old ?” Yes, they speak in general less frequently 
 and less dogmatically of their peculiar forms when they 
 are old : one reason of which is, that the smaller sects, 
 who are, for the most part, poor, generally acquire their 
 competence of learning in advanced ^ife. We next 
 had some conversation concerning forms of worship ; 
 whether Christ intended that his Church should have 
 
 * It is proper to state for the satisfaction of those who may dif¬ 
 fer in opinion with the venerable Bishop, that in the Syriac trans¬ 
 lation of the New Testament, there is no proper word for Bishop 
 other than Kasheesha. The words Kasheesha and Shumshana, or 
 properly Me-shumshana, are the two terms for the two orders of 
 Bishop and Deacon in the third chapter of 1st Timothy. The 
 terms Kpiscopos and JWethropslita have been introduced into the 
 Syrian Church from the Greek. The Bishop seemed to be more 
 surprised at the striking out the sacred order of Deacon, than at 
 tire not finding the order of a superintending Priest or Bishop. 
 
RESPECTING THE SYRIANS. 
 
 85 
 
 the same form under the burning line, and in a country 
 of frost and snow.” 
 
 “ Udiamfier , Dec. 1806. 
 
 Fi om Cande-nad I returned to the sca-coast to visit 
 Lieut. Colonel Macaulay, the British Resident in Tra- 
 vancore. He is at present on the island of Bal-gatty, 
 called by the natives the Pepper Jungle. I have deriv¬ 
 ed much valuable information from this intelligent offi¬ 
 cer, who possesses a better knowledge of the South of 
 India, than I suppose, any other European. He is a 
 gentleman ol a highly cultivated mind, of much various 
 learning, and master of several languages. To these 
 attainments he adds a quality which does not always 
 accompany them. He is the friend of Christianity. 
 After residing with him a few days, he accompanied me 
 in a Tour to the interior. We first visited Udiamper, 
 or as it is called by the Portuguese writers, Diamper. 
 
 I his was formerly the residence of Beliarte, King of 
 the Christians ; and here is the Syrian Church at which 
 Archbishop Menezes from Goa, convened the Synod 
 of the Syrian Clergy in 1599, when he burned the Sy- 
 uac and Chaldaic books. The Syrians report, that 
 while the flames ascended, he went round the Church 
 in procession, chaunting a song of triumph. 
 
 110m L diamper, Colonel Macaulay accompanied me 
 
 to Cande-nad, to visit the Syrian Bishop a second time. 
 He told us he had commenced the translation of the 
 Scriptures. < He was rather indisposed, and said lie felt 
 the infirmities of advanced years, his age being now 
 seventy-eight. I promised to see him once more before 
 I left the country.” 
 
 “ Cranganore , 9 th Dec. 1806. 
 
 “ This is that celebrated place of Christian antiquity 
 where the apostle Thomas is said to have landed, when 
 ie first a!lived in India from Aden in Arabia. There 
 was formerly a town and fort at Cranganore, the Por¬ 
 tuguese having once thought of making it the emporium 
 of hen. commerce m India; but both are now in ruins, 
 iluie is however one substantial relic of its greatness. 
 
S'S 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 There is an Archbishop of Cranganore, and subject to 
 him there are forty-five Churches ; many of which I 
 entered. In some of them the worship is conducted 
 with as much decorum as in the Romish Churches of 
 Western Ireland. Not far from Cranganore is the town 
 of Paro-or, where there is an ancient Syrian Church, 
 which bears the name of the Apostle Thomas. It is 
 supposed to be the oldestfn Malabar, and is still used 
 for Divine Service. I took a drawing of it. The 
 tradition among the Syrians is, that the Apostle contin¬ 
 ued at this place for a time, before he went to preach 
 at Melapoor and St. Thomas’s Mount, on the coast of 
 Coromandel, where he was put to death. The fact is 
 certainly of little consequence; but I am satisfied that 
 we have as good authority for believing that the Apostle 
 Thomas died in India, as that the Apostle Peter died at 
 Rome. 
 
 11 Vera/wli, Dec. 1806. 
 
 “ This is the residence of Bishop Raymondo, the 
 Pope’s Apostolic Vicar in Malabar. There is a Col¬ 
 lege here for the sacerdotal office, in which the Students 
 (from ten to twenty in number) are instructed in the 
 Latin and Syriac Languages. At Pulingunna there 
 is another College, in which the Syriac alone is taught. 
 Here I counted twelve Students. The Apostolic Vicar 
 superintends sixty-four Churches; exclusive of the 
 forty-five governed by the Archbishop of Cranganore, 
 and exclusive of the large Dioceses of the Bishops of 
 Cochin and of Quilon, whose Churches extend to Cape 
 Comorin, and are visible from the sea. The view of 
 this assemblage of Christian congregations excited in 
 my mind mingled sensations of pleasure and regret; of 
 pleasure to think that so many of the Hindoos had been 
 rescued from the idolatry of Brahma, and its criminal 
 worship ; and of regret when I reflected that there was 
 not to be found among the whole body, one copy of the 
 Holy Bible. 
 
 “ The Apostolic Vicar is an Italian, and corresponds 
 with the Society ‘ de propaganda Fide.’ He is a man 
 of liberal manners, and gave me free access to the 
 archieves of Verapoli, which are upwards of two ceu- 
 
$7 
 
 Respecting the Syrians. 
 
 furies old. In the library I found many volumes mark¬ 
 ed ‘ Liber hereticus prohibitus.’ Every step I take in 
 Christian India, I meet with a memento of the Inquisi¬ 
 tion. 1 he Apostolical Vicar, however, does not ac¬ 
 knowledge its authority, and places himself under Bri¬ 
 tish protection. He spoke of the Inquisition with just 
 indignation, and, in the presence of the British Resi¬ 
 dent, called it ‘ a horrid Tribunal.’ I asked him wheth¬ 
 er he thought I might with safety visit the Inquisition, 
 when I sailed - past Goa; there being at this time a 
 British force In its vicinity. It asserted a personal ju^ 
 risdiction over natives who were now British subjects : 
 and it was proper the English Government should 
 know something of its present state. The Bishop 
 answered, ‘ I do not know what you might do, under 
 the protection of a British force ; but I should not like 
 (smiling, and pressing, his capacious sides.) to trust my 
 body in their hands/ 
 
 . \ e then had some conversation on the subject of 
 giving the Scriptures to the native Roman Catholics. 
 I had heard oeiore, that the Bishop was by no means 
 hostile to the measure. I told him that I should prob- 
 aoly find the means of translating the Scriptures into 
 the Malabar Language, and wished to know whether 
 he had any objection to this mode of illuminating the 
 ignorant minds of the native Christians. He said he 
 had none. I visited the Bishop two or three times af¬ 
 terwards. At our last interview he said, ‘ I have been 
 thinking of the good gift you are meditating for the 
 native Christians ; but believe me, the Inquisition will 
 endeavor to counteract your purposes by every means 
 in their power. I afterwards conversed with an intelli¬ 
 gent native Priest, who was well acquainted with the 
 state and character of the Christians, and asked him 
 whether he thought they would be happy to obtain the 
 Scriptures? ‘ \es, answered he, ^ those who have heard 
 of them: I asked if he had got a Bible himself? ‘ No/ 
 he said ; ‘ but he had seen one at Goa.’ ” 
 
 11 •'^ngamalee, a Syrian Town , containing Three 
 
 Churches , January , 1807 . 
 
 I have penetrated once more inland, to visit the Sy- 
 
S3 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 l’ian Churches. At the town of Cenotta, I was sur¬ 
 prised to meet with Jews and Christians in the same 
 street. The Jews led me first to their Synagogue, and 
 allowed me to take away some manuscripts for money. 
 The Syrian Christians then conducted me to their 
 ancient Church. I afterwards sat down on an eminence 
 above the town, to contemplate this interesting specta¬ 
 cle ; a Jewish Synagogue, and a Christian Church, 
 standing over against each other; exhibiting, as it 
 were, during many revolving ages, the Law and the 
 Gospel to the view of the heathen people. 
 
 “ Angamalee is one of the most remote of the Syrian 
 towns in this direction, and is situated on a high land. 
 This was once the residence of the Syrian Bishop. 
 The inhabitants told me, that when Tipfioo Sultan in¬ 
 vaded Travancore, a detachment of his Cavalry pene¬ 
 trated to Angamalee, where they expected to find great 
 wealth, from its ancient fame. Being Mahometans, 
 they expressed their abhorrence of the Christian reli¬ 
 gion, by destroying one of the lesser Churches, and 
 stabling their horses in the great Church. In this place 
 X have found a good many valuable manuscripts. I 
 had been led to suppose, from the statement of the 
 Portuguese historians, that possibly all the Syriac MSS. 
 of the Bible had been burned by the Romish Church 
 at the Synod of Diamper in 1599. But this w r as not 
 the case. The Inquisitors condemned many books to 
 the flames; but they saved the Bible; being content 
 to order that the Syriac Scriptures should be amended 
 agreeably to the Vulgate of Rome. Rut many Bibles 
 and other volumes were not produced at all. In the 
 xVcts of the Council of Nice it is recorded, that Johan¬ 
 nes Bishop of India signed his name at that Council 
 in a. d. 325. The Syriac version of the Scriptures was 
 brought to India according to the popular belief, before 
 the year 325- Some of their present copies are certainly 
 of ancient date. Though written on a strong thick pa¬ 
 per, like that of some MSS. in the British Museum, 
 commonly called Eastern paper, the ink has, in several 
 places, eat through the material in the exact form of 
 the letter. In other copies, where the ink had less of 
 a corroding quality, it has fallen off, and left a dark ves- 
 
RESPECTING THE SYRIANS. 
 
 89- 
 
 tige of the letter, faint indeed, but not, in general, ille¬ 
 gible. There is a volume, which was deposited in one 
 of the remote Churches, near the mountains, which 
 merits a particular description. It contains the Old and 
 New Testaments, engrossed on strong vellum, in large 
 folio, having three columns in a page ; and is written 
 with beautiful accuracy. The character is Estrangelo 
 Syriac, and the words of every book are numbered. 
 But the volume has suffered injury from time or neg¬ 
 lect. In certain places the ink has been totally oblite¬ 
 rated from the page, and left the parchment in its state 
 of natural whiteness : but the letters can, in general, be 
 distinctly traced from the impress of the pen, or from 
 the partial corrosion of the ink. I scarcely expected 
 that the Syrian Church v.’ould have parted with this 
 manuscript. But the Bishop was pleased to present it 
 to me, saying, ‘ It will be safer in your hands than in 
 our own alluding to the revolutions in Hindostan. 
 
 ‘ And vet,’ said he, ‘ we have kept it, as some think, for 
 near a thousand years.’ ‘ I wish,’ said I, ‘ that England 
 may be aide to keep it a thousand years.’ In looking 
 over it, I find the very first proposed emendation of the 
 Hebrew Text by Dr. Kennicott (Gen. iv, 8,) in this 
 manuscript; and, no doubt, it is the right reading. The 
 disputed passage in 1 John v, 7, is not to be found in 
 it; nor is this verse to be found in any copy of the Sy¬ 
 riac Scriptures which I have yet seen. But notwith¬ 
 standing this omission, and notwithstanding the great 
 display of learning in maintaining a contrary opinion, I 
 believe the passage to be genuine. The view of these 
 copies of the Scriptures, and of the Churches which 
 contain them, still continues to excite a pleasing as¬ 
 tonishment in my mind : and I sometimes question my¬ 
 self, whether I am indeed inTndia, in the midst of the 
 Hindoos, and not far from the equinoctial line. How 
 wonderful it is, that, during the dark ages of Europe, 
 whilst ignorance and superstition, in a manner, denied 
 the Scriptures to the rest of the world, the Bible should 
 have found an assylum in the mountains of Malay-ala ; 
 where it was freely read by upwards of an hundred 
 Churches ! 
 
 But there are other ancient documents in Malabar.) 
 
 H 2 
 
90 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 not less interesting than the Syrian Manuscripts. The 
 old Portuguese historians relate, that soon after the ar¬ 
 rival of their countrymen in India, about 300 years 
 ago, the Syrian Bishop of Angamalee (the place where 
 I now am) deposited in the Fort of Cochin, for safe 
 custody, certain tablets of brass, on which were en¬ 
 graved rights of nobility, and other privileges granted 
 by a Prince of a former age ; and that while these Tab¬ 
 lets were under the charge of the Portuguese, they had 
 been unaccountably lost, and were never after heard of. 
 Adrian Moens, a Governor of Cochin in 1770, who 
 published some account of the Jews of Malabar, in¬ 
 forms us that he used every means in his power, for 
 many years, to obtain a sight of the famed Christian 
 Plates; and was at length satisfied that they were irre¬ 
 coverably lost, or rather, he adds, that they never existed. 
 The Learned in general, and the Antiquarian in partic¬ 
 ular, will be glad to hear that these ancient Tablets 
 have been recovered within this last month by the ex¬ 
 ertions of Lieutenant Colonel Macaulay, the British 
 Resident in Travancore, and are now officially deposit¬ 
 ed with that Officer. 
 
 u The Christian Tablets are six in number. They 
 are composed of a mixed metal. The engraving on 
 the largest plate is thirteen inches long, by about four 
 broad. They arc closely written, four of them on both 
 sides of the plate, making in all eleven pages. On the 
 plate reputed to be the oldest, there is writing perspic¬ 
 uously engraved in nail-headed or triangular headed 
 letters, resembling the Perse/iolitan or Babylonish. On 
 the same plate there is writing in another character, 
 which is supposed to have no affinity with any existing 
 character in Hindostan. The grant on this plate ap¬ 
 pears to be witnessed by four Jews of rank, whose 
 names are distinctly engraved in an old Hebrew char¬ 
 acter, resembling the alphabet called the Palmyrene : 
 and to each name is prefixed the title of “ Magen ” or 
 Chief, as the Jews translated it. It may be doubted, 
 whether there exist in the world many documents of 
 so great length, which are of equal antiquity, and in 
 such faultless preservation, as the Christian Tablets of 
 Malabar. The Jews of Cochin indeed contest the palm 
 
RESPECTING THE SYRIANS. 
 
 .91 
 
 of antiquity: for they also produce two Tablets, con¬ 
 taining privileges granted at a remote period ; of which 
 they presented to me a Hebrew translation. As no 
 person can be found in this country who is able to 
 translate tbe Christian Tablets, I have directed an en¬ 
 graver at Cochin to execute a copper-plate fac-simile of 
 the whole, for the purpose of transmitting copies to the 
 learned Societies in Asia and Europe. The Christian 
 and Jewish plates together make fourteen pages. A 
 copy was sent in the first instance to the Pundits of the 
 Shanscrit College at Trichiur, by direction of the Ra¬ 
 jah of Cochin ; but they could not read the character.* 
 From this place I proceed to Cande-nad, to visit the 
 Bishop once more before I return to Bengal.” 
 
 THE MALABAR BIBLE. 
 
 After the Author left Travancore, the Bishop prose¬ 
 cuted the translation of the Scriptures into the Mala^ 
 bar Language without intermission, until he had com¬ 
 pleted the New Testament. The year following, the 
 Author visited Travancore a second time, and carried 
 the Manuscripts to Bombay to be printed ! an excel¬ 
 lent fount of Malabar types having been recently cast 
 at that place. Learned natives went from Travancore 
 to superintend the press ; and it is probable that it is. 
 now nearly finished, as a copy of the Gospels of St. 
 Matthew and St. Mark, beautifully printed, was re¬ 
 ceived in England some time ago. This version of 
 the Scriptures will be prosecuted until the whole Bible 
 is completed, and copies circulated throughout the 
 Christian regions of Malabar. 
 
 THE SYRIAC BIBLE. 
 
 It has been further in contemplation to print an edi¬ 
 tion of tbe Syriac Scriptures, if the public should 
 
 ♦ Most of the Manuscripts which T collected among the Syrian 
 Christians, I have presented to the University of Cambridge; and 
 they are now deposited in the Public Library of that University" 
 together with the copper-plate fac-similes of the Christian and' 
 Jewish Tablets. 
 
52 
 
 - CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 countenance the design. This gift, it may be presum¬ 
 ed, the English nation will be pleased to present to 
 the Syrian Christians. We are already debtors to that 
 ancient people. They have preserved the manuscripts 
 of the Holy Scriptures incorrupt, during a long series 
 of ages, and have now committed them into our own 
 hands. By their long and energetic defence of pure 
 doctrine against anti-christian error, they are entitled 
 to the gratitude and thanks of the rest of the Chris¬ 
 tian world. Further, they have preserved to this day 
 the language in which our blessed Lord preached to 
 men the glad tidings of Salvation. Their Scriptures, 
 their doctrine, their language, in short their very ex¬ 
 istence, all add something to the evidence of the truth 
 of Christianity. 
 
 The motives then for printing an edition of the Sy¬ 
 riac Bible are these : 
 
 1. To do honor to the language which was spoken 
 by our blessed Saviour when upon earth. 
 
 2. To do honor to that ancient Church, which has 
 preserved his language and his doctrine.- 
 
 3. As the means of perpetuating the true Faith in 
 the same Church for ages to come. 
 
 4. As the means of preserving the pronunciation, 
 and of cultivating the knowledge of the Syriac Language 
 in the East; and 
 
 5. As the means of reviving the knowledge of the Syr¬ 
 iac Language in our own nation. 
 
 On the Author’s return to England, he could not 
 find one copy of the Syriac Bible in a separate volume 
 for sale in the kingdom. He wished to send a copy to 
 the Syrian Bishop, as an earnest of more, when an edi¬ 
 tion should be printed. 
 
 The Syriac Bible is wanted not only by the Churches 
 of the Syrian Christians, but by the still more nume¬ 
 rous Churches of the Syro-Romish Christians in Mal¬ 
 abar, who also use the Syriac Language. 
 
 THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS IN INDIA. 
 
 In every age of the Church of Rome there have been 
 individuals, of an enlightened piety, who derived them 
 
THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. 
 
 93 
 
 religion not from “ the commandments of men,” but 
 from the doctrines of the Bible. There are at this 
 day, in India and in England, members of that com¬ 
 munion, who deserve the affection and respect of all 
 good men ; and whose cultivated minds will arraign 
 the corruptions of their own religion, which the Au¬ 
 thor is about to describe, more severely than he will 
 permit himself to do. He is indeed prepared to speak 
 of Roman Catholics with as much liberality as per¬ 
 haps any Protestant has ever attempted on Christian 
 principles : for he is acquainted with individuals, whose 
 unaffected piety he considers a reproach to a great 
 body of Protestants, even of the strictest sort. It is 
 indeed painful to say any thing which may seem to 
 feeling and noble minds ungenerous ; but those enlight¬ 
 ened persons, whose good opinion it is desirable to 
 preserve, will themselves be pleased to see that truth 
 is not sacrificed to personal respect, or to a spurious 
 candor. Their own Church sets an exampie of “ plain¬ 
 ness of speech” in the assertion of those tenets which 
 it professes, some of which must be extremely painful 
 to the feeling of Protestants, in their social intercourse 
 with Catholics; such as, “ That there is no salvation 
 out of the pale of the Romish Church.” 
 
 This exclusive character prevents concord and in¬ 
 timacy between Protestant and Catholic families. 
 On the principles of Infidelity they can associate very 
 easily; but on the principles of Religion, the Protest¬ 
 ant must ever be on the defensive : for the Romish 
 Church excommunicates him : and although he must 
 hope that some individuals do not maintain the tenet, 
 yet his uncertainty as to the fact prevents that cordial¬ 
 ity which he desires. Many excellent Catholics suffer 
 unjustly in their intercourse with Protestants, from 
 the ancient and exclusive articles of their own Church, 
 which they themselves neither profess nor believe. If 
 they will only intimate to their Protestant friends, that 
 they renounce the exclusive principle,and that they pro¬ 
 fess the religion of the Bible, no more seems requisite 
 to form with such persons the sincerest friendship on 
 Christian principles. 
 
 At the present time we see the Romish Religion in, 
 
5 A 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 Europe without dominion ! and hence it is viewed by 
 the mere philosopher with indifference or contempt. 
 He is pleased to see that the “ seven heads and the ten 
 horns” are taken away; and thinks nothing of the 
 “ names of blasphemy.” Butin the following pages, the 
 Author will have occasion to shew what Rome is, as 
 having dominion ; and possessing it too within the 
 boundaries of the British Empire. 
 
 In passing through the Romish Provinces in the 
 East, though the Author had before heard much of the 
 Papal corruptions, he certainly did not expect to see 
 Christianity in the degraded state in which he found 
 it. Of the Priests it may tnvly be said, that they are, 
 in general, better acquainted with the Veda of Brahma 
 than with the Gospel of Christ. In some places 
 the doctrines of both are blended. At Aughoor, 
 situated between Tritchinopoly and Madura, he wit¬ 
 nessed (in October 1806 ) the Tower of Juggernaut 
 employed to solemnize a Christian festival. The old 
 Priest Josephus accompanied him, when he surveyed 
 the idolatrous car and its painted figures, and gave 
 him a particular account of the various cereVnonics 
 which are performed, seemingly unconscious himself 
 of any impropriety in them. The Author went with 
 him afterwards into the Church, and seeing a book lying 
 on the Altar opened it , but the reader may judge of 
 his surprise, when he found it was a Syriac volume, 
 and was informed that the Priest himself was a de¬ 
 scendant of the Syrian Christians, and belonged to what 
 is now called the Syro-Roman Church, the whole ser¬ 
 vice of which is in Syriac. Thus, by the intervention 
 of the Papal power, are the ceremonies of Moloch con¬ 
 secrated in a manner by the sacred Syriac Language. 
 What a heavy responsibility lies on Rome, for having 
 thus corrupted and degraded that pure and ancient 
 Church ! 
 
 While the Author viewed these Christian corrup¬ 
 tions in different places, and in different forms, he was 
 always referred to the Inquisition at Goa, as the foun¬ 
 tain-head. He had long cherished the hope, that he 
 should be able to visit Goa before he left India. His 
 chief objects were the following,: 
 
THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. 
 
 95 
 
 1. To ascertain whether the Inquisition actually re¬ 
 fused to recognize the Bible,among the Romish Church¬ 
 es in British India. 
 
 2. To inquire into the state and jurisdiction of the In¬ 
 quisition, particularly as it affected British subjects. 
 
 3. To learn what was the system of education for the 
 Priesthood; and 
 
 4. To examine the ancient Church-libraries in Goa, 
 which were said to contain all the books of the first 
 printing. 
 
 Pie will select from his Journal, in this place, chiefly 
 what relates to the Inquisition. He had learnt from 
 every quarter, that this tribunal, formerly so well 
 known for its frequent burnings, was still in operation, 
 though under some restrictions as to the fiublicity of 
 its proceedings ; and that its power extended to the 
 extreme boundary in Hindostan. That, in the present 
 civilized state of Christian nations in Europe, an In¬ 
 quisition should exist at all under their authority, ap¬ 
 peared strange ; but that a Papal tribunal of this char¬ 
 acter should exist under the implied toleration and 
 countenance of the British Government; that Chris¬ 
 tians, being subjects to the British Empire, and inhab¬ 
 iting the British territories, should be amenable to its 
 power and jurisdiction, was a statement which seem¬ 
 ed to be scarcely credible; but, if true, a fact which 
 demanded the most public and solemn representation. 
 
 Goa, Convent of the Augustinians, 
 
 - . Jan . 23, 1808. 
 
 “ O n roy arrival at Goa, I was received into the house 
 <>f Captain Schuyler, the British Resident. The Brit¬ 
 ish force here is commanded by Colonel Adams, of Plis 
 Majesty’s 78th Regiment, with whom I was formerly 
 well acquainted in Bengal.* Next day I was introdu¬ 
 ced by these gentlemen to the Vice-Roy of Goa, the 
 Count de Cabral. I intimated to Plis Excellency my 
 wish to sail up the river to Old Goa,f (where the In- 
 
 . * T!:e forts in the harbour of Goa were then occupied by Brit¬ 
 ish troops (two King’s regiments, and two regiments of Native 
 W fan try) to prevent its falling into the hands of the French 
 f There is Oid and New Goa. The old city is about eight 
 
96 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 quisition is,) to which he politely acceded. Major 
 Pareira, of the Portuguese establishment, who was pre¬ 
 sent, and \o whom I had letters of introduction from 
 Bengal, offered to accompany me to the city, and to in¬ 
 troduce me to the Archbishop of Goa, the Primate of 
 the Orient. 
 
 “ I had communicated to Colonel Adams, and to the 
 British Resident, my purpose of inquiring into the state 
 of the Inquisition. These gentlemen informed me,that 
 I should not be able to accomplish my design without 
 difficulty; since every thing relating to the Inquisition 
 was conducted in a very secret manner, the most res¬ 
 pectable of the Lay Portuguese themselves being igno¬ 
 rant of its proceedings; and that, if the Priests were to 
 discover my object, their excessive jealousy and alarm 
 would prevent their communicating with me, or satisfy¬ 
 ing my inquiries on any subject. 
 
 “ On receiving this intelligence, I perceived that it 
 would be necessary to proceed with caution. I was, 
 in fact, about to visit a republic of Priests: whose do¬ 
 minion had existed for nearly three centuries ; whose 
 province it was to prosecute heretics, and particularly 
 the teachers of heresy ; and from whose authority and 
 sentence there was no appeal in India.* 
 
 “ It happened that Lieutenant Kempthorne, Com¬ 
 mander of His Majesty’s brig Diana, a distant con¬ 
 nexion of my own, was at this time in the harbour. On 
 his learning that I meant to visit Old Goa, he offered 
 to accompany me ; as did Captain Stirling, of His 
 
 miles up the river. The Vice-Roy and the chief Portuguese in¬ 
 habitants reside at New Goa, which is at the mouth of the river, 
 within the forts of the harbour. The old city, where the Inqui¬ 
 sition and the Churches are, is now almost entirely deserted by 
 the secular Portuguese, and is inhabited by the Priests alone. 
 The unhealthiness of the place, and the ascendancy of the Priests, 
 are the causes assigned for abandoning the ancient city. 
 
 * I was informed that the Vice-Roy of Goa has no authority 
 over the Inquisition, and that he himself is liable to its censuie. 
 Were the British Government, for instance, to prefer a complaint 
 against the Inquisition to the Portuguese Government at Goa, it 
 could obtain no redress. By the very constitution of the Inquisi¬ 
 tion, there is no power in India which can invade Us jurisdiction>, 
 or even put a question to it on any^ubjcct. 
 
THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. 
 
 97 
 
 Majesty’s 84th regiment, which is now stationed at the 
 forts. 
 
 “ We proceeded up the river in the British Resident’s 
 barge, accompanied by Major Pareira, who was Avell 
 qualified, by a thirty years’ residence, to give informa¬ 
 tion concerning local circumstances. From him I 
 learned thatthere were upwards of two hundred Church¬ 
 es and Chapels in the province of Goa, and upwards of 
 two thousand Priests. 
 
 , “ ° u our arrival at the city,* it was past twelve 
 o clock : all the Churches were shut, and we were told 
 that they would not be opened again till two o’clock. 
 1 mentioned to Major Pareira, that I intended to stay at 
 Old Goa some days ; and that I should be obliged to 
 lnm to find me a place to sleep in. He seemed sur¬ 
 prised at this intimation, and observed that it would be 
 difficult for me to obtain a reception in any of the 
 Churches or Convents, and that there were no private 
 houses into which I could be admitted. I said I could 
 sleep any where ; I had two servants with me, and a 
 travelling bed. When he perceived that I was serious 
 m my purpose, he gave directions to a civil officer, in 
 tnat place, to clear out a room in a building which had 
 been long uninhabited, and which was then used as a 
 warehouse for goods. Matters at this time presented 
 a very gloomy appearance ; and I had thoughts of re¬ 
 turning with my companions from this inhospitable 
 place. In the mean time we sat down in the room I 
 have just mentioned, to take some refreshment, while 
 Major Pareira went to call on some of his friends. 
 During this interval, I communicated to Lieutenant 
 Xempthorne the object of my visit. I had in mypock- 
 
 Sfattle f>f C r ere(I , tlie ,, citv by die palace gate, over which is the 
 Statue of f asco <Ie Gama, who first opened India to the view of 
 
 ^ Callcut .'. a . few weeks before, the ruins of 
 
 n e a ? C6 ’ 5 vh,c!l Vasco de G ama was first re- 
 ce.ved. t he Samor.n was the first native Prince against whom 
 the Europeans made war. The empire of the Samorin has pas¬ 
 sed away ; and the empire of his conquerors lias passed away - 
 and now imperial Britain exercises dominion. May imperial 
 
 Wien" ? P r£ p red J t0 give a good account of her stewardship, 
 Avhen shall be said unto her, “ Thou mayest be no longer stew 
 
 I 
 
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES, 
 
 93 
 
 et ‘ Delion’s Account of the Inquisition at Goa;’t and 
 I mentioned some particulars. While we were con¬ 
 versing on the subject, the great bell of the Cathedral 
 began to toll; the same which Dellon observes always 
 tolls, before day-light, on the morning of the Auto da 
 Fe. I did not myself ask any questions of the people 
 concerning the Inquisition; but Mr. Kempthorne made 
 inquiries for me : and he soon found out that the Santa 
 Casa, or Holy Office, was close to the house where we 
 were then sitting. The gentlemen went to the window 
 to view the horrid mansion ; and I could see the indig¬ 
 nation of free and enlightened men arise in the counte¬ 
 nances of the two British officers, while they contem¬ 
 plated a place where formerly their own countrymen 
 were condemned to the flames, and into which they 
 themselves might now suddenly be thrown, without 
 the possibility of rescue. 
 
 « At two o’clock we went out to view the Churches, 
 which were now open for the afternoon service ; for 
 there are regular daily masses ; and the bells began to 
 assail the ear in every quarter. 
 
 “ The magnificence of the Churches of Goa far ex¬ 
 ceeded any idea I had formed from the previous de¬ 
 scription. Goa is properly a city of Churches ; and the 
 wealth of provinces seems to have been expended in 
 their erection. The ancient specimens of architecture 
 at this place far excel any thing that has been attempt¬ 
 ed in modern times in any other part of the East, both 
 in grandeur and in taste. The Chapel of the Palace is 
 built after the plan of St. Peter’s at Rome, and is said 
 to be an accurate model of that paragon of architecture. 
 The Church of St. Dominic, the founder of the Inqui¬ 
 sition, is decorated with paintings of Italian masters. 
 St. Francis Xavier lies enshrined in a monument of ex¬ 
 quisite art, and his coffin is enchased with silver and 
 precious stones. The Cathedral of Goa is worthy of one 
 of the principal cities of Europe ; and the Church and 
 
 | Monsieur Dellon, a physician, was imprisoned in the dun¬ 
 geon of the Inquisition at Goa for two years, and witnessed an 
 Auto da Fe, when some heritics were burned; at which time he 
 walked barefoot. After his release he wrote the history of his 
 oonfiiiemeut. His descriptions are in general very accurate. 
 
THE ROMISII CHRISTIANS. 
 
 
 Convent of the Augustinians (in which I now reside) is 
 a noble pile of buildings, situated on an eminence, and 
 has a magnificent appearance from afar. 
 
 “ But what a contrast to all this grandeur of the 
 Churches is the worship offered in them ! I have been 
 present at the service in one or other of the Chapels 
 every day since I arrived ; and I seldom see a single 
 worshipper, but the ecclesiastics. Two rows of native 
 Priests, kneeling in order before the altar, clothed in 
 coarse black garments, of sickly appearance and vacant 
 countenance, perform here, from day to day, their la¬ 
 borious masses, seemingly unconscious of any other 
 duty or obligation of life. 
 
 “ 1 he day was now far spent, and my companions 
 veie about to leave me. ^Vhile I was considering 
 whether I should return with them, Major Pareira said 
 he would first introduce me to a Priest, high in office, 
 and one ol the most learned men in the place. We 
 accordingly walked to the Convent of the Augustinians, 
 where I was presented to Josephus a Doloribus, a man 
 well advanced in life, of pale visage and penetrating eye, 
 rather of a reverend appearance^ and possessing e-reat 
 fluency of speech and urbanity of manners. At first 
 sight he presented the aspect of one of those acute and 
 prudent men of the world, the learned and respectable 
 Italian Jesuits, some of whom are yet found, since the 
 demolition of their order, reposing in tranquil obscuri¬ 
 ty, in different parts of the East. After half an hour’s 
 conversation in the Latin language, during which he 
 adverted rapidly to a variety of subjects, and inquired 
 concerning some learned men of his own Church, whom 
 1 had vistted in my tour, he politely invited me to take 
 up my residence with him, during my stay at Old Goa. 
 I was highly gratified by this unexpected invitation ; but 
 Lieutenant Ivempthorne did not approve of leaving me 
 in tlie hands of the Inquisitor. Forjudge of our sur¬ 
 prise, when we discovered that my learned host was 
 one of the Inquisitors of the Holy office, the second 
 member of that august tribunal in rank, but the first 
 and most active agent in the business of the department 
 Apartments were assigned to me in the College adjoin¬ 
 ing the Convent, next to the rooms of the Inquisitor, 
 
100 
 
 CHRISTIAN’ RESEARCHES. 
 
 himself; and here I have been now four days at the very 
 fountain-head of information, in regard to those subjects 
 which I wished to investigate. I breakfast and dine 
 with the Inquisitor almost every day, and he generally 
 passes his evenings in my apartment. Ashe considers 
 my inquiries to be chiefly of a literary nature, he is 
 perfectly candid and communicative on all subjects. 
 
 “ Next day after my arrival, I was introduced by my 
 learned conductor to the Archbishop of Goa. We 
 found him reading the Latin Letters of St. Francis 
 Xavier. On my adverting to the long duration of the 
 city of Goa, while other cities of Europeans in India 
 had suffered from war or revolution, the Archbishop 
 observed, that the preservation of Goa, was ‘ owing to 
 the prayers of St. Francis Xavier.’ The Inquisitor 
 looked at me to see what 1 thought of this sentiment. 
 I. acknowledged that Xavier was considered by the 
 learned among the English to have been a great man. 
 What he wrote himself bespeaks him a man of learn¬ 
 ing, of original genius, and great fortitude of mind ^ but 
 what others have written for him and of him lias tar¬ 
 nished his fame, by making him the inventor of fables. 
 The Archbishop signified his assent. Fie afterwards 
 conducted me into his private Chapel, which is decor¬ 
 ated with images of silver, and then into the Archiepis- 
 copal Library, which possesses a valuable collection of 
 books. As I passed through our Convent, in return¬ 
 ing from the Archbishop’s, I observed among the paint¬ 
 ings in the cloisters a portrait of the famous Alexis de 
 Menezes, Archbishop of Goa, who held the Synod of 
 Diamper near Cochin in 1599 , and burned the books of 
 the Syrian Christians. From the inscription underneath 
 1 learned that he was the founder of the magnificent 
 Church and Convent in which I am now residing.” 
 
 “ On the same day I received an invitation to dine 
 with the chief Inquisitor, at his house in the country. 
 The second inquisitor accompanied me, and we found 
 a respectable company of Priests, and a sumptuous en¬ 
 tertainment. In the library of the chief Inquisitor I 
 saw a register containing the present establishment of 
 the Inquisition at Goa, and the names of all the officers. 
 On my asking the chief Inquisitor whether the estate 
 
THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. 
 
 101 
 
 lishment was as extensive as formerly, he said it was 
 neai ly the same. I had hitherto said little to any per¬ 
 son concerning the Inquisition, but I had indirectly 
 gleaned much information concerning it, not only from 
 the Inquisitors themseives, but from certain Priests, 
 m horn I visited at their respective convents; particu- 
 laily irom a Father in the Franciscan Convent, who 
 had himself repeatedly witnessed an Auto da Fe.” 
 
 “ Goa i -Augustinian Convent , 26 th Jan. 1808. 
 
 c ‘ On Sunday, after Divine service, which I attended, 
 we looked over together, the prayers and portions of 
 Sciiptuie for the day, which led to a discussion con¬ 
 cerning some of the doctrines of Christianity. We 
 then read the third chapter of St. John’s Gospel, in the 
 Latin Vulgate.. I asked the Inquisitor whether he be¬ 
 lieved in the influence of the Spirit there spoken of. 
 He distinctly admitted it; conjointly however he 
 thought, in some obscure sense, with water. I ob¬ 
 served that water was merely an emblem of the puri- 
 lying effects of the Spirit, and could be but an emblem. 
 We next adverted to the expression of St. John in his 
 flrst Lpistle ; ‘ 1 his is he that came by water and blood : 
 even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and 
 blood blood to atone for sin, and water to purify the 
 heart; justification and sanctification : both of which 
 were expressed at the same moment on the Cross. The 
 Inquisitoi was pleased with the subject. I referred to 
 the evangelical doctrines of Augustin (we were now in 
 the Augustinian Convent) plainly asserted by that Fa- 
 diei in a thousand places, and he acknowledged their 
 truth. I then asked him in what important doctrine 
 ne differed from the Protestant Church? He confessed 
 that he never had a theological discussion with a prot- 
 cstant before. By an easy transition we passed to the 
 importance of the Bible itself, to illuminate the priests 
 and people. I noticed to him tliat after looking through 
 the colleges and schools, there appeared to me to be a 
 total eclipse of Scriptural light. lie acknowledged that 
 religion and learning were truly in a degraded state" 
 Lhad visited the theological schools, and at every pjace- 
 
102 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 I expressed my surprise to the tutors, in presence of 
 the pupils, at the absence of the Bible, and almost total 
 want of reference to it. They pleaded the custom of 
 the place, and the scarcity of copies of the book itself. 
 Some of the younger Priests came to me afterwards, 
 desiring to know by what means they might procure 
 copies. This inquiry for Bibles was like a ray of hope 
 beaming on the walls of the Inquisition. 
 
 “ I pass an hour sometimes in the spacious library 
 of the Augustinian Convent. There are many rare 
 volumes, but they are chiefly theological, and almost 
 all of the sixteenth century. There are few classics ; 
 and I have not yet seen one copy of the original Scrip¬ 
 tures in Hebrew or Greek.’’ 
 
 “ Goa, Augustinian Convent , 2 7th Jan. 1808. 
 
 “ On the second morning after my arrival, I was 
 surprised by my host, the Inquisitor, coming into my 
 apartment clothed in black robes from head to foot; for 
 the usual dress of his order is white. He said he 
 was going to sit on the Tribunal of the Holy Office. 
 
 5 1 presume, Father, your august office does not occupy 
 much of your time.’ ‘Yes,’ answered he, ‘ much. I 
 sit on the Tribunal three or four days evei’y week.’ 
 
 “ Iliad thought, for some days, of putting Deilon’s 
 book into the Inquisitor’s hands ; for if I could get him 
 to advert to the facts stated in that book, I should be 
 able to learn, by comparison, the exact state of the 
 Inquisition at the present time. In the evening he 
 came in, as usual, to pass an hour in my apartment. 
 After some conversation I took the pen in my hand 
 to write a few notes in my journal ; and, as if to 
 amuse him, while I was writing, I took up Deilon’s 
 book, which was lying with some others on the table, 
 and handing it across to him, asked him whether he 
 had ever seen it. It was in the- French Language,, 
 which he understood well. ( Relation de 1’ Inquisition 
 de Goa,’ pronounced he, with a slow, articulate voice. 
 He had never seen it before, and began to read with 
 eagerness. He had not proceeded far, before he be¬ 
 trayed evident symptoms of uneasiness. He turned 
 hastily to the middle of the book, and then to the 
 
THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. 
 
 103 
 
 end, and then ran over the table of contents at the 
 beginning, as if to ascertain the full extent of the 
 evil. He then composed himself to read, while I 
 continued to write. He turned over the pages with 
 rapidity, and when he came to a certain place, he ex¬ 
 claimed in the broad Italian accent, ‘ Mendacium, 
 Mendacium.’ I requested he would mark those pas¬ 
 sages which were untrue, and we should discuss them 
 afterwards, for that I had other books on the subject. 
 ‘ Other books,’ said he, and he looked with an inquir¬ 
 ing eye on those on the table. He continued read¬ 
 ing till it was time to retire to rest, and then beg¬ 
 ged to take the book with him. 
 
 “ It was on this night that a circumstance hap¬ 
 pened which caused my first alarm at Goa. My ser¬ 
 vants slept every night at my chamber door, in the 
 long gallery which is common to all the apartments, 
 and not far distant from the servants of the convent. 
 About midnight I was w r aked by loud shrieks and 
 expressions of terror, from some person in the gal¬ 
 lery. In the first moment of surprise I concluded it 
 must be the Alguazils of the Holy Office, seizing my 
 servants to carry them to the Inquisition. But, on 
 going out, I saw my own servants standing at the 
 door, and the person who had caused the alarm (a 
 boy of about fourteen) at a little distance, surround¬ 
 ed by some of the Priests, who had come out of their 
 cells on hearing the noise. The boy said he had seen 
 a spectre, and it was a considerable time before the agi* 
 tations of his body and voice subsided. Next morning 
 at breakfast the Inquisitor apologized for the disturb¬ 
 ance, and said the boy’s alarm proceeded from a ‘ phan¬ 
 tasma animi,’ a phantasm of the imagination. 
 
 “ After breakfast we resumed the subject of the In¬ 
 quisition. The Inquisitor admitted that Delion’s de¬ 
 scriptions of the dungeons, of the torture, of the mode of 
 trial, and of the Auto da Fe were, in general, just; but 
 he said the writer judged untruly of the motives of the 
 Inquisitors, and very uncharitably of the character of 
 the Holy Church; and I admitted that, under the 
 pressure of his peculiar suffering, this might possibly be 
 the case. The Inquisitor was now anxious to know to 
 
104 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 what extent Dcllon’s book had been circulated in Eu¬ 
 rope. I told him that Picart had published to the 
 world extracts from it, in his celebrated work called 
 “ Religious Ceremonies together with plates of the 
 system of torture and burnings at the Auto da Fe. 
 I added that it was now generally believed in Europe 
 that these enormities no longer existed, and that the In¬ 
 quisition itself had been totally suppressed ; but that I 
 was concerned to find that this was not the case. He 
 now began a grave narration to shew that the Inquisition 
 had undergone a change in some respects, and that its 
 terrors were mitigated.”* 
 
 * The following were the passages in Mr. Dellon’s narrative, to 
 which I wished particularly to draw the attention of the Inquisi- 
 tor. Mr. D. had been thrown into the Inquisition at Goa and con¬ 
 fined in a dungeon, ten feet square, where he remained upwards 
 of two years, without seeing any person, but the gaoler who 
 brought him his victuals, except when he was brought to his tri¬ 
 al, expecting daily to be brought to the stake. His alleged crime 
 was, charging the Inquisition with cruelty', in a conversation he 
 had with a Priest at Hainan, another part of India. 
 
 “ During the months of November and December, I heard, 
 every morning, the shrieks of the unfortunate victims, who were 
 undergoing the Question. I remembered to have beard, before 
 1 was cast into prison, that the Auto da Fe was generally cele¬ 
 brated on the first Sunday in Advent, because on that day is read 
 in the Churches that part of the Gospel in which mention is made 
 of the last judgment; and the Inquisitors pretend by this 
 ceremony to exhibit a lively emblem of that awful event. I was 
 likewise convinced that there were a great number of prisoners, 
 besides myself; the profound silence, which reigned within the 
 walls of the building, having enabled me to count the number of 
 doors which were opened at the hours of meals. However, the 
 first and second Sundays of Advent passed by, without my hear¬ 
 ing of any thing, and 1 prepared to undergo another year of mel¬ 
 ancholy captivity, when I was aroused from my despair on the 11th 
 of January, by the noise of the guards removing the bars from 
 the door of my prison. The Alcaide presented me with a habit, 
 which he ordered me to put on, and to make myself ready to at¬ 
 tend him, when he should come again. Thus saying, he left a 
 lighted lump in my dungeon. The guards returned, about two 
 o’clock in the morning, and led me out into a long gallery, where 
 I found a number of the companions of my fate, drawn up in a 
 rank against a wall: I placed myself among the rest, and several 
 more soon joined the melancholy band. The profound silence 
 and stillness caused them to resemble statues more than the ani¬ 
 mated bodies.of human creatures. The women, who were cloth- 
 
THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. 
 
 105 
 
 ,{ I had already discovered, from written or printed 
 documents, that the Inquisition at Goa was suppressed 
 by Royal Edict in the year 1775 , and established 
 again in 1779 . The Franciscan Father before raen- 
 
 ed in a similar manner, were placed in a neighbouring gallery, 
 where we could not see them ; but I remarked that a number of 
 persons stood by themselves at some distance, attended by others 
 who wore long black dresses, and who walked backwards and 
 forwards occasionally. I did not then know who these were : but 
 I was afterwards informed that the former were the victims who 
 were condemned to be burned, and the others were their con¬ 
 fessors. 
 
 “ After we were all ranged against the wall of this gallary, we 
 received each a large wax taper. They then brought us a num¬ 
 ber of dresses made of yellow cloth, with the cross of St Andrew 
 painted before and behind. This is called the San Benito. The 
 relapsed heretics wear another species of robe, called the Samar- 
 ra, the ground of which is grey. The portrait of the sufferer is 
 painted upon it, placed upon burning torches with flames and de¬ 
 mons all round. Caps were then produced called Carrochas; 
 made of pasteboard, pointed like sugar-loaves, all covered over 
 with devils, and flames of fire. 
 
 “ The great bell of the Cathedral began to ring a little before 
 sun-rise, which served as a signal to warn the people of Goa to 
 come and behold the august ceremony of the Auto da Fe ; and 
 then they made us proceed from the gallery one by one. I re¬ 
 marked as we passed into the great hall, that the Inquisitor was 
 sitting at the door with his secretary by him, and that he deliver¬ 
 ed every prisoner into the hands of a particular person, who is to 
 be his guard to the place of burning. These persons are called 
 Parrains, or Godfathers. My Godfather was the commander of a 
 ship. I went forth with him, and as soon as we were in the street, 
 I saw that the procession was commenced by the Dominican Fri¬ 
 ars ; who have this honor, because St. Dominic founded the In¬ 
 quisition. These are followed by the prisoners who walk one af¬ 
 ter the other, each having his Godfather by his side, and a light¬ 
 ed taper in his hand. The least guilty go foremost; and as I did 
 not pass for one of them, there were many who took precedence 
 of me. The women were mixed promiscuously with the men. 
 We all walked barefoot, and the sharp stones of the streets of Goa 
 wounded my tender feet, and caused the blood to stream : for 
 they made us march through the chief streets of the city : and we 
 were regarded every where by an innumerable crowd of people, 
 who had assembled from all parts of India to behold this specta¬ 
 cle ; for the Inquisition takes care to announce it long before, in 
 the most remote parishes. At length we arrived at the Church of 
 St. Francis, which was, for this time, destined for the celebra¬ 
 tion of the Act of Faith. On one side of the Altar, was the Grand 
 Inquisitor and his Counsellors ; and on the other, the Vice-Roy 
 
106 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES,. 
 
 tionecl witnessed the annual Auto da Fe, from 1770,- 
 to 1775. “ It was the humanity and tender mercy of 
 
 a good King,” said the old Father, “which abolished 
 the Inquisition.” But immediately on his death, the 
 power of the Priests acquired the ascendant, under the 
 Queen Dowager, and the Tribunal was re-established, 
 after a bloodless interval of five years. It has continu¬ 
 ed in operation ever since. It was restored in 1779, 
 subject to certain restrictions, the chief of which are 
 the two following, “ That a greater number of witnes¬ 
 ses should be required to convict a criminal than were 
 before necessary ;” and, “That the Auto da Fc should 
 not be held publicly as before ; but that the sentences of 
 the Tribunal should be executed privately, within the 
 walls of the Inquisition.’ 
 
 “ In this particular, the constitution of the new In¬ 
 quisition is more reprehensible than that of the old one ; 
 
 of Goa and his Court. All the prisoners are seated to hear a 
 Sermon. I observed that those prisoners who wore the horrible 
 Carrochas came in last in the procession. One of the Augustin 
 Monks ascended the pulpit, and preached for a quarter of an hour. 
 The sermon being concluded two readers went up to the pulpit, 
 one after the other, and read the sentences of the prisoners. My 
 joy was extreme, when I heard that my sentence was not to be 
 burnt, but to be a galley-slave for five years. After the senten¬ 
 ces were read, they summoned forth those miserable victims 
 who were destined to be immolated by the Holy Inquisition. The 
 images of the heretics who had died in prison were brought up 
 at the same time, their bones being contained in small chests, 
 covered with flames and demons. An officer of the secular tri¬ 
 bunal now came forward, and seized these unhappy people, after 
 they had each received a slight blow upon the breast, from the Al¬ 
 caide, to intimate that they were abandoned. They were then 
 led away to the bank of the river, where the Vice Hoy and his 
 Court were assembled, and where the faggots had been prepar¬ 
 ed the preceding day. As soon as they arrive at this place, the 
 condemned persons are asked in what religion they choose to 
 die; and the moment they have replied to this question, the ex¬ 
 ecutioner seizes them, and binds them to a stake in the midst of 
 the faggots. The day after the execution, the portraits of the 
 dead are carried to the Church of the Dominicans The heads 
 only are represented, (which are generally very accurately drawn; 
 for the Inquisition keeps excellent limners for the purpose,) sur¬ 
 rounded by flames and demons ; and underneath is the name and 
 crime of the person who has been burned.” Relation de V Imiui- 
 gition de G»a, chap. xxiv. 
 
THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. 
 
 ior 
 
 for, as the old Father expressed it, ( Nunc sigillum non 
 revelat Inquisitio.’ Formerly the friends of those un¬ 
 fortunate persons who were thrown into its prison, had 
 the melancholy satisfaction of seeing them once a year 
 walking in the procession of the Auto da Fe ; or if they 
 were condemned to die, they witnessed their death, and 
 mourned for the dead. But now they have no means 
 of learning for years whether they be dead or alive. 
 The policy of this new code of concealment appears to 
 be this, to preserve the power of the Inquisition, ancfat 
 the same time to lessen the public odium of its proceed¬ 
 ings, in the presence of British dominion and civiliza¬ 
 tion. I asked the Father his opinion concerning the na¬ 
 ture and frequency of the punishments within the walls. 
 He said he possessed no certain means of giving a sat¬ 
 isfactory answer ; that every thing transacted there was 
 declared to be ‘ sacrum et secretum.’ But this lie knew 
 to be true, that there were constantly captives in the 
 dungeons; that some of them are liberated after lone* 
 confinement, but that they never speak afterwards of 
 what passed within the place. He added that, of all the 
 persons he had known, who had been liberated, he never 
 knew one who did not carry about with him what might 
 be called, ‘ the mark of the Inquisition that is to say 
 who did not shew in the solemnity of his countenance’ 
 or in his peculiar demeanor, or his terror of the Priests’ 
 that he had been in that dreadful place. 
 
 “.The chief argument of the Inquisitor to prove the 
 melioration of the Inquisition was the superior humanity 
 of the Inquisitors. I remarked that I did not doubt the 
 humanity of the existing officers ; but what availed hu¬ 
 manity in an Inquisitor? he must pronounce sentence 
 according to the Laws of the Tribunal, which are noto¬ 
 rious enough ; and a relapsed Heretic must be burned 
 in the flames, or confined for life in a dungeon, whether 
 the Inquisitor be humane or not. But if, said I, you 
 would satisfy my mind completely on this subject 
 ‘ s j iew me the Inquisition.* He said it was not permit¬ 
 ted to any person to see the Inquisition. I observed 
 that mine might be considered as a peculiar case; that 
 the character of the Inquisition, and the expediency of 
 its longer continuance had been called in question? 
 
IDS 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES, 
 
 that I had myself written on the civilization of India, 
 and might possibly publish something more upon that 
 subject, and that it could not be expected that I should 
 pass over the Inquisition without notice, knowing what 
 I did of its proceedings ; at the same time I should not 
 wish to state a single fact without his authority, or at 
 least his admission of its truth. I added that he him¬ 
 self had been pleased to communicate with me very 
 fully on the subject, and that in all our discussions we 
 had both been actuated, I hoped, by a good purpose. 
 The countenance of the Inquisitor evidently altered on 
 receiving this intimation, nor did it ever after wholly re¬ 
 gain its wonted frankness and placidity. After some 
 hesitation, however, he said, he would take me with 
 him to the Inquisition the next day. I was a good deal 
 surprised at this acquiescence of the Inquisitor, but I 
 did not know what was in his mind. 
 
 u Next morning after breakfast my host went to dress 
 for the Holy Office, and soon returned in his inquisito¬ 
 rial robes. He said he would go half an hour before the 
 usual time for the purpose of shewing me the Inquisi¬ 
 tion. The buildings are about a quarter of a mile distant 
 from the convent, and we proceeded thither in our Man- 
 jeels.* On our arrival at the place, the Inquisitor said 
 to me, as we were ascending the steps of the outer stair, 
 that he hoped I should be satisfied with a transcient view 
 of the Inquisition, and that I would retire whenever he 
 should desire it. I took this as a good omen, and fol¬ 
 lowed my conductor with tolerable confidence. 
 
 u He led me first to the Great Hall of the Inquisi¬ 
 tion. We were met at the door by a number of well 
 dressed persons, who, I afterwards understood, were 
 the familiars, and attendants of the Holy Office. They 
 bowed very low to the Inquisitor, and looked with 
 surprise at me. The Great Hall is the place in which 
 the prisoners are marshalled for the procession of the 
 
 * The Manjeel is a kind of Palankeen common at Goa. It is 
 merely a sea cot suspended from a bamboo, which is borne on the 
 fieads of four men. Sometimes a footman runs before, having a 
 staff in his hand, to which are attached little bells or rings, 
 which he jingles as he runs, keeping time with the motion of the 
 bearers. 
 
THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. 
 
 109 
 
 Auto da Fe. At the procession described by Dellon, 
 in which he himself walked barefoot, clothed with the 
 painted garment, there were upwards of one hundred 
 and fifty prisoners. I traversed this hall for some 
 time, with a slow step, reflecting on its former scenes, 
 the Inquisitor walking by my side, in silence. I 
 thought of the fate of the multitude of my fellow- 
 creatures who had passed through this place, con¬ 
 demned by a tribunal of their fellow-sinners, their 
 bodies devoted to the flames, and their souls to perdi¬ 
 tion. And I could not help saying to him, “ Would 
 not the Holy Church wish, in her mercy, to have those 
 souls back again, that she might allow them a little 
 finther probation ?” 1 he Inquisitor answered nothing, 
 but beckoned me to go with him to a door at one 
 end of the hall. By this door he conducted me to some 
 small rooms, and thence to the spacious apartments of 
 the chief Inquisitor. Having surveyed these he brought 
 me back again to the Great Hall; and I thought he 
 seemed now desirous that I should depart. “Now, 
 father, said I, lead me to the dungeons below; I 
 want to see the captives.” “ No,” said he “ that can¬ 
 not be. I now began to suspect that it had been in 
 the mind of the Inquisitor, from the beginning, to 
 shew me only a certain part of the Inquisition, in the 
 hope of satisfying my inquiries in a general way. I 
 urged him with earnestness, but he steadily resisted, 
 ant. seemed to be offended, or rather agitated, by mv 
 importunity. I intimated to him plainly, that the only 
 w-ay to do justice to his own assertions and arguments 
 legal cling the present state oi the Inquisition, was to 
 show me the prisons and the captives. I should then 
 
 left 
 
 ! * .J. OllUUiU in 
 
 desenoe only what I saw ; but now the subject was 3 
 in awful obscurity. “ Lead me down,” said I, “ to 
 the inner building, and let me pass through the two 
 hundred dungeons, ten feet square, described by your 
 former captives. Let me count the number of your 
 present captives, and converse with them. I want to 
 see if there be any subjects of the British Government 
 to whom we owe protection. I want to ask how long 
 they have been here, how long it is since they beheld 
 the light of the sun, and whether they ever expect to 
 
310 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 -see it again. Shew me the Chamber of Torture ; and 
 declare what modes of execution, or of punishment, 
 are now practised within the walls of the Inquisition, 
 in lieu of the public Auto da Fe. If, after all that 
 has passed, Father, you resist this reasonable request, 
 I shall be justified in believing, that you are afraid of 
 exposing the real state of the Inquisition in India.” 
 To these observations the Inquisitor made no reply; 
 but seemed impatient that I should withdraw. “ My 
 good Father,” said I, “ I am about to take my leave of 
 you, and to thank you for your hospitable attentions, 
 (it had been before understood that I should take my 
 final leave at the door of the Inquisition, after having 
 seen the interior,) and I wish always to preserve on my 
 mind a favorable sentiment of your kindness and can¬ 
 dor. You cannot, you say, shew me the captives and 
 the dungeons ; be pleased then merely to answer this 
 question ; for I shall believe your word : How many 
 prisoners are there now below, in the cells of the In¬ 
 quisition ?” The Inquisitor replied, “ That is a question 
 which I cannot answer.” On his pronouncing these 
 words, I retired hastily towards the door, and wished 
 him farewell. We shook hands with as much cordi¬ 
 ality as we could at the moment assume ; and both of 
 us, I believe, were sorry that our parting took place 
 with a clouded countenance. 
 
 “ From the Inquisition I went to the place of burn¬ 
 ing in the Camjw Santo Lazaro , on the river side, 
 where the victims were brought to the stake at the 
 Auto da Fe. It is close to the palace, that the Vice- 
 Roy and his Court may witness the execution ; for it 
 has ever been the policy of the Inquisition to make 
 these spiritual executions appear to be the executions 
 of the State. An old Priest accompanied me, who 
 pointed out the place and described the scene. As I 
 passed over this melancholy plain, I thought on the 
 difference between the pure and benign doctrine, which 
 was first preached to India in the Apostolic age, and 
 that bloody code, which, after a long night of dark¬ 
 ness, was announced to it under the same name ! And 
 I pondered on the mysterious dispensation, which per¬ 
 mitted the ministers of the Inquisition, with their racks 
 
THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. HI 
 
 and flames, to visit these lands, before the heralds of 
 the Gospel oi Peace. But the most painful reflection 
 was, that this tribunal should yet exist, unawed by 
 the vicinity of British humanity and dominion. I was 
 not satisfied with what I had seen or said at the In¬ 
 quisition, and I determined to go back again. The 
 Inquisitors were now sitting on the tribunal, and I had 
 some excuse for returning; for I was to receive from 
 the chief Inquisitor a letter which he said he would 
 give me, before I left the place, for the British Resi¬ 
 dent in Travancore, being an answer to a letter from 
 that officer. 
 
 “ When I arrived at the Inquisition, and had ascend¬ 
 ed the outer stairs, the door-keepers surveyed me 
 doubtingly, but suffered me to pass, supposing that 
 I had returned by permission and appointment of the 
 Inquisitor. I entered the Great Hall, and went up 
 directly towards the tribunal of the Inquisition, de¬ 
 scribed by Dellon, in which is the lofty Crucifix. I 
 sat down on a form, and wrote some notes ; and then 
 desired one of the attendants to carry in my name to 
 the Inquisitor. As I walked up the Hall, I saw a 
 poor woman sitting by herself, on a bench by the wall, 
 apparently in a disconsolate state of mind. She clasped 
 her hands as I passed, and gave me a look expressive 
 of her distress. This sight chilled my spirits. The 
 familiars tokl me she was waiting there to be called up 
 before the tribunal of the Inquisition. While I was 
 asking questions concerning her crime, the second In¬ 
 quisitor came out in evident trepidation, and was about 
 to complain of the intrusion ; when I informed him I 
 had come back for the letter from the chief Inquisitor. 
 He said it should be sent after me to Goa; and he con¬ 
 ducted me with a quick step towards the door. As 
 we passed the poor woman, I pointed to her, and said 
 with some emphasis, u Behold, Father, another victim 
 of the holy Inquisition !” He answered nothing. When 
 we arrived at the head of the great stair, he bowed and 
 I took my last leave of Josephus a Doloribus, without 
 uttering a word.” 
 
 The foregoing particulars concerning the Inquisition 
 
112 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 at Goa are detailed chiefly with this view ; that the 
 English nation may consider, whether there be suffi¬ 
 cient ground for presenting a remonstrance to the 
 Portuguese Government, on the longer continuance 
 of that tribunal in India; it being notorious, that a 
 great part of the Romish Christians are now under 
 British protection. “ The Romans,” says Montesquieu, 
 “ deserved well of human nature, for making it an 
 article in their treaty with the Carthagenians, that 
 they should abstain from sacrificing their children 
 to their gods.” It has been lately observed by res¬ 
 pectable writers, that the English nation ought to 
 imitate this example, and endeavor to induce her 
 allies “ to abolish the human sacrifices of the Inquisi¬ 
 tion ;” and a censure is passed on our Government for 
 their indifference to this subject.* The indifference 
 to the Inquisition is attributable, we believe, to the 
 same cause which has produced an indifference to the 
 religious principles which first organized the Inquisi¬ 
 tion. The mighty Despot, who suppressed the Inqui¬ 
 sition in Spain, was not swayed probably by very 
 powerful motives of humanity ; but viewed with jeal¬ 
 ousy a tribunal, which usurped an independent domin¬ 
 ion ; - and he put it down, on the same principle that 
 he put down the Popedom, that he might remain 
 Pontiff and Grand Inquisitor himself. And so he 
 will remain for a time, till the purposes of Providence 
 shall have been accomplished by him. But are we 
 to look on in silence, and to expect that further 
 meliorations in human society are to be effected by- 
 despotism, or by great revolutions ? “ If,” say the 
 
 same authors, “ while the inquisition is destroyed in 
 Europe by the power of despotism, we could enter¬ 
 tain the hope, and it is not too much to entertain such 
 a hope, that the power of liberty is about to destroy 
 it in America; we might even, amid the gloom that 
 surrounds us, congratulate our fellcw-creatures on one 
 of the most remarkable periods in the history of the 
 progress of human society, the final erasure of the 
 inquisition from the face of the earth.”\ It will in- 
 
 * Edin. Iiev. No. XXXII. p. 429. 
 
 j- Ibid. 
 
THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. 
 
 113 
 
 deed be an important and happy day to the earth, 
 when this final erasure shall take place ; but the period 
 of such an event is nearer, I apprehend in Europe 
 and Ameiica, than it is in Asia; and its termination 
 in Asia depends as much on Great Britain as on Por¬ 
 tugal. And shall not Great Britain do her part to 
 hasten this desirable time ? Do we wait, as if to see 
 whether the power of Infidelity will abolish the other 
 Inquisitions of the earth ? Shall not we, in the mean 
 n nile, attempt to do something, on Christian princi¬ 
 ples, for the honor of God and of humanity ? Do we 
 dread even to express a sentiment on the subject in 
 Oui legislative Assemblies, or to notice it in our Trea¬ 
 ties ? It is surely our duty to declare our wishes, at least, 
 ior the abolition of these inhuman tribunals, (since we 
 take an active part in promoting the welfare of other 
 nations,) and to deliver our testimony against them 
 m the presence of Europe. 
 
 This case is not unlike that of the Immolation of 
 remales; with this aggravation in regard to the lat¬ 
 ter, that the rite is perpetrated in our own territories 
 Our humanity revolts at the occasional description of 
 the enormity ; but the matter comes not to our own 
 business and bosoms, and we fail even to insinuate 
 our disapprobation of the deed. It may be concluded 
 then, that while we remain silent and unmoved spec¬ 
 tators of the flames of the Widow’s Pile, there is no 
 hope that we shall be justly affected by the reported 
 horrors of the Inquisition. 
 
 TRANSLATIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES 
 THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. 
 
 FOR 
 
 The principal languages spoken by the Romish Chris- 
 Uans m India are these four ; the Tamul, the Malabar, 
 the Ceylonese, and the Portuguese. The Author has 
 already had occasion to notice the three first. The 
 Tamul version has been long since completed by the 
 Protestant Missionaries; and the Malabar and the 
 Ceylonese are in course of publication. It is now 
 proper to explain, that excellent effects may be ex¬ 
 pected from the diffusion of the Portuguese Scriptures 
 
 K. 2 
 
114 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 in India. The Portuguese Language prevails wherever 
 there are, or have been , settlements of that nation. 
 Their descendants people the coasts from the vicinity 
 of the Cape of Good Hope to the Sea of China ; be¬ 
 ginning from Sofala, Mocaranga, Mosambique, (where 
 there is a Bishop,) Zinzebar, and Melinda, (where there 
 are many Churches,) on the East of Africa; and ex¬ 
 tending round by Babelmandel, Diu, Surat, Daman, 
 Bombay, Goa, Calicut, Cochin, Angengo, Tutecorin, 
 Negapatam, Jaffna-patam, Columbo, Point de Galle, 
 Tranquebar, Tanjore, Tritchinopoly, Porto-Novo, Pon¬ 
 dicherry, Sadras, Madras, Masulipatam, Calcutta, Chin- 
 surah, Bandel, Chittagong, Macao, and Canton ; and 
 almost all the islands of the Maylayan Archipelago, 
 which were first conquered by the Portuguese. The 
 greater part of the Portuguese in India are now sub¬ 
 jects of the British Empire. The Author visited most 
 of the places above enumerated ; and in many of them 
 he could not hear of a single copy of the Portuguese 
 Scriptures. There is a Portuguese Press at Tranque¬ 
 bar, and another at Vespery near Madras; and pe¬ 
 cuniary aid only is wanted from Europe to multiply 
 copies, and to circulate them round the coast of Asia. 
 The Portuguese Language is certainly a most favoura¬ 
 ble medium for diffusing the true religion in the mari¬ 
 time provinces of the East. 
 
 THE COLLEGES AT GOA. 
 
 Goa will probably remain the theological school to a 
 great part of India, for a long period to come. It is 
 of v^st importance to the interests of Christianity in 
 the East, that this source of instruction should be puri¬ 
 fied. The appointed instrument for effecting this, is 
 the Bible. This is “ the salt which must be thrown in¬ 
 to the fountain to heal the waters.”* There are upwards 
 of three thousand Priests belonging to Goa, who are 
 resident at the place, or stationed with their cures at a 
 distance. Let us send the Holy Scriptures to illumin¬ 
 ate the Priests of Goa. It was distinctly expressed to 
 the Author, by several authorities, that they would 
 
 * 2 Kings ii. 21. 
 
RESPECTING THE PERSIANS. 
 
 115 
 
 gladly receive copies of the Latin and Portuguese VuL 
 gate Bible from the hands of the English nation. 
 
 THE PERSIANS. 
 
 The Christian Religion flourished very generally in 
 Persia till about a. d. 651 ; when, the Persians being 
 subdued by the Saracens, Mahomedanism gradually 
 acquired the predominance. Constantine the Great, 
 addressed a letter to Sapor, King of Persia, which is 
 preserved to this day, recommending the Christian 
 Churches in his dominions, to his protection ; and a 
 Bishop from Persia was present at the Council of Nice 
 in a. d. 325. It appears also that there was a transla¬ 
 tion of some portion of the Scriptures into the Persian 
 Language at that period; for we are informed by 
 Chrysostom that, “ The Persians, having translated the 
 doctrines of the Gospel into their own tongue, had 
 learned, though barbarians, the true philosophy and 
 it is stated by another author in the following century, 
 “ That the Hebrew writings were not only translated 
 into the Greek, but into the Latin, Ethiopian, Persian , 
 Indian, Armenian, Scythian, and Sarmatian Lan¬ 
 guages.”! 
 
 In the beautiful homily of Chrysostom on Mary’s 
 Memorial, preached about a. d. 380, in which he 
 enumerates those nations, who, in fulfilment of our 
 Saviour’s prophecy, had “ spoken of the deed of Mary 
 for a memorial of her,” he mentions the Persians first, 
 and the Isles of Britain last. “ The Persians, Indians, 
 Scythians, Thracians, Sarmatians, the race of the 
 Moors, and the inhabitants of the British Isles, celebrate 
 a deed performed in a private family in Judea by a wo- 
 
 * Chrysostom, Horn, ii, in Johan. 
 
 | Theodoret, vol. iv, p. 555. We have entirely lost sight of 
 some of these versions in the obscurity of Mahomedan darkness. 
 It is not even known what languages are intended by the Sa thian, 
 Indian, and Sarmatian. The Christian Church must now retrace 
 her steps, and endeavor to recover a knowledge which she has 
 lest. 
 
116 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 man that had been a harlot,* pouring an alabaster box 
 of spikenard on the head of Christ,” thereby acknowl¬ 
 edging him, while yet upon earth, as God’s anointed 
 King, and embalming his body, (as our Lord himself 
 explained it) in anticipation of his burial; concerning 
 which act of faith and love he uttered the following pro¬ 
 phetic declaration: “ Verily, I say unto you, Where¬ 
 soever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the 
 whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spo¬ 
 ken of for a memorial of her;” Mark xiv, 9. The 
 Isles of Britain are now the first to restore this memo¬ 
 rial, and the Gospel which recites it, to the Persians 
 as well as to other Mahomedan nations, who were to 
 lose it generally, during the great prophetic period of 
 1260 years. 
 
 A version of the four Gospels into the Persian Lan¬ 
 guage of a former age remains to this day. It is a 
 faithful translation, and seems to have been made im¬ 
 mediately from the Syriac ;t but the dialect and or¬ 
 thography are so ancient as to be scarcely intelligible 
 even at Isfahan. The Romish Church has had several 
 Missions in the kingdom of Persia for some centuries 
 past. The Augustinian Mission from Goa commenced 
 in the year 1602, “and was permitted by Sultan Murad 
 to build convents in all parts of the Empire.But 
 they went into Persia, as into other countries, not with 
 the design of instructing men in the Holy Scriptures, 
 but of -teaching them the tenets and ceremonies of 
 Rome. To this day, they have not published, under 
 all the advantages of toleration which they enjoyed, 
 
 * AAAct y.cct Tlefa-xt xxt IvJ'oi kxi XkvQcu xcci ©fctxt? 
 JZccvgofAUTai K.c6i ru't Mavgav yevof xett oi rot? Bgercivt- 
 xot? Njjroti? eiKovvrei , To tv I Xoccix yevo/xevov gadget, cv- 
 stKtec zrxga yvvcuy.os -zrsTregvev/xsvtji, •zTtQityiQaoi. 
 
 Chrys. Hom. lxxxi, in Matth. 
 
 The argument of Chrysostom is this, that nothing could have 
 given so permanent a celebrity to so private an occurrence, but 
 the Divine Word of Him who foretold it. He supposes the wo¬ 
 man to have been Mary Magdalene, but probably she was Mary, 
 the sister of Martha. 
 
 t This is the Version of the Polyglot. 
 
 t Fabricii Lux Eyang. p. 639. 
 
RESPECTING THE PERSIANS. I ! f 
 
 a translation of the Bible, or even of the New Testa¬ 
 ment, into the Persian Language. 
 
 It is a reproach to Christians, that the only endeavor 
 to produce a translation of the Scriptures into the lan¬ 
 guage oi that extensive kingdom should have been 
 made by the Persians themselves. The representatives 
 of the Christian Churches in Europe, of every denomi¬ 
 nation, may well blush, when they read the following 
 authentic relation of an attempt made by a Persian 
 King to procure a knowledge of our religion. 
 
 “ Towards the close of the year 1740, Nadir Shah 
 caused a translation of the four Evangelists to be made 
 into Persian. The affair was put under the direction 
 oi Mil za Mcodee, a man oi some learning, who, being 
 tested with proper authority for the purpose, summon¬ 
 ed several Armenian Bishops, and Priests, together 
 with divers Missionaries of the Romish Church, and 
 Persian Mullahsf to meet him at Isfahan. As to the 
 latter, the Mahomedan Priests, they could not be 
 gainers, since the change of religion, if any, was to be 
 in prejudice of Mahomedanism. Besides, Nadir’s 
 conduct towards them had been severe, to an extreme 
 and unprecedented degree ; many of them therefore 
 gave Mirza Mehdee iarge bribes to excuse their ab¬ 
 sence. Among the Christians summoned on thi 3 
 occasion, only one Romish Priest, a native of Persia, 
 was a sufficient master of the language to enter upon 
 a work of so critical a nature. As to the Armenian 
 Christians, although they are born subjects to Persia, 
 and intermixed with the inhabitants, yet are there very- 
 few of them who understand the language fundamen¬ 
 tally. It was natural to expect that Mirza Mehdee, 
 and the Persian Mullahs, would be more solicitous to 
 please Nadir, and to support the credit of Mahomedan¬ 
 ism, than io divest themselvesof prejudices, and become 
 masteis oi so important a subject. This translation 
 was dressed up with all the glosses which the fables of 
 the Koran could warrant. Their chief guide was an 
 ancient Arabic ancl Persian translation . Father de 
 
 Vignes, a Romish Priest, was also employed in this 
 
 | Mahomedan Priests, 
 
118 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 work, in which he made use of the Vulgate edition. 
 They were but six months in completing this transla¬ 
 tion, and transcribing several fair copies of it. 
 
 “ In May following, Mirza Mehdee with the Persian 
 Mullahs and some of the Christian Priests set out from 
 Isfahan for the Persian Court, which was then held in 
 encampment near Teheran. Nadir received them with 
 some marks of civility, and had a cursory view of the 
 performance. Some part of it was read to him; on 
 which occasion he made several ludicrous remarks on 
 the mysterious parts of the Christian Religion ; at the 
 same time be laughed at the Jews, and turned Mahom¬ 
 ed and Ali equally into ridicule.” And after some 
 expressions of levity, intimating that he could himself 
 make a better religion than any that had yet been pro¬ 
 duced, u he dismissed these churchmen and translators 
 with some small presents, not equal in value to the ex¬ 
 pense of the journey.”* 
 
 This version of the Gospels, prepared by command 
 of Nadir Shah, is probably the same with that which 
 is sometimes found in the hands of the Armenian 
 Priests in India. A copy was lately shewn to an Ori¬ 
 ental scholar in Bengal,t who observed, “ that if this 
 was the same, he did not wonder at Nadir’s contempt 
 of it.” 
 
 The number of natives already professing Christian¬ 
 ity in Persia, and who are prepared to receive a trans¬ 
 lation of the Scriptures, is very considerable. They 
 consist of four or five classes, viz. the Georgian, the 
 Armenian, the Nestorian, the Jacobite, and the Rom¬ 
 ish Christians. The Georgians have the Bible in the 
 Georgian Language, which was printed at Moscow in 
 1743; but the language is not so generally cultivated 
 among the higher ranks as the Persian. It probably 
 bears the same relation to the Persian, which the Welsh 
 does to the English. The Armenians have a version 
 of the Bible in their own proper tongue, but the copies 
 are few in number. The Nestorian and Jacobite 
 Christians use the Syriac Bible : but it is yet more rare 
 than the Armenian. There are, besides, multitudes of 
 
 * Hamvay’s Travels. 
 
 * Rev. H. Marlyn.’ 
 
RESPECTING THE PERSIANS. 
 
 119 
 
 Jews in Persia, who, as well as these different classes 
 of Christians, commonly speak the vernacular language 
 of the country. 
 
 The Persian Language is known far beyond the lim¬ 
 its of Persia proper. It is spoken at all the Mussul¬ 
 man Courts in India, and is the usual language of ju¬ 
 dicial proceedings under the British Government in 
 Hindostan. It is next in importance to the Arabic 
 and Chinese, in regard to the extent of territory through 
 which it is spoken, being generally understood from 
 Calcutta to Damascus. 
 
 Here then is the language, spoken over nearly one 
 quarter of the globe, the proper tongue of a great 
 kingdom, in which an attempt has already been made 
 by royal authority to obtain a translation of the Chris¬ 
 tian Scriptures ; and where there are, at a low com¬ 
 putation, two hundred thousand Christians ready to 
 receive them. Many of the Persians themselves would 
 read tlie Bible with avidity, if presented to them in an 
 inviting form. The cause of the little jealousy of 
 Christianity in Persia, compared with that which is 
 found in other Mahomedan States, is to be ascribed to 
 these two circumstances; first, That Christianity has 
 always existed in Persia: the Christian natives form¬ 
 ing a considerable part of the population ; and second¬ 
 ly, That the Persians themselves profess so lax a sys¬ 
 tem of Islamism that they have been accounted by 
 some Mussulmans a kind of heritics. 
 
 It will form an epoch in the history of Persia, when 
 aversion of the Old and New Testaments shall begin 
 to be known generally in that country. But the nar¬ 
 rative of Nadir Shah’s attempt sufficiently proves that 
 no ordinary scholar is qualified to undertake it. The 
 author of such a translation must be a perfect master 
 of the Arabic Language, the mother of the Persic, and 
 familial with the popular and classical Persian. He 
 must, moreover, have access to the Scriptures in their 
 original tongues. Such a person we think, has been 
 loundin Sabat of Arabia, who is accounted by com¬ 
 petent judges, “ to be the first Arabic scholar of the 
 age.”* He has been employed for nearly four years 
 
 * See Report of Translations by Rev. Henry Martyn, hereafter 
 
120 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 past in translating the Scriptures into the Persian -and 
 Arabic Languages, in conjunction with Mirza Filrut 
 of Lucknow, and other learned natives. Mirza is 
 himself a Persian by descent and a man of liberal 
 learning among his countrymen. He visited England 
 some years ago, and was afterwards appointed a Per¬ 
 sian teacher, and a translator of the Scriptures in the 
 College of Fort-William. These versions by Sabat 
 and Mirza, are conducted under the superintendance 
 of the Rev. Henry Martyn, who is himself an Arabic 
 and Persian scholar, and skilled in the original tongues 
 of the Sacred Scriptures. Fie is a chaplain to the 
 Honorable the East India Company, and is now station¬ 
 ed at Cawnpore in Bengal, where his learned coadju¬ 
 tors also reside. The Gospels of St. Matthew and 
 St. Luke, translated by Sabat into the Persian Language, 
 have already been printed ; and 800 copies are stated 
 in the last Report, dated May 1810, to have been de¬ 
 posited in the Bibliotheca Biblica, at Calcutta, for 
 sale. 
 
 THE ARABIANS. 
 
 Arabia was the country in which St. Paul first open¬ 
 ed his heavenly ministry. “ When-it pleased God,” 
 saith that Apostle, (< Who called me by his grace, to 
 reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among 
 the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh 
 and blood ; neither went I up to Jerusalem, but I went 
 into Arabia,” Gal. i, 17. Christianity flourished 
 very extensively in Arabia, during the first centuries. 
 History informs us, that “ the disciples of Christ had 
 filled its provinces with the Churches of God,”* and 
 frequent mention is made, in the early monuments, of 
 the Bishops of Arabia. | This early influence of the 
 Gospel in that region might be expected ; for Arabia 
 
 * ©fet; yoE xkX tjFiuv oi Xgttrrov fixOtircti tu s 
 ravTcts e7rXt)guTa.v . Procopius Gaz. Ps. XI. 14. 
 
 •f See them enumerated in Beveridge’s Canones Conciliorum. 
 The Bishop of Busorah was present at the Council of Antioch in 
 a. d- 269. 
 
RESPECTING THE ARABIANS. 
 
 121 
 
 adjoins Palestine ; and the climate of the country, and 
 
 the manners and customs of tiie people, are nearly the 
 same.* ' 
 
 There are some circumstances which remarkably 
 distinguish Arabia ; a recollection of which, in connex¬ 
 ion with others, ought now to draw our attention to it 
 Arabia was inhabited by the first generations of men 
 There it pleased the Creator first to reveal himself to 
 
 ed f C ,!f UreS 5 Und m ltS ^ c * n ity the Son of God assum¬ 
 ed the human nature. In Arabia, the faculties of the 
 human mind attain to as high a degree of strength and 
 
 worn’ 6VG j a f thlS day,t as 111 an y other country i n the 
 world ; and the symmetry and beauty of the human per 
 
 rthMimtri:; e not ^passed by any other portion 
 
 * ovtocs TOIS lovfcuois etKor, KXI rpttr6f/e 
 
 to Y.qQwyt^ct ao-Qctt. ^ * 
 
 Being neighbors to the Jews, it was likelv that ^ 
 
 receive the Gospel. Proc. ubi mjm. J they Sh ° uld first 
 T See Letter from the Rev Henrv Afirtm „ 
 quoted in “The Star in the East,” 7 ‘^At ^tervXTrefd 8 ^’ 
 Poetry with Mirza. and the Koran with Sabat Tlf"'*' 
 Guentals, with whom I translate the Scrintures .In’ • T 'ese 
 point out the connexion between everv ' qu,re to 
 
 often more than I canT i h ,,,?- 7 ^ e " tences > which is 
 
 serve all the rules of writing Sabat thnTh CCUrate , ly the >’ ob * 
 has not lost a jot of his Arabfan notion^ of superiority fliTT 
 upon Europeans as mushrooms ; and seems to reo-n^i IIe 00 <s 
 
 srSF'Jrjv v shou “' "S* sss.tes 
 
 Mathematician of hi, year, "FcaSd^ta SSS T M 
 no f bee . n two years in society with Sabat. 01 ’ d he had 
 
 .■»«■ ««. English in India, 
 fat superior to their per It se-me ? f En E l,sh 
 
 nothing striking or noble in the English r hl ?’ lhat tllere Was 
 with the dignityand beauty of theASbiansthTu^’/ ompared 
 in general flat and torpid, and the eyes with.Jut fiie 'Vt^A Tf re 
 informed him, that the English were comnoid i ff A(ltllor 
 tions, and most of these from mid o. i P °.i °f different na- 
 
 lienee there tva, agreat^dh^silyt thet annl"" di,Mles ‘ 
 
 of very ordinary aspect and others nf o r ^1? aiar *ce, some heir,p 
 even an Arab JI vwuAwhT md <**«* which 
 
122 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 tv, by the Mahomedan delusion, which was to extend 
 to “ a third part of men.” This predicted apostasy 
 was to be effected, not by returning to Paganism, but 
 by a corruption of Christianity; that is, by admitting 
 some part of the former revelation of God, and pre¬ 
 tending to a new revelation. The delusion itself is 
 aptly compared in the prophecy concerning it, to 
 “ smoke issuing from the bottomless pit;” and its great 
 extent is expressed by its “ darkening the sun and the 
 air.”* And since this defection was to be produced 
 by a corruption of revealed Truth, it was necessary 
 that the Scriptures should be first corrupted ; for where 
 the genuine Scriptures are in the hands of men, there 
 is little danger of general infidelity. Accordingly, this 
 preparative for the great Imposture took place in the 
 fifth and sixth centuries. During that period, corrupt 
 and apocryphal gospels prevailed so generally in Ara¬ 
 bia and in the neighboring regions, that it is even doubt¬ 
 ful whether Mahomed himself ever saw a genuine co¬ 
 py of the New Testament. It has been argued by 
 learned men, from the internal evidence of his compo¬ 
 sition, that he did not. But now even the apocryphal 
 gospels have vanished from view, by the long preva¬ 
 lence of the Koran. 
 
 But the duration of this delusion was to have a limit. 
 “The smoke was to darken the sun and the air” only 
 for a definite period. This period is expressed in pro¬ 
 phetic Scripture in a three-fold form of words to evince 
 its certainty. 
 
 1. “ The Holy City shall they tread under foot 
 forty and two months,” f Rev. xi, 2. This marks the 
 period of the Mahomedan power. The same expres¬ 
 sion is applied afterwards to the duration of the Papal 
 power. The depression of the true Faith was of course 
 to last the same time ; as expressed in the two follow¬ 
 ing sentences. 
 
 2. “ The Witnesses (for the true Faith) shall pro¬ 
 phesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days , 
 clothed in sackcloth,”! Rev. xi, 3. 
 
 * Rev. is, 2. 
 
 f A day for a year ; 
 
 42 months=42x30r= 1260 days .... =1260 years. 
 
 j A day for a year; 1260 days.=1260 'year*. 
 
RESPECTING THE ARABIANS. 
 
 123 
 
 3. “ The Woman (or Church of Christ) fled into 
 the wilderness, and was nourished for a time, times , 
 and half a time.”] Rev. xii, 14. 
 
 . T . hls ^st expression, « a time, times, and half a time,” 
 is also used by the prophet Daniel, who foretels the 
 same events, to mark the period when God shall “have 
 accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people,” 
 
 Dan xii 7 terminate his indignation against Israel. 
 
 It is very well known in the Rast at what time 
 Mahomed appeared. Let the Mahomedan then be 
 infoimed, that he is to count 1260 years from the 
 Hejira, and then expect the fulfilment of a remark¬ 
 able Prophecy, made by Christ, whom the Koran ac¬ 
 knowledges to be “a true Prophet.” Let him be in- 
 wlutt e ^ phcitl y> tha f the reign of Mahomedanism 
 he Ivl Ih Ve , an , . end :, And > if he be unwilling to 
 ihl / , hlS, r a S Um lf he does not already perceive 
 the decline of Mahomedanism. If he be ignorant of 
 
 this fact, inform him of the history of events In- 
 
 West bv m the h p the C ° rrUption ° f ^bristianity in the 
 ri i 31 .y. tjl p P°pe, was coeval with the corruption of 
 
 of h„T,‘,“ y ln tlle EaS ^ b >- ^horned i that the decline 
 ot both these powers, is, at this time equally advanc- 
 ed; and that the fail of both is to be cLtempom^e. 
 
 h B i?'",”' !!' e ‘ lecli ne Papal Rome, 
 
 the Roman Catholic in the East will declare it to him. 
 
 thinks ‘ten ““ C , allin S himse 'f a Christian, who 
 t inks that these prophecies are dubious 1 If it be true 
 
 , “ ( ' 0d Lath > at “‘if time, revealed himself to man, 
 
 ser e Th ^'■ The Author "«'<1 here ob- 
 
 filment^ Si 'h<= inattention of men in general to the ful- 
 
 common^ £ D ‘™e predictions, does not proceed so 
 
 mnce of ^‘c7 m PnnC ‘ P ! eS of infideli 'y from igno- 
 4 -f 01 '",—|)urc ignorance of historical facts. 
 
 T e ai e men of liberal education in England, who 
 
 are more ignorant of the history of the workhIndent 
 and inodern, , mUl the TnclaHm of a J_ 
 
 t hall some Hindoos and Arabians, whom we know in 
 
 f A time, times, and half a time=a year 
 two years and half of a year " ’ 
 
 two months=1260 days 
 
 =a year,} 
 
 =forty- C — 
 
 1260 years. 
 
124 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 the East, who have not been Christians above a few 
 years. Our Saviour reprehended this neglect of “ the 
 word spoken from heaven” in these words ; “ Ye can 
 discern the face of the sky and of the earth ; but how 
 is it that ye cannot discern this time ?” Luke xii. 56. 
 
 The Author has noticed the foregoing circumstances 
 in connexion with Arabia, to illustrate the importance 
 of preparing a version of the Scriptures for that coun¬ 
 try, at the present era. But the Arabic Language 
 hath gone forth far beyond the bounds of Arabia, and 
 is known to almost “ a third part of men” in the East. 
 The Koran has consecrated it in the eyes of millions, 
 in central Asia, on the continent of Africa, and in the 
 isles of the Indian Ocean. 
 
 A version of the whole Bible in Arabic has come 
 down to us ; but it is now antiquated, like the Persian, 
 both in dialect and orthography. It does not appear 
 that any composition in a living language, of a higher 
 date than about five hundred years, can be of popular 
 use, unless we learn it from our infancy. The lan¬ 
 guage of our own Scriptures becomes now peculiar in 
 many respects, and distinct from the popular speech. 
 It is supposed, that the Arabic Translation is upwards 
 of a thousand years old. Had there been no inter¬ 
 ruption in the profession of Christianity in Arabia, the 
 ancient Translation might possibly have sufficed : in 
 like manner as the Hebrew is still understood by the 
 Jews, and the Syriac by the Syrian Christians. But 
 when a new religion is to be proposed to a people, we 
 must use the most dignified medium, and present it in 
 the language which is in popular use. The present 
 Arabic Translation in the Polyglot is perfectly intelli¬ 
 gible to those who will study it with a lexicon ; but we 
 certainly cannot offer it at this time as conveying the 
 meaning of the Christian Scriptures to the Land of 
 Yemen, or Arabia the Happy. 
 
 Soon after Sabat, the Arabian, had been converted 
 to Christianity,* the object which chiefly occupied his 
 thoughts, was a translation of the Scriptures for his 
 native country. He himself could easily read and 
 
 * See an account of his conversion in the “ Star in the East.” 
 
RESPECTING THE ARABIANS. 
 
 12 $ 
 
 understand the existing translation ; for he is a learned 
 man, and acquainted radically with every dialect of 
 
 !v! e fP 8 ’ and was by means of that translation 
 that he himself became a Christian ;f but he says he 
 
 should be ashamed to offer the Bible to his country¬ 
 men in its present form ; such a version would neither 
 be acceptable to the learned, nor intelligible to the 
 unlearned. ° 
 
 1 his noble Arabian has been now three years, or 
 rnoie, employed in translating the Scriptures into the 
 Arabic Language, with the aid of other learned Asi¬ 
 atics, under the superintendance of the Rev. H. Mar- 
 tyn, who has himself been long a student of the Ara¬ 
 bic 1 ongue. Mr. Martyn has lately stated their rea¬ 
 sons tor undertaking a new translation, which the Au¬ 
 thor will here subjoin, in deference to the learned at 
 
 home, who may think some further explanation neces¬ 
 sary. r 
 
 “ Of the Arabic version of the Polyglot, the late pro- 
 lessor Carlyle, m his copy of Proposals for printing a 
 new edition of it, speaks in the highest terms, and ob- 
 serves, that it was used both by Jews and Christians as 
 a faithful and elegant representation of their respective 
 books of faith. But even supposing that both Jews and 
 Christians are satisfied with the translation, no one, who 
 has had an opportunity of observing the degraded 
 state of these people in the East, would admit them as 
 competent judges of the Arabic. The professor has 
 adduced, in favor of the version in question, the opin- 
 lonsof Erpemus, Gabriel, Sionita, and Pocock ; names 
 of high consideration in Arabic learning, particularly 
 Uie last. It is certain, however, that such of the Ma- 
 nomedans as have seen this version, think very differ- 
 
 cop - v of ^ ew Testament, which fell into the hands 
 of Sabat, was one of the edition published in 1727 by “ the So 
 ciety for promoting Christian Knowledge,” revised by Salomon* 
 Negri. An investment of these Arabic Testaments' was sent 
 about 1/59, to the Society’s Missionaries in Calcutta, who circula¬ 
 ted them through different provinces. The following is a well- 
 
 aCrvnr faC i l: « hey sent , S( ; me C0 P ies to tlle Mahomedan Priests 
 at Delhi, who requested that the supply might be continued.’* 
 See Proceedings of the Society of that period. 
 
 L 2 
 
126 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 ently of it. If we would invite the fastidious Mussul¬ 
 man to review the sacred law which he supposes abro¬ 
 gated, let us not neglect our present opportunities ; 
 but, with such an instrument as Sabat in our possession, 
 let us attempt at least, to send forth the Scriptures in a 
 style which shall command respect, eveninNujed and 
 Hejaz.” 
 
 Mr. Martyn adverts to the new edition of the Poly¬ 
 glot translation, now publishing in England, under the 
 patronage of the Bishop of Durham, and highly com¬ 
 mends the design. “ We rejoice,” writes he, “ to hear 
 that the old Polyglot is going forth at last in a new 
 dress. It may be useful to some in Asia, as it was to 
 Sabat.” And, in regard to the extent of country through 
 which the Arabic is spoken, he observes, that the Ara¬ 
 bic translation is of more importance than one fourth of 
 all the translations now in hand. “ We will begin,” 
 says he, “ to preach to Arabia, Syria, Persia, Tartary, 
 part of India and of China, half of Africa* all the sea- 
 coast of the Mediterranean and Turkey; and one tongue 
 shall suffice for them all.” 
 
 The proposal for publishing the Arabic Bible has 
 already met with a very liberal patronage in India, 
 It is intended to publish an edition of the New Testa¬ 
 ment, in a splendid form, for the use of the chief men 
 in Arabia and Persia, resembling, as nearly as possi¬ 
 ble, their own beautiful writing. The Universities, 
 and literary bodies in Europe, will, no doubt, be dis¬ 
 posed to subscribe for some copies of this truly classi¬ 
 cal Work. It is stated in the last accounts, dated 
 May 1810, that the translation of the New Testament 
 was expected to be finished by the end of the present 
 year, 1811. 
 
 THE ARABIC SCHOOL 
 
 FOR THE 
 
 TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. 
 
 The Rev. Henry Martyn, B. D. Fellow of St. John’s 
 College, Cambridge, went out to India about five year3 
 ago. His ipudifications for the general superintend- 
 
RESPECTING THE ARABIANS. 
 
 127 
 
 ance of scriptural translation, are truly respectable. 
 After acquiring the highest academical honors in sci¬ 
 ence, and a just celebrity for classical knowledge, he 
 devoted himself to the acquirement of the Arabic and 
 Hindostanee Languages. His mind was strongly 
 impiessed, at an early period, with the duty and im¬ 
 portance of communicating the revealed Religion to 
 heathen nations. He had a spirit to follow the 
 steps of Swartz and Brainerd, and preach to the na¬ 
 tives in the woods ; but his peculiar qualifications, as a 
 cntical scholar, have fixed him to the department of 
 translation. He had not been long in Bengal before 
 he was joined by Sabat and Mirza, and other learned 
 natives ; so that they now form an Arabic School , from 
 which it is not pretended that there is any appeal in In¬ 
 dia.* 
 
 Mr. Martyn’s own proper department is the Hindos¬ 
 tanee Language. Soon after his arrival, he translated 
 the Liturgy of the Church of England into that tongue • 
 being the first who introduced the Church Service to 
 our native subjects in Bengal. He found that many of 
 the wives of the English soldiers were Hindostanee wo¬ 
 men, proiessing Christianity, but who did not understand 
 the English Language, and being desirous to discharge 
 faithfully the duties of his clerical office, he thought it 
 proper to attempt such a translation. After reading- 
 prayers to the soldiers in English, he reads Hindosta¬ 
 nee prayers to their wives, and to other natives. This ori¬ 
 ginal work,having received repeated revision and amend¬ 
 ment, is esteemed by competent judges to be a perspic¬ 
 uous and faithful version of the sublime original. He 
 also translated, about the same time, the Parables and 
 parabolic speeches, or apophthegms, of our Saviour in¬ 
 to the same language, with an explanation subjoined 
 to each. J 
 
 But the grand work which has chiefly engaged the 
 attention of this Oriental Scholar, during the last four 
 
 * As Mr. Martyn anti his associates at Cownpore constitute the 
 Arabic School in India, for the translation of the Scriptures ; so Dr 
 Carey, and the Missionaries at Serampore, compose the Shanscrit 
 See two Memoirs lately published, and the Proceeding* 
 ©f the Baptist Society, published annually. g 
 
123 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 years, is his Translation of the whole Bible intd the 
 Hindostanee Language. It has been often acknow¬ 
 ledged, that a version of the Scriptures into what is 
 justly called “ the grand popular language of Hindos- 
 tan,” would be the most generally useful in India. 
 Mr. Martyn is in no haste to print any part of his 
 Work, being desirous that it should be first revised 
 and approved by the best scholars. His chief diffi¬ 
 culty is in settling the orthography of the language, 
 and in ascertaining what proportion of words ought 
 to be admitted from the Persian and Arabic fountains; 
 for the Hindostanee is yet in its infancy, as a written 
 and grammatical tongue ; and it is probable, that Mr. 
 Martyn’s Work will contribute much to fix its stand¬ 
 ard. To evince the care and accuracy which he pro¬ 
 poses to himself in this Translation, it will be proper 
 to subjoin his last official Report on the subject, dated 
 December, 1809. 
 
 “ The Hindostanee New Testament has been finish¬ 
 ed some time, and submitted to the inspection of a va¬ 
 riety of persons in different parts of the country ; but 
 the opinions formed of the Work have not hitherto 
 appeared to justify its publication. I am perfectly 
 convinced of the inutility of attempting to please all; 
 yet I thought it better to withhold from the Press 
 what longer experience, and the possession of more 
 efficient instruments, might enable me to send forth, in 
 a form more calculated to give general satisfaction. 
 The person, whose assistance I was most anxious to 
 obtain, has once more joined me; and I am now wil¬ 
 ling to hope that the Word of God may be presented 
 to the native of India, so as to be intelligible to the 
 generality of readers. The grammar of the language 
 is nearly fixed by Mr. Gilchrist’s learned and useful 
 labors; but it is still difficult to write in it with a view 
 to general utility. For the higher Mahomedans and 
 men of learning will hardly peruse, with satisfaction, 
 a book in which the Persian has not lent its aid to 
 adorn the style. To the rest, a larger proportion of 
 Hindee is more acceptable. The difficulty of ascer¬ 
 taining the point equally removed from either extreme, 
 would be considerably lessened, were there any prose 
 
RESPECTING THE ARABIANS. 
 
 120 
 
 compositions in the language, of acknowledged puri¬ 
 ty. But unfortunately no such standard exists: no 
 works of any description indeed have been found but 
 poems. Lately some translations in Hindostanee prose 
 have issued from the College of Fort William ; but as 
 they have not yet stood the test of time, and are very 
 little known in the country, they could not be safely re¬ 
 ferred to as a standard. Thus I have been left to the 
 guidance of my own judgment far more than I could 
 have wished.” 
 
 In regard to the Arabic and Persian Translations, 
 both of which Mr. Martyn superintends, as well as 
 the Hindostanee, he thus writes : 
 
 (i In the Persian and Arabic Translations there are 
 happily no such difficulties. The valuable qualities of 
 our Christian brother, Nathaniel Sabat, render this 
 part of the work comparatively easy. As he is, I 
 trust, a serious Christian, the study ’ of the Word of 
 God, and the translation of it, are of course a matter 
 of choice with him, and a rigid adherence to the ori¬ 
 ginal a point of duty.* As a scholar, his acquirements 
 are very considerable. He was educated under the 
 care of the most learned man in Bagdad; and having 
 continued to exercise himself in composition, he has 
 acquired in consequence a critical acumen, and great 
 command of words. His ill state of health renders it 
 impossible to say exactly when the Work he has under¬ 
 taken will be finished ; but if nothing untoward happen 
 to interrupt us, you may expect the New Testament 
 in the three languages, in the course of two years.” 
 
 * The solicitude of these translators to infuse the true meaning 
 of the original into their versions, and not to trust entirely to the 
 English Translation, will appear from the following observations 
 cf Mr. Martyn in his last letter. “ The Psalms we must leave 
 till the end of the New Testament, for this solid reason, that I do 
 not understand a considerable portion of that book. Much of the 
 present 1 ranslation is certainly unintelligible. It appears to me, 
 that the two Royal Authors have suffered more from the plebeian 
 touch of their interpreters, than even the Prophets, or any others 
 but Job. Hebrew has been of late my constant meditation,” 
 
130 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 THE JEWS. 
 
 There are three remarkable prophecies concerning 
 the Jews. 
 
 1. “ The children of Israel shall abide many days 
 without a King, and without a Prince, and without a 
 Sacrifice, and without an Image, and without an Ephod, 
 and without Teraphim,” Hos. iii, 4. 
 
 2. “ The Lord shall scatter thee among all people, 
 from the one end of the earth even unto the other,” 
 Deut. xxix. 64. And yet, “ the people shall dwell 
 alone, and shall not be reckoned amongst the nations,” 
 Num. xxiii. 9. 
 
 3. “ Thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, 
 and a bye-word among all the nations whither the Lord 
 shall lead thee. Among these nations shalt thou find 
 no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest,” 
 Deut. xxviii, 37. 65. 
 
 The first of these prophecies is very remarkable ; 
 for who ever heard of a nation “ abiding many days” 
 without its civil and religious polity, and surviving its 
 political existence ? The very assertion seems to in¬ 
 volve an absurdity. Did the Egyptians, Chaldeans, 
 Greeks, or Romans, survive their civil and religious 
 polity ? 
 
 The second prediction is not less singular than the 
 former; for if the Jews were to be received among the 
 nations of the earth, why should they not “ be reckon¬ 
 ed with the nations?” Would any man, in a remote 
 age, venture to foretel that there was a certain nation, 
 which, in the ages to come, would be received and tol¬ 
 erated by all other nations, merely to be persecuted ?* 
 
 * To this day the Jews “ are not reckoned” with the English 
 nation. The prophetical record influenced the last parliamentary 
 proceeding respecting them. In 1753, a Bill was passed to nat¬ 
 uralize the Jews ; but after a few months it was repealed, the 
 voice of the people demanded that the devoted nation should 
 “ not be reckoned with them.” So true it is that our last nation¬ 
 al deliberation concerning this people was influenced by the an¬ 
 cient prophecy. The time is now come when Parliament may 
 restore to the Jew the franchise of a fellow-creature, without 
 contravening the Divine decrees. It is prophesied again, that 
 
RESPECTING THE JEWS. 
 
 1S1 
 
 But the third prophecy is such as must afford a con¬ 
 templation to Infidelity, to the end of time. The Jews 
 were to become “ an astonishment, and a proverb, and 
 a bye-word among all the nations,” because they shed 
 the blood of the Saviour of the world. Now it is not 
 surprising that Christians should reproach them for 
 such a crime. But how should we expect that they 
 would be « trodden down of the heathen world,” who 
 never heard of such a Saviour? Behold the Hindoo, at 
 this day, punishing the Jew, without knowing the 
 crime of which he has been guilty ! 
 
 These three prophecies have been manifestly fulfill- 
 ed ; and if we had no other evidence, this is sufficient 
 to prove “that there is a God, and that he hath made 
 a revelation to man.” 
 
 1 here is a fourth prophecy concerning this people, 
 which will shortly be accomplished. The Prophet 
 Hosea, after foretelling that the children of Israel 
 should abide many days without a King, adds these 
 words: _ Afterward shall they return, and seek the 
 Loul their God, and David their king; and shall fear 
 the Loul and his goodness in the latter days,” Hosea 
 
 •I he question, which is now in the mouth of every 
 Christian is that which was asked in the vision of the 
 
 Ft he ^ ih anie i ° n r l he Same Sub i ect ’ “ How long shall 
 \ b ® to , th f ° r these wonders ?” Dan. xii, 6. When 
 shall the indignation against the holy people be ac¬ 
 complished .” Dan. xi, 31 ; that they may “ return and 
 seek the Lord their God, and David their king ?” 
 
 To Daniel the Prophet, and to John the Evangelist 
 was given a revelation of the great events of the geS 
 era 1 Church to the end of time. Daniel foretels ffiat 
 the Christian Church shall be oppressed bv the perse¬ 
 cuting powers for “ a time, times, and the dividing of 
 
 f tUT ! e ’ Dan- vu ’ 25 ‘ The same period he assigns 
 foi the accomplishment of the indignation against the 
 
 “ Israel shall return to the Lord their God ” and that , 
 
 of this event is not far remote. In obeffience then to t H‘° d 
 
 the St"if h the rn 3! bllC and S ° lemn manner> as an wampteto 
 
132 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 holy people Israel. “ One said, how long shall it be to 
 the end of these wonders ? And I heard the man cloth¬ 
 ed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, 
 when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto 
 heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever, that it 
 shall be for a time, times and a half ; and when he 
 shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the 
 holy people, all these things shall be fulfilled,” Dan. 
 xii, 7. Now the same form of words is used in the 
 Revelation of St. John, to express the duration of 
 the t Papal and Mahomedan powers. Oppressed by 
 them, the Church of Christ was to remain deso¬ 
 late in the wilderness, “ for a time, times, and half 
 of a time,” Rev. xii, 14. Every one, who is erudite 
 in sacred prophecy, will understand that this great 
 period of Daniel and St. John commences at the same 
 era, namely, the rise of the persecuting powers; and 
 that its duration is 1260 years.* 
 
 Here then are three great events hastening to their 
 period ; the extinction of the Papal dominion ; the sub¬ 
 version of the Mahomedan power ; and “ the accom¬ 
 plishment of the Divine indignation against the holy 
 people,” or the return of the people of Israel “ to seek 
 the Lord their God, and David their king.” 
 
 Our blessed Saviour has not left an event of this im¬ 
 portance without notice. “ The Jews,” saith he, “ shall 
 be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem 
 shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times 
 of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Luke xxi, 24. What 
 these “ times of the Gentiles” are, our Lord has ex¬ 
 plained in his subsequent Revelation to St. John. 
 “ The court which is without the temple is given unto 
 the Gentiles ; and the holy city thall they tread under 
 foot forty and two months ;” or, in prophetical 
 language, at a day for a year, 1260 years. Rev. xi, 2. 
 
 The apostle Paul hath also recorded this event. “ I 
 would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this 
 mystery, that blindness, in partis happened to Israel, 
 until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in ; and so all 
 Israel shall be saved,” Rom. xi, 25. The fulness of 
 
 * See this period explained in p. 12 2, 123. 
 
respecting the jews. 
 
 133 
 
 t.me for the conversion of the Gentiles will be come 
 
 ‘ “ %° Mabom-dan and Papal obstructions are 
 
 U- , , S ri7 mlS 85 tl,e faU of the Pope in the 
 
 persecnl? ' r j1 f *. he t Jast ’ b " ih of whom 
 
 persecuttu tne Jews to death, will probably be the 
 
 cc C s a of °th ! Wa r e,?ing * h . e JeWS to con “ to the evident 
 botli thatrell S 10n which predicted the rise and fall of 
 
 wbi«t h f,?E? d ? r °F heCy ° f the a P° st,e Pa ul ^ this 
 subject,_ is that which respects the consequence of the 
 
 conversion of the Jews. « The receiving of the Jews ” 
 
 saith he, u What shall it be to the wSrld, bu lift 
 
 FROM THE dead ?” Rom. xi, 15. Dispersed as they 
 
 are in all countries, and speaking the languages of afl 
 
 countries, they will form a° body of li^ehers 
 
 the d Scr?mur^ d fp n H ^ ° n!y sa 7» “ Behold 
 
 . „ ^criptures of God, m our possession ; read our his- 
 
 th . ere ’ as for etold three thousand years a«-o, and 
 
 lead the events m the annals of nations. We are 
 
 witnesses to the world, and the world to us. Let the 
 
 who e race 01 mankind unite and examine the fact ” 
 
 earth 3 ^" lh ®J >Ita " ts of u the World, and dwellers on the 
 t} ’ 7 e > when the Lord lifteth up an ensign on 
 
 the mountains : and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear 
 
 ihewcHd 1 ^^ 111 ’/' T , hU5 wi]I their preaching be to 
 me uoi Id “ life from the dead.” b 
 
 the P l f , the C ? n *, ersion of Israel is take place when 
 
 tS”hesei 0 ? rS '' aVe faIlen - a " tl 
 
 it mbvi.f 1 lat these events are near at hand ? 
 
 between Jews^-Hn'■ S ° me si § ns of conciliation 
 
 visiblT a a Chns i Rns would now begin to be 
 com tries beo I" ^, the fact ? Christfans in all 
 againstihehokn? '°" s . mer ’ th at “ the indignation 
 ny events ^ ^ ac pomplished? Ma¬ 
 
 laxing The nrm i • ^,‘ e ,n Agnation of man is re- 
 it The r prophecies have been fulfilled regarding 
 
 plished; ’ that 1J 
 
134 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 This is the Divine command. And behold, Christians 
 begin now, for the first time, “ to speak comfortably to 
 Jerusalem.” 
 
 While the author was in the East, the state of the 
 Jews, who are dispersed in different countries, fre¬ 
 quently occupied his thoughts. He had heard that 
 they existed in distinct colonies in certain parts of In¬ 
 dia ; that some of them had arrived long before the 
 Christian Era, and had remained in the midst of the 
 Hindoos, to this time, a distinct and separate people, 
 persecuted by the native princes, from age to age, and 
 yet not destroyed ; “burning, like the bush of Moses, 
 and not consumedand he had a strong desire “ to 
 turn aside and see this great sight.” His mind was 
 impressed with the conviction that their preservation, 
 in such a variety of regions, and under such a diver¬ 
 sity of circumstances, could be only effected by the in¬ 
 terposition of the Divine Providence, which reserved 
 them, thus distinct, for some special and important 
 purpose. And since the period of time for the accom¬ 
 plishment of this purpose was considered by many to 
 be fast approaching, he wished to hear the sentiments 
 of the Jews from their own lips, and to learn their act¬ 
 ual impressions, as to their present circumstances and 
 future hopes. 
 
 In his Memorial respecting the Syrian Christians, 
 presented to Marquis Wellesley, the Author also no¬ 
 ticed the existence of an ancient colony of Jews on the 
 coast of Malabar, particularly at Cochin ; and as this 
 place had recently become a part of the British Empire, 
 by conquest from the Dutch, Lord William Bentinck, 
 then Governor of Madras, who had received letters 
 from the Supreme Government, was pleased to direct 
 the civil officer, who had charge of the department of 
 Cochin,* to afford him every aid in the prosecution of 
 his Researches. His first tour to Cochin was in No¬ 
 vember 1806, and he remained in the country till Feb¬ 
 ruary 1807. He again visited it in January 1808. He 
 has only room, in this present Work, to introduce a few 
 notes from his Journal. 
 
 * Thomas Flower, Esq. 
 
RESPECTING THE JEWS. 
 
 “ Cochin, Feb. 4, 1807. 
 
 “ I have been now in Cochin, or its vicinity, for up- 
 wai ds of two months, and have got well acquainted with 
 the Jews. They do not live in the city of Cochin, but 
 in a town about a mile distant from it, called Jews’-Town. 
 It is almost wholly inhabited by the Jews, who have two 
 respectable Synagogues. Among them are some very 
 intelligent men, who are not ignorant of the present 
 history of nations. 1 here are also Jews here from re¬ 
 mote parts oi Asia, so that this is the fountain of intel¬ 
 ligence concerning that people in the East; there being 
 constant communication by ships with the Red Sea, the 
 Persian Gulf, and the mouths of the Indus. The resi¬ 
 dent Jews are divided into two classes, called the Jeru¬ 
 salem or White Jews ; and the Ancient or Black Jews. 
 1 he YV lute Jews reside at this place. The Black Jews 
 have also a Synagogue here ; but the great body of that 
 tribe inhabit towns in the interior of the province. I 
 have now seen most of both classes. My inquiries re- 
 fened chiefly to their antiquity, their manuscripts, and 
 their sentiments concerning the present state of their 
 nation.” 
 
 THE JERUSALEM OR WHITE JEWS. 
 
 ‘ On my inquiry into the antiquity of the White Jews, 
 they first delivered to me a narrative, in the Hebrew 
 Language, of their arrival in India, which has been 
 handed down to them from their fathers ; and then ex¬ 
 hibited their ancient brass Plate, containing their char¬ 
 ter and freedom of residence, given bv a King of Mala¬ 
 bar. I he following is the narrative of the events refit¬ 
 ting to their first arrival.” 
 
 “ ‘ After the second Temple was destroyed, (which 
 may God speedily rebuild 1) our fathers, dreading the 
 Conqueror’s wrath, departed from Jerusalem, a numer¬ 
 ous body of men, women, priests, and Levites, and 
 came into this land. There were among them men of 
 repute for learning and wisdom ; and Goc! gave the peo¬ 
 ple favor in the sight of the King who at that time 
 reigneo here, and he granted them a place to dwell in, 
 called Cranganor. He allowed them a patriarchal ju- 
 
}36 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 risdiction within the district, with certain privileges of 
 nobility ; and the Royal Grant was engraved, according 
 to the custom of those days, on a plate of brass. This 
 was done in the year from the creation of the world 
 4250 (a. d. 490); and this plate of brass we still have 
 in possession. Our forefathers continued at Cranganor 
 for about a thousand years, and the number of Heads 
 who governed were seventy-two. Soon after our set¬ 
 tlement, other Jews followed us from Judea ; and among 
 these came that man of great wisdom, Rabbi Samuel, a 
 Levite of Jerusalem, with his son, Rabbi Jehuda Levita. 
 They brought with them the silver trumpets, made 
 use of at the time of the Jubilee, which were saved 
 when the second Temple was destroyed; and we have 
 heard from our fathers, that there were engraven upon 
 those trumpets the letters of the ineffable Name* 
 There joined us also from Spain , and other places, 
 from time to time, certain tribes of Jews, who had 
 heard of our prosperity. But at last, discord arising 
 among ourselves, one of our Chiefs called to his assist¬ 
 ance an Indian King, who came upon us with a great 
 army, destroyed our houses, palaces, and strong holds, 
 dispossessed us of Cranganor, killed part of us, and 
 carried part into captivity. By these massacres we 
 were reduced to a small number. Some of the exiles 
 came and dwelt at Cochin, where we have remained 
 ever since, suffering great changes from time to time. 
 There are amongst us some of the children of Israel 
 (Beni-Israel) who came from the country of Ashkenaz, 
 from Egypt ‘ from Tsobo, and other places, besides 
 those who formerly inhabited this country.’ 
 
 “ The native annals of Malabar confirm the foregoing 
 account, in the principal circumstances, as do the Ma- 
 homedan histories of the later ages ; for the Mahom- 
 edans have been settled here in great numbers since 
 the eighth century. 
 
 * This circumstance of the Jubilee Trumpets is to be found in 
 a similar account of the Jews of Malabar, published in the “ His¬ 
 tory of the Works of the Learned,” for March 1699. It is not 
 necessary to suppose that these trumpets belonged to the Tem¬ 
 ple ; for it is well known, that in every considerable town in Ju? 
 «lea there were Jubilee trumpets. 
 
RESPECTING THE JEWS. 
 
 137 
 
 _ I he desolation of Cranganor the Jews describe as 
 being like the desolation of Jerusalem in miniature. 
 
 icy were first received into the country with some 
 lavor and confidence, agreeably to the tenor of the 
 general prophecy concerning the Jews; fornocountrv 
 
 '*' aS rejC , Ct them : ai)d after the 7 had obtained some 
 wealth, and attracted the notice of men, they are preci- 
 
 P“ a ‘ e h t0 T t ,e l0WCS ; ab / SS of “ uma " a„ P d re- 
 
 ] loach. 1 he recital of the sufferings of the Jews at 
 
 Cianganor resembles much that of the Jews at Jerusa¬ 
 lem, as given bv Josephus. 
 
 ■date n HaI qU t Sted ‘- ey r ,,ld she ' v brass 
 
 plate. Having been given by a native King, it is writ- 
 
 mid knovv^n 'Vi 16 f Ialabaric Ian 8' ua ge and character; 
 Thr T ° d thatlt cannot be well understood. 
 
 ie Jews preserve a Hebrew translation of it, which 
 they presented to me : but the Hebrew itself is very 
 aifhcult, and they do not agree among themselves as 
 
 theh- C . mea " ln - S 01 SOmevvoid8 - 1 have employed, by 
 t aeii pe 1 mission, an engraver at Cochin, to execute i 
 
 fac-simile cf the original plate, on copper.* This an- 
 
 beglnsi f l . he followingmanner, accord- 
 to the Hebrew translation :f 
 
 th “ ‘ !!h! h !f aC ?. of Go , d ! thc ^ng, which hath made 
 
 AIRVI BR AHMt 1 !? ‘°, * S Pl . e / Sllre ' To ‘bis God, I, 
 A1K\ 1 LKAHMIIs, have lifted up mv hand mu 
 
 have granted by this deed, which many hundred thou- 
 
 sanci years shall run- I, dwelling- in Crano-anor 
 
 have granted, in the thirty-sixth year of my reijn in 
 
 of power 8 ! h ^ 1 gl ' an ' ed > in «•» strength 
 HABBAN.’ glven ln lnhent ance, to JOSEPH 
 
 “ Then follow the privileges of nobility • such a- 
 
 “rea? 10 °” el 'P h “U to have^hcreJd ,o P „o 
 Leioi e, to announce the name and dignity ; to have th* 
 
 S5S 0f a‘d e ,:'T ; t0 , Walk °" s spreU upon the 
 eailh , and to have trumpets and cymbals sounded be- 
 
 simile formalwoVlates^These* 1 bWh sid ? s of ,he P'*«. ‘be fac. 
 
 r.ib,,., y at thl'KSv 0 T fclS7 deP ° S,led >'* Public 
 
 M 2 
 
r-38 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 fore him. King Airvi then appoints Joseph Rabban to 
 be ‘ Chief and Governor of the houses of congregation 
 (the Synagogues,) and of certain districts, and of the 
 sojourners in them.’ What proves the importance of 
 the Jews at the period when this grant was made, is, 
 that it is signed by seven Kings as witnesses. ‘And to 
 this are witnesses, King Bivada Cubertin Mitadin, and 
 lie is King of Travancore. King Airla Nada Mana 
 Vikriin, and he is the Samorin. King Veloda Nada 
 Archarin Shatin, and he is King of Argot.’ The re¬ 
 maining four Kings are those of Palgatchery , Colastriy 
 Carbinath , and Vara-changur. There is no date in this 
 document, further than what may be collected from the 
 reign of the Prince, and the names of the royal wit¬ 
 nesses. Dates are not usual in old Malabaric writings. 
 One fact is evident, that the Jews must have existed a 
 considerable time in the country, before they could 
 have obtained such a grant. The tradition before men¬ 
 tioned assigns for the date of the transaction, the year 
 of the Creation 4250, which is in Jewish computation, 
 a. d. 490. It is well known, that the famous Malabaric 
 King, Ceram Perumal, made grants to the Jews,Chris¬ 
 tians, and Mahornedans, during his reign ; but that 
 Prince flourished in the eighth or ninth century. 
 
 THE BLACK JEWS. 
 
 “ It is only necessary to look at the countenance of the 
 Black Jews to be satisfied that their ancestors must 
 have arrived in India many ages before the White Jews. 
 Their Hindoo complexion, and their very imperfect re¬ 
 semblance to the European Jews, indicate that they have 
 been detached from the parent stock in Judea many ages 
 before the Jews in the West; and that there have been 
 intermarriages with families not Israelitish. I had 
 heard that those tribes, which had passed the Indus, 
 have assimilated so much to the customs and habits of 
 the countries in which they live, that they may be some¬ 
 times seen by a traveller, without being recognized as 
 Jews. In the interior towns of Malabar, I was not al¬ 
 ways able to distinguish the Jew from the Hindoo. I 
 hence perceived how easy it may be to mistake the tribes- 
 
RESPECTING TJIE JEWS. 
 
 1391 
 
 of Jewish descent among the Afghans and other nations 
 in the northern parts of Hindostan. The White Jews 
 look upon the Black Jews as an inferior race, and not of 
 z.pure cast: which plainly demonstrates that they do not 
 spring from a common stock in India. 
 
 . The Black Jews communicated to me much inter* 
 esting intelligence concerning their brethren the an¬ 
 cient Israelites in the East; traditional indeed in its na¬ 
 ture, but in general illustrative of true history. They 
 recounted the names of many other small colonies resi¬ 
 dent in northern India, Tartary, and China; and gave 
 me a written list of sixty-five places. I conversed 
 with those who had lately visited many of these stations, 
 and were about to return again. The Jews have a nev¬ 
 er-ceasing communication with each other in the East. 
 Their families indeed are generally stationary, being 
 subject to despotic princes; but the men move much 
 about m a commercial capacity ; and the same individ¬ 
 ual will pass through many extensive countries So 
 that when any thing interesting to the nation of the 
 Jews takes place, the rumor will pass rapidly throusrh- 
 out all Asia. b 
 
 “ I inquired concerning their brethren, the Ten 
 lubes. They said that it was commonly believed 
 among them, that the great body of the Israelites are 
 to be found in Chaldea, and in the countries contiguous 
 to it, being the very places whither they were first car¬ 
 ried into captivity ; that some few families had migrated 
 into regions more remote, as to Cochin and Rajapoor 
 m India, and to other places yet farther to the East 
 but that the bulk of the nation, though now much re¬ 
 duced in number, had not to this day removed two 
 thousand miles from Samaria. Among the Black Jews 
 1 could not find many copies of the Bible. They in¬ 
 formed me, that in certain places of the remote disper- 
 sion, their brethren have but some small portions of 
 tar Scriptures, and that the prophetical books were 
 rare ; but that they themselves, from their vicinity to 
 the White Jews, have been supplied, from lime to time, 
 with the whole of the Old Testament. 
 
 “ From these communications I plainly perceive the 
 important duty which now devolves on Christians pos- 
 
140 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 sessing the art of printing , to send to the Jews in the 
 East, copies of the Hebrew Scriptures, and particular¬ 
 ly of the prophetical books. If only the prophecies of 
 Isaiah and Daniel were published among them, the ef¬ 
 fect might be great. They do not want the Eav so 
 much. But the prophetical books would appear among 
 them with some novelty, particularly in a detached 
 form ; and could be easily circulated through the re¬ 
 motest parts of Asia.” 
 
 MANUSCRIPTS. 
 
 u Almost in every house I find Hebrew books, print¬ 
 ed or manuscript; particularly among the White Jews. 
 Most of the printed Hebrew of Europe has found its 
 way to Cochin, through the medium of the Portuguese 
 and Dutch commerce of former times. When 1 ques¬ 
 tioned the Jews concerning the old copies of the Scrip¬ 
 tures, which had been read in the Synagogues from age 
 to age : some told me that it was usual to bury them, 
 when decayed by time and use. Others said that this 
 was not always the case. I despaired at first of being- 
 able to procure any of the old biblical writings ; but af¬ 
 ter I had been in the country about six weeks, and 
 they found that 1 did not expect to obtain them merely 
 as presents, some copies were recovered. The White 
 Jews had only the Bible written on parchment, and of 
 modern appearance, in their Synagogue ; but I was in¬ 
 formed that the Black Jews possessed formerly copies 
 written on Goat Skins; and that in the Synagogue of 
 the Black Jews there was an old Record Chest, into 
 which the decayed copies of their Scriptures had been 
 thrown. I accordingly went to the Synagogue with 
 a few of the chief men, and examined the contents, 
 which some of them said they had never looked at 
 before, and did not seem greatly to value. The manu¬ 
 scripts were of various kinds, on parchment, goat-skins, 
 and cotton paper. I negociated for them hastily, and 
 wrapped them up in two cloths, and gave them to the 
 Jews to carry home to my house. I had observed some 
 murmuring among the bye-standers in the Synagogue, 
 while I was examining the chest; and before we ap- 
 
respecting the jews. 
 
 14! 
 
 peared in the streets, the alarm had gone forth, that 
 the Christians were robbing the Synagogue of the Law. 
 ihere were evident symptoms of tumult, and the wo- 
 men and children collected and were following* us. I 
 requested some of the more respectable Jews to accom¬ 
 pany me out of the town ; but I had scarcely arrived 
 at ray own house at Cochin, when the persons who had 
 permitted me to take the manuscripts, came in evident 
 agitation, and told me I must restore them immediately 
 to calm the popular rage. Others had gone to com- 
 p.am to the Chief Magistrate, Thomas Flower, Esq. 
 And now I had lost my spoil, but for the friendly 
 counsel and judicious conduct of Mr. Flower. Fie di¬ 
 rected that all the manuscripts should be delivered up 
 to b ( m ’ and that .there should be no further proceedings 
 on the subject without his authority. To this the Jews 
 agreed. There was some plea of justice on my side, 
 a : \\ was understood that I had given a valuable consid¬ 
 eration. In the mean time he allowed a few days to 
 pass, that the minds of the people might become tran¬ 
 quil, and he then summoned some of the more liberal 
 men, and gave them a hearing on the subject. In the 
 mean time I thought it prudent to retire from Cochin. 
 
 m!ie, 7 ? ? “"f "’ e,U ‘,° Oanganor, about sixteen 
 miles off, to Colonel Macaulay, the British Resident at 
 I ravancore, who was then at the house at Mr Drum- 
 
 Siin V t h e F C . 0lIeCt ° r r 0f Ma , labar ‘ 0l1 my return to Co- 
 ™ , ; F 0Wer ln [ ormed me that all the manuscripts* 
 *° oe returned to my house; that I was to select 
 w? ™ ° ld ’ and of llttie use to the Jews, and to give 
 back to them what was new. The affair ended however 
 
 pa« o/theX™"* 8 me Benetously to retain some 
 
 Bllrl S1 . nce . ma . de a . tour through the towns of the 
 Je ' v , s m the Ulterior of the country, Tritoor , 
 Par-oor, Chenotta , and Mulch, I have procured a good 
 
 lomT T n r C l ipt u T hiefly in the Rabbi mcal character, 
 r t VhlCh , he JeWS themselves cannot read; and 
 L ° not kn . ow what to say to their traditions. A copy 
 
 miHw hp CnptUreS , bel ? nS,ngt0 Jews of the East » who 
 Jews of th. P w 1 ° l Ve ha , d no c °mmunication with 
 v of the West, has been long considered a desidU 
 
142 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 eratum in Europe ; for the Western Jews have been ac¬ 
 cused by some learned men of altering or omitting 
 certain words in the Hebrew Text, to invalidate the 
 argument of Christians. But Jews in the East, remote 
 from the controversy, would have no motive for such 
 corruptions. One or two of the MSS. which I have 
 just procured, will probably be of some service in this 
 respect. One of them is an old copy of the Books of 
 Moses, written on' a roll of leather. The skins are 
 sewed together, and the roll is about forty-eight feet in 
 length. It is, in some places, worn out, and the holes 
 have been sewed up with pieces of parchment. Some 
 of the Jews suppose that this roll came originally from 
 Senna in Arabia ; others have heard that it was brought 
 from Cashmir. The Cabul Jews, who travel into the 
 interior of China, say that in some Synagogues the Law 
 is still written on a roll of leather, made of Goats’ Skins 
 dyed red ; not on vellum, but on a soft flexible leather ; 
 which agrees with the description of the roll above 
 mentioned.* 
 
 “ Ever since I came among these people, and heard 
 their sentiments on the prophecies, and their confident 
 hopes of returning to Jerusalem , I have thought much 
 on the means of obtaining a version of the New-Tes- 
 tament in the Hebrew Language, and circulating it 
 among them and their brethren in the East. I had 
 heard that there were one or two translations of the 
 Testament in their own possession, but they were 
 studiously kept out of my sight, for a considerable 
 time. At last however they were produced by indi¬ 
 viduals in a private manner. One of them is written 
 in the small Rabbinical or Jerusalem character ; the 
 other in a large square letter. The history of the 
 
 Mr. Yeates, formerly of Ail Souls College, Oxford, and editor 
 of the Hebrew Grammar, has been employed for the last two years 
 at Cambridge, in arranging and collating the Hebrew and Syriac 
 MSS. brought from India. His collation of the Roll of the Pen¬ 
 tateuch above mentioned, is now finished, and will form a volume 
 in quarto. The University has, with great liberality, resolved that 
 this bool; shall be printed at the expense of the University, for the 
 benefit of Mr. Yeat.es; and Dr. Marsh, the learned Editor of the 
 Michaelis, has written a Note on the antiquity and importance of 
 fcfce manuscript, which will form a Preface to the work. 
 
RESPECTING THE JEWS. 
 
 143 
 
 former is very interesting. The translator, a learned 
 Rabbi, conceived the design of making an accurate 
 version of the New Testament, for the express pur¬ 
 pose of confuting it. . His style is copious and elegant, 
 like that of a master in the language, and the translation 
 is in general faithful. It does not indeed appear that 
 he wished to pervert the meaning of a single sentence j 
 but depending on his own abilities and renown as a 
 scholar, he hoped to be able to controvert its doc¬ 
 trines, and to triumph over it by fair contest in the 
 piesence of the world. There is yet a mystery about 
 the circumstances of this man’s death, which time will 
 perhaps unfold : the Jews are not inclined to say much 
 to me about him. His version is complete, and writ¬ 
 ten with greater freedom and ease towards the end 
 than at the beginning. How astonishing it is that an 
 enemy should have done this ! that he should have per¬ 
 severed resolutely and calmly to the end of his work ! 
 not indeed always calmly : for there is sometimes a 
 note of execration on the Sacred Person who is the 
 subject of it, to unburden his mind and ease the con- 
 flmt of his laboring soul. At the close of the Gospels, 
 as it afraid of the converting power of his own transla¬ 
 tion, “ he calls Heaven to witness that he had under¬ 
 taken the work with the professed design of opposing 
 the Epicureans by which term he contemptuously- 
 means the Christians. 
 
 “I have had many interesting conferences with the 
 Jews, on the subject of their present state ; and have 
 been much struck with two circumstances ; their con¬ 
 stant reference to the DESOLATION of Jerusalem, 
 ^ ™ lr confident hope that it will be one day RE- 
 RU1LT. The desolation of the Holy City is ever 
 piesent to the minds of the Jews, when the subject is 
 concerning themselves as a Nation; for, though with¬ 
 out a king and without a country, they constantly speak 
 01 the unity of their nation. Distance of time and 
 place seems to have no effect in obliterating the re¬ 
 membrance ot the Desolation. I often thought of the 
 verse in the Psalms, “ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, 
 Lt my right hand forget her cunning.” They speak 
 
 I alestine as being close at hand, and easily accessi- 
 
144 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 ble. It is become an ordinance of their Rabbins hi 
 some places, that when a man builds a new house, he 
 shall leave a small part of it unfinished, as an emblem 
 of ruin, and write on it these words, Zecher Lachor- 
 chan , i. e. in MEMORY of the DESOLATION. 
 
 “ Their hopes of rebuilding the walls of Jerusa¬ 
 lem, the third and last time, under the auspices 
 of the Messiah, or of a second Cyrus, before his com¬ 
 ing', are always expressed with great confidence. They 
 have a general impression, that the period of their 
 liberation from the Heathen is not very remote; and 
 they consider the present commotions in the earth as 
 gradually loosening their bonds. “ It is,” say they, 
 u a sure sign of our approaching restoration, that in 
 almost all countries there is a general relaxation 
 of the persecution against us.” I pressed strongly 
 upon them the prophecies of Daniel. In former times 
 that Prophet was not in repute among the Jews, be¬ 
 cause he predicted the coming of the Messiah at the 
 end of “ the seventy weeks;” and his book has been 
 actually removed from the list of prophetic writings, 
 and remains to this day, among the Hagiograftha , such 
 as Job, the Psalms, the Proverbs, Ruth ; but he now 
 begins to be popular among those who have studied 
 him, because he has predicted that the final “ accom¬ 
 plishment of the indignation against the holy people” 
 is near at hand. The strongest argument to press up¬ 
 on the mind of a Jew, at this period, is to explain to 
 his conviction Daniel’s period of 1260 years ; and then 
 to shew the analogy which it bears to the period of 
 the Evangelist John, concerning the Papal and Ma- 
 homedan powers; with the state of which the Jews are 
 well acquainted. 
 
 “I passed through the burial-ground of the Jews 
 the other day. Some of the tombs are handsomely 
 constructed, and have Hebrew inscriptions in prose 
 and verse. This mansion of the dead is called by the 
 Jews Beth Haiim , or “The House of the Li ving.” 
 
 “Being much gratified with my visit to the Jews of 
 Malabar, and desirous to maintain some communica¬ 
 tion with them, I have engaged a very respectable 
 member of their community to accompany me with his 
 
RESPECTING THE JEWS. 1 45 
 
 servant to Bengal, and to remain with me in the ca- 
 paeity 01 Hebrew Moonshie, or teacher, until my return 
 
 wnf g r ! ' d ‘ .° bsemn S tha( - in the houses 7 of the 
 White jews there are many volumes of printed He- 
 
 brcw, mostly of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries 
 which are rarely met with in England, I have employed 
 
 ]JrT ahl \ l i at , !S the name of Moonshee, to col- 
 lect some oi the most valuable.” 
 
 At the beginning of the following year fl808^ t h#. 
 Author visited Cochin a second U®ef“d procVeded 
 afterwards to Bombay, where he had an opportunity 
 
 Uh^aHon® Th h SO t m, i l ery “‘''“sent men of'the lev- 
 hP rl i' i 1Cy had heard of h is conferences with 
 the Cochin Jews, and were desirous to discuss cer 
 
 tain topics, particularly the prophecies of Isaiah • and 
 they engaged in them with far more spirit and franK 
 ness, he thought, than their brethren at fVnk' i 
 
 rr ? ~>rb«rr^r.f 'rjri oi 
 
 th“ Tr pp,oved * 
 
 histtr 'rr kn °': ied 8 e ° f ‘he Jewish Scrip,ureter 
 told, that ^small°portKms V ^if 'g? 1 ba . kad often 
 
 t r„ “ d ^ Ts 
 
 for these are mere exceed" Conversions \nCh° S 
 tiamty in the early ages would equX St Chns - 
 the prediction, taken in an absolve sen™ 
 
 N 
 
146 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 THE TEN TRIBES. 
 
 The Tribes of Israel are no longer to be inquired after 
 by name. The purpose, for which they were once 
 divided into tribes, was accomplished when the 
 genealogy of the Messiah was traced to the stem of 
 David. Neither do the Israelites themselves know 
 certainly from what families they are descended. And 
 this is a chief argument against the Jews, to which the 
 Author never heard that a Jew could make a sensible 
 reply. The tribe of Judah was selected as that from 
 which the Messiah should come ; and behold, the 
 Jews do not know which of them are of the tribe of 
 Judah. 
 
 While the Author was amongst the Jews of Mala¬ 
 bar, he made frequent inquiries concerning the Ten 
 Tribes. When he mentioned that it was the opinion 
 of some, that they had migrated from the Chaldean 
 provinces, he was asked to what country we -supposed 
 they had gone, and whether we had ever heard of 
 their moving in a great army on such an expedition. 
 It will be easy perhaps to shew, that the great body of 
 the Ten Tribes remain to this day in the countries to 
 which they were first carried captive. If we can dis¬ 
 cover where they were in the first century of the 
 Christian Era, which was seven hundred years after 
 the carrying away to Babylon, and again where they 
 were in the fifth century, we certainly may be able to 
 trace them up to this time. 
 
 Josephus, who wrote in the reign of Vespasian, 
 recites a speech made by King Agrippa to the Jews, 
 wherein he exhorts them to submit to the Romans, 
 and expostulates with them in these words: “ What, 
 do you stretch your hopes beyond the river Euphra¬ 
 tes ? Do any of you think that your fellow-tribes 
 will come to your aid out of Adiabene ? Besides, if 
 they would come, the Parthian will not permit it.” 
 (Jos. de Bell , Lib. ii. c. 28.) We learn from this 
 oration, delivered to the Jews themselves, and by a 
 King of the Jews, that the Ten Tribes were then cap¬ 
 tive in Media under the Persian Princes. 
 
RESPECTING THE JEWS. 
 
 14 7 
 
 In the fifth century, Jerome, author of the Vulgate, 
 ti eating of the dispersed Jews in his Notes upon 
 Hose a, has these words : “ Unto this day, the Ten 
 Tubes are subject to the Kings of the Persians, nor 
 has their captivity ever been loosed. (Tom. VI. p. 7 .) 
 And again lie says, “ The Ten Tribes inhabit at this 
 day the cities and mountains of the Medes.” Tom. 
 VI. p. 80. 
 
 There is no room left for doubt on this subject. 
 Have we heard of any expeditioivof the Jews “going 
 forth from that country, since that period, like the 
 Cotlis and Huns, to conquer nations?” Have we ever 
 heard of their rising in insurrection to burst the bands 
 of their captivity? To this day, both Jews and 
 Christians are generally in a state of captivity in these 
 despotic countries. No family dares to leave the 
 kingdom without permission of the King.* 
 
 Mahomedanism reduced the number of the Jews 
 exceedingly : It was presented to them at the point 
 ot the sword. We know that multitudes of Chris- 
 turns received it; for example, “ the seven Churches 
 ot Asia; and we may believe, that an equal propor¬ 
 tion o. Jews were proselyted by the same means. In 
 the provinces of Cashmire and Afghanistan, some of 
 the Jews submitted to great sacrifices, and they remain 
 Jews to this day : but the greater number yielded, in 
 the course of ages, to the power of the reigning reli¬ 
 gion. _ 1 heir countenance, their language, their names, 
 tnen utes and observances, and their history, all con¬ 
 spire to establish the fact.f We may judge, in some 
 degree, of the number of those' who would yield to 
 
 ? e ie S rV f ^ h0med ’ and COnfora5 > “ appearance 
 at least, to what was called a sister Religion, f rom 
 
 the number of those who conformed to the Christian 
 
 f r,’/‘p !cr ‘ h ? of > he Inquisition 
 
 -1 Jill anil 1 ortugal. Orobio, w ho was himself a 
 
 * Joseph Emin, a Christian well known in Calcutta wished in 
 bring h, s family from Ispahan ; but he could no? eS houHi 
 our Government interested itself in his behalf tiiougli 
 
 pcitel among a. nation of Jews. See Forster’s Travels. * 
 
148 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 Jew, states in his History, that there were upwards of 
 twenty thousand Jews in Spain alone, who, from fear 
 of the Inquisition, professed Christianity, some of 
 whom were Priests and Bishops. The tribes of the 
 Affghan race are very numerous, and of different 
 casts; and it is probable, that the proportion which is 
 of Jewish descent is not great. The Aff'ghan nations 
 extend on both sides of the Indus, and inhabit the 
 mountainous region, commencing in Western Persia. 
 They differ in language, customs, religion, and coun¬ 
 tenance, and have little knowledge of each other. Some 
 tribes have the countenance of the Persian, and some of 
 the Hindoo; and some tribes are evidently of Jewish 
 extraction. 
 
 Calculating then the number of Jews, who now 
 inhabit the provinces of ancient Chaldea, or the con¬ 
 tiguous countries, and who still profess Judaism ; and 
 the number of those who embraced Mahomedanism, 
 or some form of it in the same regions ; we may be sat¬ 
 isfied, u That the greater part of the Ten Tribes, which 
 now exist , are to be found in the countries of their first 
 captivity.” 
 
 RESTORATION OF THE JEWS. 
 
 That many of the Jews, w hen liberated from their 
 state of oppression, will return to Judea, appears prob¬ 
 able from the general tenor of prophecy, and from 
 their own natural and unconquerable attachment to 
 that country: but w r e know not for what purpose they 
 should all return thither; and it is perfectly unneces¬ 
 sary to contend for the fact, or to impose it as a te¬ 
 net of faith. We perceive no reason why they should 
 leave the nations in which they live, when these na¬ 
 tions are no longer heathen. Nor is it possible, in nu¬ 
 merous cases, to ascertain who are Jews and who are 
 not. It is also true, that before Judea could nourish 
 the whole body of Jews, even in their present reduced 
 state, the ancient fertility, which was taken away 
 according to prophecy (Deut. xxviii, 23, and 38,) 
 must be restored by miracle. But we have no war¬ 
 rant to look for a miracle under the finished dispense- 
 
RESPECTING the jews. 
 
 149 
 
 tion of the Gospel. We possess “ the more sure word 
 o piophecy, (2 Pet. i, 19,) and look not for signs 
 and wonders. _ We expect no miracle for the Jews, 
 but that of their conversion to Christianity ; which will 
 be a greater miracle, than if the first Temple were 
 to rise in its gold and costly stones, and Solomon were 
 again to reign over them in all his glory. 
 
 Much caution is also required in stating to them 
 our opinions concerning a Millennium, or period of 
 universal truth and felicity. It was prophesied to 
 lsrad, aoout seven hundred years before the coming 
 °* tlie Messiah, that a time should be, « when nation 
 should no longer lift the sword against nation, neither 
 saould men learn war any more when “ the knowl¬ 
 edge of the Lord, which was then confined to Judea, 
 snoulu cover the earth as the waters cover the sea;” 
 arm w nen “ they should not teach every man his neigh- 
 b°r, saying, Know the Lord, for all should know him 
 from t0 the greatest.” These prophecies 
 
 were fulfilled generally when the Messiah appeared. 
 
 1 he Gospel of Peace was preached to men, and “ the 
 sound thereoi went to the ends of the earth.” The last 
 prediction, which is the clearest and strongest of all. 
 
 ^ Ley s.iall not teach every man his neighbor, saying. 
 Know the Lord, lor all shall know him, from the least 
 to tne greatest,” is expressly quoted by the apostle Paul 
 ftieb. vui, 1 1 ,) as haying been already fulfilled by the 
 manifestation of Christ, who abrogated the old covenant 
 wiln Israel, which was confined to few, and made a 
 new covenant with the world, which was extended to. 
 
 ALL. 
 
 It is believed, however, that the predictions above- 
 recited will receive a more particular accomplishment 
 
 rhm af J er t t J’ at the S loi T even of the primitive 
 Chinch shad be far surpassed. But it does not appear, 
 
 tnat the conversion of men at any future period will be 
 universal. It is evident indeed, from the sure word 
 of prophecy, that there will he a long time of general 
 holiness and peace, which will succeed to the present 
 reign of vice and misery, probably “ a thousand years •” 
 during which, righteousness will be as common as 
 wickedness is now ; and further, that this period is 
 
 N. 
 
ISO 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 at hand , even at the door.* But I see no ground for 
 believing that such righteousness will be universal, or 
 that this life will ever be other than a state of proba¬ 
 tion and trial to qualify for “ meetness for the heaven¬ 
 ly kingdom.” Our Saviour sets forth, in different pla¬ 
 ces, the character of his Church, to the end of time, 
 and that character is always the same. The Gospel 
 he compares to “ seed sown by the sower, some on 
 good and some on bad ground.” Those who hear 
 this Gospel he compares to men building on the rock , 
 or on the sand ; travelling in the broad , or in the nar¬ 
 row way; and to wheat and tares growing in the same 
 field. “ The field is the world,” saith our Lord ; “ the 
 good seed are the children of the kingdom : the tares 
 are the children of the wicked one : the enemy that 
 sowed them is the devil: the harvest is the end of the 
 world; and the reapers are the angels,” Matt, xiii, 39. 
 This we believe to be a picture of the visible Church to 
 the end of time. 
 
 In regard to the progress, conflict, and final extent of 
 the Gospel, our Saviour notices all these circumstances 
 generally in his last discourse to his disciples. In the 
 twenty-fourth chapter of St. Matthew, he gives an epi¬ 
 tome of his more detailed prophecy in the Book of Rev¬ 
 elation. He foretels that there shall be “ wars and ru¬ 
 mors of wars, persecutions, famines, pestilences, earth¬ 
 quakes, false prophets and apostasies;” and then he 
 adds, “ And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preach¬ 
 ed in all the world for a witness unto all nations: and 
 then shall the end come.” 
 
 To suppose that there will be a period when the 
 Church on earth shall be no longer militant, is to sup¬ 
 pose that a time will come when the Christian may 
 die without being able to say, u I have fought a good 
 fight;” when there will be little inward corruption, 
 and little outward opposition; little vestige of the old 
 Adam, in the new race, and little use for the old 
 Bible, in the new state of things. Let us interpret 
 Scripture soberly. When the Millennium arrives, 
 knowledge and holiness will be general; but not uni- 
 
 * See Scott’s Bible, Rey. xx, 4. 
 
RESPECTING THE JEWS. 
 
 151 
 
 versal. Perfection is to be attained not in this world, 
 but in heaven. 
 
 On the Author’s return to England, he found that 
 a Society had been instituted for the Conversion of 
 the Jews ; and he was not a little surprised to hear 
 that some Christians had opposed its institution. He 
 was less surprised at this, however, when he was in¬ 
 formed that objections had been brought against the 
 Society for the circulation of the Bible. It is possible 
 to urge political arguments against Christianity itself. 
 Such a spirit as this does not seem entitled to much 
 courtesy; for it springs directly from this assumption, 
 That the Bible is not from God, or. That there is 
 something greater than truth. 
 
 The grand object, which now engages the attention 
 of the Jewish Institution, is a translation of the New 
 .Testament into the Hebrew Language. To assist 
 them in this important work, a copy of the Manuscript 
 found in Malabar, now commonly called the Travan- 
 core Testament , has been presented to them.* The 
 volume has been fairly transcribed by Mr. Yeates, of 
 Cambridge, in the square Hebrew character, and forms 
 three volumes, quarto. The question now under con¬ 
 sideration by the Society is, whether it shall be receiv¬ 
 ed as the basis for the general translation. The first 
 sheet of the intended version has already been printed 
 off, for the purpose of being submitted as a specimen 
 to the best Hebrew scholars in the kingdom, both Jews 
 and Christians; in order that it may go forth in as per¬ 
 fect a form as may be. So that it is possible, that be¬ 
 fore the end of the present year, the Four Gospels will 
 be published, and copies sent to the Jews in the East, as 
 the first-fruits of the Jewish Institution. It is very 
 remarkable, that this should be the very year which 
 was calculated long ago, by a learned man, as that in 
 which u the times ol happiness to Israel” should begin. 
 In the year 1677, Mr. Samuel Lee, a scholar of enlarg¬ 
 ed views, who had studied the prophetical writings with 
 great attention, published a small volume, entitled, 
 Israel Redux, or The Restauration of Israel.” He 
 
 * See “ Malabar Bible,” in this work. 
 
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 calculates the event from the prophecies of Daniel and 
 of St. John, and commences the great period of 1260 
 years, not from a. d. 608, which we think correct, but 
 from a. d. 476, which brings it to 1736. He then adds, 
 “ After the great conflicts with the Papal powers in the 
 West, will begin the stirs and commotions about the 
 Jews and Israel in the East. If then to 1736 we add 30 
 more, they reach to 1766; but the times of perplexity 
 are determined (by Daniel) to last 45 years longer. If 
 then we conjoin those 45 years more to 1766, it produ¬ 
 ces one thousand eight hundred and eleven, for those 
 times of happiness to Israel.”* 
 
 VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES FOR 
 THE JEWS, 
 
 IN THE ORIENTAL LANGUAGES. 
 
 Since writing the above, the Author has received 
 the following communication from the Rev. David 
 Brown, dated Calcutta, March 15, 1810: 
 
 “ Dr. Leyden, of the College of Fort-William, in a 
 letter communicated to me yesterday, has offered to 
 conduct Translations of the Scriptures in the following 
 Languages; viz. 
 
 1. Affghan, 5. Btjgis, 
 
 2. Cashmirian, 6. Macassar, 
 
 3. Jaghatai, and 
 
 4. Siamese, 7. Maldivian. 
 
 u The Jaghatai is the original Turcoman Language, 
 as spoken in the central districts of Asia. The Bugis 
 is the language of the Celebes. The Macassar is 
 spoken at Macassar, in the Celebes, and in the great 
 island of Borneo. 
 
 “ Dr. Leyden is assisted, as you know, by learned 
 natives in the compilation of Grammars and Vocabula¬ 
 ries in the above languages, and entertains no doubt 
 
 * See “ Israel Eedux,” page 122, printed in Cornhill, Lcndoa, 
 1677. 
 
RESPECTING THE JEWS. 
 
 155 
 
 that he shall be able to effect correct versions of the 
 Scriptures in them all.” 
 
 Thus, sooner than could have been expected, are 
 we likely to have the Bible translated into the lan¬ 
 guage of the Celebes. But who can estimate the 
 importance of a translation of the Scriptures into the 
 languages* of Affghana and Cashmire, those Jewish 
 regions 1 
 
 The Jaghatai or Zagathia, is the language of Great 
 Bucharia, which was called Zagathia, from a son of 
 Zenghis Khan. It is an auspicious circumstance for 
 Dr. Leyden’s translation of the Jaghatai, that Prince 
 Zagathia himself embraced Christianity, and made a 
 public profession of the Gospel in his capital of Sa¬ 
 markand.* There were at that period above a hun¬ 
 dred Christian Churches in the province ; and some of 
 them remain to this day. We are also informed, both 
 by the Nestorian and Romish writers, that there was 
 a version of the New Testament and Psalms in a Tar¬ 
 tar Language. Dr. Leyden will soon discover wheth¬ 
 er this was the Jaghatai. That language is spoken in 
 Bochara, Balk, and Samarchand, and in other cities of 
 Usbeck, and Independent Tartary. This is the coun¬ 
 try which Dr. Giles Fletcher, who was Envoy of Queen 
 Elizabeth at the Court of the Czar of Muscovy, has 
 assigned as the principal residence of the descendants 
 of the Ten Tribes. He argues from their place , from 
 the name ot their cities, from their language , which 
 contains Hebrew and Chaldaic words, and from their 
 peculiar rites, which are Jewish. Their principal city 
 Samarchand is pronounced Saj)iarchian, which Dr. 
 Fletcher thinks might be a name given by the Israelites 
 after their own Samaria in Palestine. (See Israel 
 Redux, p. 12.) Benjamin of Tudela, who travelled 
 into this country, in the twelfth century, and after¬ 
 wards published his Itinerary, says, “ In Samarchand, 
 the city of Tamerlane, there are 50,000 Jews under 
 the presidency of Rabbi Obadiah : and in the moun¬ 
 tains and cities of Nisbor, there are four tribes of Israel 
 
 * See Moshkm’s Ecel, Tartar History, p. 40. 
 
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 154 
 
 resident, viz. Dan, Zabulon, Asher, and Naphtali.”* 
 It is remarkable that the people of Zagathai should be 
 constantly called Ephtalites and JYe/ihtalites by the 
 Byzantine writers, who alone had any information 
 concerning them.f The fact seems to be, that, if from 
 Babylon as a centre, you describe a segment of a cir¬ 
 cle, from the northern shore of the Caspian Sea to the 
 heads of the Indus, you will enclose the territories 
 containing the chief body of the dispersed tribes of Is¬ 
 rael. 
 
 This design of Dr. Leyden to superintend the trans¬ 
 lation of the Scriptures in seven new languages marks 
 the liberal views and the enterprising and ardent mind 
 of that scholar, and will be hailed by the friends of 
 Christianity in Europe as a noble undertaking, deserv¬ 
 ing their utmost eulogy and patronage. It will give 
 pleasure to ail those who have hitherto taken any inter¬ 
 est in u the restoration of learning in the East,” to 
 see that the College of Fort-William is producing such 
 excellent fruit. May its fame be perpetual !| 
 
 * See Benjam ini Itinerarium, p S7. 
 
 f Theophanes, p. 79. 
 
 t There are now several Orientalists, members of the Asiatic 
 Society, who have been engaged in translating the Holy Scriptures. 
 We hope hereafter to see the name of Mr Colebrooke added to 
 the number. Mr. C. is the Father of Shanscrit Literature, and has 
 lately published an Essay on the Shanscrit Poetry and .Metres. 
 How much gratified should we be to see a version of the Penta¬ 
 teuch from Ins pen ! or at least a Critique on the New Testament, 
 which has been already translated into Shanscrit. Mr. C. is the 
 proper man to oppose the Pentateuch to the Hindoo Cosmogony, 
 and to invite the Brahmins to contemplate the Mosaic Records, in 
 classical Shanscrit. This would be a work worthy of his great 
 erudition ; and his name, as a Shanscrit Scholar, would then, in¬ 
 deed, live for ever. Mr. Colebrooke has ever shewn kindn ss to 
 the humble Missionaries, who have been cultivating the Shanscrit 
 Tongue; he has supplied them with books, and afiorded them ev¬ 
 ery liberal aid: it will give him no regret, at his last hour, to think 
 that he has had it in his power, in any degree, to promote the 
 cause of Christianity. 
 
BIBLIOTHECA BIBLICA. 
 
 155 
 
 THE BIBLIOTHECA BIBLICA 
 IN BENGAL. 
 
 The Bibliotheca Bibiica is a Repository for Bibles in 
 the Oriental Languages, and for Bibles only. They 
 are here deposited for sale, at moderate prices ; and 
 lists ol the various versions are sent to remote parts of 
 Asia, that individuals may know where to purchase 
 them; the commerce from the port of Calcutta ren¬ 
 dering the transmission of books extremely easy. 
 Those who desire to have copies for gratuitous distri¬ 
 bution are supplied at the cost prices. This Institution 
 is under the immediate superintendance of the Rev. 
 David Brown, late Provost of the College of Fort-Wil¬ 
 liam, who was himself the Founder : and it is supported 
 by all the translators of the Bible in India, who send in 
 their versions, and by. the College of Fort-William 
 which sends in its versions. 
 
 T>-, e !’ e h r VG been alread y deposited in the Bibliothe¬ 
 ca Bibiica lour thousand volumes, in the following lan¬ 
 guages : ' 6 
 
 Arabic, 
 
 Persian, 
 
 Hindostanee, 
 
 Shanscrit, 
 
 Mahratta, 
 
 Orissa, 
 Bengalee, 
 Chinese, 
 Portuguese, and 
 English. 
 
 These translations have been chiefly furnished by the 
 lollowing persons: 1 
 
 Dr. William Cary and Mr. Joshua Marshman- 
 two men whose names will probably go down to the la¬ 
 test posterity in India, as faithful translators of the Ho- 
 
 JL?rw PtU n eS; ThC ? e have furni shed the Shanscrit , 
 Bengalee , Orissa, and Mahratta. 
 
 Nathaniel Sabat, from Arabia, has contributed the 
 
 r 1 fi x St Persian translation (which is also 
 n the Bibliotheca) was made by the late Lieutenant Co- 
 
 •°« C i CoLEBaooKE > Surveyor-General in Bengal; and 
 it blesses his memory.” 1 
 
 Mizra Fitrut furnishes the Hindostanee. There is 
 another Hindostanee translation by the Missionaries at 
 oerampore; and 1 
 
156 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES.' 
 
 Mr. Joannes Lassar is author of the Chinese . 
 
 There Avill be a large accession to this honorable 
 catalogue in a year or two. It is astonishing how 
 much this simple Institution, like the Bible Society in 
 England, has attracted the attention of the public, Na¬ 
 tive and European, wherever it has been announced. 
 The superintendants have recently sent to England for 
 the following supply of Bibles which is now collecting 
 
 for them, viz. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Old and New Test. 
 
 New Test. 
 
 English 
 
 
 2000 
 
 2000 
 
 Portuguese 
 
 - 
 
 - 2000 
 
 2000 
 
 Ftench 
 
 - 
 
 - 500 
 
 500 
 
 German 
 
 
 500 
 
 
 Dutch 
 
 - 
 
 - 500 
 
 
 Danish 
 
 
 500 
 
 
 Spanish - 
 
 - 
 
 - 200 
 
 
 Latin - 
 
 
 100 
 
 100 
 
 Italian - 
 
 - 
 
 - 100 
 
 100 
 
 Hebrew 
 
 
 100 
 
 
 Greek 
 
 - 
 
 - 100 
 
 100 
 
 Syriac - 
 
 - 
 
 - — 
 
 100 
 
 Swedish - 
 
 - 
 
 - 50 
 
 
 Prussian 
 
 - 
 
 50 
 
 
 Russian 
 
 - 
 
 - 50 
 
 
 Armenian, *1 
 
 
 
 
 Malay, and > 
 
 -As 
 
 many copies as can be 
 
 procured. 
 
 Arabic, J 
 
 
 
 
 Attached to 
 
 the 
 
 Bibliotheca Biblica is 
 
 a Transla- 
 
 tion Library, containing books for the use of the 
 Translators of the Scriptures. As this Library is not 
 complete, many of the necessary works not being pro¬ 
 curable in India, a list of the volumes required will be 
 published ; in the hope that learned bodies and individ¬ 
 uals having duplicates, will be pleased to present them 
 to the Bibliotheca Biblica in Bengal. 
 
 This Institution was first organized by the Rev. Mr. 
 Brown, with a full reliance on the patronage of the 
 British and Foreign Bible Society, which has cordially 
 embraced his views,-and of the Society for promoting 
 Christian knowledge, and of the Universities in the 
 United Kingdom, which we hope w ill enrich its Trans¬ 
 lation Library. 
 
SIBLIOTHECA BIBLICa! j 5 y 
 
 The Rev^ David Brown, Senior Chaplain of the 
 
 teTcolfet C T P ™1 , in Ben S al > f°™erly of Magda- 
 In College, Cambridge, has now been twentv-seven 
 
 Sacred 6 !..'" 1 ' 1 " In ‘ lia , ; a " d is the “alous promoter of 
 sacred Learning in the East. He is educating Ids 
 
 i„*‘*“e “h SOlely With the ' i5w of quflify- 
 
 knowled^e Of rn .™P ortan .* P«mpose of extend ng the 
 
 ««« o^efhas 
 
 S™4? ey p a y e " 0,V a ? ded t0 th ese first language! the 
 ( lc " C! sian i and Hmdostan.ee , which ^thev nrn 
 
 Mr^rown, house, may he " 
 
 E„°gfa e „cf ^'a, B ,r n ’ S in,enti< » *> sa " d 
 
 their education at thi n, "• proper a 8' e > to finish 
 Church, ^the v^: 
 
 their ministrations in India. Mr. Brown Mms^n!* 6 
 now seen two or three venerations nnco . . 4 
 
 pss-‘.s 
 
 knowledge of his trulv .mi-; i . f rom a P ers onal 
 enter. In the man! fC!? 8 d ‘ sin “mested char¬ 
 
 ed, there is notTe! astheTuthortr'' haV = — d ‘ 
 not recorded a public testimony to the merits of rt* 1 " 
 
 f of his a^lmtafstr" , o C „° U “ e wi ‘°- the 
 
 of that^Nobleman, that Mr. 
 
 Uta CaAR,Ti B« Fund for distressed European! 
 
"CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 '15$ 
 
 and others of which it may be truly said, that it has 
 been a Fountain of Mercy to thousands in Bengal for 
 ten years past, it having been established in the first 
 year of the new century.* Mr. Brown would have 
 probably returned from India with his large family by 
 this time, but his diffusive benevolence in private Char¬ 
 ity, and in public undertakings, both in India and Eng¬ 
 land, and the frequent demands on a man in his public 
 station, he being at the head of the Church in Bengal, 
 have not permitted him to increase his fortune suitably. 
 And now, the prospect which opens to his view of be¬ 
 ing more extensively useful than before, in encouraging 
 translations of the Scriptures, in promoting the objects 
 of the Bible Society, and in educating his sons for the 
 Oriental Church, makes him willing to remain a few 
 years longer in India. 
 
 THE ARMENIANS. 
 
 A learned author, in a work published about the 
 beginning of last century, entitled “ The Light of the 
 Gospel, rising on all nations,” observes, “ that the Ar¬ 
 menian Christians will be most eminently qualified 
 for the office of extending the knowledge of Christian¬ 
 ity throughout the nations of Asia.”f This is un¬ 
 doubtedly true. Next to the Jew's, the Armenians 
 will form the most generally useful body of Christian 
 Missionaries. They are to be found in every princi¬ 
 pal city of Asia; they are the general merchants of 
 the East, and are in a state of constant motion from 
 Canton to Constantinople. Their general character 
 is that of a wealthy, industrious, and enterprising peo¬ 
 ple. They are settled in all the principal places of In¬ 
 dia, where they arrived many centuries before the Eng¬ 
 lish. Wherever they colonize they build Churches, 
 and observe the solemnities of the Christian Religion 
 in a decorous manner. Their Ecclesiastical Estab¬ 
 lishment in Hindustan is more respectable than that 
 of the English. Like us, they have three Churches in 
 
 * This Institution not only assists occasionally, but pensions per¬ 
 manently Europeans, Mahomedans, and Hindoos. 
 
 f Fabricii Lux Evangelii, p. 651. 
 
RESPECTING THE ARMENIANS. 
 
 159 
 
 the three capitals, one at Calcutta, one at Madras, and 
 one at Bombay; but they have also Churches in the 
 interior of the country.* The Bishop sometimes visits 
 Calcutta; but he is not resident there. The proper 
 country of these Christians is Armenia, the greater 
 pat t of w hich is subject to the Persian Government ; 
 but they are scattered all over the Empire, the com¬ 
 merce of Persia being chiefly conducted by Armenians. 
 Their Patriarch resides at Erivan , not far from Mount 
 Ararat. 
 
 i he history of the Armenian Church is very inter¬ 
 esting. Of ail the Christians in central Asia, they have, 
 preserved themselves most free from Mahomedan and 
 Papal corruptions. T. he Pope assailed them for a time 
 with great violence, but with little effect. The 
 Churches in lesser Armenia indeed consented to an un¬ 
 ion, which did not long continue; but those in Persian 
 Armenia maintained their independence; and they retain 
 their ancient Scriptures, doctrines, and worship,'to this 
 day. “ It is marvellous, ” says an intelligent traveller, 
 who was much among them, “ how the Armenian Chris¬ 
 tians have preserved their faith, equally against the vex¬ 
 atious oppression of the Mahomedans their sovereigns, 
 t.nd against the pursuasions of the Romish Church, 
 which for more than two centuries has endeavored, by 
 Missionaries, Priests, and Monks, to attach them to her 
 ommunion. It is impossible to describe the artifices 
 and expenses of the Court of Rome, to effect this ob¬ 
 ject; but all in vain.”f 
 
 1 he Bible was translated into the Armenian Lan¬ 
 guage m the fifth century, under very auspicious cir¬ 
 cumstances, the history of which has come down to us. 
 
 It has been allowed, by competent judges of the lan¬ 
 guage, to be a most faithful translation. La Croze calls 
 it t le Queen of Versions. This Bible has ever re- 
 
 C/«'n«!ra/ engal al ° ne ’ thCy haVe Churches at Eacea Sijdabad, and 
 f Chardin, vol. ii, p. 232. 
 
 t Mr. Joannes Lassar, who is now making a version of the Scrip- 
 
 Ban C1 j‘" ese Language in Bengal, is an Armenian Chris- 
 
 unler^n^P r 3 . cll ' e J- V fron \ the Armenian Bible. But he also 
 understands English, and consults the English version. 
 
160 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 raained in the possession of the Armenian people; and 
 many illustrious instances of genuine and enlightened 
 piety occur in their history. The manuscript copies 
 not being sufficient for the demand, a council of Arme¬ 
 nian Bishops assembled in 1662, and resolved to call 
 in aid the art of Printing, of which they had heard in 
 Europe. For this purpose they applied first to France, 
 but the Catholic Church refused to print their Bible. 
 At length it was printed at Amsterdam in 1666, and after¬ 
 wards two other editions in 1668, and 1698. Since that 
 time it has been printed at Venice. One of the editions 
 which the Author has seen, is not inferior, in beauty of 
 typography, to the best English Bible. Flow far these 
 editions might have supplied the Churches in Persia at 
 that time, he does not know; but, at present, the Ar¬ 
 menian Scriptures are very rare in that country, bearing 
 no proportion to the Armenian population ; and in In¬ 
 dia, a copy is scarcely to be purchased at any price. 
 
 The Armenians in Hindostan are our own subjects. 
 They acknowledge our government in India, as they do 
 that of the Sophi in Persia ; and they are entitled to our 
 regard. They have preserved the Bible in its purity; 
 and their doctrines are, as far as the Author knows, the 
 doctrines of the Bible. Besides, they maintain the 
 solemn observance of Christian worship, through¬ 
 out our Empire, on the seventh day : and they have 
 as many spires pointing to heaven among the Hin¬ 
 doos, as we ourselves. Are such a people then enti¬ 
 tled to no acknowledgment on our part, as fellow 
 Christians ? Are they forever to be ranked by us with 
 Jews, Mahomedans, and Hindoos ?* Would it not 
 become us to approach nearer to these our subjects, 
 endeavor to gain their confidence, and conciliate their 
 esteem ? Let us, at least, do that which is easily prac¬ 
 ticable. We are in possession of the means of Jirint- 
 
 * Sarkies Joannes, an Armenian merchant of Calcutta, when 
 lie heard of the King’s recovery from illness in 1789, liberated all 
 the prisoners for debt in the gaol of Calcutta. His Majesty, 
 hearing of this instance of loyalty in an Armenian subject, sent 
 him his picture in miniature. Sarkies wore the Royal present 
 suspended at his breast, during his life; and it is now worn by 
 his son, when he appears at the levee of the Governor-general.; 
 
ecclesiastical establishment. 
 
 161 
 
 whidi they have not. Let us print the Armen¬ 
 ian Bible, and employ proper persons from anion? 
 themselves, to superintend the work, and encourage 
 thern to disperse their own faithful copy throughout 
 the Last. Let us shew them, that the diffusion of the 
 benptures is an undertaking to which we are not in¬ 
 different; and, by our example, let us stimulate then- 
 zeal, which is very languid. But, however languid 
 then zeal may be, it is certain that they consider the 
 English as being yet more dead to the interests of re¬ 
 ligion, than themselves. Such a subject as this, in¬ 
 deed every subject which is of great’ importance to 
 Chi lstianity, is worthy the notice of our Government, 
 as well as of individuals and societies. The printing 
 press, which shall be employed in multiplying copies 
 
 of the pure Armenian Bible, will prove a precious 
 
 OrieSS nsfl R era ."S elizatiun of the East; and the 
 , ental Blble Repository at Calcutta will be a central 
 and convenient place for its dispersion. 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENT 
 
 FOR 
 
 BRITISH INDIA. 
 
 Before the Author left India, he published a « Me¬ 
 moir of the Expediency of an Ecclesiastical Establish¬ 
 ment for our Empire in die East. The design of that 
 work was first suggested to him by the revered Dr 
 Porteus, late Bishop of London, who had attentively 
 our\eyed the state of our dominions in Asia; and he 
 was encouraged by subsequent communications with 
 the Marquis Wellesley, to endeavor to lead the at- 
 Limon of the nation to the subject. That publication 
 has now been four years before the public ; and manv 
 vohunes have been written on the various subject's 
 which it contains : but he. does not know that any ob¬ 
 jection has been made to the principle of an Ecclesi¬ 
 astical Establishment for Christians in India An it 
 tempt has been made indeed to divert the attention from 
 the true object, and, instead of considering it as ar 
 establishment for Christians, to set it forth as an e^ 
 
 o2 
 
162 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 tablishment for instructing the Hindoos. But the in¬ 
 struction of the Hindoos is entirely a distinct consider¬ 
 ation, as was carefully noted in the Memoir. At the 
 end of the first part is the following paragraph : 
 
 “ It will be remembered, that nothing which has 
 been observed is intended to imply that any peculiar 
 provision should be made immediately for the instruc¬ 
 tion of the natives. Any expensive establishment of 
 this kind, however becoming our national character, 
 or obligatory on our principles, cannot possibly be or¬ 
 ganized to efficient purpose, without the aid of a local 
 Church. Let us first establish our own religion 
 amongst ourselves , and our Asiatic subjects will soon 
 benefit by it. When once our national Church shall 
 have been confirmed in India, the members of that 
 Church will be the best qualified to advise the State, 
 as to the means by which, from time to time, the civil¬ 
 ization of the natives may be promoted.”* 
 
 An Ecclesiastical Establishment would yet be neces¬ 
 sary for British India, if there were not a Mahomedan 
 or Hindoo in the land. For, besides the thousands 
 of British Christians, who live and die in that coun¬ 
 try, there are hundreds of thousands of native Chris¬ 
 tians, who are at this moment “ as sheep without a 
 shepherdand who are not insensible to their desti¬ 
 tute estate, but supplicate our countenance and pro¬ 
 tection- Surely the measure cannot be contemplated 
 by the Legislature, for a moment, without perceiving 
 its absolute propi’iety, on the common principles of 
 justice and humanity. 
 
 In regard to the other subject, the instruction of the 
 Hindoos, many different opinions have been delivered 
 in the volumes alluded to, the most prominent of 
 which are the two following : First, That Hinduism 
 is, upon the whole, as good as Christianity, and that 
 therefore conversion to Christianity is not necessary. 
 This deserves no reply. The second opinion is, that 
 it is indeed a sacred duty to convert the Hindoos, but 
 that we must not do it by force. With this opinion 
 the Author perfectly coincides. To convert men by 
 
 * .Memoir, chap. II. 
 
ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 163 
 
 any other means than those of persuasion, is a practice 
 
 . only tor the Inquisition, and completely at variance 
 with the tenor of every page which he has written. 
 1 he means of conversion, which he has recommended, 
 are those which are appointed in the Holy Scriptures, 
 namely, Preaching, and the Word of God.” The first 
 and present means are the translation of the word of 
 God into the various languages ; and the next are the 
 labors ot teachers and preachers. 
 
 ^ utIlor ^ not, nor has he ever been, the advo¬ 
 cate lor force and personal injury toward the Hindoos. 
 Ao : he pleads the cause of humanity. The object of 
 his ^, ork, and of his Researches, has been to deliver 
 the people ol Hindostan from painful and sanguinary 
 rites ; to rescue the devoted victim from the wheels of 
 Moloch s tower; to snatch the tender infant from the 
 jaws ol the alligator ; to save the aged parent from pre- 
 mature death in the Ganges ; to extinguish the flames 
 
 oi the female sacrifice, and to “ cause the widow’s heart 
 to sing- for joy.” 
 
 Another object of his work has been, to shew, that 
 u bile the feelings of the Christian are painfully affect¬ 
 ed by the exhibition of these sufferings and atrocities, 
 Infidelity, on the other hand, can behold them, and 
 does behold them, with all the coldness and apathy of 
 oltaire.. And this is the great practical triumph of 
 
 vmnstianity over philosophical unbelief. While by the 
 former, the best feelings of our nature are meliorated, 
 and improved, and softened, and extended ; they be¬ 
 come, by the influence of the latter, sullen, and cold, and 
 torpid, and dead. 
 
 lhe remaining opinion on this subject, which is 
 worthy o, notice, is the following: « The conversion 
 
 ,. e ,!? cloos , to Christianity is indeed a solemn ob¬ 
 ligation, if practicable : but the attempt may possibly 
 cisjflease the Hindoos and endanger our Empire.” 
 
 I Ins fear is grounded solely on an ignorance of facts, 
 and on the remoteness of the scene. Christianity 
 began to be preached to Hindoos by Europeans, 3ob 
 years ago, and whole provinces-are now covered with 
 Christians. In the present endeavors of Protestant 
 Missionaries, the chief difficulty which they generally 
 
164? 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 experience is to awaken the mind of the torpid Hindoos 
 to the subject. They know that every man may 
 choose the religion he likes best, and profess it with im¬ 
 punity ; that he may lose his cast and buy a cast again, 
 as he buys an article of merchandize. There are a 
 hundred casts of religion in Hindostan ; and there is 
 no common interest about a particular religion. When 
 one native meets another on the road, he seldom ex¬ 
 pects to find that he is of the same cast with himself. 
 They are a divided people. Hindostan is like the 
 great world in miniature ; when you pass a great river 
 or lofty mountain, you generally find a new variety. 
 Some persons in Europe think it must be a novelty to 
 the Hindoos to see a Missionary. There have been 
 for ages past, numerous casts of Missionaries inHindos- 
 tan, Pagan, Plahomedan, and Christian, all seeking to 
 proselyte individuals to anew religion, or to some new 
 sect of an old one. The difficulty, as the Author has al¬ 
 ready observed, in regard to the Protestant Teachers, is 
 to awaken attention to their doctrine. 
 
 The general indifference of the natives to these at¬ 
 tempts, whether successful or not, has been demon¬ 
 strated by recent events. After the adversaries of 
 Christian Missions had circulated their pamphlets 
 through British India, with the best intention no 
 doubt, according to their judgment, announcing the 
 intelligence that some of the English wanted to con¬ 
 vert the inhabitants by force, and to set Plindostan in 
 flames; the natives seem to have considered the in¬ 
 formation as absurd or unintelligible, and to have 
 treated it with contempt. For immediately after¬ 
 wards, when, by the defection of the British troops, 
 the foundations of our Empire were shaken to their 
 centre, both Mahomedans and Hindoos (who, if they 
 wished to rebel, needed only to sound that trumpet 
 which was first sounded by a Senior Merchant in 
 Leadenhall-street, no doubt with the best intentions) 
 evinced their accustomed loyally, and crowded round 
 the standard of the Supreme Government in the hour 
 of danger.* 
 
 * A worthy Clergyman belonging' to the Presidency of Fort St. 
 Ceorge, who witnessed the troops marching against each other, 
 
ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 165 
 
 riiere is one argument for the expediency of an Ec¬ 
 clesiastical Establishment, which the Author did not 
 insist on strongly in the Memoir, from motives of deli¬ 
 cacy . but lecent events have rendered the same reserve 
 no longer necessary. He will proceed therefore to dis¬ 
 close a fact which will serve to place the motives for 
 recommending such an establishment in their just 
 ig n. it is not the .giving the Christian Religion to 
 tne natives which will endanger our Empire, but the 
 want of religion among our own countrymen. After the 
 disturbance among the British Officers in Bengal in 
 79 4, which for a time had a most alarming aspect, 
 being of the same character with that which took place 
 lateiy at Madras, a Memorial was presented to the 
 aiqvns e.lesley, on his accession to the govern- 
 me.H, v prisons who had been long in the service of 
 tne Company, and who were well acquainted with the 
 circumstances of the Empire at large ; representing the 
 neccssi.y of a suitable “ Religious Establishment for 
 British India : and illustrating that necessity by the 
 events wmcn. had recently taken place in the army, 
 i ffiit Memorial referred to the almost total extinction 
 °f Uu ’ lstIJ *n worship, at the military stations, where 
 tne seventh day was only distinguished by the British 
 lag.; and noticed the fatal consequences that might 
 be expected mom large bodies of men, far remote from 
 tue controlling power of the parent state, enjoying 
 luxury ana independence, and seeing nothing, from 
 youth to age, of the religion of their country. It 
 shewed further, that, of the whole number of English 
 
 after k 'the dl™ a l ' me ’ what w< ? uld be the f;lte of the Empire ; 
 striking reflr r P '' aS , ove: ’ J makes the following most just and 
 ocrured tf T ’ ’2 a Ietter to a Mend “ It cannot but have 
 if hi ad i3 r , e i fleCt r g m ' nd ’ in lookin S back on past scenes, 
 our domininnc d l d r n , h ' S pro y idence t0 have dispossessed us of 
 Twml k 1 b °u i‘ Ule Would have remained to shew that a 
 1 e iple blessed with the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ had 
 
 m m t !,sland! now,” (he adds exultingy, 
 a lusmn to tire Translation of the Scriptures) “ the Word of God 
 
 If r v fw ageS ° f all India, will be an enduring Monument 
 » d?h Liberality, for which the sacrifice of Prayer 
 
 ecatims". e ' V “ S " ‘ “ cend “ llle HiSh. to the latest gen. 
 
166 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 who go to India, not a tenth part return ; and assigned 
 this fact as a reason why their religion should follow 
 them to the East; that it might be, in the first place, 
 a solace to themselves, in the dreary prospect of dying 
 in that land (for of a thousand soldiers in sickly India, 
 there will be generally a hundred in declining health) 
 and secondly, “ that it might be some security for their 
 loyalty to their king, and their attachment to the prin¬ 
 ciples of their country.” , , 
 
 It required not a Memorial to apprize Marquis 
 Wellesley of the truth of these facts, or of the justness 
 of the reasoning upon them. The necessity of a 
 meliorated state of society for the English armies, was 
 made evident to him by his own observation ; and it 
 cannot be doubted that, had that Nobleman remained 
 in India, to complete the plans he meditated for the 
 advantage of that country, and had his coadjutor, Mr. 
 Pitt, lived, a suitable Religious Establishment would 
 have been, by this time, proposed to the East-India 
 Company, for every part of their dominions in Hin- 
 dostan. But Marquis Wellesley had another and a 
 more imperious service first to perform, and this was, 
 
 to SAVE THE BODY OF THE EMPIRE ITSELF. British 
 
 Hindostan was, at that moment, surrounded by strong 
 and formidable enemies, who were putting themselves 
 u in the attitude of the tiger,” as a Vakeel of Tippoo 
 expressed it, “ to leap upon the prey.” And this service 
 that great Statesman achieved under Divine Provi¬ 
 dence, first, by destroying the Mysorean Empire, under 
 Tippoo Sultaun, and thereby extinguishing the Ma- 
 homedan power in Hindostan; secondly, by over¬ 
 whelming the hitherto invincible Mahrattas; and 
 lastly, by forming on the frontier a league of strength, 
 which like a wall of iron , has saved the country from 
 native invasion ever since ; notwithstanding its subse¬ 
 quent critical and exposed state, in consequence of 
 frequent changes of the Supreme Government, and of 
 dissentions in our army. The services which that No¬ 
 bleman performed for our Empire in the East were 
 very ill understood at the time : his views were so com¬ 
 prehensive, that few men could embrace them : They 
 are more generally acknowledged now j but it is to be 
 
ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 167 
 
 apprehended that some years must yet elapse, before 
 all the beneficial consequences cf his administration, 
 will be fully made known to his country. 
 
 It has been a subject of wonder to many in Eng¬ 
 land, t .at our army should at any time betray symp¬ 
 toms of disaffection in India, when no instance of it 
 occurs elsewhere. But die surprise will cease, when 
 the circumstances before mentioned shall have been 
 duly weighed. Of the individuals engaged in the late 
 disturbances at Madras, there were perhaps some, who 
 had not witnessed the service of Christian worship for 
 twenty years; whose minds were impressed by the 
 daily view of the rites of the Hindoo religion, and had 
 lost almost all memory of their own. It is morally 
 impossible to live long in such circumstances, without 
 being in some degree affected by them. That loyalty 
 is but little to be depended on, whether abroad or at 
 home, which has lost the basis of religion. 
 
 1 he true spring of the irregular proceeding, con¬ 
 temptuous remonstrance, and ultimate disaffection of 
 the military in India, is this : Large bodies of troops at 
 a great distance from Britain, which they never expect 
 to see again, begin, after a long absence, to feel more 
 sensibly their own independence, while their affection 
 for their native country gradually diminishes. And 
 if, under such circumstances, they have not the re¬ 
 straints of religion, (for what is obedience “ to the pow¬ 
 ers that be” but the restraint of religion ?) and if they 
 have not the frequent view of Christian worship to re- 
 cal their minds, by association of ideas, to the sacred 
 ordinances and principles of their country, it is impos¬ 
 sible to foresee to what degrees of rebellion or infatua¬ 
 tion they may proceed. It is unjust to ascribe these 
 proceedings to the casual acts of the Governor for the 
 time being. Indiscreet measures on his part may form 
 the pretext; but the true cause lies much deeper. The 
 Company’s Officers in India are as honorable a body 
 of military men as are to be found in the world, the 
 Author knows them, but they are in peculiar circum¬ 
 stances ; and if any other description of troops were in 
 their stead, passing a whole life in such an unchri$- 
 
168 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 tianizing service, the same causes would still produce 
 the same effects. 
 
 The most alarming consideration, while things re¬ 
 main in their present state, is this, that, in proportion 
 as our Empire increases, and our force in India grows 
 stronger, the danger arising from the foregoing causes, 
 becomes the greater. These are obvious truths, on 
 which it is not necessary to dilate. But there is an¬ 
 other subject allied to this, which the Author thinks ita 
 solemn duty to bring before the public. 
 
 Not only are our troops denied suitable religious in¬ 
 struction, when they arrive in India, but they are desti¬ 
 tute of it, during their long voyage to that country. 
 The voyage is, on an average, six months. Now, pro¬ 
 vision ought certainly to be made for Divine worship, 
 and for spiritual consolation to the soldiers, during that 
 period ; for it is sometimes a period of great sickness, 
 and of frequent death. Indeed there ought to be a 
 Chaplain on board of every India ship.* 
 
 They who profess to believe in the Christian Reli¬ 
 gion, ought also to believe in the superintending 
 providence of God : ought to believe that the Divine 
 blessing will accompany those designs which are un¬ 
 dertaken in his name, and conducted in his fear. If 
 
 * The East-India Company require the Commander or Purser 
 of every ship to read prayers on Sunday, when the weather permits. 
 The service is performed, in many cases, in a serious and truly 
 impressive manner; and the acknowledged good effects in such 
 cases, convey the strongest recommendation of the measure which 
 has been proposed. One important duty of the Chaplain of an 
 India-man might be, to superintend the studies of the young "Wri¬ 
 ters and Cadets proceeding to India ; who, for want of some di¬ 
 rection of this kind, genet ally pass the long voyage in idleness, 
 lounging on the quarterdeck, or gambling in the cuddy. So im¬ 
 portant has this subject been considered, that during the admin¬ 
 istration of Marquis Wellesley, a detailed plan for carrying the 
 proposed measure into effect was actually transmitted to a Mem¬ 
 ber of the Court of Directors, to lay before the Court. If,it were 
 made an indispensable qualification of the Chaplain, that be should 
 understand the rudiments of the Persian and Jhndostanee Langua¬ 
 ges, and the common elements of geometry and navigation, for the 
 instruction of the Midshipmen, his services would be truly impor¬ 
 tant, merely in his secular character. Every truly respectable 
 Commander in the Company’s service, must be happy to have an 
 exemplary Clergyman on board his ship. 
 
ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 16S 
 
 we were a heathen nation, then might we send forth 
 our fleets without a prayer, and commit them for a 
 safe voyage, “ to goddess Fortune and fair winds.” 
 .but we are a Christian nation, though not a supersti¬ 
 tious one ; and, however individuals may consider it, 
 it is certain that our countrymen in general, view the 
 performance of the offices of religion with great res¬ 
 pect; and that, in particular circumstances on board 
 snp, no ciuty is more acceptable, none more interest- 
 mg, none more salutary and consoling. Such scenes 
 the Author himself has witnessed-; and from those per¬ 
 sons who have witnessed such scenes, he has never 
 heard but one opinion as to the propriety of having a 
 Clergyman to form one of the great family in a ship, 
 in these long, sickly, and perilous voyages. When 
 the news arrived in England last year of the loss of 
 the seven India-men in a distant ocean, how gratify¬ 
 ing would it have been to surviving friends, if they 
 could have been assured that the offices of religion 
 and the consolations of its ministers, had been afford¬ 
 ed to those who perished, during their last days !* 
 
 1 liese events have a warning voice ; and it is not un¬ 
 becoming a great and respectable body of men, like 
 the East-India Company to attend to it. The Autho” 
 
 S*® a] ! e fy parked, .that the Legislature has not 
 neglected a subject of this importance. It is required 
 that every ship of the line should have a Chaplain ; and 
 
 mimT/ e i a i C y f SCen S ? m r e ° f our most unowned Ad¬ 
 mirals, both before and after battle, causing the pray- 
 
 of S heate t n ankSS1VingS ° f the fleet t0 ascend " t0 the 1 God 
 
 There still remains one topic more, to which the 
 
 “f ?r td advert * be presumed to be die 
 the ma J 01 ‘ P arl »f this nation, that whenever a 
 Missionary of exemplary character and of respectable 
 
 .'commendation, “P> >lies 10 ‘he East-India Company 
 
 for a passage to our Eastern shores, his request might 
 
 the inhabitants of Calcutta, and of his 'friends AS. ^ “ 
 
 P 
 
270 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES^ 
 
 be treated with indulgence. In him we exporta bles¬ 
 sing (as he may prove to be) to thousands of our fel¬ 
 low-creatures; and his example, and instructions, and 
 prayers will do no harm to the ship in which he sails. 
 While the East-India Company retain the sole privilege 
 of conveyance to India, the nation would be pleased to 
 see this condescension shewn to persons in humble cir¬ 
 cumstances, whose designs are of a public character, 
 and acknowledged by all men to be pious and praise¬ 
 worthy. The Author will conclude these observations 
 with a paragraph which he has found in a manuscript 
 of the Rev. Mr. Kohloff, of Tanjore, the successor of 
 Mr. Swartz, which has been just transmitted for pub¬ 
 lication : 
 
 “ It is a remarkable fact, that since the foundation 
 of our Mission, which is now one hundred years, and 
 during which period upwards of fifty Missionaries have 
 arrived from Europe ; among the many ships that have 
 been lost, there never perishedone vessel, which had 
 
 A MISSIONARY ON BOARD.”* 
 
 The following Letter, written by Dr. M^aston, 
 Bishop of Llandaff, on the subject of an Ecclesias¬ 
 tical Establishment for British India, was published in 
 Calcutta, in the year 1807. 
 
 “ Calgarth~Park , Kendal e, 14 th May , 1806. 
 
 REVEREND SIR, 
 
 “ Some weeks ago I received your Memoir of the 
 expediency of an Ecclesiastical Establishment for Brit¬ 
 ish India ; for which obliging attention I now return you 
 my best thanks. I hesitated for some time whether 
 I ought to interrupt your speculations with my ac¬ 
 knowledgments for so valuable a present; but on being 
 informed of the noble Premium, by which you pur¬ 
 pose to exercise the talents of Graduates in the Uni¬ 
 versity of Cambridge, I determined to express to you 
 my admiration of your disinterestedness, and zeal in the 
 cause of Christianity. 
 
 “ Twenty years and more have now elapsed since, 
 in a Sermon, before the House of Lords, I hinted to 
 
 * MS. materials for the Life of Swartr. 
 
ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMNET. 
 
 m 
 
 the then Government) the propriety of paying regard 
 to the propagation of Christianity in India; and I have 
 since then, as fit occasions offered) privately, but un¬ 
 successfully, pressed the matter on the consideration 
 ofthose in power. If my voice or opinion can, in future, 
 be of any weight with the King’s Ministers, I shall be 
 most leady to exert myself, in forwarding any prudent 
 measure for promoting a liberal Ecclesiastical Estab¬ 
 lishment in British India; it is not without considera¬ 
 tion that I say a liberal establishment, because I heartily 
 wish that every Christian should be at liberty to worship 
 God according to his conscience, and be assisted therein 
 by a Teacher, at the public expense, of his own per¬ 
 suasion. r 
 
 “ The subjects you have proposed for the work 
 which shall obtain your Prize, are all of them iudicious- 
 3 I, chos ® n » and lf Properly treated (as my love for mv 
 Alma Mater persuades me they will be) may probably 
 tuin the thoughts of the Legislature towards the meas¬ 
 ure you recommend. 
 
 1 he Sulutans Lux Mvangelil , by Fabricius, pub- 
 hshed at Hamburgh in 1731, will be of great use to 
 the Candidates for your prize; and his Index Georra- 
 fihicus Episcopatuum Orbis Christiani, subjoined to 
 that work, might, if accompanied with proper Notes, 
 afford a very satisfactory elucidation of your third head. 
 
 God in his providence, hath so ordered things, 
 that America, which three hundred vears ago was 
 p ®°P le . d b y ? 01 ? e but Pagans, has now'many millions 
 of Christians in it; and will not, probably, three hundred 
 
 bv a mn^ n rh - h ? VC a S1 T Ie Pagan in it} but be occupied 
 by more Christians, and more enlightened Christians 
 than now exist in Europe. 
 
 “ Africa is not now worse fitted for the reception of 
 than America was, when it was first visited 
 by Europeans ; and Asia is much better fitted for it, 
 in as much as Asia enjoys a considerable degree of 
 civilization; and some degree of it is necessary to the 
 
 successful introduction of Christianity. The commerce 
 
 and colonization of Christian states have civilized 
 
 fhTstianize nd th hey i Wi i U ’ prOCCSS ° f time ’ civilize and 
 
 christianize the whole earth. Whether it be a Chris- 
 
172 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 tian duty to attempt, by lenient methods, to propagate 
 the Christian religion among Pagans and Mahomedans, 
 can be doubted, I think, by few ; but whether any at¬ 
 tempt will be attended with much success, till Chris¬ 
 tianity is purified from its corruptions, and the lives of 
 Christians are rendered correspondent to their Christian 
 profession, may be doubted by many : but there cer¬ 
 tainly never was a more promising opportunity of try¬ 
 ing the experiment of subverting Paganism in India, 
 than that which has for some years been offered to the 
 government of Great Britain. 
 
 “ The morality of our holy religion is so salutary to 
 civil society, its promises of a future state so consola¬ 
 tory to individuals, its precepts so suited to the deduc¬ 
 tions of the most improved reason, that it must finally 
 prevail throughout the world. Some have thought 
 that Christianity is losing ground in Christendom. I 
 am of a different opinion. Some ascititious doctrines, 
 derived from Rome and Geneva, are losing ground 
 amongst learned men; some unchristian practices 
 springing from, ignorance, bigotry, intolerance, self- 
 sufficiency of opinion, with uncharitableness of judg¬ 
 ment, are losing ground among all sober-minded men; 
 but a belief in Jesus Christ, as the Saviour of the world, 
 as the medium through whom eternal life will be given 
 to all who obey his Gospel, is more and more confirmed 
 every day in the minds of men of eminence and eru¬ 
 dition, not only in this, but in every other Christian 
 country. From this praise I am not disposed to ex¬ 
 clude even France itself, notwithstanding the temporary 
 apostasy of some of its philosophers from every degree 
 of religious faith. I cannot but hope well of that coun¬ 
 try, when I see its National Institute proposing for 
 public discussion the following subjectWhat has 
 been the influence of the Reformation of Luther, on the 
 political situation of the different states of Europe, and 
 on the progress of Knowledge ?” especially when I see 
 the subject treated by Mr. Villers, in a manner which 
 would have derived honor to the most liberal Protest¬ 
 ant in the freest state in Europe. 
 
 “ It is not to be denied, that the morals of Christians 
 in general fall far short of the standard of Christian 
 
ecclesiastical establishment. 173 
 
 perfection, and have ever done so, scarcely exceptin 
 the latter end of the first century. Yet, notwithstandin 
 this concession, it is a certain fact, that the Christian 
 leligion has always operated to the production of piety, 
 benevolence, self-government, and the love of virtue 
 amongst individuals, in every country where it has been 
 received ; and it will every where operate more power- 
 iuHy, asms received with more firm assurance of its 
 truth ; and it will be every where received with more 
 m assurance of its truth, as it is better understood ; 
 
 fhe 1S p " oper, y understood, it will be freed from 
 
 the pollutions of superstition and fanaticism among the 
 hearers, and from ambition, domination, and secularity 
 among the teachers. 
 
 Your publication has given us in England a great 
 "S lnto the ^ate of Christianity in India, as will as 
 to the general state of Learning amongst you ; and it 
 
 of t| e r. “ m Vp Warmest f “'^prosperity 
 
 1 ch ™ SI ° f F ° rt "William. I, is an Institution 
 wind; would have done honor to the wisdom of Solon 
 
 Lycurg’us. I have no knowledge personally of the 
 
 his r qU1 ?- ? Vel - esl f^ but 1 sha11 tIlink of him and of 
 
 nLtfl i rS - in t - hlS unc!ertakin 8b with the highest re¬ 
 spect and admiration, as long as I live. 
 
 F r“r ll t C - an ^ 0t , e " tcr . 7 to an 7 particulars relative to an 
 ifansh Establishment in India ; nor would it per- 
 
 e?ini b iln P - OPer 7 pre ? S Governm ent to take the mat- 
 tei into their consideration, till this country is freed from 
 
 rfh?s“!-L?“-t h - e “ ,e “ S U: bm 1 that opinion 
 I ’ fJJ Mlms, . ers - that tliey will, not only from 
 polic), but fiom a serious sense of religious duly, be 
 
 them* with* 7^7^ ? ub j ect ’ whenever it comes before 
 
 Jfrccl their ' ibe '' alit >-- M< V fi «' 
 
 “ ‘ Our Empire in India,’ said Mr. Hastings ‘ has 
 
 by e tl,e aC sr„rd e > 1 -‘ 1,e S ' V0, ' C '’ a ” d m "« *» ■nSJufart 
 
 men An v T a ^ ree with him « this senti- 
 
 nent. A I Empires have been originally acquired bv 
 
 lolence, but they are best established by moderation 
 
 J usUc , e ', J herewasatimewhen we shewed ourselves 
 
 J r C n, ! nhablt l ntS ° f India in character of lymnts 
 jbeis, that time, I trust is gone for ever. The 
 
 p 2 
 
 to bo 
 
174 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 wisdom of British Policy, the equity of its jurispru¬ 
 dence, the impartiality of its laws, the humanity of its 
 penal code, and above all, the incorrupt administration 
 of public justice, will, when they are well understood, 
 make the Indians our willing subjects, and induce them 
 to adopt a religion attended with such consequences to 
 the dearest interests of the human mind. They will 
 rejoice in having exchanged the tyranny of Pagan su¬ 
 perstition, and the despotism of their native princes, 
 for the mild mandates of Christianity, and the stable 
 authority of equitable laws. The difference between 
 such different states of civil society, as to the produc¬ 
 tion of human happiness, is infinite ; and the attain¬ 
 ment of happiness is the ultimate aim of all individuals 
 in all nations. I am, Reverend Sir, your obliged and 
 faithful servant, 
 
 R. LLANDAFF.” 
 
 To Rev. Dr. Buchanan, Vice-Provost of the 
 
 College of Port- William, Calcutta. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 In the progress of these Researches the Author has 
 found his mind frequently drawn to consider the ex¬ 
 traordinary difference of opinion, which exists among 
 men of learning, in regard to the importance and obli¬ 
 gation of communicating religious knowledge to our 
 fellow-creatures. And he has often heard the question 
 asked by others, What can be the cause of this dis¬ 
 crepancy of opinion ? For that such a difference does 
 exist is most evident; and is exemplified at this mo¬ 
 ment in some of the most illustrious characters for rank 
 and learning, in the nation. This is a problem of a very 
 interesting character at this day, and worthy of a dis¬ 
 tinct and ample discussion, particularly at the seats of 
 learning. The problem may be thus expressed : “ What 
 power is that, which produces in the minds of some 
 persons a real interest and concern in the welfare of 
 their fellow-creatures ; extending not only to the com¬ 
 fort of their existence in this world, but to their felicity 
 hereafter ; while other men who are apparently in sim¬ 
 ilar circumstances as to learning and information, do 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 175 
 
 not fed inclined to move one stc/i for the promotion of 
 such objects ?” The latter, it may be, can 
 on the philosophy of the human mind, on its great pow¬ 
 ers and high dignity, on the sublime virtue of universal 
 enevolence, on the tyranny of superstition and the 
 slavery of ignorance ; and will sometimes quote the 
 verse of the poet, 1 
 
 Homo sum : humani nil a me alienum puto 
 but they leave it to others, and generally to the Chris- 
 
 verse 11 This ‘ ^ t0 C r e i cise the s P irit of that noble 
 verse. This is a very difficult problem; and it has 
 
 been alleged by some that it cannot be solved on any 
 
 known principles of philosophy. The following rela- 
 
 tion will probably lead to principles by which we may 
 
 ainve at a solution. ' 
 
 There was once a King in the East, whose empire 
 extended over the known world, and his dominion 
 w “ the . end of the earth.” During the former 
 pan of his reign, his heart was filled with pride- he 
 knew not the God of heaven : and he viewed with the 
 rniost indifference the nations over whom he ruled 
 worshipping idols of wood and stone. But it pleased 
 he King of kings to dethrone this haughty mS 
 o cast him down from his high estate, and to abase 
 him m the dust. And after he had been for a time in 
 
 bled cTd e Uffl T° n ’ aiKi his P roud heart was hum- 
 bKd, God graciously revealed himself to him in his 
 
 ■ ue name and character, and then restored him to his 
 
 former prosperity and power. The peniten H,! 
 
 unis once more exalted, and filled with admiration’ 
 
 issued an edict to°tl ^ TRUE God ’ immediately 
 
 issued an edict to the whole world, setting forth thl 
 
 greatness of the Most High, asserting history and 
 
 lkVtjHf a natlons to “ P raise ancl magnify HIM* tint 
 liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting do 
 
 Son 0 ”’ Thi 1IS 1Ungd ?? 1 is . from S ener ^tion to gener- 
 terms : memorable edict began in these sublime 
 
 K ‘‘f EBDCHADmzAR the King, unto all peoplf 
 
 “V** , LANGUA ? ES > THAT dwell in all the 
 h> leacebe multiplied unto you, I thought it 
 
176 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. 
 
 good to shew the signs and wonders which the Most 
 High God hath wrought toward me. How great are 
 his signs ! How mighty are his wonders !” Hav¬ 
 ing recounted the judgment and mercy of God to him¬ 
 self, he thus concludes ; M Now I Nebuchadnezzar, 
 praise and extol and honor the King of Heaven, all 
 whose works are truth and his ways judgment; and 
 them that walk in pride he is able to abase.”* 
 
 Such a proclamation to the nations of the earth 
 was a noble act of a king, and ought to be had in per¬ 
 petual remembrance. It reminds us of the last charge 
 of HIM “ who ascended up on high Go, teach all 
 nations. It discovers to us the new and extended 
 benevolence, greatness of mind, and pure and heaven¬ 
 ly Charity ; which distinguish that man, whose heart 
 has been impressed by the grace of God. How 
 solemn his sense of duty 1 How ardent to declare the 
 glory of his Saviour ! His view's for the good of men, 
 how disinterested and enlarged ! It is but too evident, 
 that all our speculations concerning a Divine Revela¬ 
 tion, and the obligation imposed on us to study it 
 ourselves, or to communicate it to others, are cold and 
 uninteresting, and excite not to action, “ until, through 
 the tender compassion of God, the Day-spring from 
 on high visit us, to give light to them that sit in dark¬ 
 ness ;f to humble our hearts, at the remembrance of 
 our sins against God, and to affect them with a just ad¬ 
 miration of his pardoning mercy. 
 
 Let Great Britain imitate the example of the Chal¬ 
 dean King ; and send forth to all the world, her tes¬ 
 timony concerning the True God. She also reigns 
 over many nations which “ worship idols of wood and 
 stone and she ought, in like manner, to declare to 
 them “ the signs and wonders of the Almighty.” 
 And, in this design every individual will concur, of 
 every church, family, and name, whose heart has been 
 penetrated with just apprehensions of the Most High 
 God; having known his judgments and experienced 
 his mercy. 
 
 Kirby-IJail, B or nigh bridge, 
 
 Feb 15, 1811. 
 
 * Daniel, 4lh chapter. 
 
 f Luke ii. 79- 
 
MEMOIR 
 
 OF THE EXPEDIENCY OF 
 
 Aff ECCLESIASTICAL establishment 
 
 FOR 
 
 BRITISH INDIA. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 " 
 
 
 
 
 
 - " 
 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 r*‘ * ■ • 
 
 
 * 
 
 
 
 : 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PREFACE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 EIRST AMERICAN EDITION. 
 
 thJ tU M ° f th - S Work might Iead one t0 suppose, 
 . 'f, - C Cor ? tain nothing, but what should have an 
 
 irrr ga ^ t0 an eccl . esi astical Establishment far 
 s i India. On examination, however, it will be found 
 to contain such important and well authenticated facts 
 
 Don^f t t - hiSt0ryand P re sent state of that conn-’ 
 Population, manners, and customs ; to its lit- 
 andlaws; and to its religious rites and cere¬ 
 monies; as furnish much entertainment and instruction" 
 Separately from all consideration of the question 
 pec ting the expediency of the proposed Establishment 
 it is, both in a literary and religious point of view, a ve ’ 
 
 Church 1 Fst n°"' 1 hC ar £ uments here adduced for a 
 
 Cliuich Establishment will, probably, be thought br 
 
 many, if not most readers, conclusive. There Iseem* 
 
 an increasing conviction, in England, of the expediency 
 
 of this measure. A late English writer, havinr a uote J 
 
 some interesting passages from a chapter of tins Me 
 
 "mL°-’ D and « C a H r AN 'H h0m n he ^ “ a " exce£ 
 
 « swerable an, T^ 0 fi Sel ' V ' S, ^appealls 'unin- 
 
 : r rd \c 
 
 « chuich.”. W1 “ hardl)r be d0 “ "*hout a visible 
 But we leave this question to the proper iudo-pc 
 
 the suyechaUHs 
 
 tea is co-operaung with Europe in this benevolent a „d 
 Quarterly Review. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 pious design. Contributions have been forwarded from 
 this country to India, towards procuring translations of 
 the Scriptures into the languages of the East; and 
 some of our young men have already devoted themselves 
 to the Indian Mission. The present publication, it is 
 believed, will be seasonable and useful. 
 
 This work is now printed, for the first time in Amer¬ 
 ica, from a splendid English copy, in quarto (the only 
 one that is known to be in this country,) which was 
 sent by a gentleman in England to a worthy minister in 
 this State, who obligingly lent it for republication. 
 From this copy no alteration is made, excepting what 
 will be found in the additional Notes , which are always 
 distinguished by the signature of the 
 
 American Editor. 
 
 Cambridge (Mass.) Feb. 1811. 
 
TO THE 
 
 MOST REVEREND FATHER IN €OD, 
 
 JOHN, 
 
 LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY* 
 
 my lord, 
 
 J T is 'y ith propriety that a work, embracing such 
 shinier ^ h0Se .P r , 0feSSed b >' the Allowing M°e„ o r 
 
 Eng/at, ” SCrlbed “ “ ie Primate “f the g CtoTof 
 
 An appeal to the nation is certainly intended ■ hot 
 that appeal would not have been thus made with > t 
 
 S* o^r C It°has 
 
 of learning the oDininnc *1 me conduct, and 
 
 There are attached to the collegTS Im!,' 8 ™ 1 " ativcs - 
 of one hundred learned men, who have drrSvTd 
 ferent parts of India, Persia, and Arabia Tn\ ( ‘ lf ‘ 
 
 semblage, the manners and customs of vemnt h a “ &S ' 
 are distinctly described; and 
 
 ^ m °stRev- 
 
 Q 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 religious and political, may be accurately investigated 
 and compared. 
 
 Of the learned Hindoos who have been employed as 
 teachers, there were lately two from the Deccan, who 
 profess the Christian faith ; and comport themselves ac¬ 
 cording to Christian manners. Two Protestant mission- 
 aries have also been attached to the institution ; one of 
 whom is lecturer in the Bengalee and Shanscrit depart¬ 
 ment; and has been for many years employed in preach¬ 
 ing in the Bengalee language to the natives in the north 
 ofHindostan. The other is a teacher of the Tamul or 
 Malabar language ; and has been long attached to a mis¬ 
 sion in the south of the Peninsula. 
 
 More desirable means of obtaining accurate and ori¬ 
 ginal intelligence could not have been presented to any 
 one, -who wished to investigate the state of the natives 
 of India, with a view to their moral and religious im¬ 
 provement. 
 
 It was the authenticity of this information, which 
 chiefly prompted me to record it in this Memoir. I 
 should however have hesitated to submit it to the pub¬ 
 lic, had I not been honoured with a communication 
 from the Bishop of London, who expresses his “ convic- 
 “ tion of the indispensible necessity of a religious es- 
 “ tablishment for our Indian Empire.” 
 
 II. In the presence of the learned body of Asiatics as¬ 
 sembled at the College of Fort-William, the Chi'istian 
 Scriptures have been exhibited for translation into the 
 Oriental tongues. 
 
 When Ptolemy Philadelphus, three hundred years be¬ 
 fore the Christian aera, invited to Alexandria in Egypt, 
 seventy-two learned natives of Judea, to translate the 
 Scriptures into the Greek language,* he could not have 
 foreseen that his translation was divinely intended to be 
 the means of the world’s civilization, by diffusing the 
 knowledge of the true God ; or that the Messiah prom¬ 
 ised therein, would in a future age quote its language, as 
 the canonical version of the sacred original. 
 
 This illustrious act of an heathen Prince, acknowled¬ 
 ged, as it has been, by heaven, and celebrated among 
 
 * The expense of which is computed by Prideaux to have a* 
 mounted to two millions sterling. 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 men, has yet been rarely proposed by Christian nations, 
 as an example for their imitation. 
 
 Under the auspices of Marquis Wellesley, who, bv 
 favour of Providence, now presides in the government of 
 Intua, a version of the holy Scriptures may be expected, 
 not in one language alone, but in seven of the Oriental 
 tongues; in the Hindostanee, Persian, Chinese, and 
 Malay; Orissa, Mahratta, and Bengalese ; of which the 
 oiu ioi mer are the primary and popular languages of the 
 Continent and Isles of Asia. 
 
 In the centre of the Pagan world, and at the chief seat 
 ot superstition and idolatry, these works are carried on : 
 and the unconverted natives assist in the translations, 
 lhe Gospels have already been translated into the Per¬ 
 sian, Hindostanee, Mahratta, Orissa, and Malay langua- 
 g-es; and the whole Scriptures have been translated in- 
 to the Bengalee language. One edition of the Bengalee 
 Bible has been distributed among the natives ; and a sec¬ 
 ond is in the press fqr their use. A version of the Scrip¬ 
 tures in the Chinese language (the language of three 
 hundred millions of men) has also been undertaken • 
 ana a portion of the work is already printed off.* 
 
 III. I he publication of an important part of this Me¬ 
 moir was suggested by the perusal of certain letters, ad¬ 
 dressed by a King of England to the Christian instruc- 
 
 f ft ] ie i H ,! nd ° OS ' • In the foll °wing pages your Grace 
 Jill find letters written by King George the First, to 
 Piotestant missionaries in India; in which his Majestv 
 tirges them to a zealous and faithful discharge of their 
 ministry, that they may lay a foundation for the civiliza- 
 tmn of the nations of Asia ; and “ that the work may 
 not tail in generations to come.” 
 
 YV hen I first saw these royal epistles, and reflected on 
 le period oi time at which they were written, and the 
 circumstances of the people to whom they were addres- 
 ed, I perused them with emotions of reverence and ad- 
 mn-ation. YV hen further I had called to mind the hap¬ 
 py effects they had contributed to produce, in enlight- 
 eninga region ot Paganism not less in extent than Great 
 itain, it seemed to me, that a circumstance so honor- 
 
 * See Appendix M. 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 able to our country ought not to be concealed, and 
 that the Hindoos ought to send back these letters to 
 the English nation. 
 
 Another letter accompanies them, of equal celebrity 
 in India, written by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the 
 reign of the same Prince. This letter, often since re¬ 
 corded in Oriental tongues, is sent back by the evangel¬ 
 ized Hindoos to your Grace, and to the c< Society of 
 “ Bishops and Clergy for promoting Christian Knowl- 
 “ edge,” as a record of the honorable zeal which at so 
 early a period distinguished that illustrious body ; and 
 as a proof, that when the appointed means are used, the 
 blessing of God will follow. “ Behold,” say the Hin¬ 
 doos, “ the divine answer to the prayer in that letter! 
 “ Behold the fruit of your rational endeavours for our 
 “ conversion ! Our dark region having enjoyed, during 
 “ the period of a whole century, the clear and steady 
 H light of your Society, has now become itself the 
 “ source of knowledge to the surrounding heathen.” 
 
 IV. Our present most gracious Sovereign, who has 
 reigned, for so many years, in the hearts and affections 
 of his subjects, both in Britain and in India; and who, 
 by strengthening the bands of true religion in a dissolute 
 and unbelieving age, has exhibited so perfect an example 
 of the duty, conduct, and glory of a Christian King, will 
 doubtless receive with satisfaction, from the hands ofthe 
 Hindoos, these letters of his illustrious predecessor; and 
 having perused the testimonies of the divine blessing on 
 the righteous and kingly work, will finish what has been 
 so auspiciously begun, by making a religious Estab¬ 
 lishment for his Eastern Empire, the crowning act of 
 his own most glorious reign. 
 
 To their Sovereign they look; to Him, the su¬ 
 preme head of the Church, his Indian subjects look, 
 for those religious blessings, which, by the divine fa¬ 
 vour, are in his right hand to bestow. 
 
 I have the honor to be, my Lord, 
 
 Your Grace’s most faithful and devoted servant, 
 
 CLAUD. BUCHANAN. 
 
 Calcutta , March 12, 1805. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 TO 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 By the reduction of the Mysorean and Maliratta em- 
 pu'es, the greater part of India falls under the dominion 
 or influence of the British Government, and looks sub¬ 
 missively for British civilization. Bv this event also 
 m connexion with the other late cessions and con¬ 
 quests, the number of British subjects in India will be 
 very considerably increased. 
 
 Were we in the vicinity of Britain, the British 
 
 Parliament would not withhold from us any beneficial 
 
 aid it could afford, and we should enjoy religious advan¬ 
 tages m common with our countrymen at home. But 
 
 tnese advantages have been hitherto denied, because we 
 are remote. An annual account of the revenual state of 
 India, or the occurrence of some splendid event, engages 
 the attention fora time ; but the ordinary circumstances 
 of the people, European and native, are not always in 
 mcw; and any casual or indistinct notice of their situa- 
 tion, fails to excite those national sentiments of human¬ 
 ity and Christian duty, which, in other circumstances, 
 would be constantly alive and efficient. 
 
 It may be presumed that India has of late occupied 
 more of the public attention than formerly, and that the 
 minds of men are gradually converging to the consid¬ 
 eration oi the subject of this Memoir. Our extensive 
 territorial acquisitions within the last few years our 
 recent triumph over our only formidable foe • the 
 avowed consequence of India in relation to the existing 
 state of Europe ; and that unexampled and systematic 
 prosperity of Indian administration, which has now con¬ 
 st 2 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 solidated the British dominion in this country ;—every 
 character of our situation seems to mark the present 
 sera, as that intended by Providence, for our taking into 
 consideration the moral and religious state of our sub¬ 
 jects in the East; and for Britain’s bringing up her 
 long arrear of duty, and settling her account honorably 
 with her Indian Empire. 
 
 The perpetuity of the Christian faith among Euro¬ 
 peans in India, and the civilization of the natives, must 
 rest equally on a foundation which, as yet, we have 
 not; and that is, an Ecclesiastical Establishment. The 
 first part of this Memoir shall be wholly confined to a 
 consideration of the means of preserving the Christian 
 religion among our own countrymen. 
 
MEMOIR, &c. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 ON THE MEANS OF PRESERVING THE PROFESSION OF 
 THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION AMONG OUR COUNTRY¬ 
 MEN IN INDIA. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Present state of the English church in India. 
 
 *' The present establishment of English chaplains 
 for the British empire in India, is not much greater than 
 the factorial establishment in the time of Lord Clive. 
 
 2. There are six military chaplains for Bengal, Bahar, 
 Oude, the Dooab, and Orissa. There are three chap¬ 
 lains in the town of Calcutta, five at the Presidency of 
 Madras, and four at the Presidency of Bombay. Nor 
 is that list ever full. Two-thirds of the number is the 
 average for the last ten years. 
 
 o. Some islands in the West Indies have a more reg¬ 
 ular church establishment, and more extensive Chris¬ 
 tian advantages than the British empire in the East. 
 Jamaica has eighteen churches; English India has 
 three ; one at Calcutta, one at Madras, and one at Bom¬ 
 bay. 
 
 4. At the establishment of Bencoolen, at the factory 
 at Canton, at the flourishing settlement of Prince of 
 TV ales s Island, at Malacca, at Amboyna, and at the 
 other islands to the eastward now in our possession, 
 there is not a single clergyman of the English church, 
 to perform the rite of Baptism, or to celebrate any other 
 Christian office. The two British armies in Iiindos- 
 
188 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 tan, and in the Dekhan, lately in the field, had not one 
 chaplain. 
 
 5 The want of an ecclesiastical establishment has 
 -produced a system, not only of extreme irregularity in 
 the discipline of our church, but of positive offence 
 against Christian institution. Marriages, burials, and 
 sometimes baptisms, by the civil magistrate or by a 
 military officer, are not only performed, but are in a 
 manner sanctioned by a precedent of thirty years. 
 
 6. And as to the state of religion among the people 
 who have no divine service, it is such as might be ex¬ 
 pected. After a residence for some years at a station 
 where there is no visible church ; and where the super¬ 
 stitions of the natives are constantly visible, all respect 
 for Christian institutions wears away ; and the Chris¬ 
 tian Sabbath is no otherwise distinguished than by the 
 display of the British flag. 
 
 7. Were we, on the other hand, to state particular¬ 
 ly the regard paid by our countrymen to Christian in¬ 
 struction, wherever it is regularly afforded, it would be 
 an additional argument for granting the means of afford¬ 
 ing it. Wherever the Christian minister solicits at¬ 
 tention, he finds an audience. In whatever part of Brit¬ 
 ish India he is stationed, there will be a disposition to 
 respect the religion of early life, when its public ordi¬ 
 nances shall have been revived. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Of the establishment of the Romish Church in the East. 
 
 There are three archbishops and seventeen bishops 
 of the Romish church established in the East. The 
 natives naturally suppose that no such dignity belongs 
 to the English church. In Bengal alone there are eight 
 Romish churches; four Armenian churches ; and two 
 Greek churches. In confirmation of this statement, we 
 6hall subjoin an authentic Report of the Roman Catho¬ 
 lic establishments, which has been transmitted by the 
 Archbishop of Goa. 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 189 
 
 Establishment of the Roman Catholic church in the East. 
 
 Archbishop of Goa, Metropolitan and 
 Primate of the Orient 
 Ai chbishop of Cranganore in Malabar 
 Bishop of Cochin, Malabar 
 Bishop of St. Thomas, at Madras.* 
 His diocese includes Calcutta; 
 where he has a legate 
 Bishop of Malacca 
 Bishop of Macao - 
 
 Bishop of Pekin - 
 
 Two Bishops in the interior of China 
 Bishop of Mozambique 
 
 Eishop of Siam i 
 
 Bishop of Pegu c 
 
 Bishop of Varapoli, Malabar - ^ 
 
 Bishop of Bombay - _ . 
 
 Bishop of Thibet - 
 Prefect of the Romish Mission at 
 Nepaulf - 
 
 One archbishop and three bishops at } 
 Manilla, and the Philippine islands £ 
 
 ^Presented by the 
 King of Portugal. 
 
 Bishop of Pondicherry. Vacant 
 
 } 
 
 Presented by the 
 Pope. 
 
 Presented bythe 
 College, De Pro¬ 
 paganda Fide. 
 
 Presented bythe 
 King of Spain. 
 
 Presented by the 
 late King of 
 France. 
 
 Churches in Bengal , and number of Priests attached to 
 
 each. 
 
 Church at Calcutta 
 Church at Serampore 
 Church at Chinsurah 
 Church at Bandel 
 
 Three priest 
 
 - One priest. 
 One priest. 
 
 - Three priest 
 
 ro issi ? n aries, Bartholomew Ziegenbalgius and 
 John Ernest Grundler, in a Letter to the Society in England for 
 Promotmg Christian Knwledge, dated “ Tranquebar, January'9, 
 171o, observe, “ The Roman M.ssionaries themselves confes. 
 
 sisTed of /“ S f M f ? dras ' , that th k eir Congregation in that place con- 
 sisted or twelve thousand members.’ Amer. Ed~\ 1 
 
 t See Paper by him in Asiatic Researches, Yol. IL 
 
190 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 Church at Cossimbazar - One priest. 
 
 Three Churches at Chittagong - - Three priests. 
 
 Church at Backergunge - - One Priest. 
 
 Church at Bowai - One Priest. 
 
 Armenian Churches. 
 
 Church at Calcutta 
 Church at Chinsurah 
 Church at Decca 
 Church at Sydabad 
 Church at Madras - 
 Church at Bombay 
 Church at Surat - 
 
 Three priests. 
 
 One priest. 
 
 Two priests. 
 
 One priest. 
 
 Three priests. 
 
 One bishop and a priest. 
 Two priests. 
 
 Greek Churches. 
 
 Church at Calcutta - Three priests. 
 
 Chapel at Decca - One priest. 
 
 1. The above establishments are at present full with 
 the exception of the bishopric of Pondicherry, which 
 was formerly presented by the King of Fiance ; and 
 it is stated that the revenues are the same granted at 
 the first endowment, with some exceptions of increase. 
 
 2. On a view of the ancient and respectable establish¬ 
 ment of the Romish church, we naturally desire to know 
 its present character, and whether it can boast of a re¬ 
 ligious or civilizing efficiency. 
 
 The Romish church in India is coeval with the Span¬ 
 ish and Portuguese empires in the East: and though 
 both empires are now in ruins, the church remains. Sa¬ 
 cred property has been respected in the different revo¬ 
 lutions ; for it is agreeable to Asiatic principle to rev¬ 
 erence religious institutions. The revenues are in 
 general small, as is the case in the Roman Catholic 
 countries at home ; but the priests live every where in 
 respectable or decent circumstances. Divine service 
 is regularly performed, and the churches are generally 
 well attended ; ecclesiastical discipline is preserved; the 
 canonical European ceremonies are retained ; and the 
 benefactions of the people are liberal. It has been ©b- 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 191 
 
 served that the Roman Catholics in India yield less to 
 the luxury of the country, and suffer less from the cli¬ 
 mate than the English : owing it may be supposed, to 
 them youth being surrounded by the same religious es¬ 
 tablishments they had at home, and to their being still 
 subject to the observation and counsel of religious char¬ 
 acters, whom they are taught to reverence. 
 
 3. Besides the regular churches there are numerous 
 Romish missions established throughout Asia. But the 
 zeal of conversion has not been known during the last 
 century. The missionaries are now generally stationa¬ 
 ry : respected by the natives for their learning and 
 medical knowledge, and in general for their pure man 
 ners, they ensure to themselves a comfortable subsist 
 ence, and are enabled to show hospitality to strangers 
 
 4. On a general view of the Roman Catholic church 
 we must certainly acknowledge, that, besides its princi¬ 
 pal design m preserving the faith of its own members 
 it posse sses a civilizing influence in Asia ; and that not¬ 
 withstanding its constitutional asperity, intolerant and 
 repulsive, compared with the generous principles of the 
 Protestant religion, it has dispelled much of the dark¬ 
 ness of Paganism. 
 
 —O4o— 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Of the extent of the proposed Ecclesiastical Establish¬ 
 ment for British India . 
 
 A recular Ecclesiastical Establishment for Brit¬ 
 ish India may be organized without difficulty. Two 
 bishops might suffice, if India were less remote from 
 -britam : but the inconvenience resulting from sudden 
 demise, and from the long interval of succession from 
 England, renders it necessary that there should be three 
 or more men of episcopal dignity ; an archbishop and- 
 metropolitan of India, to preside at the seat of the su 
 premc government in Bengal; and one bishop at each 
 , the two subordinate presidencies, Madras and Bom¬ 
 bay. These three dioceses should embrace respect- 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 192 
 
 ively all our continental possessions in the East. To 
 these must be added a bishopric for Ceylon, to com¬ 
 prehend all the adjacent islands, and also New Holland 
 and the islands in the Pacific Ocean. The number of 
 rectors and curates in each diocese must be regulated 
 by the number of military stations, and of towns and 
 islands containing European inhabitants : with an es¬ 
 pecial attention to this circumstance, that provision may 
 be made for keepingthe establishment/^//, without con¬ 
 stant reference to England. The necessity of such pro¬ 
 vision will be illustrated by the following fact: In Ben¬ 
 gal and the adjacent provinces there is at present an es¬ 
 tablishment of six military chaplains ; but that number 
 is sometimes deduced one half. When a chaplain dies 
 or goes home, his successor does not arrive, in most ca¬ 
 ses, till two years afterwards. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Considerations deduced from the propriety or necessity 
 of an ecclesiastical establisfnnent. 
 
 1. Has it ever been fully considered on what ground 
 a religious establishment has been given to all the other 
 dependencies of Great Britain, and denied to India ? It 
 might be deemed as sacred a duty of the mother coun¬ 
 try to support Christian institutions among us, as among 
 the English in the West Indies; and particularly in 
 Canada and Nova-Scotia, both of which provinces are 
 honoured with episcopal institutions. Our peculiar 
 situation seems to give to us a yet higher title to such 
 advantages. Living in a remote and unhealthy country, 
 amidst a superstitious and licentious people, where 
 both mind and body are liable to suffer, we have, it will 
 be allowed, as strong a claim on our country for Chris¬ 
 tian privileges as any other description of British sub¬ 
 jects. Of the multitude of our countrymen who come 
 out every year, there are but a few who ever return. 
 When they leave England, they leave their religion for¬ 
 ever. 
 
memoir. 
 
 193 
 
 5. It will .not be an objection to a church establish¬ 
 ment.in India, that it has the semblance of a Royal in 
 stitution. Nor is it probable that it will be opposed on 
 e S loun d of expense. By the late cessions and con¬ 
 quests, provinces have been added to our sovereignty 
 whose annual revenues would pay the whole eccle°sias- 
 tlC o fstabhsbment of England many times over. 
 
 1 i , us ^ ie onl y country in the whole world, civil- 
 zed or barbarous, where no tenth is paid; where no 
 twentieth, no hundredth, no thousandth part of its rev 
 enues is given by government, for the support of the rel 
 ligion of that government; and it is the only instance in 
 the annals of our country where church and state have 
 been dismembered. We seem at present to be try 
 mg the question, “ Whether religion be necessary fo/a 
 tate, whether a remote commercial empire, havine 
 
 no sign of the Deity, no temple, no type of any thing hea? 
 ven y, may not yet maintain its Christian purity, mid its 
 po meal strength amids Pagan superstitions, and a vo¬ 
 luptuous and unprincipled people ? 
 
 *,* ^ the Mahometans conquered India, they in- 
 
 Hi C the J ehgl ? n ° f Mahorne t into every quarter of 
 Hmdostan, where it exists unto this day - Imd they 
 
 ofThd SE m end °' vments for ,he establishment 
 01 then l.inh. The same country under our sovereien- 
 
 ty, has seen no institution for the religion of Christ b 
 
 o. How peculiar is that policy, which reckons nn 
 
 perpetuity of an empire in the East, without the aid of 
 
 religion, or of religious men ; and calculates that a for- 
 
 eign nation, annulling all sanctity in its character amn. * 
 
 a people accustomed to reverence the Deity, will flou,? 
 
 L„e°r ver “ the heart of Asia > by « or commerce 
 
 from Fre S nch t inficlelitv^indTts' e - P:ll ^ Clda1 ^ the 
 00 „ niuueiity and its concomitant nr ncinlp« 
 
 Z l a y!' SUme T f0r a . religious establishment in huU a ■ 
 fbi althougu these principles have been felt here tb- 
 danger now is much less than formerly. Under the 
 administration of Marquis Wellesley, Frenchmen and ’ 
 lenen pi inciples have been subdued. And nothing 
 w oukl now so consolidate our widely extended domi? 
 or prove more obnoxmus to the counsels of our 
 
134 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 European enemies in their attempts on this country, 
 than an ecclesiastical establishment; which would give 
 our empire in the East the semblance of our empire 
 in the West, and support our English principles, on 
 the stable basis of English religion. 
 
 7. The advantages of such an establishment, in re¬ 
 spect to our ascendency among the natives, will be in¬ 
 calculable. Their constant observation is, that “ the 
 English have no religion and they wonder whence 
 we have derived our principles of justice, humanity, 
 magnanimity, and truth. Amidst all cur conquests in 
 the East; amidst the glory of our arms or policy ; 
 amidst our brilliant display of just and generous quali¬ 
 ties, the Englishman is still in their eyes “ the Cafir 
 that is, the Infidel. 
 
 8. The Scriptures have been lately translated into 
 some of the vernacular languages of India. The na¬ 
 tives read these scriptures, and there they find the 
 principles of the English. “ But if these Scriptures 
 be true,” say they, “ where is your church ?” We an¬ 
 swer “ at home.” They shake the head, and say that 
 something must be wrong ; and that although there are 
 good principles in our holy book, they might expect 
 something more than internal evidence, if we would 
 wish them to believe that it is from God ; or even that 
 \ve think so ourselves. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Objections to an ecclesiastical establishment considered. 
 
 “ Is an ecclesiastical establishment necessary ? Our 
 « commercial Indian empire has done hitherto with¬ 
 out it.” 
 
 1. Perhaps the character of our Indian empire has 
 suffered by the want of a religious establishment. 
 From whatever cause it proceeded, we know that the 
 moral principles of our countrymen were, for many 
 years, in a state of public trial before the tribunal of 
 Europe, in relation to this commercial empire ; and 
 that Indian immorality w r as for a time proverbial. 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 195 
 
 i 2 - It was observed, in extenuation, at that period, 
 tiiat the case would have been the same with any other 
 nation in our peculiar circumstances ; that India was 
 remote from national observation; and that seduce- 
 ments were powerful and numerous. All this was true. 
 And yet we are the only nation in Europe having do¬ 
 minions in the East, which being aware of these evils, 
 declined to adopt any religious precaution to prevent 
 them. _ What then was to be looked for in a remote and 
 extensive empire, administered in all its parts by men, 
 who came out boys, without the plenitude of instruc¬ 
 tion of English youth in learning, morals, or religion ; 
 and who were let loose on their arrival amidst native 
 licentiousness, and educated amidst conflicting - super¬ 
 stitions ? 
 
 3. Since that period the honor of the nation has 
 been redeemed, and its principles have been asserted 
 m a dignified manner. An amelioration in the service, 
 equally acknowledged in the character and prosperity 
 of our empire, has auspiciously commenced, and is 
 rapidly progressive. 
 
 4. But perhaps an objection will be founded on this 
 acknowledged improvement. If so much, it will be 
 said, can be done by wise administration and by civil 
 institution, without a church, may we not expect that 
 the empire will for the future be propitiously adminis¬ 
 tered, and flourish in progression, without the aid of a 
 religious institution ? 
 
 In answer to such an observation, we might ask, 
 what it would avail the English nation that it were 
 swayed oy the ablest policy for the next ten years, if 
 during that period, youth were denied the advantages 
 oi lehgious instruction, and the national church were 
 abolished . Peculiar as is the administration of India 
 as subject to Britain, no comparison can be instituted 
 between its present consolidated empire, and its for¬ 
 mer factorial state ; or between what was tolerable a 
 sew years ago, and what is expedient now. 
 
 5. It cannot be justly objected to an ecclesiastical 
 establishment m India, that it will promote coloniza¬ 
 tion. It will probably have a contrary effect. 
 
 It is to be hoped indeed that the clergy themselves 
 
196 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 Avill remain in the country to an old age, in order that 
 they may acquire the reverence of fathers, and that 
 their pious services may not be withdrawn, when those 
 services shall have become the most valuable and en>- 
 dearing to their people. But it may be expected that 
 the effect of their Christian counsel, will accelerate the 
 return of others; by saving young persons from that 
 course of life, which is so often destructive to health 
 and fortune. 
 
 6. What is it which confines so many in this remote 
 country, to so late a period of life ? The want of faith¬ 
 ful instructors in their youth. What is if which induces 
 that despondent and indolent habit of mind, which con¬ 
 templates home without affection, and yet expects here 
 no happiness ? It is the want of counsellors in situa¬ 
 tions of authority, to save them from debt, on their ar¬ 
 rival in the country ; and to guard them against that il¬ 
 licit native connexion, (not less injurious, it has been 
 said, to the understanding than to the affections,) which 
 the long absence of religion from this service has al¬ 
 most rendered not disreputable. 
 
 7. Of what infinite importance it is to the state, that 
 the Christian Sabbath should be observed by our coun¬ 
 trymen here, and that this prime safeguard of loyal, as 
 well as of religious principles, should be maintained 
 in this remote empire. But how shall the Sabbath be 
 observed, if there be no ministers of religion ? For 
 want of divine service, Europeans in general, instead 
 of keeping the Sabbath holy, profane it openly. The 
 Hindoo works on that day, and the Englishman works 
 with him. The only days on which the Englishman 
 works not, are the Hindoo holidays : for on these days, 
 the Hindoo will not work with him. The annual in¬ 
 vestment sent to England, particularly that belonging 
 to individuals, has this fiecuUar to it, considered as be¬ 
 ing under the law of Christian commerce, that it is, 
 in part, the produce of Sunday labor by Christian 
 hands. 
 
 8. Does it not appear a proper thing to wise and 
 good men in England, (for after a long residence in 
 India, we sometimes lose sight of what is accounted 
 proper at home,) does it not seem proper, when a 
 
MEMOIE. 
 
 197 
 
 thousand British soldiers are assembled at a remote sta¬ 
 tion in the heart of Asia, that the Sabbath of their 
 country should be noticed ? That, at least, it should not 
 become what it is, and ever must be, where there is no 
 religious restraint, a day of peculiar profligacy ! To us 
 it would appear not only a politic, but a humane act, 
 m respect oi these our countrymen, to hallow the se¬ 
 venth day. Of a thousand soldiers in sickly India, 
 there will generally be a hundred, who are in a de¬ 
 clining state of health ; who, after along struggle with 
 the climate and with intemperance, have fallen into a 
 rejected and hopeless state of mind, and pass their 
 time in painful reflection on their distant homes, their 
 aosent families, and on the indiscretions of past life ; 
 but whose hearts would revive within them on their 
 entering once more the house of God, and hearing the 
 absolution of the Gospel to the returning sinner. ° 
 
 1 he oblivion of the Sabbath in India, is that which 
 properly constitutes banishment from our country. The 
 duel evil ot our exile is found here ; for this extinct¬ 
 ion ox the sacred day tends, more than any thing else, 
 to eradicate from our minds respect for the religion 
 and affection for the manners and institutions, and even 
 lor the local scenes, of early life. 
 
 , 9. Happy indeed it would be, were it possible to in¬ 
 duce a learned and pious clergy to colonize in English 
 India. I hey would be a blessing to the country. °But 
 let us rightly understand what this colonization is • for 
 the term seems to have been often used of late without 
 a precise meaning. If to colonize in India, be to pass 
 the whole ot one’s life in it, then do ninety out of the 
 hundred colonize ; for of the whole number of Euro¬ 
 peans who come out to India, a tenth part do not return 
 t°. At what future period will a better opportunity 
 imci for meliorating the circumstances of life in this 
 country. Shall our Christian nation wait till centuries 
 elapse, before she consider India otherwise than the 
 fountain of luxury for the mother country; while her 
 sons, in successive multitudes, sink under the inhos¬ 
 pitable climate, or perish in defence of the empire 
 denied the means of religious instruction and consola¬ 
 tion, common to eyery other Christian people l 
 
 R 3. 
 
198 
 
 ireMore. 
 
 11. The slightest investigation, before a competent 
 tribunal, of the state of our church, and circumstances 
 of our countrymen in India, will confirm fully the state¬ 
 ment in the preceding pages ; and will amplify the ne¬ 
 cessity of the measure proposed in the mind of every 
 man who is a friend to his country’s honour or pros¬ 
 perity. 
 
 12. It will be remembered that nothing which has 
 been observed is intended to imply that any peculiar 
 provision should be made immediately for the instruc¬ 
 tion of the natives. Any extensive establishment of 
 this kind, however becoming our national character, or 
 obligatory on our principles, cannot possibly be organ¬ 
 ized to efficient purpose, without the aid of a local 
 church. 
 
 13. Let us first establish our own religion among 
 ourselves, and our Asiatic subjects will soon benefit 
 by it. When once our national church shall have been 
 confirmed in India, the members of that church will 
 be the best qualified to advise the state as to the means 
 by which, from time to time, the civilization of the 
 natiyes may be promoted. 
 
PART II. 
 
 CIVILIZATION OF THE NATIVES. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 On the practicability of civilizing the natives, 
 
 1. Supposing an ecclesiastical establishment to have 
 been given to India, we shall now consider the result, 
 in regard to the civilization of the natives.* No im¬ 
 mediate benefit is to be expected from it in the way of 
 revolution ; but it may be demonstrated by a deduction 
 from facts, that the most beneficial consequences will 
 follow, in the way of ordinary effect, from an adequate 
 cause. 
 
 2. The expediency of increasing our church estab¬ 
 lishment in India, and cf communicating Christian in¬ 
 struction to our Asiatic subjects, was debated in Parlia¬ 
 ment in the year 1793. The resolutions which recog¬ 
 nize the general principle of u civilizing the natives of 
 India,” were carried, and now stand on record in the 
 Journals of the House of Commons. It was consider¬ 
 ed, however, as an inauspicious moment (at the com¬ 
 mencement of a perilous war) to organize the necessary 
 establishment for India, and the bill was referred to fu¬ 
 ture consideration. 
 
 3. Since that period the situation and circumstances 
 of both countries are materially changed. The French 
 revolution has imposed upon us the duty of using new 
 means for extending and establishing Christian princi¬ 
 ples. Our territorial possessions in the East have been 
 nearly doubled in extent y and thence arises the duty of 
 cherishing the religion and morals of the increased 
 number of our countrymen, who occupy these posses¬ 
 sions ; as well as of promoting the civilization of our 
 native subjects by every rational means. 
 
 * See Appendix G. 
 
2G0 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 4. To civilize the Hindoos will be considered, by 
 most men, our duty : but is it practicable ? and if prac¬ 
 ticable, would it be consistent with a wise policy ? It 
 has been alleged by some, that no direct means ought 
 to be used for the moral improvement of the natives ; 
 and it is not considered liberal or politic to disturb their 
 superstitions. 
 
 Whether we use direct means or not, their supersti¬ 
 tions will be disturbed under the influence of British civ¬ 
 ilization. But we ought first to observe that there are 
 multitudes who have no faith at all. Neither Hindoos 
 nor Mussulmans, ou'c-casts from every faith ; they are 
 of themselves fit objects for the beneficence of the Bri¬ 
 tish Parliament. Subjects of the British empire, they 
 seek a cast and a religion, and claim from a just gov¬ 
 ernment the franchise of a human creature. 
 
 5. And as to those who have a faith, that faith, we 
 aver will be disturbed, whether we wish it or not, under 
 the influence of British principles : this is a truth con¬ 
 firmed by experience. Their prejudices weaken daily 
 in every European settlement. Their sanguinary rites 
 cannot now bear the noonday of English observation : 
 and the intelligent among them are ashamed to confess 
 the absurd principles of their own casts. As for ex¬ 
 treme delicacy toward the superstitions of the Hindoos, 
 they understand it not. Their ignorance and apathy 
 are so extreme, that no means of instruction will give 
 them serious offence, except positive violence.* 
 
 6. It is necessary to be explicit on this point; for it 
 seems that, independently of its supposed policy, it has 
 been accounted a virtue at home, not to remove the 
 prejudices of the ignorant natives ; not to reprove their 
 idolatry ; not to touch their bloody superstition ; and 
 that this sentiment has been emblazoned by much elo¬ 
 quence and rendered very popular ; just as if we were 
 performing an act of charity by so doing ; and as if it 
 
 * The Christian missionary is always followed by crowds of the 
 common people, who listen with great pleasure to the disputation 
 between him and the Brahmins ; and are not a little amused when 
 the Brahmins depart, and appoint another day for the discussion. 
 The people sometimes bring back the Brahmins by constraint, and 
 urge them to the contest again. 
 
20! 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 were so considered by the natives. It is not an act of 
 charity on our part, nor is it so considered by them. 
 They themselves tell us plainly why we do not mind 
 their religion ; “ not because we fear to disturb their 
 “ tranquility, but because we have no religion of our 
 own.” 
 
 7. A Hindoo may live with his English master for 
 twenty years, and never once hear him mention his re¬ 
 ligion. He gives then his master no credit for his del¬ 
 icacy in not proselyting him. But he gives him credit 
 for this, that he is a humane man, just in his conduct, 
 of good faith in his promises, and indifferent about his 
 (the Hindoo’s) prejudices. The very reverse of all 
 which, was his predecessor the Mahometan. 
 
 8. Not to harass the natives unnecessarily on any sub¬ 
 ject is doubtless good policy : but in this case it is a 
 cheap policy, for it is perfectly natural to us, and there¬ 
 fore has ever been maintained. Did we consider their 
 moral improvement equal in importance to tribute or 
 revenue, we should long ago have attempted it. We 
 can claim no merit then for this forbearance, for it ari¬ 
 ses from our own unconcern about the Christian reli¬ 
 gion. 
 
 9. But so great is the truth and divine excellence of 
 our religion, that even the principles which How from it 
 remotely, lead the heathens to inquire into its doctrine, 
 the fountain. Natives of all ranks in Hindostan, at their 
 courts and in their bazars, behold an awful contrast be¬ 
 tween their base and illiberal maxims, and our just and 
 generous principles. Of this they discourse to each 
 other, and inquire about the cause, but we nvill not tell 
 them. We are ashamed to confess that these principles 
 flow from our religion. We would indeed rather ac¬ 
 knowledge any other source. 
 
 10. The action of our principles upon them is never¬ 
 theless constant; and some aid of religious considera¬ 
 tion, on our part, would make it effective. They are a 
 divided people. They have no common interest. There 
 is no such thing as a hierarchy of Brahminical faith in 
 Hindostan, fixed by certain tenets, and guided by an in¬ 
 fallible head. They have no ecclesiastical polity, church 
 government, synods, or assemblies. Some Brahmins* 
 
202 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 are supported by hereditary lands granted to a family 
 or attached to a temple, and pass their time in passive 
 ignorance, without concern about public affairs. Brah¬ 
 mins having no endowment, engage in lay offices, as 
 shopkeepers, money-lenders, clerks and writers ; or in 
 other inferior and servile occupations. Others seek a re¬ 
 ligious character, and prosecute study at some of the Hin¬ 
 doo schools, of which there are a great number in Hin- 
 dostan. These are, in general, supported by the contri¬ 
 butions of their students, or by public alms. The chief 
 of these schools are Benares, Nuddeea, and Ougein. 
 Benares has acquired a higher celebrity for general 
 learning than the other schools. But a Brahmin of 
 Nuddeea or of Calcutta, acknowledges no jurisdiction 
 of a Brahmin at Benares, or of any other Brahmin in 
 Hindostan. The Brahminical system, from Cape Co¬ 
 morin to Tibet, is purely republican, or rather anarch¬ 
 ical.* The Brahmins of one province often differ in 
 their creed and customs from those in another. Of the 
 chiefBrahmins in the college of Fort William, there are 
 few (not being of the same district) who will give the 
 same account of their faith, or refer to the same sacred 
 books. So much do the opinions of some of those now 
 in the college differ, that they will not so much as wor¬ 
 ship or eat with each other. The Brahmins in general 
 cannot read their sacred books. Their ignorance of 
 writing and of the geography of the country is such, 
 that there is no general communication among them, 
 political or religious. 
 
 11. The natives of Hindostan are a divided people. 
 They have no common interest. To disseminate new 
 principles among them is not difficult. They are less 
 tenacious of opinion than of custom. In no other coun¬ 
 try has there been such a variety of opinions on reli¬ 
 gious subjects, for many ages past, as in Hindostan. 
 The aborigines of the country, denominated Hindoos or 
 Gentoos, were not all followers of Brahma. Some were 
 worshippers of the deity Boodh. The numerous nation 
 of the Sieks, which is a secession of Hinduism, 
 forms another great class. The inhabitants of the hills 
 
 * See Appendix H. 
 
memoir. 
 
 203 
 
 lo the south and north of the peninsula, (according to 
 some, the oldest race,) are again different from the for¬ 
 mer, and ftpm each other. All these different sects 
 have their respective subdivisions, schisms, and contra¬ 
 rieties in opinion and in practice. And from all of 
 them the Mahometans, who are now spread over all 
 Hindustan, are entirely distinct; and from these again 
 differ the various ramifications of the Christian faith! 
 The sea coasts, for several centuries past, have been 
 peopled by Portuguese, Armenian, Greek or Nestorian 
 Christians ; and now the Protestant religion flourishes 
 wherever it is taught. In no other country is there 
 such a variety of religions, or so little concern about 
 what true religion is, as in British India. A man may 
 worship any thing or nothing. When one native meets 
 another on the road, he seldom expects to find that he 
 is of the same cast with himself. It has been calculated 
 that there are an hundred casts of religion in India. 
 Hence the Hindoo maxim, so grateful to the philos¬ 
 ophers, that the Deity is pleased with the variety, and 
 that every religion, or no religion, is right. 
 
 To disseminate the principles of the Christian reli¬ 
 gion and morals throughout the provinces under our 
 dominion, is certainly very practicable A 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 On the policy of civilizing the natives. 
 
 1. In governing conquered kingdoms, a Christian 
 policy^may be exercised, or a Roman policy. 
 
 A Roman policy sacrifices religion to every other 
 consideration in the administration of the new empire, 
 x he religion of the native is considered as an accident 
 or peculiarity, like that of his colour or form of bodv 
 and as being natural rather than acquired ; and there’ 
 lore no attempt is made to change it. And this is cor¬ 
 rect reasoning, on the principle that all religions arc 
 
 * See Appendix F. 
 
204 
 
 MEMOIR* 
 
 human and equal. The policy therefore founded on 
 this principle, professes to cultivate the intellectual 
 powers of the native in every branch of knowledge, ex¬ 
 cept religion. 
 
 It is evident that the administration of India during 
 the last forty years, has been conducted on the princi¬ 
 ples of the Roman policy. The religion of the natives 
 continuing the same, they have been properly govern¬ 
 ed by their own laws. 
 
 2. A Christian policy embraces all the just principles 
 of the Roman policy, but extends its aims of utility 
 further by endeavouring to improve the mind of the 
 native in religious knowledge, as soon as the practica¬ 
 bility of the attempt shall appear obvious. The prac¬ 
 ticability will of course be retarded in some conquered 
 heathen states, by particular circumstances. But a 
 Christian policy ever looks to the Christian religion for 
 the perpetuity of empire ; and considers that the knowl¬ 
 edge of Christian principles can alone enable the na¬ 
 tives to comprehend or to appreciate the spirit of Chris¬ 
 tian government. Our religion is therefore inculcated 
 for the following reasons generally : 
 
 1st. Because its civilizing and benign influence is 
 certain and undeniable. We have seen that it has dis¬ 
 pensed knowledge and happiness to every people, who 
 have embraced it. 
 
 2dly. Because it attaches the governed to their gov¬ 
 ernors ; and facilitates our intercourse with the natives. 
 There can never be confidence, freedom and affection 
 between the people and their sovereign, where there 
 exists a difference in religion. 
 
 3dly. The Christian religion is inculcated on account 
 of its eternal sanctions ; and the solemn obliga¬ 
 tion of Christians to proclaim them, whenever an op¬ 
 portunity shall be afforded by Providence of doing it 
 with probable success ; it being by no means submitted 
 to our judgment, or to our notions of policy, whether 
 we shall embrace the means of imparting Christian 
 knowledge to our subjects or not; any more than it is 
 submitted toa Christian father, whether he shall choose 
 to instruct his family or not. 
 
 These motives will acquire additional weight, if, 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 203 
 
 first, the natives be subject to an immoral or inhuman 
 superstition ; and, secondly, if we voluntarily exercise 
 dominion over them, and be benefited by that do¬ 
 minion. J 
 
 3. The question of policy, regarding the instruction 
 ot our native subjects, the Mahometans and Hindoos, 
 
 is to oe determined by the consideration of their moral 
 state. 
 
 1 lie Mahometans profess a religion, which has ever 
 been characterised by political bigotry and intemperate 
 
 J" tI ? 1 , s c ° untr 7 < ha t religion still retains the char¬ 
 acter of ns bloody origin ; particularly among the high- 
 
 \ classes ; henever the Mahometan feels his reli- 
 gion touched, he grasps his dagger. This spirit was 
 seen in full operation under Tippoo’s government; and 
 it is not now extinguished. What was the cause of the 
 alarm which seized the English families in Bengal af- 
 trn the late massacre of our countrymen at Benares, bv 
 t e Mahometan chiefs ? There was certainly no e round 
 for apprehension ; but it plainly manifested our opinion 
 of the people.—We have consolidated our Indian ctn- 
 
 ?v;il ™ r . pOWCr; anditis now impregnable ; but 
 wiB the Mahometan ever bend humbly to Christian do¬ 
 minion ? Never, while he is a Mahometan 
 
 > I s H th f n g° od P° li( T to cherish a vindictive reli¬ 
 gion in the bosom of the empire forever ? Would it 
 not accord with the dictates of the soundest wisdom to 
 ! rp Chr st,an " ch , ools to be established, where the 
 
 uer th e °I P T r ^ 10 "? et u" S mi S htlearn another tem- 
 pei , the good effects of which would be felt before one 
 
 generation pass away ? The adult Hindoo will hardly dc! 
 
 pvt from his idol, or the Mahometan from his prophet 
 
 n Ins old age ; but their children when left destitute’ 
 
 please 6 Buf^ Up f hrislians > ifthe British parliament 
 I case. But as matters now stand, the follower of Ma¬ 
 homet imagines that we consider it a point of honour to 
 reverence /ns faith and to despise our own. For he ev- 
 ery day, meets with Europeans, who would more read- 
 hh SP M k W , Uh dl . sres P ect nf their own religion, than of 
 " ' he b }S° tr * ° f tMs ^tolerant faith 
 While it K <, ° r - C tcndcrne » tha “ in British India. 
 
 ' suUenn S concussion in every other part of 
 
206 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 the world, even to Mecca, its centre, (as by a concur¬ 
 ring providence, towards its final abolition,) here it is 
 fostered in the peaceful lap of Christian liberality. 
 
 5. A wise policy seems to demand that we should 
 use every means of coercing this contemptuous spirit of 
 our native subjects. Is there not more danger of losing 
 this country, in the revolution of ages, (for an empire 
 without a religious establishment cannot stand forever,) 
 by leaving the dispositions and prejudices of the people 
 in their present state, than by any change that Christian 
 knowledge and an improved state of civil society, would 
 produce in them ? And would not Christianity, more 
 effectually than any tiling else, disunite and segregate 
 our subjects from the neighbouring states, who are 
 now of the same religion with themselves; and between 
 whom there must ever be, as there ever hasbeen, a con¬ 
 stant disposition to confederacy and to the support of a 
 common interest ? At present there is no natural bond 
 of union between us and them. There is nothing com¬ 
 mon in laws, language, or religion, in interest, colour 
 or country. And what is chiefly worthy of notice, wte 
 can approach them in no other way than by the means 
 of our religion.* ** 
 
 6. The moral state of the Hindoos is represented as 
 being still worse than that of the Mahometans. Those, 
 who have had the best opportunities of knowing them, 
 
 * “ The newly converted Christians on the coast of Malabar 
 “ are the chief support of the Dutch East India Company at Co- 
 “ chin ; and are always ready to take up arms in their defence. 
 “ The Pagans and Mahometans are naturally enemies to the Eu- 
 “ ropeans, because they have no similarity to them either in their 
 
 ** external appearance, or in regard to their manners, their re* 
 “ ligion, or their interest. If the English therefore do not en* 
 ** deavour to secure the friendship of the Christians in India, on 
 <£ whom can they depend ? How can they hope to preserve their 
 “ possessions in tliai remote country ?—In the above observations 
 “ may be found one of the reasons why neither Hyder Ali nor 
 “ Tippoo Sultan could maintain their ground against the English 
 “ and the king of Travancore on the coast of Malabar. The 
 *' great number of Christians residing there, whom Hyder and 
 ** liis son every where persecuted, always took part with the Eng* 
 “ lish.” See Bartolomeo’s Voyage, page 207, and note. 
 
 “Ten thousand native Christians lost their lives during that 
 vrar.” Ibid. 349. 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 20 r 
 
 and who have known them for the longest time, concur 
 in declaring that neither truth, nor honesty, honour, 
 gratitude, nor charily, is to be found pure in the breast 
 of a Hindoo. How can it be otherwise ? The Hindoo 
 children have no moral instruction. If the inhabitants 
 of the British isleshad no moral instruction, would they 
 be moral ? The Hindoos have no moral books. What 
 branch of their mythology has not more of falsehood 
 and vice in it, than of truth and virtue ? They have no 
 moral gods. The robber and the prostitute lift up their 
 hands with the infant and the. priest, before an horrible 
 idol of clay painted red, deformed and disgusting as the 
 vices which are practised before it.* 
 
 7. You will sometimes hear it said that the Hindoos 
 are a mild and passive people. They have apathy rath¬ 
 er than mildness ; their hebetude of mind is perhaps 
 their chief negative virtue. They are a race of men of 
 weak bodily frame, and they have a mind conformedlo it, 
 timid and abject in the extreme. They are passive 
 enough to receive any vicious impression. The Eng¬ 
 lish government found it necessary lately to enact a law 
 against parents sacrificing their own children. In the 
 course of the last six months, one hundred and sixteen 
 women were burnt alive with the bodies of their de¬ 
 ceased husbands within thirty miles round Calcutta, the 
 most civilized quarter of Bengal.t But independently 
 of their superstitious practices, they are described by 
 competent judges as being of a spirit vindictive and 
 merciless; exhibiting itself at times in a rage and infat¬ 
 uation, which is without example among any other 
 
 * The Hindoo superstition has been denominated lascivious and 
 bloody. That it js bloody, is manifest from the daily instances of 
 the female sacrifice, and of the commission of sanguinary or pain, 
 ful rites. . The ground of the former epithet may be discovered in 
 the description of their religious ceremonies : *• There is in most 
 sects a right-handed or decent path ; and “ a left-handed or inde¬ 
 cent mode of worship.” 
 
 See Essay on the religious ceremonies of the Brahmins, by H. 
 T. Colebrooke, Esq. Asiat. Res. Vol. VII p. 281 That such a 
 principle should have been admitted as systematic in any religion 
 on earth, may be considered as the last effort of mental depravity 
 in the invention of a superstition to blind the understanding, and 
 to corrupt the heart. 
 
 t From April to October, 1804. See Appendix D. 
 
203 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 people.* Butitisnot necessary to enter into any detail 
 to prove the degraded state of the Hindoos: for if it 
 were demonstrated that their moral depravity, their 
 personal wretchedness, and their mental slavery were 
 greater than imagination can conceive, the fact would 
 have no influence on those who now oppose their 
 Christian instruction. For, on the same principle that 
 they withhold instruction from them in their present 
 state, they would deny it, if they were worse. Were 
 the books of the Brahmins to sanction the eating of hu - 
 man flesh, as they do the burning of women alive, the 
 practice would be respected. It would be considered 
 as a solemn rite consecrated by the ancient and sacred 
 
 * Lord Teignmouth, while President of the Asiatic Society in 
 Bengal, delivered a discourse in which lie illustrated the revenge¬ 
 ful and pitiless spirit of the Hindoos, by instances which had come 
 within his own knowledge while resident at Renares. 
 
 In 1791, SoodishttT Meer, a Brahmin, having refused to obey a 
 summons issued bv a civil officer, a force was sent to compel obe¬ 
 dience. To intimidate them, or to satiate a spirit of revenge in 
 himself, he sacrificed one of hisown family. “ On their approach- 
 “ ing his house, he cut off the head of his deceased son’s widow, 
 and threw it out.” 
 
 In 1793, a Brahmin named Ballo. had a quarrel with a man a- 
 bout a field, and, by way of revenging himself on this man, he kil¬ 
 led his own daughter. “ I became angry, said he, and enraged at 
 “his forbidding me to plough the field, and bringing my own little 
 
 daughter Apmunya, who was only a year and a half old, 1 killed 
 *• her with my sword.” 
 
 About the same time, an act of matricide was perpetrated by 
 two Brahmins, Beechuck and Adher. These two men conceiving 
 themselves to have been injured by some persons in a certain vil¬ 
 lage they brought their mother to an adjacent rivulet, and cal¬ 
 ling aloud to the people of the village, “ Beechuck drew his 
 4 ‘ scymetar, and, atone stroke, severed his mother’s head from 
 “ the body; with the professed view, as avowed by both parent 
 “ and son, that the mother’s spirit might forever haunt these who 
 !( had injured them.” Asiat. Res. Vol. IV p. 337. 
 
 Would not the principles of the Christian religion be a good 
 substitute for the principles of these Brahmins of the province of 
 Benares ? 
 
 It will, perhaps, he observed, that these are but individual in¬ 
 stances. True : but they prove all that is required. Is there any 
 ether barbarous nation on earth which can exhibit such instances l 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 205 
 
 prejudices of the people, and the cannibal would be es¬ 
 teemed holy.* 
 
 8. During the last thirty years there have been many 
 plans suggested for the better administration of the 
 government of this country; but no system which lias 
 not the reformation of the morals of the people for its 
 basis, can ever be effective. The people are destitute 
 of those principles of honesty, truth and justice, which 
 respond to the spirit of British administration ; they have 
 not a disposition which is accordant with the tenor of 
 Christian principles. No virtues, therefore, no talents, 
 or local qualification of their governors can apply the 
 most perfect system of government with full advantage 
 to such subjects. Something maybe done by civil insti¬ 
 tution to ameliorate their condition,but the spirit of their 
 superstition has a continual tendency to deterioration. 
 
 9. The European who has been long resident in 
 India, looks on the civilization of the Hindoos with a 
 hopeless eye. Despairing, therefore, of intellectual or 
 moral improvement, he is content with an obsequious 
 spirit and manual service. These he calls the virtues 
 of the Hindoo ; and, after twenty years’ service, praises 
 his domestic for his virtues. 
 
 10 . It has been remarked, that those learned men 
 who are in the habit of investigating the mythology of 
 the Hindoos, seldom prosecute their studies with* any 
 view to the moral or religious improvement of the peo¬ 
 ple. Why do they not? It is because they think their 
 improvement hardly practicable. Indeed the present cir¬ 
 cumstances of the people seldom become a subject of 
 their investigation. Though such a number of women 
 sacrifice themselves every year in the vicinity of Cal¬ 
 cutta, yet it is rare that a European witnesses the scene, 
 or even hears of the event. At the time that govern¬ 
 ment passed the law which prohibited the drowning of 
 children, or exposing them to sharks and crocodiles at 
 Saugor, there were many intelligent persons in Calcutta 
 who had never heard that such enormities existed. 
 Who cares about the Hindoos, or ever thinks of visiting* 
 
 * It is a fact that human sacrifices were formerly offe r-1 by the 
 Hindoos : and as it would appear, at that period which is fixed 
 J y somc authors for the <era of their civilization and refinement 
 
 s 2 
 
210 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 a village to inquire about their stale, or to improve their 
 condition ! When a boat oversets in the Ganges, and 
 twenty or thirty of them are drowned, is the event no¬ 
 ticed as of any consequence, or recorded in a news¬ 
 paper, as in England ? or when their dead bodies float 
 down the river, are they viewed with other emotions 
 than those with which we behold the bodies of other 
 animals ? 
 
 11. A few notices of this kind will at once discover 
 to the accurate observer of manners in Europe, the de¬ 
 graded character of the Hindoos in our estimation, 
 whatever may be the cause. What then is the cause 
 of this disregard of the persons and circumstances of 
 the Hindoos ? the cause is to be found in the super¬ 
 stition, ignorance, and vices of the Hindoo character ; 
 and in nothing else.* 
 
 12. Now it is certain that the morals of this people, 
 though they should remain subject to the British gov¬ 
 ernment for a thousand years, will never be improved 
 by any other means than by the principles of the Chris¬ 
 tian religion. The moral example of the few English 
 In India cannot pervade the mass of the population. 
 What then is to be expected as the utmost felicity of 
 British administration for ages to come ? It is this, that 
 we shall protect the country from invasion, and grant 
 to the inhabitants to manufacture our investments in 
 solemn stillness, buried in personal vice, and in a sense¬ 
 less idolatry. 
 
 13. Providence hath been pleased to grant to us this 
 great empire, on a continent where, a few years ago, 
 we had not a foot of land. From it we export annually 
 an immense wealth to enrich our own country. What 
 do we give in return ? Is it said that we give protection 
 to the inhabitants, and administer equal laws ? This is 
 necessary for obtaining our wealth. But what do we 
 give in return ? What acknowledgment to Providence 
 for its goodness has our nation ever made ? What ben¬ 
 efit hath the Englishman ever conferred on the Hindoo, 
 as on a brother ? Every argument brought in support of 
 the policy of not instructing the natives our subjects, 
 when traced to its source, will be found to flow from 
 
 * See Appendix I. 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 211 
 
 principles of Deism, or of Atheism, or of Polytheism, 
 and not from the principles of the Christian religion. 
 
 14. Is there any one duty incumbent on us as conquer¬ 
 ors, toward a conquered people, resulting from our be¬ 
 ing a Christian nation, which is not common to the an¬ 
 cient Romans or the modern French ? If there be, what 
 is it? The Romans and the French observed such deli- 
 eacy of conduct toward the conquered, on the subject 
 of religion, that they not only did not trouble them with 
 their own religion, but said unto them, “ We shall be 
 u °f yours.” So far did these nations excel us in the 
 policy of not “ disturbing the faith of the natives.” 
 
 Can any one believe that our Indian subjects are to 
 remain forever under our government involved in their 
 present barbarism and subject to the same inhuman su¬ 
 perstition ? And if there be a hope that they will be civ¬ 
 ilized, when is it to begin, and by whom is it to be ef¬ 
 fected ? ' 
 
 15. No Christian nation ever possessed such an ex¬ 
 tensive field for the propagation of the Christian faith, 
 as that afforded to us by our influence over the hundred 
 million natives of Hindostan. No other nation ever 
 possessed such facilities for the extension of its faith 
 as we now have in the government of a passive people ; 
 who yield submissively to our mild sway, reverence our 
 principles, and acknowledge our dominion to be a bles¬ 
 sing. Why should it be thought incredible that Provi¬ 
 dence hath been pleased, in a course of years to subju¬ 
 gate this Eastern empire to the most civilized nation in 
 the world, for this -very purpose ? 
 
 IS. “ The facility of civilizing the natives, some will 
 u a dmit, is great; but is the measure safe ? It is easy 
 “ to govern the Hindoos in their ignorance, but shall 
 “ w e ma ke them as wise as ourselves! The supersti- 
 u tions of the people are no doubt abhorrent from rea- 
 “ son : they are idolatrous in their worship, and bloody 
 u j n their sacrifices ; but their manual skill is exquisite 
 “ tn the labours of the loom ; they are a gentle and ob- 
 “ sequious people in civil transaction.” 
 
 .ill ten centuries the Hindoos will not be as wise as 
 the English. It is now perhaps nineteen centuries 
 since human sacrifices were offered on the British al- 
 
212 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 tars. The progressive civilization of the Hindoos, will 
 never injure the interests of the East India Company. 
 But shall a Christian people, acknowledging a Provi¬ 
 dence in the rise and fall of empire, regulate the policy 
 of future times, and neglect a present duty; a solemn and 
 imperious duty : exacted by their religion, by their pub¬ 
 lic principles, and by the opinion of the Christian na¬ 
 tions around them ! Or can it be gratifying to the Eng¬ 
 lish nation to reflect, that they receive the riches of the 
 East on the terms of chartering immoral superstition 1 
 17. No truth has been more clearly demonstrated 
 than this, that the communication of Christian instruc¬ 
 tion to the natives of India is easy ; and that the bene¬ 
 fits of that instruction, civil as well as moral, will be in¬ 
 estimable ; whether w r e consider the happiness diffused 
 among so many millions, or their consequent attachment 
 to our government, or the advantages resulting from 
 the introduction of the civilized arts. Every thing that 
 can brighten the hope or animate the policy of a virtu¬ 
 ous people organizing a new empire, and seeking the 
 most rational means, under the favour of heaven, to en¬ 
 sure its perpetuity ; every consideration, we aver, would 
 persuade us to diffuse the blessings of Christian knowl¬ 
 edge among our Indian subjects, 
 
 —- 040 — 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 On the impediments to the civilization of the natives .— 
 The philosophical spirit of Europeans formerly an im¬ 
 pediment to the civilization of the natives. 
 
 1. A chief obstacle to the civilization of the Hindoos 
 during the last fifty years, is accounted by some to have 
 been the unconcern of Europeans in India, particularly 
 the French, as to their moral improvement, and the ap¬ 
 athy with which they beheld their superstitions. This 
 has been called the philosophical spirit, but improper¬ 
 ly ; for it is a spirit very contrary to that of true philos¬ 
 ophy. The philosophical spirit argues in this manner : 
 “ An elephant is an elephant, and a Hindoo is a Hindoo. 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 213 
 
 “ They are both such as nature made them. We 
 “ ought to leave them on the plains of Hindostan such 
 “ as we found them.” 
 
 2. The philosophical spirit further shews itself in an 
 admiration of the ancient systems of the Hindoos, and 
 of the supposed purity of their doctrines and morals in 
 former times. But truth and good sense have for some 
 years been acquiring the ascendency, and are now am¬ 
 ply vindicated by a spirit of accurate investigation, pro¬ 
 duced by the great encouragement which has been late¬ 
 ly afforded to researches into Oriental literature. 
 
 3. The College of Fort-William will probably illus¬ 
 trate to the world what India is, or ever was ; for all the 
 sources of Oriental learning have been opened. 
 
 The gravity with which some learned disquisitions 
 have been lately conducted in Europe, and particularly 
 in France, respecting Indian science and Indian antiqui¬ 
 ty, is calculated to amuse us. 
 
 The passion for the Hindoo Joques seems to have 
 been first excited by a code of Gcntoo laws, transmitted 
 with official recommendation from this country, and 
 published at home by authority ; and yet not by the code 
 itself, but by the translator’s preface, in which there are 
 many solemn assertions impugning the Christian reve¬ 
 lation, and giving the palm to Hindoo antiquity. The 
 respect due to the code itself seems to have been trail 
 ferred to this preface, which was written by a young 
 gentleman, who observes, “ that he was held forth to 
 “ the public as an author, almost as soon as he had com- 
 t; menced to be a man that he could not translate from 
 the Shanscrit language himself, “ for that the Pundits 
 “ who compiled the code, were to a man resolute in rc- 
 £C jecting all his solicitations for instruction in this dia- 
 a lect; and that the persuasion and influence of the Gov- 
 
 ernor General (Mr. Hastings) were in vain exerted to 
 < £ the same purpose.” Flaving- then translated the Gen- 
 too Laws from a Persian translation, he thinks himself 
 justified in believing, “ that the world does not now 
 “ contain annals of more indisputable antiquity than 
 « those delivered down by the ancient Brahmins; and 
 “ that we cannot possibly find grounds to suppose that 
 “ the Hindoos received the smallest article of their re- 
 
214 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 “ ligion or jurisprudence from Moses; though it is not 
 “ utterly impossible that the doctrines of Hindostan 
 t: might have been early transplanted into Egypt, and 
 u thus have become familiar to Moses.”* 
 
 4. These sentiments for the first time ushered on the 
 nation under the appearance of respectable sanction, 
 were eagerly embraced. The sceptical philosophers, 
 particularly in France, hoped that they were true : and 
 the learned in general were curious to explore this sa¬ 
 cred mine of ancient literature. “ Omne ignotum pro 
 magnifico.” Strangers to the language, they looked 
 into the mystical records of the Brahmins as into the 
 mouth of a dark cavern of unknown extent, probably 
 inaccessible, perhaps fathomless. Some adventurers 
 from the Asiatic Society entered th?scavern,and brought 
 back a report very unfavorable to the wishes of the 
 credulous infidel. But the, college of Fort William 
 holds a torch which illuminates its darkest recesses. 
 And the result is, that the former gloom, which was 
 supposed to obscure the evidence of our religion, be¬ 
 ing now removed ; enlightened itself, it reflects a strong 
 light on the Mosaic and Evangelic Scriptures, and Shan- 
 scrit Record may thus be considered as a new attesta¬ 
 tion to the truth of Christianity, granted by the divine 
 dispensation, to these latter ages.f 
 
 5. The whole library of Shanscrit learning is accessi¬ 
 ble to members of the college of Fort William. The 
 old keepers of this library, the Pundits, who would 
 give no access to the translator of the Gentoo code, or 
 to the then Governor of India, now vie with each other 
 in giving every information in their power. Indeed 
 thei’e is little left for them to conceal. Two different 
 grammars of the Shanscrit language are now compi¬ 
 ling in the college, one by the Shanscrit professor; and 
 the other by the Shanscrit teacher, without any com¬ 
 munication as to each other’s system, so absolute is 
 their confidence in a knowledge of the language. The 
 Shanscrit teacher proposed to the council of the col¬ 
 lege to publish the whole of the original Shasters in 
 their own character, with an English translation. The 
 
 * Preface to Gentoo Code. f See Appendix b. 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 215 
 
 chief objection to this was, that we should then publish 
 many volumes, which few would have patience to read. 
 Such parts of them however as are of a moral tenden¬ 
 cy, or which illustrate important facts in Eastern his¬ 
 tory or science, were recommended for publication. 
 
 6. It does not appear that any one work in Shanscrit 
 literature has yet been discovered, which can vie in an¬ 
 tiquity with the poem of Homer, on the plain ground of 
 historical evidence, and collateral proof. It is probable 
 that there may be some work of an older date ; but wc 
 have no evidence of it. If ever such evidence should 
 be obtained, the world will soon hear of it. As to the 
 alleged proof of antiquity from astronomical calculation, 
 it is yet less satisfactory than that from the Egyptian zo¬ 
 diac, or Brydone’s lava.f 
 
 What use shall we make of the illustration of these 
 facts, but to urge, that, since the dark traditions of In¬ 
 dia have confirmed the truth of divine Revelation, the 
 
 benefits of that Revelation may be communicated to In¬ 
 dia. 
 
 — 040 — 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The sanguinary superstitions of the natives , an impedi¬ 
 ment to their civilization. 
 
 1. Another impediment to the civilization of the na¬ 
 tives is the continuance of their sanguinary supersti¬ 
 tions, by which we mean those practices which inflict 
 immediate death, or tend to produce death. All bloodv 
 superstition indurates the heart and affections, and ren- 
 the understanding inaccessible to moral instruction. 
 
 f The editors of the Asiatic Researches in London have availed 
 themselves of the occasion of that work’s being republished at 
 home, to prefix a preface to the fifth volume, confining- senti. 
 ments directly contrary to those professed and published^ by the 
 most learned members of the Asiatic Society They will be much 
 pbhg-ed to the London editors of that work to take no such libe. tv 
 in futuie; hut to allow the Society to write its own nrefiirc ■ 
 to speak for itself. We are far off from France here The ^ ^ 
 ety professes no such philosophy. 6 ^ Ihe • boc '* 
 
216 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 No ingenious arts can ever humanize the soul addicted 
 to a sanguinary superstition. 
 
 We shall not pollute the page with a description of 
 the horrid rites of the religion of Brahma. Suffice it to 
 say that no inhuman practices in New Zealand, or in any 
 other newly discovered land of savages, are more offen¬ 
 sive to natural feeling, than some of those which are 
 committed by the Hindoo people. 
 
 It surely has never been asserted that these enormi¬ 
 ties cannot be suppressed. One or two instances may 
 be mentioned, which will shew that the Hindoo super¬ 
 stitions are not impregnable. 
 
 2. It had been the custom from time immemorial, to 
 immolate at the island of Saugor, and at other places re¬ 
 puted holy on the banks of the Ganges, human victims, 
 by drowning, or destruction by sharks. Another hor¬ 
 rid practice accompanied it, which was the sacrifice of 
 the first born child of a woman, who had been long bar¬ 
 ren.* 
 
 The Pundits and chief Brahmins of the college of 
 Fort-William were called upon to declare, by what sanc¬ 
 tion in their Shasters, these unnatural cruelties were 
 committed. They alleged no sanction but custom , and 
 what they termed “ the barbarous ignorance of the low 
 “ casts.” On the first intimation of the practice to the 
 Governor General Marquis Wellesley, it was abolish¬ 
 ed.! Not a murmur followed; nor has any attempt of 
 the kind since been heard of. 
 
 3. A similar investigation will probably soon take 
 place respecting the custom of women burning them¬ 
 selves alive on the death of their husbands-! T'he Pun¬ 
 dits have already been called on to produce the sanc¬ 
 tion of their Shasters. The passages exhibited are 
 vague and general in their meaning; and differently 
 
 * At. the Hindoo festival in 1801, ttventy-three persons sacri¬ 
 ficed themselves, or were sacrificed by others, at the island ofSau- 
 gor. 
 
 f See Regulation. Appendix C. 
 
 i From a la‘e investigation it appears that the number of wo- 
 men who sacrifice themselves within thirty miles round Calcutta 
 every year is, on an average, upwards of "two hundred. See Ap¬ 
 pendix D. 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 Sir 
 
 interpreted by the same casts4 Some sacred verses 
 commend the practice, but none command it; and the 
 Pundits refer once more to custom. They have how- 
 evei intimated, that if government will pass a regula¬ 
 tion, amercing by fine every Brahmin who attends a 
 burning, or every. Zemindar who permits him to at- 
 tenc it, the piactice cannot possibly long continue ; 
 lor that the ceremony, unsanctified by the presence of 
 
 ne P n csts, will lose its dignity and consequence in the 
 eyes of the people. 
 
 The civilized world may expect soon to hear of the 
 abolition of this opprobrium of a Christian administra¬ 
 tion, the female sacrifice; which has subsisted, to our 
 
 certain knowledge, since the time of Alexander the 
 t*reat. 
 
 4. An event has just occurred, which seems, with 
 others, to mark the present time, as favorable to our 
 enceavor to qualify the rigor of the Hindoo super¬ 
 In the course of the Mahratta war, the great temple 
 of Juggernaut in Orissa has fallen into our hands. 
 
 his temple is to the Hindoos what Mecca is to the 
 Mahometans. It is resorted to by pilgrims from every 
 quarter of India. It is the chief seat of Brahminical 
 power, and a strong-hold of their superstition. At the 
 annual festival of the Rutt Jattra, seven hundred thou¬ 
 sand persons (as has been computed by the Pundits in 
 college) assemble at this place. The voluntary deaths 
 in a single year, caused by voluntary devotement.S by 
 imprisonment for non-payment of the demands of the 
 Brahmins, or by scarcity of provisions for such a mul¬ 
 titude, is incredible. The precincts of the place are 
 covered with bones. Four cross square (about sixty- 
 four square miles) are accounted sacred to Juggernaut. 
 Within the walls the priests exercised a dominion with¬ 
 out control. From them there was no appeal to civil 
 law or natural justice, for protection of life or property. 
 But these enormities will not be permitted under the 
 British government. At the same time that we use n 9 
 
 t See Appendix A. 
 
 § By falling under the wheels of the rutt or car. 
 
 T 
 
218 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 coercion to prevent the superstitions of the natives, we 
 permit a constant appeal to the civil power against in¬ 
 justice, oppression, and inhumanity ; and it must have 
 a beneficial influence on the whole Hindoo system, if 
 we chastise the enormity of their superstition at the 
 fountain head.* 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The numerous holydays of the natives an impediment 
 to their civilization. 
 
 1. Another obstacle to the improvement of the na¬ 
 tives is the great number of their holydays. These ho¬ 
 lydays embody their superstition. On such days, its 
 spirit is revived, and its inhuman practices are made 
 familiar: and thus it acquires strength and perpetuity. 
 The malignity of any superstition may be calculated 
 almost exactly by the number of its holydays, for the 
 more the mind is enslaved by it, the more voluminous 
 will be its ritual, and more frequent its ceremonial of 
 observance. 
 
 2. In the Hindoo calendar there arc upwards of an 
 
 * The rigor of the Mahometan faith coerced the Hindoo su¬ 
 perstition ; and was, so far, friendly to humanity. The Hindoos 
 were prohibited from burning their women without official per¬ 
 mission. Our toleration is celebrated by some, as being bound¬ 
 less. It is just to tolerate speculative religions : but it is doubt¬ 
 ful whether there oug!it to be any toleration of practical vice, or 
 of the shedding of human blood. 
 
 “ All religions,” says Colonel Dow, “ must be tolerated in Ben- 
 “ gal, except in the practice of some inhuman customs, which 
 “ the Mahometans already have in a great measure destroyed. 
 “ We must not permit young widows, in their virtuous enthusi- 
 “ asm, to throw themselves on the funeral pile with their dead 
 “ husbands, nor the sick and aged to be drowned, when their 
 et friends despair of their lives.” Dow’s History, Vol. Ill p. 123. 
 
 This passage was written by Coloi\pl Daw upwards of thirty 
 years ago. IIow many thousands of our subjects within the prov¬ 
 ince of Bengal alone, have perished in the flames and in the riv¬ 
 er, since that period ! 
 
memoir. 
 
 219 
 
 hundred holydays ;* and of these government recognis¬ 
 es officially a certain number. In addition to the na¬ 
 tive holydays, the fifty-two Christian holydays, or fifty- 
 two Sundays in the year, are (on Christian principles) 
 generally allowed to natives employed in the public 
 service. During those Hindoo holydays which are of¬ 
 ficially recognised, the public offices are shut up, on 
 account of the festival (as it is termed) of Doora Puja, 
 of Churruck Puja, of Rutt Jattra 5 f or of some other. 
 Rut great detriment to the public service arising from 
 the frequent recurrence of these Saturnalia, govern¬ 
 ment resolved some years ago to reduce the number, 
 id 1 was done accordingly. It now appears that on 
 the same principle that a few of them were cut off, we 
 might have refused our official recognition of any : the 
 Pundits having unanimously declared that these holy- 
 days are not enjoined by their sacred books. 
 
 . u 1 be P ro P e r to permit the people in general 
 to be as idle as the circumstances of individuals will 
 permit: but their religious law does not require us to 
 recognise one of their holydays officially. To those na¬ 
 tives employed in the public service, the fifty-two Sun¬ 
 days are sufficient for rest from bodily labour.! To give 
 era more holydays is to nurse their superstitions, and 
 o promote the influx of religious mendicants into in¬ 
 dustrious communities^ In what other country would 
 it be considered a means of promoting the happiness of 
 
 the common people, to grant them so great a portion of 
 I T h< L Bl ^T ns observe two hundred and upwards 
 
 , No people require fewer days of rest than thp Hin i e 
 they know nothing of that corporal exertion andfcSfiSm h? 
 
 § See Appendix E. 
 
220 
 
 MEMOIR*. 
 
 the year to spend In idleness and dissipation ? The in¬ 
 dulgence operates here as it would in any other coun¬ 
 try ; it encourages extravagance, licentious habits, and 
 neglect of business among themselves ; and it very se¬ 
 riously impedes the business of the state, and deranges 
 commercial negotiation. 
 
PART III. 
 
 Qj 1HE PROGRESS ALREADY MADE IN CIVILIZING THE 
 NATIVES OF INDIA. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Of the extension of Christianity in India , under the in¬ 
 fluence of episcopal jurisdiction. 
 
 1. A sentiment has for some time prevailed in Eng¬ 
 land very unfavourable to the measure of attempting: 
 the improvement of the Hindoos. It has been said 
 . at their P re judices are invincible ; and that the Brah¬ 
 mins cannot receive the Christian religion. If the 
 same assertion had been made of our forefathers in Bri¬ 
 tain, and of the Druids their priests, it would not have 
 been more contrary to truth. It is now time to disclose 
 to the English nation some facts respecting the preva- 
 lence oi the Christian religion in India, which certainly 
 wni not oe received with indifference. 
 
 , 2 * / religion of Christ has been professed by Hin¬ 
 doos in India from time immemorial; and thousands of 
 Brahmins have been converted to the Christian faith. 
 J--A this time there are upwards of one hundred and fif¬ 
 ty thousand natives in one district alone on the coast of 
 Malabar who profess that religion, and who live under a 
 legular canonical discipline, occupying one hundred 
 and nineteen churches. 
 
 o. It is probable that the Christian faith has been 
 xnown m India since the time of the Apostles* But 
 
 * Eusebius relates that Panfsenus, of Alexandria vUPpH r n v 
 
 DdofSt^Sl 1851 a " d . there f ° u . nd Christians who had the Got 
 pel of St. Matthew m Hebrew, which they informed him they hart 
 i eceived from St. Bartholomew. He carried a copy of it to A fi/ 
 andna, where it existed m the time of Jerome. At the council S 
 l ies in the year 325 the primate of India was present, and s»E 
 
 T £ 
 
222 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 we have authentic historical record for the following 
 particulars. In the fifth century a Christian bishop 
 from Antioch, accompanied by a small colony of Syrians* 
 arrived in India, and preached the Gospel in Malabar. 
 <£ They made at first some proselytes among the Brah- 
 “ mins and Nairs, and were, on that account, much res- 
 “ pected by the native princes.”* 
 
 4. When the Portuguese first arrived in India, they 
 were agreeably surprised to find a hundred Chris¬ 
 tian churches on the coast of Malabar. But when 
 they had become acquainted with the purity and sim¬ 
 plicity of their doctrine, they were offended. They 
 were yet more indignant when they found that these 
 Hindoo Christians maintained the order and discipline 
 of a regular church under episcopal jurisdiction; and that 
 for thirteen hundred years past, they had enjoyed a suc¬ 
 cession of bishops appointed by the patriarchal see of An¬ 
 tioch. Mar Joseph was the bishop, who filled the Hindoo 
 see of Malabar at that period. The Portuguese used 
 every art to persuade him to acknowledge the supre¬ 
 macy of the pope ; but in vain. He was a man of sin¬ 
 gular piety and fortitude, and declaimed with great 
 energy against the errors of the Romish church. 
 But when the power of the Portuguese became suf¬ 
 ficient for their purpose, they invaded his bishopric, 
 and sent the bishop bound to Lisbon. A synod was 
 
 scribed his name. In the year following Frumentius was conse¬ 
 crated primate of India by Athanasius at Alexandria. P'rumenti- 
 us resided in Hindostan for a long period, and founded many 
 churches. He acquired great influence among the natives, and 
 was appointed guardian of one of their kings during his minority. 
 See Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. 1, 3, c. 1.—Sozomenes, 1. 2■ c. 24 ; and 
 Socrates, Hist. Eccl. 1. I,.c. £9. 
 
 In the year 530 Cosmus the Egyptian merchant, who had trav¬ 
 elled through the greatest part of the Indian peninsula, found 
 in the Dekhun and in Ceylon, a great many churches and several 
 bishops. 
 
 * “ Many of them to this day preserve the manners and mode 
 “ of life of the Brahmins, as to cleanliness, and abstaining from 
 “ animal food.” Asiat. Res. Vol VII. page 368. “ The bulk of 
 
 “ the St. Thome Christians consists mostly of converts from the 
 “ Brahmins and Shoudren cast; and not as the new Christians, or 
 “ prosefites made by the Portuguese missionaries, of the lowest. 
 J 4 tribes.” Asiat. lies. Yol. YU- page 381. 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 223 
 
 convened at Diamper in Malabar, on the 26th June, 
 1599, at which one hundred and fifty of the clergy of his 
 diocese appeared. They were accused of the following 
 opinions, which were by their adversaries accounted 
 heretical; “ That they had married wives; that they 
 “ owned but two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord’s 
 “Supper; that they denied Transubstantiation ; that 
 “ they neither invoked saints nor believed in purgato- 
 “ ry ; and, that they had no other orders or names of 
 “ dignity in the church than bishop and deacon.”* 
 
 These tenets they were called on to abjure, or to suf¬ 
 fer instant suspension from all church benefices. It 
 was also decreed that all the Syrian and Chaldean books 
 in their churches, and all records in the episcopal pal¬ 
 ace, should be burnt; in order, said the inquisitors, 
 “ that no pretended apostolical monuments may re- 
 “ main.”t 
 
 5.. Notwithstanding these violent measures, a great 
 body of the Indian Christians resolutely defended their 
 faith, and finally triumphed over all opposition. Some 
 shew of union with the Romish church was at first pre- 
 
 * Conferences with Malabarian Brahmins, page 15: printed at 
 London 1719. [See The History of the Church of Malabar, trans¬ 
 lated from the Portuguese into English by Michael Geddes, 
 Chancellor of the Cathedral Church of Sarum. London, 1694. 
 The Synod of Diamper met on the 20th of June, and closed its 
 session on the 26th. The Acts and Decrees of this Synod are 
 subjoined to that History. Decree XIV of Action III. con¬ 
 demns “ The Book of Orders,” used in the Malabarian Church, 
 which contains the last article abovementioned, asserting, “ That 
 “ there are only two orders, Diaconate and Priesthood.” 
 
 M. V. La Croze, who wrote his celebrated History nearly a 
 century ago [1723,j considered the discovery of this very an¬ 
 cient Church (almost all the tenets of which agree with those of 
 the Protestants) as deserving the attention of all good men : “ Ma 
 “ seconde et derniere Remarque merite, ce me semble, 1’ atten- 
 “ tion de toutes les personnes qui aiment sincerement la Religion. 
 “ Nous trouvons ici une Eglise tres-ancienne, dont presque tous 
 “ les Dogmes conveniennent avec ceux de la Religion reformee. 
 “ Les Chretiens Orientaux, .... sous l’ obeissance d’ un Patri- 
 “ arche independant d’ 1’ Empire Romain, et n’ ayant aucun com- 
 “ mere eavec lui, .... ignorent presque toutes les Traditions Ro- 
 “ mainesqui sont rejeltdes par les Protestants.” Histoire du 
 Christianisme des Indes, ii. 90.] Amer. Edit. 
 
 t See Appendix 
 
224 
 
 MEMOIR* 
 
 tended, through terror of the Inquisition; but a con¬ 
 gress Avas held by them on the 22d of May, 1653, at Al- 
 angatta; when they formally separated from that com¬ 
 munion.t They compose at this day the thirty-two 
 schismatic churches of Malabar ; so called by the Ro¬ 
 man Catholics as resembling the Protestant schism in 
 Europe. At this time their number is about fifty thou¬ 
 sand. 
 
 These churches soon afterwards addressed a letter to 
 the Patriarch of Antioch, which was forwarded by means 
 of the Dutch government, and published at Leyden in 
 1714; in which they request “ that a spiritual guide 
 may be sent, together with such men as are versed in 
 interpreting the holy Scriptures.But no spiritual 
 guide was ever sent.§ 
 
 The province of Malabar now forms part of the Bri¬ 
 tish dominions; and divine Providence hath placed 
 these churches under our government. 
 
 6. The manners of these Christians are truly simple 
 and primitive. Every traveller who has visited the 
 churches in the mountains takes pleasure in describ¬ 
 ing the chaste and innocent lives of the native Chris¬ 
 tians. The congregations support each other, and form 
 a kind of Christian republic. The clergy and elders 
 settle all disputes among members of the community; 
 and the discipline, for the preservation of pure morals, 
 is very correct, and would do honour to any Protestant 
 church in Europe.^! 
 
 f Annales Mission, page 193. 
 
 + Malabarian Conferences, 1719. Preface. 
 
 § In the year 1752, some bishops were sent from Antioch to 
 consecrate by episcopal ordination, a native priest, one of their 
 number. The old man, I hear, is yet alive. The episcopal re¬ 
 sidence is at Narnatte, ten miles inland from Porca. 
 
 T{ At certain seasons, the A-gapje, or love feasts, are celebrated, 
 as in primitive times. On such occasions they prepare delicious 
 cakes, called Appain, made of bananas, honey, and rice-flour. 
 The people assemble in the church-yard, and, arranging them¬ 
 selves in rows, each spreads before him a plaintain leaf. When 
 this is done, the clergyman, standing in the church-door, pro¬ 
 nounces the benediction ; and the overseers of the church, walk¬ 
 ing through between the rows, gives to each his portion. “ It 
 c ‘ is certainly an affecting scene, and capable of elevating the 
 * heart, to behold six or seven thousand persons, of both sexes 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 225 
 
 7. The climate of Malabar is delightful; and the face 
 of the country, which is verdant and picturesque, is 
 adorned by the numerous churches of the Christians. 
 Their churches are not, in general, so small as the 
 country parish churches in England. Many of them 
 are sumptuous buildings,* and some of them are visi¬ 
 ble from the sea. This latter circumstance is noticed 
 incidentally by a writer who lately visited the country: 
 “ Having kept as close to the land as possible, the 
 whole coast of Malabar appeared before us in the 
 “ form of a green amphitheatre. Ac one time we dis- 
 “ covered a district entirely covered with cocoa-nut- 
 “ trees ; and immediately after, a river winding through 
 “ a delightful vale, at the bottom of which it discharg- 
 <( ed itself into the sea. In one place appeared a mul- 
 “ titude of people employed in fishing ; in another, a 
 u snow-white church bursting forth to the view from 
 u amidst the thick-leaved trees. While we were en= 
 u joying these delightful scenes with the early morn- 
 “ ing, a gentle breeze, which blew from the shore, 
 perfumed the air around us with the agreeable smell 
 u wafted from the cardamon, pepper, beetel, and other 
 “ aromatic herbs and plants.”t 
 
 “ and of all ages, assembled and receiving together, with the ut- 
 “ most reverence and devotion, their Appam, the pledge of mu- 
 “ tual union and love.” 3artolomeo, page 424. 
 
 Compare the amiable lives and character of these Christian 
 Hindoos with the rites of their uncontroverted countrymen in 
 Bengal described in Appendix B. 
 
 * “ The great number of such sumptuous buildings,” says 
 Mr. Wrede, “ as the St. Thome Christians possessed in the in- 
 “ land parts of the Travancore and Cochin dominions, is really 
 “ surprising ; since some of them, upon a moderate calculation, 
 “ must have cost upwards of one lack of rupees, and few less 
 “than half that sum.” Asiat. lies. Vol. VII. p. 380. “Almost 
 “ all the temples in the southern Malabar, of which I had occa- 
 “ sion to observe more than forty, were built in the same style, 
 “ and nearly oil the same plan. The facade with little columns 
 “ (evidently the style of architecture prevalent in Asia Minor and 
 “ Syria) being every where the same.” Ibid. 379. 
 
 In the year 1790, Tippoo the Mahometan destroyed a great 
 number of the Christian churches, and a general conflagration of 
 the Christian villages marked the progress of his destroying host. 
 Ten thousand Christians lost their lives during the war. Bartol¬ 
 omeo, page 149. 
 
 | Bartolomeo, p. 425. 
 
226 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 A snow-white church bursting on the view from, 
 amidst the trees ! Can this be a scene in the land of 
 the Hindoos; where even a church for Europeans is 
 so rarely found ? And can the persons repairing to 
 these snow-white churches be Hindoos; that peculiar 
 people who are supposed to be incapable of receiving 
 the Christian religion or its civilizing principles ? Yes, 
 they are Hindoos, and now u a peculiar people,” some 
 of them formerly Brahmins of Malabar ; who, before 
 means were used for their conversion, may have pos¬ 
 sessed as invincible prejudices against the religion of 
 Christ as the Brahmins of Benares, or of Juggernaut. 
 
 Whatever good effects have been produced by the 
 Christian religion in Malabar, may also be produced 
 in Bengal, and in every other province of Hindostan. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Of the extension of Christianity in India by the labors 
 of Protestant Missionaries. 
 
 1. In the bill brought into Parliament in 1793 for 
 communicating Christian instruction to our Asiatic 
 subjects, there was a clause for an “ Establishment of 
 “ Missionaries and Schoolmasters.” Such an estab¬ 
 lishment (if it ever should be necessary) might seem 
 more properly to follow , than to precede, the recogni¬ 
 tion of our national church in Hindostan. It is prob¬ 
 able, however, that the proposition for sending mis¬ 
 sionaries was less favorably received on account of the 
 reigning prejudice against the name and character of 
 “ missionary.” In England it is not professional in 
 church or state. No honor or emolument is attached 
 to it. The character and purpose of it are doubtful, 
 and the scene of action remote. Even the propriety of 
 sending missionaries any where has been called into 
 question. 
 
 2. It is not, however, those who send missionaries, 
 but those to whom they are sent , tvho have a right to 
 give an opinion in this matter. 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 22r 
 
 The same spirit which sent missionaries to Britain 
 in the fourth century will continue to send missiona¬ 
 ries to the heathen world to the end of time, by the es¬ 
 tablished church, or by her religious societies. 
 
 3. Wherever the Christian missionary comes, he is 
 well received. Ignorance ever bows to learning : but 
 if there be a desire to impart this learning, what barba¬ 
 rian will turn away ? The priests will murmur when 
 the Christian teacher speaks as one having authority ; 
 but “ the common people will hear him gladly.’* 
 Whether in the subterranean hut of frozen Greenland, 
 or under the shade of a banian-tree in burning India, a 
 Christian missionary surrounded by the listening na¬ 
 tives, is an interesting sight; no less grateful to hu¬ 
 manity than to Christian charity. 
 
 4. But who is this missionary? He is such as Swartz 
 in India, or Brainerd in America, or the Moravian in 
 Labrador; one who leaving his country and kindred, 
 and renouncing honour and emolument, embraces a life 
 of toil, difficulty, and danger; and contented with the 
 fame of instructing the ignorant, “ looks for the recom- 
 pence of eternal reward.” 
 
 There is a great difference between a civilizing me¬ 
 chanic and an apostolic missionary. A mechanic of 
 decent morals is no doubt useful among barbarians. 
 The few around him learn something of his morals with 
 his trade. And it is the duty of civilized states to use 
 such means for improving the barbarous portions of the 
 human race. 
 
 But the apostolic missionary, who has studied the 
 language and genius of the people, is a blessing of a 
 higher order. His heavenly doctrine and its moral in¬ 
 fluence extend, like the light of the sun, over multitudes 
 in a short time ; giving life, peace, and joy, enlarging 
 the conceptions, and giving birth to all the Christian 
 charities. How shall we estimate the sum of human 
 happiness produced by the voice of Swartz alone ! Com¬ 
 pared with him, as a dispenser of happiness, what are 
 a thousand preachers of philosophy among a refined 
 people ! 
 
 5. Some of the English think that we ought not “ to 
 disturb the faith of the natives.” But some of the Hin- 
 
228 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 doo Rajahs think differently. The king of Tanjore 
 requested Mr. Swartz to disturb the faith of his wicked 
 subjects by every means, and to make them, if possible, 
 honest and industrious men. Mr. Swartz endeavoured 
 to do so, and his services were acknowledged by the 
 English government at Madras,* as weil as by the 
 King of Tanjore. In the year 1787 , “ the King of Tan- 
 “ jore made an appropriation forever of land of the year- 
 “ ly income of five hundred pagodas, for the support of 
 “ the Christian missionaries in his dominions.”} 
 
 6. In the debate in 1793, on the proposal for sending 
 missionaries to India, some observation was made on 
 Mr. Swartz, honourable to himself as a man, but un¬ 
 favourable to his objects as a missionary. The paper 
 containing this speech reached Mr. Swartz in India, 
 and drew from him his famous Apology, published by 
 the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge. Per¬ 
 haps no Christian defence has appeared in these latter 
 ages more characteristic of the apostolic simplicity and 
 primitive energy of truth, than this apology of the ven¬ 
 erable Swartz. 
 
 Without detailing the extraordinary success of him¬ 
 self and his brethren in converting thousands of the na¬ 
 tives to the Christian religion, a blessing which some 
 may not be able to appreciate ; he notices other cir¬ 
 cumstances of its beneficial influence, which all must 
 understand. 
 
 His fellow missionary, u Mr. Gericke, at the time 
 <c the war broke out at Cuddalore, was the instrument 
 (l in the hand of Providence, by which Cuddalore was 
 <l saved from plunder and bloodshed He saved many 
 * l English gentlemen from becoming prisoners to Hy- 
 “ der Ali, which Lord Macartney kindly acknowled- 
 “ ged.” 
 
 Mr. Swartz twice saved the fort of Tanjore. When 
 the credit of the English was lost, and when the cred¬ 
 it of the Rajah was lost, on the view of an approaching 
 enemy, the people of the country refused to supply the 
 fort with provisions ; and the streets were covered with 
 
 * By Lord Macartney and General Coote. 
 
 f See Account, of Proceedings of Society for Promoting Chris¬ 
 tian Knowledge, for 1788. 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 229 
 
 the dead. But Mr. Swartz went forth and stood at the 
 gate, and at his word they brought in a plentiful sup- 
 ply. 
 
 Mr. Swartz, at different times, aided the English 
 government in the collection of revenues from the re¬ 
 fractory districts. He was appointed guardian to the 
 family of the deceased King of Tanjore ; and he was 
 employed repeatedly as mediator between the English 
 government and the country powers. On one occa¬ 
 sion, when the natives doubted the purpose and good 
 faith of the English, they applied to Mr. Swartz ; “ Sir, 
 u ^ you send a person to us, send a person who has 
 “ learned all your Ten Commandments.'’* 
 
 7. Some ol the English think that we ought not to 
 disturb the faith of the Hindoos ! After the* apostolic 
 Swartz had labored for fifty years in evangelizing the 
 Hindoos, so sensible were they of the blessing, that 
 
 * See Society Proceedings for 1792, page 114. Should Mr. 
 Swartz s name be mentioned in any future discussion, t.he honour 
 of the English natisn is pledged to protect his fame The bish¬ 
 ops and clergy of England, in their account of proceedings of the 
 “Society for promoting Ci.ristian Knowledge,” for 1792, have 
 sanctioned the following character of Mr. Swartz. 
 
 “ H e is an example of all that is great and good in the character 
 of a Christian missionary. He hath hazarded his life through 
 , ser ‘. cs °fy e ^ rs f°r the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 it *i ° e " aviour > while it has endeared him to the common or¬ 
 ders of men, h s procured him admission before the throne of 
 the proudest monarch of the east. There do we find this worthy 
 servant of God, pleading the cause of Christianity, and interce¬ 
 ding for lus mission; and doing it without offence. There do 
 „ Y ehnd h >m renouncing every personal consideration; and, in 
 ci th £| tI l ! e spirit of the divine Lawgiver, choosing rather to suffer 
 , a J*uction with the people of God, than to enjoy any pleasures or 
 c istinctions which this world could afford him ; esteeming the 
 reproach of Christ and the advancement of a despised religion 
 far greater riches than Indian treasures.” 
 
 See Hi- Glasse’s Charge to a Missionary proceeding to India, 
 it will not be foreign to the subject of this Memoir to insert another 
 passage of that Charge : 
 
 “ Happy will it be, if our conquests in India should open the 
 way for a further introduction of the Gospel, and for the exten- 
 sion and enlargement of Christ’s kingdom. What a lustre would 
 such an accession give to the British conquests in the Eastern 
 « "' orl( !,-when it should appear, that we have been conquering, not 
 tor oui selves alone, but for Him alto in whom we believe .” 
 
230 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 bis death was considered as a public calamity. An in¬ 
 numerable multitude attended the funeral. The Hin¬ 
 doo Rajah “ shed a flood of tears over the body, and 
 “ covered it with a gold cloth.”* His memory is still 
 blessed among the people. The King of Tanjore has 
 lately written to the bishops of the English church, re¬ 
 questing that a monument of marble may be sent to 
 him, “ in order,” he adds, “ that it may be erected in 
 “ the church which is in my capital, to perpetuate the 
 <c memory of the late Rev. Mr. Swartz, and to mani- 
 “ fest the esteem I have for the character of that great 
 “ and good man, and the gratitude I owe to him, my 
 “ father and my friend.” 
 
 8. But whence was this Swartz ? and under what 
 sanction did he and bis predecessors exercise their 
 ministry as Christian preachers to the heathen ? 
 
 The first person appointed to superintend a Protest¬ 
 ant mission in India was Bartholomew Ziegenbalgius, 
 a man of considerable learning and of eminent piety, 
 educated at the University of Haile in Germany. Hav¬ 
 ing been ordained by the learned Burmannus, Bishop 
 of Zealand, in his twenty-third year, he sailed for In¬ 
 dia in 1705. A complete century will have revolved 
 in October of this year, since the mission in India be¬ 
 gan. Immediately on his arrival, he applied himself to 
 the study of the language of the country, and with such 
 success, that in a few years he obtained a classical know¬ 
 ledge of it; and the colloquial tongue became as fa¬ 
 miliar to him as his own. His fluent orations addres¬ 
 sed to the natives, and his frequent conferences with 
 the Brahmins,! were attended with almost immediate 
 success ; and a Christian church was founded in the 
 second year of his ministry,! which has been extending 
 Its limits to the present time. 
 
 * Serfogee Maha Rajah of Tanjore. See Society Proceedings 
 •for 1801, p. 141. Let us hail this act as the emblem of the whole 
 Hindoo superstition bending to the Christian faith. 
 
 j A volume of these conferences was published in London in 
 1719, 8vo. 
 
 [± A building was now erected at Tranquebar, at the expense 
 of 250 perdous, and was named JVev> Jerusalem. It stood with¬ 
 out the town, “ in the midst of a multitude of Malabarians, near 
 the high road, built all of stone.” It was consecrated August 14, 
 
MEMOIR* 
 
 231 
 
 9. During his residence in India he maintained a cor¬ 
 respondence with the King of England and other prin¬ 
 ces, and with many of the learned men on the conti¬ 
 nent. In the year 1714, he returned to Europe for a 
 few months on the affairs of the mission. On this oc¬ 
 casion he was honored with an audience by his Majesty 
 George the First. He was also invited to attend a sit- 
 Ung of the Bishops in the « Society for promoting 
 Clmstian Knowledge where he was received with 
 an eloquent address in the Latin language to which 
 he answered in the Tamul tongue ; and then delivered 
 a copy of his speech translated into Latin. 
 
 ,. , l0 :.T he grand work to which the King and the Eng¬ 
 lish* bishops had been long directing his attention, was 
 a translation of the Scriptures into the Tamul or Mala- 
 banan language. 
 
 This indeed was the grand work ; for wherever the 
 Scriptures are translated into the vernacular tongue, 
 ant. aie open and common to all, inviting enquiry and 
 causing discussion, they cannot remain a dead letter; 
 
 L *ey produce fruit of themselves, even without a teach- 
 
 euns i a n n!lrE CnCe .f a ? reat concourse of Heathens, Mal.om- 
 etans, and Chi istians ! to whom a sermon was preached botli in 
 
 CZ Ji UeSe an f T Mulabanck - From that time the missionaries 
 statedly preached in this church three times a week in both these 
 
 languages. Of their indefatigable diligence, in this interesting 
 mission, some uda-ment mav h, Ja a ’ _ • , jesting 
 
 . *i • i . • , , language ol this country is fallen') I 
 
 have explained hitherto the Articles of the Christian Faith in 
 
 “ Tarick Am-muensis ayS » ep *“ ons * Th ese I dictated to a Mala- 
 
 “ word’^r i ’ f n o e " g0t them b y h eart word by 
 1 e la bors of these pious missionaries were so blest 
 
 “ '“S''' 0 "*! erected 
 
 Niecampius, Hist. Miss. Orient nasre 1Q0 fTKia a i i 
 was delivered by W.liiak NtcBofs?! M lieS- ofsfie? 
 f bi.' a I f. emb ! ir of the Society for promoting Christian Kno»i 
 Eaft' Indi,. P i nt n d m ltfo Accmnt of ,,le a ™ sh Mission to the 
 !' mi.” ^ 1 ’ a " d there dalei1 “ Oecenther 29. 
 
232 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 er. When a heathen views the word of God in all its 
 parts, and hears it addressing him in his own familiar 
 tongue, his conscience responds, “ This is the word of 
 “ God.” The learned man who produces a translation 
 of the Bible into anew language, is a greater benefac¬ 
 tor to mankind than the prince who founds an empire. 
 The “ incorruptible seed of the word of God” can nev¬ 
 er die. After ages have-revolved, it is still producing 
 new accessions to truth and human happiness. 
 
 So diligent in his studies was this eminent mission¬ 
 ary, that before the year 1719, he had completed a 
 translation of the whole Scriptures in the Tamul 
 tongue ;f and had also composed a grammar and dic¬ 
 tionary of the same language, which remain with us to 
 this day. 
 
 11. The peculiar interest taken by King George the 
 First in this primary endeavour to evangelize the Hin¬ 
 doos, will appear from the following letters addressed 
 to the missionaries by his Majesty. 
 
 George by the Grace of God , King of Great Britain, 
 u France and Ireland , Defender of the Faith , &c. To 
 (t the Reverend and Learned Bartholomew Ziegenbal- 
 “ gius and John Ernest Grundlerus, Missionaries at 
 u T'ranquebar in the East Lidies. 
 
 11 REVEREND AND BELOVED, 
 
 “ Your letters dated the 20th of January of the present 
 (l year, were most welcome to us ; not only because the 
 “ work undertaken by you of converting the heathen to 
 “ the Christian faith, doth by the grace of God prosper, 
 “ but also because that in this our kingdom such a 
 “ laudable zeal for the promotion of the Gospel prevails. 
 
 j- Like Wickliffi-’s Bible it has been the father of many versions, 
 [Mr. Ziegenbalgh, in one of his Letters, having-mentioned Ma¬ 
 dras, Vitagapatnam, Bombay, &c. observes, “ In all these places 
 “ the Damulian (Tamul) is the current language, and conse- 
 “ quently the fittest vehicle for conveying the Christian Truths 
 “ to these people.” The whole JVew Testament, in the Damulian 
 language, was printed for the benefit of the Malabarians, in 1714. 
 A cony of this Version is in the Library of Harvard College. 
 
 Edit.] 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 223 
 
 “ We pray you may be endued with health and 
 u strength of body, that you may long continue to fulfil 
 “your ministry with good success ; of which, as we 
 shall be lejoiced to hear, so you w'ill always find us 
 u ready to succour you in whatever may tend to pro- 
 “ mote y°ur work and to excite your zeal. We assure 
 } ou ot the continuance of our royal favour.”* 
 
 “ GEORGE R. 
 
 “ Hattorf.” 
 
 . l2 ‘ rhe . Kin g continued to cherish with much soli¬ 
 citude the interests of the mission after the death of 
 Ziegenbalgius; and in ten years from the date of the 
 foiegomg letter, a second was addressed to the mem¬ 
 bers of the mission, by his Majesty. 
 
 C£ reverend and beloved, 
 
 “ From your letters, dated Tranquebar, the 12th Sep- 
 • tembcr, 1725, which some time since came to hand, 
 we received much pleasure ; since by them we are 
 lmormed not only of your zealous exertions in the 
 prosecution of the work committed to you, but also of 
 the happy success which has hitherto attended it, and 
 which hath been graciously given of God. 
 
 .. “We return you thanks for these accounts, and it 
 will be acceptable to us, if vou continue tn m rr» m n _ 
 
2 54- 
 
 memoir. 
 
 “ its perpetuity may not fail in generations to 
 (i come."* 
 
 “ Given at our Palace at St. James’s,") 
 
 “ the 23d February, 1727", in theC « GEORGE R.” 
 
 “ 13th Year of our Reign. j 
 
 13. The English nation will receive these letters 
 (now sent back in the name of the Hindoos) with that 
 reverence and affectionate regard, which are due to the 
 memory of the royal author, considering them as a me¬ 
 morial of the nation’s past concern for the welfare of 
 the natives, and as a pledge of our future care. 
 
 Providence hath been pleased to grant the prayer of 
 the King, “ that the work might not fail in generations 
 to come.” After the first missionary Ziegenbalgius 
 had finished his course, he was succeeded by other 
 learned and zealous men ; and lastly, by the Apostle of 
 the East, the venerable Swartz, who, during the period 
 of half a century,f has fulfilled a laborious ministry 
 among the natives of different provinces, and illumi¬ 
 nated many a dark region with the light of the Gos¬ 
 pel. 
 
 14. The pious exertions of the King for the diffusion 
 of religious blessings among the natives of India, seem 
 to have been rewarded by heaven in temporal blessings 
 to his own subjects in their intercourse tvith the East; 
 by leading them onward in a continued course of pros¬ 
 perity and glory, and by granting to them at length the 
 entire dominion of the peninsula of India. 
 
 15. But these royal epistles are not the only evangelic 
 documents of high authority in the hands of the Hin¬ 
 doos. They are in possession of letters written by the 
 Archbishop of Canterbury, of the same reign who 
 supported the interests of the mission with unexampled 
 liberality, affection, and zeal. These letters which are 
 many in number, are all written in the Latin language. 
 The following is a translation of his grace’s first let¬ 
 ter ; which appears to have been written by him as pres¬ 
 ident of the “ Society for promoting Christian Knowl¬ 
 edge.” 
 
 * Niecampius, pa.a^e 234. t From 1749 to 1800. 
 
 i Archbishop W^ke. 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 235 
 
 <( To Bartholomew Ziegcnbalgius and John Ernest 
 
 “ Grundlerus, Preachers of the Christian Faith , on 
 
 (( the coast of Coromandel. 
 
 “ As often as I behold your letters, reverend breth- 
 “ ren, addressed to the venerable Society instituted for 
 “ the promotion of the Gospel, whose chief honour and 
 K ornament ye are ; and as often as I contemplate the 
 “ light of the Gospel either now first rising on the In- 
 “ dian nations, or after the intermission of some ages 
 “ again revived, and as it were restored to its inherit- 
 t£ ance ; I am constrained to magnify that singular good- 
 “ ness of God in visiting nations so remote ; and to ac- 
 “ count you, my brethren, highly honoured, whose min- 
 ££ istry it hath pleased Him to employ, in this pious work, 
 “ to the glory of His name and the salvation of so many 
 “ millions of souls. 
 
 “ Let others indulge in a ministry, if not idle, certain- 
 “ ly less laborious, among Christians at home. Let 
 “ them enjoy in the bosom of the church, titles and 
 “ honours, obtained without labour and without danger. 
 ££ lour praise it will be (a praise of endless duration on 
 “ earth, and followed by a just recompense in heaven) 
 “ to have labored in the vineyard which yourselves have 
 “ planted ; to have declared the name of Christ, where 
 “ it was not known before ; and through much peril and 
 “ difficulty to have converted to the faith those, among 
 “ whom ye afterwards fulfilled your ministry. Your 
 <£ province therefore, brethren, your office, I place be- 
 “ lore all dignities in the church. Let others be pon- 
 “ tiffs, patriarchs, or popes ; let them glitter in purple, 
 u i n scarlet, or in gold ; let them seek the admiration 
 <£ the wondering multitude, and receive obeisence on 
 u the bended knee. Ye have acquired a better name 
 u than they, and a more sacred fame. And when that 
 “ day shall arrive when the chief Shepherd shall give 
 u to every man according to his work, a greater reward 
 u shall be adjudged to you. Admitted into the glori- 
 “ ous society of the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apos- 
 “ ties, ye with them shall shine, like the sun among 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 536 
 
 44 the lesser stars, in the kingdom of your Father, for- 
 44 ever. 
 
 44 Since then so great honour is now given unto 
 44 you by all competent judges on earth, and since so 
 44 great a reward is laid up for you in heaven ; go forth 
 44 with alacrity to that work, to the which the Holy 
 44 Ghost hath called you. God hath already given to you 
 44 an illustrious pledge of his favour, an increase not to 
 44 be expected without the aid of his grace. Ye have 
 44 begun happily, proceed with spirit. He, who hath 
 44 carried you safely through the dangers of the seas to 
 44 such a remote country, and who hath given you favour 
 44 in the eyes of those whose countenance ye most de- 
 44 sired; He who hath so liberally and unexpectedly 
 44 ministered unto your wants, and who doth now daily 
 “ add members to your church ; He will continue to 
 44 prosper your endeavours, and will subdue unto him- 
 “ self, by your means, the whole continent of Oriental 
 44 India. 
 
 44 O happy men I who, standing before the tribunal 
 44 of Christ, shall exhibit so many nations converted to 
 44 his faith by your preaching ; happy men 1 to whom it 
 “ shall be given to say before the assembly of the whole 
 44 human race, 4 Behold us, O Lord, and the children 
 44 4 whom thou hast given us happy men ! who, being 
 44 justified by the Saviour, shall receive in that day the 
 44 reward of your labours, and also shall hear that glori- 
 44 ous encomium; 4 Well done, good and faithful scr- 
 44 4 vants, enter ye into the joy of your Lord.’ 
 
 44 May Almighty God graciously favour you and your 
 44 labours in all things. May he send to your aid fel- 
 44 low-labourers, such and so many as ye wish. May he 
 44 increase the bounds of your churches. May he open 
 44 the hearts of those to whom ye preach the Gospel of 
 44 Christ; that hearing you, they may receive life-giv- 
 44 ing faith. May he protect you and yours from all 
 44 evils and dangers. And when ye arrive (may it be 
 44 late) at the end of your course, may the same God, 
 44 who hath called you to this work of the Gospel and 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 237 
 
 “ hath preserved you in it, grant to you the reward of 
 “ your labour,—an incorruptible crown of glory.* 
 
 “ These are the fervent wishes and prayers of, 
 
 Venerable brethren, 
 
 “ Your most faithful fellow servant in Christ, 
 
 “ From our Palace at LamO 
 “ beth, January, a. d. 1719.j 
 
 “ GULIELMUS CANT.’" 
 
 Such was the primary archiepiscopal charge to the 
 Protestant missionaries, who came to India for the con¬ 
 version of the heathen. Where shall we look, in these 
 days, for a more perfect model of Christian eloquence ; 
 animated by purer sentiments of scriptural truth, by 
 greater elevation of thought, or by a sublimer piety !f 
 16. By the letters of the King, and his long contin¬ 
 ued care of the mission, and by the frequent admonito¬ 
 ry epistles of the archbishop, an incalculable sum of 
 
 * Niecampius, page 215. 
 
 t Before this letter reached India, Ziegenbalgius had departed 
 this life at the early age of thirty six years. The expressions of 
 the archbishop corresponded in many particulars with the circum¬ 
 stances of his death. Perceiving that his last hour was at hand, 
 he called his Hindoo congregation and partook of the holy Com¬ 
 munion, “amidst ardent prayers and many tears:” and after¬ 
 wards addressing them in a solemn manner, took an affectionate 
 leave of them. Being reminded by them of the faith of the Apos¬ 
 tle of the Gentiles at the prospect of death, who “ desired to be 
 “ with Christ, as being far better,” he said, “ That also is my 
 “ desire. Washed from my sins in his blood, and clothed with 
 “ his righteousness, I shall enter into his heavenly kingdom. I 
 “ pray that the things which I have spoken may be fruitful. 
 “ Throughout tins whole warfare, I have entirely endured by 
 “ Christ; and now I can say through him.”—“I have fought the good 
 “ light; I have finished my course ; I have kept the faith. Hence- 
 “ forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which 
 words having spoken, he desired that the Hindoo children about 
 his bed, and the multitude filling the verandahs, and about the 
 house, might sing the hymn, beginning “ Jesus my Saviour Lord.” 
 Which when finished, he yielded up his spirit, amidst the rejoic¬ 
 ings and lamentations of a great multitude ; some rejoicing at his 
 triumphant death, and early entrance into glory, And others la- 
 menting the early loss of their faithf ul apostle; who had first 
 brought the light of the Gospel to their dark region from the wes¬ 
 tern world. Niecampius, p. 217, and Annales Miss. p. 20. 
 
238 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 happiness has been dispensed in India. The episcopal 
 charges infused spirit into the mission abroad ; and the 
 countenance of majesty cherished a zeal in the Socie¬ 
 ty at home, which has not abated to this day. From 
 the commencement of the mission in 1705, to the pres¬ 
 ent year, 1805, it is computed that eighty thousand na¬ 
 tives of all casts in one district alone, forsaking their 
 idols and their vices, have been added to the Christian 
 church. 
 
 17. In the above letter of the archbishop, there is 
 found a prophecy, “ That Christ shall subdue unto him- 
 “ self, through our means, the whole continent of ori- 
 “ ental India.” It is certainly not unbecoming our na¬ 
 tional principles, nor inconsistent with the language or 
 spirit of the religion we profess, to look for the fulfil¬ 
 ment of that prophecy. 
 
 18. Many circumstances concur to make it probable, 
 that the light of Revelation is now dawning on the Asi¬ 
 atic world. How grateful must it be to the pious mind 
 to contemplate, that while infidelity has been extend¬ 
 ing itself in the region of science and learning, the di¬ 
 vine dispensation should have ordered that the knowl¬ 
 edge of the true God should flow' into heathen lands 1 
 
 Under the auspices of the college of Fort-William, 
 the Scriptures are in a course of translation into the 
 languages of almost the “ whole continent of Oriental 
 “ India.” Could the royal patron of the Tamul Bible, 
 who prayed “ that the work might not fail in genera- 
 “ tions to come,” have foreseen those streams of re¬ 
 vealed truth, which are now issuing from this fountain, 
 with what delight would he have hailed the arrival of 
 the present sera of Indian administration. In this view, 
 the Oriental college has been compared by one of our 
 Hindoo poets, to a “ flood of light shooting through a 
 “ dark cloud on a benighted land.” Directed by it, the 
 learned natives from every quarter of India, and from 
 the parts beyond, from Persia and Arabia, come to the 
 source of knowledge ; they mark our principles, pon¬ 
 der the volume of inspiration, “ and hear, every man 
 “ in his own tongue, the wonderful works of God.” 
 
 19. The importance of this Institution as the foun¬ 
 tain of civilization to Asia, is happily displayed in a 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 239 
 
 Speech in the Shanscrit language, pronounced by the 
 Shanscrit teacher,* at our late public disputations. 
 The translations of this discourse (being the first in 
 that language) we are induced to give entire ; not on¬ 
 ly from our deference to the authority of the venerable 
 speaker, who describes with much precision, the pres¬ 
 ent state, true object, and certain consequences of this 
 Institution ; but also, because the facts and reasoning 
 contained in it bear the most auspicious reference to 
 the various subjects which have been discussed in this 
 Memoir. 
 
 As Moderator of the Disputation, he addresses the 
 student,t who had pronounced a declamation in the 
 Shanscrit language : 
 
 “ SIR, 
 
 “ lT bein g a rule of our public disputations, that the 
 Moderator should express before the assembly, his opin¬ 
 ion of the proficiency of the student in the language in 
 which he has spoken, it becomes my duty to declare 
 my perfect approbation of the manner in which you 
 have acquitted yourself, and to communicate to you the 
 satisfaction with which the learned Pundits, your audi¬ 
 tors, have listened to your correct pronunciation of the 
 Shanscrit tongue. 
 
 “ Four years have now elapsed since the commence¬ 
 ment ©f this Institution. During that period the popu¬ 
 lar languages of India have been sedulously cultivated • 
 and are now fluently spoken. Last in order, because 
 first in difficulty, appears the parent of all these dia¬ 
 lects, the primitive Shanscrit; as if to acknowledge 
 her legitimate offspring, to confirm their affinity and 
 1 elation to each other, and thereby to complete our svs- 
 tem of Oriental study. ; 
 
 .* ? ,ie venerable Mr. Carey ; for many years past the Protestant 
 missionary in the North of India ; following the steps of the late 
 Mr. Swartz m the South; in Oriental and classical learning his 
 superior, and not inferior m laborious study and Christian zeal 
 Mr. Carey is author of a Grammar of the Shanscrit Language 
 900 pages 4to ; of a Grammar of the Bengal Language • of a 
 Grammar in the Mahratta Language; of a Translation of the 
 
 52[ es ;. nt0 the Bengal Language; and of various other use- 
 iul publications in Oriental literature, 
 t Clotworthy Gowan, Esq. 
 
240 
 
 MEMOIR* 
 
 “ Considered as the source of the colloquial tongues,' 
 the utility of the Shanscrit language is evident; but as 
 containing numerous treatises on the religion, jurispru¬ 
 dence, arts and sciences of the Hindoos, its importance 
 is yet greater; especially to those to whom is commit¬ 
 ted, by this government, the province of legislation for 
 the natives ; in order that being conversant with the Hin¬ 
 doo writings, and capable of referring to the original au¬ 
 thorities, they may propose, from time to time, the re¬ 
 quisite modifications and improvements, in just accord¬ 
 ance with existing law and ancient institution. 
 
 “ Shanscrit learning, say the Brahmins, is like an 
 extensive forest, abounding with a great variety of beau¬ 
 tiful foilage, splendid blossoms, and delicious fruits; 
 but surrounded by a strong and thorny fence, which 
 prevents those who are desirous of plucking its fruits 
 or flowers, from entering in. 
 
 “ The learned Jones, Wilkins, and others, broke 
 down this opposing fence in several places ; but by the 
 College of Fort William, a. highway has been made 
 into the midst of the wood; and you, Sir, have enter¬ 
 ed thereby. 
 
 “ The successful study of the Shanscrit tongue will 
 distinguish this fourth year of our Institution, and con¬ 
 stitute it an sera in the progress of Eastern learning; 
 and you, Sir, have the honor of being the first to deliv¬ 
 er a speech in that ancient and difficult language. The 
 success that has attended you in the acquirement of 
 other branches of Oriental literature, will encourage 
 you to prosecute the study of this, as far as it may be 
 useful in qualifying you for the faithful discharge of 
 your duties in the public service, or may be subservient 
 to your own reputation, in advancing the interests of 
 useful learning.” 
 
 [Addressing his Excellency Marquis Wellesley , Gov¬ 
 ernor General , E'ounder and Patron of the Insti¬ 
 tution .J 
 
 11 MY LOUD, 
 
 “ It is just, that the language which has been first 
 cultivated under your auspices, should primarily be- 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 241 
 
 employed in gratefully acknowledging the benefit, and 
 in speaking your praise. 
 
 “ This ancient language, which refused to disclose 
 itself to the former Governors of India, unlocks its 
 treasures at your command, and enriches the world with 
 the history, learning, and science of a distant age. 
 
 “ The rising importance of our Collegiate Institution 
 has never been more clearly demonstrated than on the 
 present occasion; and thousands of the learned in dis¬ 
 tant nations will exult in this triumph of literature. 
 
 “ What a singular exhibition has been this day pre¬ 
 sented to us ! In presence of the supreme Governor of 
 India, and of its most learned and illustrious charac¬ 
 ters, Asiatic and European, an assembly is convened, 
 in which no word of our native tongue is spoken, but 
 public discourse is maintained on interesting subjects, 
 in the languages of Asia. The colloquial Hindosta- 
 nee, the classic Persian, the commercial Bengalee, 
 the learned Arabic, and the primaeval Shanscrit, are 
 spoken fluently, after having been studied grammati¬ 
 cally, by English youth. Did ever any university in 
 Europe, or any literary institution in any other age or 
 country, exhibit a scene so interesting as this ! And 
 what are the circumstances of these youth ! They are 
 not students who prosecute a dead language with un¬ 
 certain purpose, impelled only by natural genius or 
 love ol fame. But having been appointed to the im¬ 
 portant offices of administering the government of the 
 country in which these languages are spoken, they ap¬ 
 ply their acquisitions immediately to useful purposes ; 
 in distributing justice to the inhabitants; in transacting 
 the business ol the state, revenual and commercial; 
 and in maintaining official intercourse with the people^ 
 in their own tongue, and not, as hitherto, by means of 
 an interpreter. 
 
 “ The acquisitions of our students may be apprecia¬ 
 ted by their affording to the suppliant native immediate 
 access to his principal; and by their elucidating the 
 spirit of the regulations of our government b)T oral 
 communication, and by written explanations, Varied 
 according to the circumstances and capacities of the 
 people. 
 
 W 
 
242 
 
 memoir. 
 
 « The acquisitions of our students are appreciated 
 at this moment by those learned Asiatics, now present 
 in this assembly, some of them strangers from distant 
 provinces ; who wonder every man to hear in his own 
 tongue, important subjects discussed, and new and 
 noble principles asserted, by the youth of a foreign 
 land. 
 
 “ The literary proceedings of this day amply repay 
 all the solicitude, labor, and expense that have been 
 bestowed on this Institution. If the expense had been 
 a thousand times greater, it would not have equalled 
 the immensity of the advantage, moral and political, 
 that will ensue. 
 
 « I, now an old man, have lived for a long series of 
 years among the Hindoos ; I have been in the habit of 
 preaching to multitudes daily, of discoursing with the 
 Brahmins on every subject, and of superintending 
 schools for the instruction of the Hindoo youth. Their 
 language is nearly as familiar to me as my own. This 
 close intercourse with the natives for so long a period, 
 and in different parts of our empire, has afforded me 
 opportunities of information not inferior to those which 
 have hitherto been presented to any other person. I 
 may say indeed that their manners, customs, habits, 
 and sentiments, are as obvious to me, as if I was my¬ 
 self a native. And knowing them as I do, and hearing 
 as I do, their daily observations on our government, 
 character, and principles, I am warranted to say, (and 
 I deem it my duty to embrace the public opportunity 
 now afforded me of saying it>) that the institution of 
 this College was wanting to complete the happiness of 
 the natives under our dominion ; for this institution will 
 break down that barrier (our ignorance of their lan¬ 
 guage) which has ever opposed the influence of our 
 laws and principles, and has despoiled our administra¬ 
 tion of its energy and effect. 
 
 “ Were, however, the Institution to cease from this 
 moment, its salutary effects would yet remain Good 
 has been done, which cannot be undone. Sources of 
 useful knowledge, moral instruction and political utili¬ 
 ty, have been opened to the natives of India, which can 
 never be closed ; and their civil improvement, like the 
 
MEMOIR. 
 
 243 
 
 gradual civilization of our own country, will advance in 
 progression, for ages to come. 
 
 “ One hundred original volumes in the Oriental lan¬ 
 guages and literature, will preserve forever in Asia the 
 name of the founder of this Institution. Nor are the ex¬ 
 amples frequent of a renown, possessing such utility 
 for its basis, or pervading such a vast portion of the hab¬ 
 itable globe. My Lord, you have raised a monument 
 of fame, which no length of time, or reverse of fortune, 
 is able to destroy ; not chiefly because it is inscribed 
 with Mahratta and Mysore, with the trophies of war, 
 and the emblems of victory ; but because there are in¬ 
 scribed on it the names of those learned youth, who 
 have obtained degrees of honour for high proficiency in 
 the Oriental tongues. 
 
 “ These youth will rise in regular succession to the 
 government of this country. They will extend the do¬ 
 main of British civilization, security, and happiness, by 
 enlarging the bounds of Oriental literature, and thereby 
 diffusing the spirit of Christian principles throughout 
 the nations of Asia. These youth, who have lived so 
 long among us, whose unwearied application to their 
 studies we have all witnessed, whose moral and exem¬ 
 plary conduct has, in so solemn a manner, been publicly- 
 declared before this august assembly, on this day ; and 
 who, at the moment of entering on the public service, 
 enjoy the fame of possessing qualities (rarely combin¬ 
 ed) constituting a reputation of threefold strength for 
 public men, genius, industry, and virtue ; these illustri¬ 
 ous scholars, my Lord, the pride of their country, 
 and the pillars of this empire, will record your name 
 in many a language, and secure your fame forever. 
 Your fame is already recorded in their hearts. The 
 whole body of youth of this service hail you as their fa¬ 
 ther and their friend. Your honour will ever be safe in 
 their hands. No revolution of opinion, or change of 
 circumstances, can rob you of the solid glory derived 
 from the humane, just, liberal and magnanimous prin¬ 
 ciples, which have been embodied by your administra¬ 
 tion. 
 
 “ To whatever situation the course of future events 
 may call you, the youth of this service will ever remain 
 
244 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 the pledges of the wisdom and purity of your govern¬ 
 ment. Your evening of life will be constantly cheered. 
 ■With new testimonies of their reverence and affection ; 
 with new proofs of the advantages of the education you 
 have afforded them ; and with a demonstration of the 
 numerous benefits, moral, religious, and political, re¬ 
 sulting from this Institution ;—benefits which will con¬ 
 solidate the happiness of millions in Asia, with the glory 
 and welfare of our country.”* 
 
 * SeePrimits Orientales, Yol. III. page 111. [The preceding 
 chapter has given so very concise an account of the Protestant 
 Mission in India, that the reader may be gratified with a few ad¬ 
 ditional sketches of it. The king of Denmark early settled on the 
 missionaries 2000 crowns a year, payable from the post office, to 
 defray the necessary charges of the mission ; and this sum was of¬ 
 ten doubled by extraordinary presents. Germany also sent large 
 sums toward the support of the mission ; but the greatest contri¬ 
 butions came from England. From the year 1709, the Society for 
 Promoting Christian Knowledge very liberally assisted it; and in 
 1713, the sum sent from England amounted to =£1194 sterling. 
 From that time England continued to assist the mission of Tran- 
 quebar, and alone sustained the missions of Madras and St. David. 
 In 17 1 5 a college was erected at Copenhagen by the king of Den¬ 
 mark, for facilitating and enlarging the work of the Mission in 
 the East Indies. The very worthy superinteudant, Ziegenbalgius, 
 died February 25, 1719 ; and Mr. Grundler, his faithful assistant, 
 survived him but a year. The mission of Tranquebar was still 
 supported ; and in 1742 it was under the direction of 8 missiona¬ 
 ries, 2 national priests, 3 catechists of the first order, beside those 
 of an inferior rank, with a proportional number of assistants. It 
 was but seven years after, that the venerable Swartz commenced 
 his mission, which continued until the close of the century. 
 
 Amer. Edit.'] 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 A. 
 
 RECORD of the superstitious practices of the Hindoos , 
 now subsisting , which infict immediate death , or tend 
 to death ; deducted from the evidence of the Pun¬ 
 dits and learned Brahmins in the College of Fort Wil¬ 
 liam. 
 
 I. 
 
 The offering of children to Gunga.* 
 
 The natives of Hindostan, particularly the inhabit¬ 
 ants of Orissa, and of the eastern parts of Bengal, some¬ 
 times make offerings of their children to the goddess 
 Gunga. 
 
 When a woman, who has been long married, has no 
 child, she and her husband make avow to the goddess 
 Gunga, “ That if she will bestow on them the blessing 
 u ol children, they will devote to her their^rs? born 
 If, after this vow, they have a child or children, the first 
 born is preserved, till they have a convenient opportu¬ 
 nity of returning to the river at the period of assembling 
 at the holy places. They then take the child with 
 them; and at the time of bathing, it is encouraged to 
 walk into deep water, till it is carried away by the stream. 
 If it be unwilling to go forward, it is pushed off by its 
 parents. Sometimes a stranger attends, and catches 
 the perishing infant, and brings it up as his own ; but if 
 no such person happen to be near, it is infallibly drown¬ 
 ed, being deserted by the parents the moment it floats in 
 the river. 
 
 1 his species of human sacrifice is publicly commit¬ 
 ted at Gunga Saugor, in the last day of Pous; and on 
 the day of full moon in Kartic. At Bydyabatee, Trive- 
 nee, Nuddeea, Agradeep, and other places accounted 
 
 * The river Ganges. 
 
 w 2 
 
246 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 holy, it is committed on the 13th day of the dark fort¬ 
 night of the moon Chytra, and on the 10th of the bright 
 fortnight in Jystha. 
 
 All the Pundits declare that this practice is not com¬ 
 manded in any Shaster.* 
 
 II. 
 
 Kamya Moron , or voluntary death . 
 
 1. When a person is in distress, or has incurred the 
 contempt of his society ; and often when there is no 
 other cause than his belief that it is meritorious to die 
 in the river Gunga, lie forms the resolution of parting 
 with life in the sacred stream. 
 
 2. Such persons, at the times mentioned in the pre¬ 
 ceding article, go to the holy places, where many thou¬ 
 sands of people are assembled for the purpose of sacred 
 ablution. Some of them abstain from food, that life may 
 depart from them in the holy place: but the greater 
 number drown themselves in the presence of the sur¬ 
 rounding multitude. Their children and other relations 
 generally attend them. It is not uncommon for a father 
 to be pushed again into the river by his sons, if he at¬ 
 tempt to swim back to land. 
 
 3. At Saugor it is accounted a propitious sign if the 
 person be soon seized by a shark or a crocodile ; but 
 his future happiness is considered doubtful if he stay 
 long in the water without being destroyed.-! 
 
 4. The only passage in the Shasters which has been 
 submitted as countenancing this suicide is the follow¬ 
 ing : “ If a person be afflicted with an incurable disease, 
 “ so painful that it cannot be borne, he is permitted to 
 H throw himself from a precipice, or to drown himself 
 “ in the river.” 
 
 5. During the Pooja of the Rutt Jattra, some devote 
 themselves to death by falling under the wheels of a 
 
 * This practice is now abolished by regulation of government. 
 See Appendix C. 
 
 f The sharks and alligators are numerous at this place, partic¬ 
 ularly at the time of the annua! festival; owing, it is supposed, to 
 the human prey devoted to them from time immemorial. 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 247 
 
 heavy car or wooden tower, containing their gods. At 
 Jaggernaut they sometimes lie down in the track of this 
 machine a few hours before its arrival, and taking a so- 
 poriferous draught, hope to meet death asleep. 
 
 III. 
 
 Exposing of children. 
 
 This is a custom not commanded in any of the Shas- 
 ters, and is wholly confined to the lower classes. 
 
 If a child refuse the mother’s milk, whether from 
 sickness or from any other cause, it is supposed to be 
 Under the influence of an evil spirit. In this case the 
 babe is put into a basket and hung up in a tree for three 
 days. It generally happens that before the expiration 
 of that time the infant is dead ; being destroyed by ants, 
 or by birds of prey. If it be alive at the end of the three 
 days, it is taken home, and means are used to preserve 
 its life. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Destroying female infants. 
 
 This practice is common among a race of Hindoos 
 called Rajpoots. Without alleging any other reason 
 than the difficulty of providing for daughters in mar¬ 
 riage, the mothers starve their female infants to death. 
 In some places notone half of the females are permitted 
 to live.f 
 
 V. 
 
 Immersion of sick persons in the river. 
 
 When a sick person (particularly if he be aged) is 
 supposed not to be likely to recover, he is conveyed to 
 the river, in which the lower half of his body 'is im¬ 
 mersed. Water is copiously poured into his mouth; 
 and he seldom survives the operation many hours. 
 
 t Lord Teignmouth relates, that this infanticide is practised on 
 the frontiers of Juanpore, a district of the province of Benares ; 
 and at another place within the same province. Asiatic Res. Yob 
 IV. page 338. 
 
 See also Memoirs of George Thomas, bv Captain Franklin, 
 page 100. 
 
243 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 VI. 
 
 The Sahamoron , or the burning of widows with their 
 deceased husbands. 
 
 1. This practice is common in all parts of Hindos- 
 tan, but it is more frequent on the banks of the Ganges. 
 
 It is usual for the woman to burn with her husband’s 
 corpse. But there is a cast called Jogees, who bury 
 their dead. The women of this cast bury themselves 
 alive with their husbands. 
 
 2. From the number of burnings and buryings in a 
 given time, within the compass of a few districts, it 
 was calculated by the late learned Mr. William Cham¬ 
 bers, that the widows who perish by self-devotement 
 in the northern provinces of Hindostan alone, are not 
 less than ten thousand annually. This calculation is 
 countenanced by the number of burnings within thirty 
 miles round Calcutta during the period of the last six 
 months, which, by account taken, is one hundred and 
 sixteen.* 
 
 3. The usual mode of performing the rite of burning 
 is the following: 
 
 When the husband is dead, the widow, if she intend 
 to burn, immediately declares her intention ; and soon 
 after goes to the river side, where the corpse of her hus¬ 
 band is laid. The Brahmins and common people as¬ 
 semble. The pile being erected, the dead body is pla¬ 
 ced upon it. After a few ceremonies (differing in dif¬ 
 ferent districts) the widow lays herself down by the 
 side of the corpse. Combustible materials are thrown 
 upon the pile, which is pressed down by bamboo lev¬ 
 ers. The heir at law then kindles the fire. The sur¬ 
 rounding multitude set up a shout, which is necessary 
 to prevent her cry from being heard, if she should 
 make any ; and the life of the victim is soon ended. 
 
 4. The following circumstances contribute to the fre¬ 
 quency of this act: 
 
 When a husband dies, the wife has the choice of 
 burning with him, or of forsaking the comforts of life. 
 She must put on no ornaments, must be clothed in sor- 
 
 * See Appcnilijt D. 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 £49 
 
 did apparel, and must eat but one scanty meal in the 
 day. 
 
 If she attempt to escape from the fire, any person 
 of the very lowest casts may seize and carry her home 
 as his own property. But in this case her relations 
 generally bring her forcibly back to the fire, to prevent 
 the disgrace of her being carried away. 
 
 5. The laws of the Hindoos concerning the female 
 sacrifice, are collected in a book called Soodha Sun- 
 graha. 
 
 The passages in that book which relate to the prin¬ 
 ciple or act of burning, are here subjoined, with the 
 names of the original Shasters from which they were 
 collected. 
 
 Angeera. “ The virtuous wife who burns herself 
 u with her husband is like to Aroondhutee. If she be 
 “ within a day’s journey of the place where he dies, 
 “ the burning of the corpse shall be deferred a day, 
 “ to wait for her arrival.” 
 
 Brahma Pooran. “ If the husband die in a distant 
 “ country, the wife may take any of his effects ; for in- 
 “ stance a sandal, and binding it on her thigh, burn 
 “ with it on a separate fire.” 
 
 Reek Ved. “ If a womgn thus burn with her husband 
 u it is not suicide, and the relations shall be unclean 
 “ three days on account of her death ; after which the 
 “ Shraddhee must be performed.” 
 
 Vishnoo Pooran. “ If a person be poteet, (fallen or 
 “ sinful,) all his sins will be blotted out by his wife’s 
 “ dying with him in the fire, after a proper atonement 
 “ has been made.” 
 
 “ A pregnant woman is forbidden to burn, and also 
 “ the woman who is in her times ; or who has a young 
 “ child, unless some proper person undertake the ed- 
 “ ucation of the child. 
 
 “ If a woman ascend the pile and should afterwards 
 “ decline to burn through love of life or earthly things, 
 “ she must perform the penance Prazapotyo,* and will 
 “ then be free from her sin.” 
 
 Goutam. “ A Brahmanee can only die with her hus- 
 
 * A rigid fast for some days. 
 
250 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 “ band, and not in a separate fire. The eldest son or 
 “ near relation must set fire to the pile. 1 2 3 * 5 ’ 
 
 On comparing these passages with the present prac¬ 
 tice of burning women in Hindostan, little similarity 
 will be found either in principle, or in ceremonial. In 
 many particulars of the existing custom, the Hindoos 
 directly violate the laws of their religion. 
 
 NOTE BY THE PUNDITS. 
 
 “ There may be some circumstantial differences of 
 K a local nature in the above mentioned customs ; but 
 “ the general practice corresponds with what is here 
 w written.” 
 
 B. 
 
 NOTES on the fir ac tic ability of abolishing those firac- 
 tices of the Hindoos , which inflict immediate death , or 
 tend to produce death ; collated from the information 
 and suggestions Of the Pundits and learned Brahmins 
 in the College of Fort William. 
 
 1. It is an attribute of the British government in 
 India that it tolerates all religious opinions, and forms 
 of worship, and protects those who profess them, as 
 long as they conduct themselves in an orderly and 
 peaceable manner. 
 
 2. If murder, robbery, or adultery be committed un¬ 
 der the name of religion, the persons guilty of such 
 actions may be prosecuted for civil crimes. No sanc¬ 
 tion of religion can save the offender from the punish¬ 
 ment due for his violation of the laws, and for his of¬ 
 fence against humanity and social happiness. 
 
 “ The principle asserted in the foregoing paragraphs 
 “ is acknowledged by the Pundits.” 
 
 3. Death is inflicted, and sanguinary rites are prac¬ 
 tised, by the Hindoos under the name of an ancient cus¬ 
 tom, or of a religious duty. 
 
 I. Children are sacrificed by their parents to Gunga. 
 
 II. They are hung up on trees in baskets and de¬ 
 voured by birds of prey. 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 251 
 
 III. Female infants among- the Rajpoot Hindoos, are 
 destroyed by starving. 
 
 IV. Men and woman drown themselves in the Gan¬ 
 ges, at the places reputed holy. 
 
 V. They devote themselves to death by falling under 
 the wheels of the machine which carries their gods.* 
 
 VI. Widows are burned alive with their deceased 
 husbands. 
 
 VII. Widows are buried alive with their deceased 
 husbands. 
 
 VIII. Persons supposed to be dying, are immersed 
 in the river. 
 
 IX. The inhuman practice of swinging with hooks 
 
 passed through the integuments of the'back, called 
 Pect Phooron. 5 
 
 X. The practice of dancing with threads, canes, or 
 bamboos passed through the sides, called the Pars- 
 woban. 
 
 XI. The passing spits or other instruments of iron 
 through the tongue or forehead, called Zuhba Phooron 
 
 XII. The falling from a height on sharp instruments, 
 called Pat Bhanga. 
 
 t, X P- The P ractice of swinging over a fire, called 
 Ihool Sunyoss. 
 
 XIV. The practice of climbing naked a tree armed 
 with horrid thornsf called Kanta Bhanga. 
 
 And all the other ceremonies which are performed 
 on the last five days of the month Chytra, under the 
 denomination of the Chorruk Pooja, are often the oc¬ 
 casion of death ; and always tend to brutalize the minds 
 both of actors and spectators. 
 
 . To these if we a dd self-torture, which is practised 
 m the most disgusting and unnatural forms, some idea 
 may be formed of the present effects of the Hindoo su¬ 
 perstition. 
 
 4. None of these practices are sanctioned in the 
 books, which the Hindoos account divine, except the 
 thice following; the Rarnya Moron, or voluntary de- 
 votement; Sahamoron, or burning of widows ; and the 
 
 RuttJattra* praCtIsed chie % at Juggernaut, at the Puoja of the 
 
 t The Khujoor tree. 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 immersion of half the body of a dying person in the 
 river. And these are not commanded. These actions 
 are generally performed in consequence of vows, or in 
 compliance with custom. But all vows are optional, 
 and the committing murder in consequence of a vow, 
 does not lessen the guilt of it. On the contrary, a vow 
 to commit such an action, is a crime which deserves 
 punishment. “ This principle is conceded by the Pun¬ 
 dits. 
 
 5. Most persons of erudition and influence among 
 the Hindoos reprobate the observance of cruel or pain¬ 
 ful rites not appointed by the Shasters. 
 
 When these persons have been asked, why they did 
 not exert their influence to prevent such irregularities, 
 they have always answered : “ That they have no pow- 
 “ er ; that the Hindoo rajahs formerly did interfere and 
 (i punish those who were guilty of breaking the laws 
 “ of the Shasters.” They allege particularly, that in 
 the Sahamoron, or burning of widows, “ no influence 
 “ of the Brahmins or of relations should be permitted, 
 “ and that such influence when suspected is a subject 
 “ for civil inquiry; that the woman should come of her 
 t£ own accord, and lay herself on the pile after it is 
 “ kindled ; that no bamboos or ropes should bind her 
 <£ down ; and that if after ascending the pile her resolu- 
 u tion should fail her, she should be subject to no in- 
 u convenience or disgrace, more than the appointed 
 “ atonement,* or that, for which it may be commuted; 
 “ and that every deviation from the strict letter of the 
 “ law, is to be accounted murder.” 
 
 The uninformed part of the community assent to the 
 propriety of the common practice ; and there can be 
 little doubt that family pride in many cases, lights the 
 funeral pile. But the opinion of the learned and more 
 respectable part of their society must have the greatest 
 weight; and would be sufficient to vindicate any salu¬ 
 tary measure which government might adopt. To re¬ 
 duce this rite to the strict bounds allowed it in the 
 Shasters, would do much towards its total abolition. 
 
 * A rigid fast; but which may be commuted for a gift to a Brah¬ 
 min of a cow and a calf; or of five kouns of cowries. 
 
APPENDIX to memoir. 
 
 253 
 
 6. The immersion of half the body of a person sup 
 posed to be dying, in the water of the Ganges, must of¬ 
 ten, in acute diseases, occasion premature death. 
 
 What has been observed respecting the Sahamoron, 
 will equally apply to this practice. It is optional. 
 1 hough very common on the banks of the Ganges it 
 is reprobated in many places at a distance from it The 
 abolition of it would not be more difficult than that of 
 tne bahamoron. 
 
 C. 
 
 A. D. 1802. Regulation VI. 
 
 “ A regulation for preventing the sacrifice ofchil- 
 clren at baugor and other places. Passed by the Gov- 
 crnor General in Council, on the 20th August, 1802 
 It has been represented to the Governor General in 
 council, that a criminal and inhuman practice of sacri¬ 
 ficing chndren, by exposing them to be drowned, or 
 doomed by sharks, prevails at the island of Saugor, 
 anc. at Baryah, Cbaugdah, and other places on the Gan¬ 
 ges. At baiigor especially, such sacrifices have been 
 made at fixed periods, namely, the day of full moon in 
 November and in January ; at which time also grown 
 peisons have devoted themselves to a similar death. 
 Children, thrown into the sea at Saugor, have not been 
 generally rescued, asms stated to be the custom at other 
 im? e , S ’ ^ Ut lh f sa .cnfice has, on the contrary, been com- 
 p tely effected, with circumstances of peculiar atrocitv 
 m some instances. This practice, which is represented 
 
 IT in rlo 6 ^ SUpei ’ StUl0US vovvs ’ is not sanctioned by the 
 Hindoo law, nor countenanced by the religious orders 
 
 Gc l 7 h f, ^ at lal ' ee ; noi ' ™ « at anytime author-’ 
 zed by the Hindoo or Mahomedan governments of In¬ 
 dia. 1 he persons concerned in the perpetration of such 
 crimes are therefore clearly liable to pLishment and 
 the plea of custom would be inadmissible in excuse of 
 he offence. But for the more effectual prevention of 
 so inhuman a practice, the Governor General in round! 
 has> enacted the following; regulation tn 1 • r 
 
 from tho promulgation off,, in^the p^incea^f B e ^ a T 
 Behar, Orissa, and Benares.” Bengal., 
 
 X 
 
254 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 Then follows the clause declaring the practice to be 
 murder, punishable with death. 
 
 D. 
 
 REPORT of the number of women who have burned 
 themselves on the funeral pile of their husbands within 
 thirty miles round Calcutta , from the beginning of 
 JJysakh Cl5th April) to the end of Aswin (\5th Oc¬ 
 tober,) 1804. 
 
 From Gurria to Barrypore. 
 
 Bhurut Bazar - - - 1 
 
 Rajepore - - - - 2 
 
 Muluncha - - - - 2 
 
 Barrypore - ... \ 
 
 Maeenugur 1 
 
 Lasun ------ 1 
 
 Kesubpore - - - - 2 
 
 Mahamaya - - - - 3 
 
 Puscliim Bahine - - 1 
 
 Bural.3 
 
 Dhopa Gach, hi * - 1 
 
 From Tolley's JVulla mouth to 
 Gurria. 
 
 Mouth of Tolley’s nulla 6 
 
 Kooli Bazar - . - - 1 
 
 Kidderpore bridge - 1 
 
 Jeerat bridge - - - 2 
 
 Near the hospital - - 1 
 
 Watson’s Ghat - - - 1 
 
 Bhobaneepore - - - 2 
 
 Kalee Ghat - - - - 6 
 
 Tolley Gunge - - - 2 
 
 Naktulla - - - - 1 
 
 Bydyabatee - - - - 1 
 
 Dlion-nagur - - - 1 
 
 From Bydyabatee to Bassbareea. 
 
 Chundun-nagur - - 3 
 
 Chinchura - - - - 2 
 
 ByshnubGhat - - - 2 
 
 Etal Ghat - - - - 2 
 
 Russapagli 1 
 
 Root Ghat - - - - 2 
 
 Gurria ----- l 
 Bassdhuni 2 
 
 Dadpore and near it - 3 
 
 From Barrypore to Buhipore. 
 
 Joynagur - - - - 2 
 
 Moosilpore - - - - 1 
 
 Bishnoopoor - - - 3 
 
 Balia ------ 1 
 
 Gunga Dwar - - - 1 
 
 Gochurun Ghat - - 2 
 
 Telia.1 
 
 From Seebpore to Baleea. 
 
 Khooter Saer - - - 1 
 
 Sulkea ----- 3 
 
 Ghoosri Chokey Ghat 2 
 Balee ------ 3 
 
 Seebpore - - - - l 
 
 From Balee to Bydyabatee. 
 Seram pore - - - - 1 
 
 From Burahnagur to Cha nek. 
 
 Dukhincshwar - - - 2 
 
 Agurpara - - - - 4 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 255 
 
 Saha Gunge - - - 2 
 
 Bassbareea - - - - 2 
 
 Bhudreshwur - - - 1 
 
 From Calcutta to Burahnugur. 
 
 Soorer Bazar - '- - 2 
 
 Burah nugur - - - 2 
 
 Kashipore - - - - l 
 
 Chiipore.1 
 
 Areeadoha - ... 3 
 
 Chanuk ----- 1 
 
 Sookchur - - - - i 
 
 Khurdoha and near it 2 
 
 From Chanok to Kachrapara. 
 
 Eeshapore - - - _ 2 
 
 Koomorhatta - - - 2 
 
 Kachrapara - - - - 3 
 
 Bhatpara 1 
 
 Total (in six months) 77(3 
 
 The above Report was made by persons of the Hin¬ 
 doo cast, deputed for that purpose. They were ten in 
 number, and were stationed at different places during 
 the whole period of the six months. They gave in 
 their account monthly, specifying the name and place 
 so that every individual instance was subject to invest¬ 
 igation immediately after its occurrence. 
 
 2. By an account taken in 1803 , the number of wo¬ 
 men sacrificed during that year within thirty miles 
 round Calcutta was two hundred and seventy-five. 
 
 3 . In the foregoing Report of six months in 1 804 , it 
 will be perceived that no account was taken of burn¬ 
 ings in a district to the west of Calcutta, nor further 
 than twenty miles in some other directions ; so that the 
 whole number of burnings within thirty miles round 
 Calcutta, must have been considerably greater than is 
 here stated. 
 
 4 . The average number (according to the above Re¬ 
 port) of women burning within thirty miles round Cal¬ 
 cutta, is nearly twenty per month. 
 
 5 . One of the above was a girl of eleven years of age. 
 Instances sometimes occur of children of ten years old 
 burning with their husbands.* 
 
 6. In November of last year two women, widows of 
 one Brahmin, burnt themselves with his body at Barna- 
 gore, within two miles of Calcutta. 
 
 7 . About the same time a woman burnt herself at 
 Kalee Ghat, with the body of a man, who was not her 
 
 * They often marry at the age of nine. 
 
256 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 husband. The man’s name was Toteram Doss. The 
 woman was a Jogince of Seebpore. 
 
 8. In the province of Orissa, now subject to the Bri¬ 
 tish government, it is a custom that when the wife of a 
 man of rank burns, all his concubines must burn with 
 her. In the event of their refusal, they are dragged 
 forcibly to the place and pushed with bamboos into the 
 Jlaming pit. It is usual there to dig a pit, instead of 
 raising a pile. The truth of this fact (noticed by some 
 writers) is attested by Pundits now in the College of 
 Fort-William, natives of that province. 
 
 E. 
 
 Religious Mendicants. 
 
 The Hindoo Shasters commend a man if he retire 
 from the wqrld, and, devoting himself to solitude, or 
 to pilgrimage, live on the spontaneous productions of 
 the earth, or by mendicity. This principle, operating 
 on an ignorant and superstitious people, has in the rev¬ 
 olution of ages produced the consequence which might 
 be expected. The whole of Hindostan swarms with 
 lay-beggars. In some districts there are armies of beg¬ 
 gars. They consist, in general, of thieves and insol¬ 
 vent debtors ; and are excessively ignorant, and noto¬ 
 riously debauched. 
 
 This begging system is felt as a public evil by the in¬ 
 dustrious part of the community, who, from fear of the 
 despotic power and awful curse of this fraternity, dare 
 not withhold their contributions. 
 
 These beggars, often coming into large towns naked , 
 outrage decency, and seem to set Christian police at 
 defiance. 
 
 The Pundits consider these mendicants as the public 
 and licensed corrupters of the morals of the people; 
 and they affirm that the suppression of the order would 
 greatly contribute to the civil improvement of the na¬ 
 tives of Hindostan. 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 257 
 
 F. 
 
 Different Hindoo Sects in Bengal. 
 
 The discrepancy of religious belief in the province 
 of Bengal alone (which province has been accounted 
 the strong hold of the Brahminical superstition,) will 
 illustiate the general state of the other provinces of 
 Hindostan. 
 
 In Bengal there are five classes of natives who are 
 adverse to the Brahminical system ; and who may be 
 termed Dissenters from the Hindoo practices and re¬ 
 ligion. 
 
 1. The followers of Chytunya of Nuddeea. This 
 philosopher taught that there is no distinction of cast • 
 a tenet which alone undermines the whole system of 
 
 2. The followers of Ram Doolal, who is now living 
 at Ghosepara, near Sookhsagur. These are computed 
 to be twenty thousand in number, and are composed of 
 every denomination of Hindoos and Mussulmans, 
 ihey profess a kind of Deism. Of this sect some 
 have already embraced the Christian faith. 
 
 3. A third great body were lately followers of Shiv- 
 eram Doss, at Jugutanundu Katee. This man, who 
 is yet alive, was believed to be a partial incarnation of 
 the Deity. They have addressed several letters to the 
 Protestant missionaries, and are ready to abjure idol- 
 worship and other errors. 
 
 4. Another class ol Hindoo sceptics is to be found 
 at Lokcphool in Jessore. Their representative at this 
 time is Neelo, surnamed the Sophist. Some of these 
 have repeatedly visited the missionaries, and invited 
 them to go amongst them. They have received the 
 Bible and other religious books in the Beno-alee lan- 
 guage, which they now teach in a school established 
 ior the instruction of children. 
 
 a. T he fifth class, which is very numerous, profess 
 respect for the opinions of a leader named Amoonee 
 Sa, residing in Muhummud Shawi. They have h telv 
 sent two deputations to the Christian missionaries, re 
 questing a conference with them on the doctrines of 
 the Gospel. 
 
 x 2 
 
258 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 Now, tc what forbids that these men should be bap- 
 “ tized ?” We do not offer them a religion, but the 
 people themselves, awake to their own concerns, come 
 to us and ask for it. What policy, what philosophy is 
 that, which forbids our granting their request ? It must 
 certainly have been an ignorance of facts which has so 
 long kept alive amongst us the sentiment, that religion 
 is not to be mentioned to the natives. 
 
 That which prevents the sects above mentioned from 
 renouncing (even without our aid) all connection with 
 Hindoos or Mussulmans, is the want of precedent in 
 the North of India of a community of native Chris¬ 
 tians, enjoying political consequence, as in the South. 
 The ignorance of the people is so great, that they 
 doubt whether their civil liberties are equally secure 
 to them under the denomination of Christian, as under 
 that of Hindoo or Mussulman ; and they do not under¬ 
 stand that we have yet recognised in our code of native 
 law, any other sect than that of Hindoo and Mussul¬ 
 man.* ** 
 
 * [The opinion of Itev. George Lewis, chaplain at Fort St. 
 George in 1712, w r as decidedly in favor of the Protestant Mission. 
 
 11 is local situation, unconnected as he was with any mission, en¬ 
 titles his judgment to respect. “ The Missionaries at Tranque* 
 “ bar ought and must be encouraged. It is the first attempt the 
 
 " Protestants ever have made in that kind.As to convert- 
 
 ** ing the Natives in the dominions of the Rajahs, and the great 
 “ Mogul, I believe it may be done in either without notice taken, 
 w provided we do not sound a trumpet before us. In the Mogul's 
 “ dominions, eight parts in ten, in most of the provinces, are 
 “ Gentoos, and lie never troubles his head what opinion they era. 
 u brace. But to tamper with his Mussnlmen is not safe.— But to 
 “ give you my sentiments in the matter ; I think we ought to be- 
 “ gin at home: for there are thousands of people, 1 may say 
 “ some hundreds of thousands, who live in the settlements, and 
 “ under the jurisdiction of the Honorable Company, at Bombay, 
 “ Fort St. David, Fort St. George, Calcutta in Bengal, on the 
 f ‘ West Coast, Stc. who may be converted to Christianity without 
 *■* interfering with any country government whatsoever.” What 
 additional strength has this argument received by the vast acces¬ 
 sion of territory and population to the British dominions in the 
 East, during the last century! Nearly twenty years ago, Str 
 William Junes gave it as his judgment, founded on an actual enu¬ 
 meration in one collectorship, “ that in all India there cannot be 
 *' fewer than thirty millions or black British subjects.” 
 
 Amer, £dit\ 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 255 
 
 G. 
 
 Ancient civilization of India. 
 
 The constant reference of some authors to what is 
 termed the ancient civilization of the Hindoos, gives 
 currency to an opinion in Europe, that the natives of 
 India are yet in an improved state of society. 
 
 It is probable that the Hindoos were once a civilized 
 people, in the sense in which the ancient Chaldeans 
 and ancient Egyptians are said to have been civilized. 
 The result of the most accurate researches on this sub¬ 
 ject, appears to be the following. 
 
 From the plains of Shinar, at the time of the disper¬ 
 sion, some tribes migrated toward the East to India, 
 and some toward the West to Egypt, while others re¬ 
 mained in Chaldea. At an early period, we read of the 
 “ wisdom and learning of the Egyptians,” and of the 
 Chaldeans; and it is probable that the “wisdom and 
 “ learning” of the Hindoos were the same in degree, at 
 the same period of time. In the mean while patriarchal 
 tradition (which had accompanied the different tribes at 
 the beginning) pervaded the mythology of all. 
 
 It may be presumed further, that the systems of the 
 Hindoos would remain longer unaltered with them, by 
 reason of their remote and insulated situation ; from 
 which circumstance also, their writings would be more 
 easily preserved. 
 
 We collect from undoubted historical evidence, that 
 during a period of twelve hundred years, a free inter¬ 
 course subsisted between India, Egypt, Greece, and 
 Chaldea. Of course the “ wisdom” of each of these 
 nations respectively must have been common to all, and 
 their systems of theology and astronomy would have 
 been allied to each other ; as we know in fact they were. 
 
 . How it happened, by the mere operation of natural 
 causes, that Greece and Rome should have left Egypt 
 and India so far behind, is yet to be accounted for; 
 though the purpose of it in the designs of the divine 
 providence, is very evident. 
 
 But now the wisdom of the East hath passed away with 
 the wisdom of Egypt; and we might with equal justice- 
 
260 
 
 APfENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 attribute civilization to the present race of Egyptians, 
 as to the present race of the Hindoos. 
 
 Historians have been at great pains to collectvestiges 
 of theancient civilization of the Hindoos ; and with some 
 success; for these vestiges are asmanifestas those of the 
 early civilization of Egypt or of Chaldea. Doctor Rob¬ 
 ertson says, that he prosecuted his laborious investiga¬ 
 tion with the view and hope, “ that, if his account of the 
 early civilization of India should be received as just and 
 well established, it might have some influence upon the 
 behavior of Europeans towards that people.”* This was 
 a humane motive of our celebrated historian. Eut as it 
 is difficult for us to respect men merely for the civiliza¬ 
 tion of their forefathers, a more useful deduction appears 
 to be this ; that since the Hindoos are proved on good ev¬ 
 idence, to have been a civilized people in former days, 
 we should endeavour to make them a civilized people 
 again. Doctor Robertson seems to think that the Hin¬ 
 doos are even now “ far advanced beyond the inhabitants 
 “ of the two other quarters of the globe in improve¬ 
 ment.” Such a sentiment indeed is apt to force itself 
 on the mind, from a mere investigation of books. But 
 to a spectator in India, the improvement alluded to will 
 appear to be very partial; and the quality of it is little 
 understood in Europe. It is true that the natives excel 
 in the manual arts of their cast; and that some of them, 
 particularly those who are brought up amongst Eu¬ 
 ropeans, acquire a few ideas of civility and general 
 know ledge. But the bulk of the common people, from 
 Cape Comorin to Thibet, are not an improved people. 
 Go into a village, within five miles of Calcutta, and you 
 will find an ignorance of letters and of the world, an 
 intellectual debility, a wretchedness of living, and a bar¬ 
 barism of appearance, which, by every account, (making 
 allowance for our regular government and plentiful 
 country) are not surpassed among the natives in the in¬ 
 terior of Africa or back settlements of America.! On 
 
 * Dissertation on India, page 335. 
 
 f See Park and Mackenzie. [Justice requires, that the abori¬ 
 ginal people on the Malabar coast be distinguished from most of 
 those inhabiting '• from Crpe Comorin to Thibet.” The country, 
 denominated Proper Malabar, comprehends a tract of land, be¬ 
 ginning at Mount Dilly, in the latitude of 12 north, and extend- 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 2'6i 
 
 the principle of some late philosophers, that those men 
 are most civilized, tvho approach nearest to the simpli¬ 
 city of nature, it might be expected perhaps that the 
 Hindoos are a civilized people. But even this princi¬ 
 ple fails them. For an artificial and cruel superstition 
 debases their minds, and holds them in a state of de¬ 
 gradation, which to an European is scarcely credible. 
 
 ing to Cape Comorin, and is bounded inland by that vast chain 
 of mountains which separates the Malabarian coast from the Co¬ 
 romandel. The inhabitants of this region differ extremely, in 
 their manners and customs, from those of the more northern 
 parts, though separated from them but by an imaginary line. 
 “ Here the whole government and people wear a new face and 
 “ form.’’ This country is divided into a multitude of petty king¬ 
 doms, through which are diffused nearly the same modes of re¬ 
 ligion, manners, and policy. An author, who visited the East 
 Indies about half a century ago, having menlioned some of the 
 peculiar customs of this people, observes : “ From such strange 
 “ customs one would naturally enough conclude, that nothing 
 “ but such a barbarism reigns in the Malabar as among the sav- 
 “ ages of America; yet this is far from being the case. The 
 “ Malabavs have in general even a certain politeness, and espe¬ 
 cially a shrewdness of discernment of their interests, which 
 “ those who deal or treat with them are sure to experience. 
 “ Like most of the Orientalists, they are grave, know perfectly 
 “ well how to keep dignity, and are great observers of silence, 
 “ especially in their public functions. They despise and distrust 
 “ all verboseness in the management of state affairs. Their ha- 
 “ rangues are succinct and pathetic. A king of Travancore, for 
 “ example, on two ambassadors being sent to him by the Naick of 
 “ Madura, a neighbouring prince, and one of them having made 
 “ a prolix speech, and the other preparing to take it up and pro- 
 “ ceed in the same manner, where the other had left off, austere- 
 “ ly admonished him in these few words, “ Do not be long, life is 
 “ short ” Grose’s Voyage to the East Indies, i. 245.—The art of 
 writing on palm leaves, were there no other evidence, would 
 alone prove the ingenuity and former cultivation of the Malabar- 
 ians. When the Protestant missionaries first visited Malabar, 
 this art was familiar to the natives. The orders for the Synod of 
 Diamper were issued on palm leaves, written after the manner of 
 the country, and styled Ollas. “ L’ Archidiacre envoya de tous 
 “cotes des Ollas , on Lettres ecrites ci la mam ere du Pays avec 
 “ des stilets de fer sur des feuilles de Palmier.” La Croze. Ma¬ 
 ny of the people take down the discourses of the missionaries on 
 ollas, that they may read them afterward to their families at home. 
 As soon as the minister has pronounced the text, the sound of 
 the iron style on the palm leaf is heard throughout the c-mgrega- 
 tion. This art, it appears, is not confined to the Malabarian 
 
262 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 There is one argument against the possibility of their 
 being in a civilized state, which to the accurate investi¬ 
 gators of the human miad in Europe, will appear con¬ 
 clusive. The cast of the multitude, that is, the Sood- 
 ers, are held in abhorrence and contempt by the Brah¬ 
 mins. It is a crime to instruct them. It is a crime for 
 that unhappy race even to hear the words of instruction. 
 The Sooder is considered by the Brahmins as an inferior 
 species of being, even in a physical sense ; intellectual 
 incapacity is therefore expected and patiently endured , 
 and the wretched Sooder is supposed, at the next trans¬ 
 migration of souls, to animate the body of a monkey or 
 a jackall. 
 
 The philosopher of Geneva himself would not have 
 contended for the civilization of the Sooders. 
 
 H. 
 
 Excessive Polygamy of the Koolin Brahmins. 
 
 The Brahmins in Bengal accuse individuals of their 
 own order of a very singular violation of social propri¬ 
 ety ; and the disclosure of the fact will, probably, 
 
 coast, but is practised at Tanjour. “ The natives of Tanjour 
 “ and Travancore can write down what is spoken deliberately, 
 “ without losing one word. They seldom look at their ollas while 
 “ writing, andean write in the dark with fluency ” See Appen¬ 
 dix to Star in the East. A late missionary says, that they “ write 
 “ in Tamili short hand and that “ the sermon of the morning 
 “ is regularly read in the evening by the Catechist from his Pal- 
 “ my ra leaf.” The first Danish missionaries mention this art as 
 practised at Tranquebar near Travancore, by the natives. They 
 also describe the Malaburians (and such ihey appear to have cal¬ 
 led the natives on the east side of the Peninsula, as far as the seat 
 of their mission) as “ a witty and sagacious people,” and as 
 “ quick and sharp enough in their way” Their sagacity, how¬ 
 ever, did not secure them from the grossest idolatry and super¬ 
 stition ; and they have only given an additional proof to what was 
 before furnished by the Greeks and Romans, that the world by 
 ’wisdom knew not God. See an account of the “ Idolatry of the 
 “ Malabarians,” in the Account of the Danish Mission in the East 
 Indies For an account of the literature of the Hindoos, see Sir 
 William Jones’s Dissertation on the Literature of Asia. 
 
 Amr. Edit '.J 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 263 
 
 place the character of the venerable Brahmin in a new 
 light. 
 
 The Koolins, who are accounted the purest and the 
 most sacred cast of the Brahmins, claim it as a privi¬ 
 lege of their order, to marry an hundred wives. And 
 they sometimes accomplish that number; it being ac¬ 
 counted an honour by other Brahmins to unite their 
 daughters to a Koolin Brahmin. The wives live com¬ 
 monly in their father’s houses ; and the Koolin Brah¬ 
 min visits them all round, generally once a year; on 
 which occasion, he receives a present from the father. 
 The progeny is so numerous in some instances, that a 
 statement of the number (recorded in the registers of 
 the cast) would scarcely obtain credit. 
 
 As in the case of human sacrifices at Saugor, and of 
 the number of women who are annually burned near 
 Calcutta, there was a disposition among many to dis¬ 
 credit the fact; it may be proper to adduce a few names 
 and places to establish the excessive polygamy of the 
 Koolin Brahmins. 
 
 The Ghautucks, or registrars of the Koolin cast, state, 
 that Rajeb Bonnergee, now of Calcutta, has forty wives • 
 and that Rajchunder Bonnergee, also of Calcutta, has 
 forty-two wives, and intends to marry more ; that Ram- 
 raja Bonnergee of Bicrampore, aged thirty years, and 
 Pooran Bonnergee, Rajkissore Chuttergee, and Roop- 
 ram Mookergee, have each upwards of forty wives, and 
 intend to marry more ; that Birjoo Mookerges of Bic¬ 
 rampore, who died about five years ago, had ninety 
 wives ; that Pertab Bonnergee of Panchraw, near Burd- 
 wan, had seventy wives ; that Ramkonny Mookergee of 
 Jessore, who died about twelve years ago, had one hun¬ 
 dred wives : and that Rogonaut Mookergee of Bale 
 Gerrea, near Santipore, who died about four years ago, 
 had upward of one hundred wives. 
 
 The effects of this excessive polygamy are very per¬ 
 nicious to society ; for it is a copious source of female 
 prostitution. Some of these privileged characters 
 make it a practice to marry, merely for the dowry of a 
 wife ; and as she seldom sees her husband during his 
 life, and dare not marry another after his death, she has 
 strong temptations to an irregular conduct. This mo- 
 
264 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 nopoly of women by the Koolin Brahmins is justly com¬ 
 plained of by Brahmins of the other orders ; and they 
 have expressed a hope that it will be abolished by au¬ 
 thority. They affirm that this (like many other reign¬ 
 ing practices) is a direct violation of the law of the 
 Shusters, which does not allow more than four wives 
 to a Brahmin. 
 
 I. 
 
 Testimonies to the general character of the Hindoos. 
 
 As a doubt has been sometimes expressed regarding 
 the real character of the Hindoos, and it has been sup¬ 
 posed that their degeneracy only commenced in the 
 last century, we shall adduce the testimony of three 
 competent judges, who lived at different periods of 
 time, and occupied different situations in life. The 
 first is a king of Hindostan, who was well acquainted 
 with the higher classes of the Hindoos ; the second a 
 city magistrate, who was conversant with the lower clas¬ 
 ses : and the third an author, well versed in their my¬ 
 thology, and intimately acquainted with their learned 
 men. The concurring testimony of these witnesses will 
 be received with more respect on this account, that the 
 first evidence is that of a Mahomedan, the second of a 
 modern philosopher, and the third of a Christian : and 
 to these we shall add the testimony of a Brahmin him¬ 
 self. 
 
 1. In the Tuzuc Timuri, “ containing maxims of 
 <c Tamerlane the Great, derived from his own experi- 
 <£ ence, for the future government of his conquests,” 
 there is the following mandate to his sons and states¬ 
 men : 
 
 “ Know, my dear children, and elevated statesmen, 
 “ that the inhabitants of Hindostan and Bengal are 
 cC equally debilitated in their corporeal, and inert in 
 “ their mental faculties. They are inexorable in tem- 
 “ per, and at the same time so penurious and sordid in 
 “ mind, that nothing can be obtained from them but by 
 <l persona! violence. It appears unquestionable to me, 
 
 “ that this people are under the displeasure of the Al- 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 265 
 
 “ mighty, otherwise a prophet would have been appoint- 
 “ ed for them, to turn them away from the worship of 
 “ idols, and fire and cows, and to direct them to the ado- 
 “ ration of the true God. Regardless of honour, and in- 
 “ decent in their dress, they sacrifice their lives for tri- 
 u fles (they give their souls for a farthing,) and are inde- 
 “ fatigable in unworthy pursuits; whilst improvident and 
 “ imprudent, their ideas are confined and views circum- 
 u scribed. Like those demons who, with a view to de- 
 “ ceive, can assume the most-specious appearances, so 
 u the native of Hindostan cultivates imposture, fraud, 
 “ and deception, and considers them to be meritorious 
 “ accomplishments. Should any person entrust to him 
 “ the care of his property, that person will soon be- 
 “ come only the nominal possessor of it. 
 
 u The tendency of this my mandate to you states- 
 “ men, is, to preclude a confidence in their actions, or 
 “ an adoption of their advice.* But should their as- 
 “ sistance be necessary, employ them as the mechani- 
 “ cal, and support them as the living instruments of 
 “ labor.” Asiatic Miscellany, Vol. III. p. 179. 
 
 2. The second testimony to the general character of 
 the Hindoos shall be that of Mr. Holwell, who was a 
 city magistrate of Calcutta about the middle of last cen¬ 
 tury. Mr. Hohvell calls himself a philosopher; and, 
 as such, he is an admirer of the Hindoo mythology, 
 and alleges that a Brahmin would be a perfect model 
 of piety and purity, if he would only attend to the pre¬ 
 cepts of the Shasters. 
 
 “ The Gentoos, in general, are as degenerate, craf- 
 “ superstitious, litigious, and wicked a people as 
 u any race of beings in the known world, if not emi- 
 <k nently more so, especially the common run of Brah- 
 “ mins; and we can truly aver, that during almost five 
 “ years, that we presided in the judicial Cutcherry Court 
 “ of Calcutta,never any murder, or other atrocious crime, 
 
 * Marquis Cornwallis was never known, during his adminis¬ 
 tration in India, to admit a native to his confidence. Under the 
 administration of Marquis Wellesley there is a total exclusion of 
 native counsel. 
 
 Y 
 
266 
 
 AIFENDIX TO MEMOIR, 
 
 “ came before us, but it was proved in the end that a 
 u Brahmin was at the bottom of it.”f 
 
 3. At Benares, the fountain of Hindoo learning and 
 religion, where Capt. Wilford, author of the Essays 
 on the Indian and Egyptian Mythology, has long re¬ 
 sided in the society of the Brahmins, a scene has been 
 lately exhibited* which certainly has never had a par¬ 
 allel in any other learned society in the world. 
 
 The Pundit of Capt. Wilford having, for a consid¬ 
 erable time, been guilty of interpolating his books, and 
 of fabricating new sentences in old works, to answer a 
 particular purpose, w r as at length detected and publicly 
 disgraced. As a last effort to save his character, “ he 
 “ brought ten Brahmins, not only as his compurgators 
 “ but to swear by what is most sacred in their religion 
 <£ to the genuineness of the extracts.”! Capt. Wilford 
 would not permit the ceremonial of perjury to take 
 place, and dismissed them from his presence with in¬ 
 dignation. 
 
 Among what tribe of barbarians in America, or in 
 the Pacific Ocean, could there be found so many of 
 their principal men, in one place, who would come 
 forth, and confirm a falsehood in the presence of their 
 countrymen, by a solemn act of the country’s religion, 
 like these learned disciples of Brahma at Benares ! 
 
 4. To the foregoing we shall add the testimony of a 
 Brahmin himself, extracted from a paper, entitled “ A 
 “ Defence of the Hindoos.”—“ These ravages of Hin- 
 “ doslan (from the repeated invasion of the Mussul- 
 “ mans) so disturbed the peace of the country, that the 
 “ principles of its inhabitants were confounded, their 
 < £ learning degraded, and their customs entirely forgot- 
 ££ ten. Thus reduced, having no means of support, 
 ,£ they were induced to practise the vices forbidden 
 “ them ; they would have become savages , or have 
 ££ been entirely rooted out, had not the glorious British 
 ££ nation established the standard of their government.” 
 
 See Defence of the Hindoos against Mr. Newnham’s 
 College Essay ; by Senkariah, a learned Brahmin at 
 Madras. Madras Gazette, 10th November, 1804. 
 
 f Holwell’s Historical Events, p. 152. 
 
 4 Asiat. lies. Vol. VIII. p. 28. 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR, 
 
 267 
 
 K. 
 
 Jewish Scriptures at Cochin, 
 
 There is reason to believe that scriptural records, 
 older than the apostolic, exist on the coast of Malabar. 
 At Cochin there is a colony of Jews, who retain the 
 tradition that they arrived in India soon after the Baby¬ 
 lonian captivity. There are in that province two clas¬ 
 ses of Jews, the white and the black Jews. The black 
 Jews are those who are supposed to have arrived at that 
 early period. r i he white Jews emigrated from Europe 
 in later ages. What seems to countenance the tradi¬ 
 tion of the black Jews is, that they have copies of those 
 books of the Old Testament which were written pre¬ 
 viously to the captivity, but none of those whose dates 
 are subsequent to that event. 
 
 Some years ago the President of Yale College, in 
 America, an eminent archaiologist, addressed a letter 
 to Sir William Jones, on the subject of these manu¬ 
 scripts, proposing that an inquiry should be instituted 
 by the Asiatic Society; but Sir William died before 
 the letter arrived. His object was to obtain the whole 
 ©f the fifth chapter of Genesis, and a collation of cer¬ 
 tain other passages in the Old Testament; and also to 
 ascertain whether the MSS. at Cochin were written in 
 the present Hebrew character, or in another Oriental 
 Palaeography.* 
 
 * .[The particular design of the late President Stiles, in so- 
 liciting this inquiry, was to ascertain, whether the copy of the 
 Pentateuch, belonging’ to the Jews at Cochin (supposing them to 
 possess a Hebrew copy of remote derivation,) accords with the 
 Hebrew, the Septuagint, or the Samaritan. The difference be¬ 
 tween these copies of the Old Testament, in the chronology of the 
 patriarchal ages, is known to be great; and he was very desirous 
 to determine, it possible, which is correct Although Sir Wil¬ 
 liam Jones died before the President’s Letter reached India, a 
 mem ber of the Asiatic Society Acknowledged the receipt of it, in¬ 
 forming, that it was read at the first meeting of the Society after 
 its reception ; and that it would be answered by Sir John Shore 
 the President of the Society, as soon as he should receive replies 
 to the inquiries which he had directed to be made at Cochin and 
 Cranganore, respecting the points which “ the laudable zeal” of 
 the writer “ wished to have ascertained.”-!—The long wished for 
 
 t See Life of President Stiles. 
 
26 $ 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMO». 
 
 In the year 1748, Mr. Romaine, the learned editor of 
 Calasio’s Hebrew Dictionary, was meditating a voyage 
 to India, for the sole purpose of consulting these man¬ 
 uscripts. 
 
 The latest information respecting them is contained 
 in a letter lately received from a learned missionary in 
 the south of the peninsula, who had resided for some 
 time in the vicinity of Cochin. He states, that he “ had 
 “ constantly been informed that the Jews at Cochin had 
 “ those books only of the Old Testament which were 
 
 inquiry has at length been made by the respectable Author of this 
 Memoir, under the auspicies of the Marquis Wellesley; and it 
 appears, that the black Jews colonized on the coasts of India long 
 before the Christian sera; that the very imperfect resemblance of 
 their countenance to the Jews of Europe, indicates that they 
 have been detached from the parent stock in Judea, many ages 
 before the race of Jews in the West; and that they are descend* 
 ants from those ancient dispersions recorded in the Sacred Histo¬ 
 ry ; that corrobative of this is the fact, that certain of these tribes 
 do not call themselves Jeivs, but Beni-Itrael , or Israelites ; that 
 in the record chests of the synagogues of the Black Jews of Co¬ 
 chin have been discovered old copies of the Law, some of which 
 are complete, and for the most part legible; that at the remote 
 synagogues of the same description of Jews, situated at Tritooa, 
 Paroor, Chenotta, and Maleh, have been found many old writings, 
 among which are some of great length in Rabbinical Hebrew, but 
 in so ancient and uncommon a character, as to require much time 
 and labor to ascertain their contents ; that they have, in most 
 places, the book of the Law, the book of Job, and the Psalms, 
 but know little of the Prophets ; that some of them have even lost 
 the book of the Law, and only know that they are Israelites from 
 tradition* and from their observance of peculiar rites ; and that 
 in a coffer of a synagogue of the Black Jews, in the interior of 
 Malayala, there has been found an old copy of the Law, written 
 on a roll of leather, about 50 feet long, composed of skins sewed 
 together, so worn out, in some places, as to be patched with pie¬ 
 ces of parchment. Dr. Buchanan brought from India a collec¬ 
 tion of Oriental Manuscripts, chiefly Biblical, written in the He¬ 
 brew, Syriac, and Ethiopic languages; and presented them to 
 the University of Cambridge in England. The Hebrew manu« 
 scripts were obtained from the Black Jews; and among them, it 
 is presumed, is the old copy of the Law above described ; for the 
 person employed in arranging and collating the Oriental Manu¬ 
 scripts for the Library, to which they are presented, observes ;—• 
 “ A copy of the Hebrew Pentateuch, written on goat skins, and 
 “ found in one of their synagogues, is in the Buchanan collection.” 
 
 Jbiwr. Edit.} 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 269 
 
 K written before the Babylonian captivity; and that 
 “ thence it is generally believed by the Christians of the 
 “ Deccan, that they had come to India soon after that 
 “ event. He adds, that the MSS. were on a material 
 “ resembling paper, in the form of a roll, and that the 
 “ character had a strong resemblance to Hebrew, if not 
 “ Hebrew.” 
 
 By the inspection of these MSS. some light might be 
 thrown on the controversy respecting (1 ) the Hebrew 
 and Samaritan letters ; (2.) the antiquity of the vowel 
 points; (3.) the Scripture chronology ; and (4.) the 
 correctness of the European copies of the Old Testa¬ 
 ment. Dr. Kennicott complains of a practice among 
 the Western Jews of altering many copies to a con- 
 formity with some particular manuscript. He also ac¬ 
 cuses them of wilful corruption ; as in expunging the 
 word “* 7 ^ ” in Deut. xxvii. 26. Bishop Louth sus¬ 
 pects them of leaving out words in certain places, to in¬ 
 validate the argument of the Christians; as for example, 
 “JIVQ 4 * ” Isaiah liii. 8.; where the Septuagint read “ eig 
 But Jews in the East, remote from the learn¬ 
 ed controversy of Christians, would have no motive for 
 such corruptions. 
 
 It is in contemplation of the Author of this Memoir 
 to visit Cochin, previously to his return from India, for 
 the express purpose of investigating these ancient Jew¬ 
 ish records ; and also of examining the books of the 
 Nestorian Christians, who are said to possess some MSS. 
 in the Chaldaic character, of a high antiquity.* 
 
 * [Dr. Buchanan fulfilled his intention. In 1806, he travelled 
 from Calcutta to Cape Comorin by land ; and proceeded from the 
 sea coast into the interior of the country, north east from Quilon. 
 Jnthis sequestered region of Hindostan he found churches, where, 
 the inhabitants informed him, no European had, to their knowl¬ 
 edge, visited before. It appears, that the number of Syi ian chur¬ 
 ches is greater than had been supposed; that there are, at this time, 
 55 churches in Malayala, acknowledging the Patriarch of Antioch, 
 and estimated to contain 23,000 people ; that their doctrines are 
 not at variance in essentials with the church of England; that 
 their bishops, and the metropolitan, after conferring with his cler¬ 
 gy on the subject, delivered the following opinion : “ That an union 
 “ with the English church, or at least such a connexion as should 
 “ appear to both churches practicable and expedient, would be an 
 “ happy event, and favourable to the advancement of religion •” 
 
 v 2 
 
270 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR 
 
 L. 
 
 Shanscrit Testimonies of Christ. 
 
 The learned Wilford, who has resided for many years 
 at Benares, the fountain ofShanscrit literature, and has 
 devoted himself entirely to researches into Hindoo my¬ 
 thology and Oriental history, has just finished a work 
 which will be received with much satisfaction by the 
 public. It is a record of the testimonies contained in 
 the Shanscrit writings of the truth of the Christian reli¬ 
 gion. 
 
 This work which is yet in manuscript, is now in cir¬ 
 culation (January, 1805) with the members of the Asi¬ 
 atic Society, previously to its publication in the Asiatic 
 Researches. It is entitled, “ Salivahana; the Son of 
 “ the Jacshaca, or Carpenter ; or introduction of the 
 
 that it is in contemplation to send to England some of the Syrian 
 youth, for education and ordination ; that the old Syrians have 
 continued, till lately to receive their bishops from Antioch, but 
 that ancient Patriarchate being - now nearly extinct, and incompe¬ 
 tent to the appointment of learned men, “ the Christian church in 
 “ Malayala looks henceforth to Britain for the continuance of that 
 “ light winch has shone so long in this dark region of the world 
 that Dr. Buchanan was about to commence the Malayalam transla¬ 
 tion of the Scriptures, and that there are 200,000 Christians* in Ma¬ 
 layalam, who are ready to receive it; that there are various an¬ 
 cient Syrio-Chaldaic manuscripts in Malayala; that a volume has 
 keen found in a remote church of the mountains, containing the 
 Old and New Testaments, engrossed on strong vellum in large 
 folio, having three columns in the page, written with beautiful ac¬ 
 curacy, in the Estrangelo Syriac (the character in which the oldest 
 Syrian manuscripts are written,) and illuminated ; that the Syrian 
 church assigns to this manuscript a high antiquity; and that it has 
 been handed down to the present time under circumstances so 
 peculiarly favourable to accurate preservation, as may justly enti¬ 
 tle it to respect, in the collation of doubtful readings in the sacred 
 text. This volume was presented to Dr. Buchanan by Mar Diony¬ 
 sius, the archbishop of the Indian church, and is now deposited 
 among the Oriental Manuscripts in the public library of the Uni¬ 
 versity of Cambridge. Amer. Edit.~\ 
 
 * In this estimate are included ~.vith the old Syrian (~commonly called 
 St. Thome, or Jacobite) Christians, the Syrian Homan Catholics, and 
 the Latin Roman Catholics. In some American Editions of the Star 
 in the East it is incorrectly printed 20,000. 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 271 
 
 « Christian Religion into India ; its Progress and De- 
 « cline.” 
 
 From these evidences it appears, that the prophecies 
 of the Old Testament were recorded in the Shanscrit 
 Puranas of India, as in the Sybilline books of Rome ; 
 that the rumour of the universal dominion of the Mes¬ 
 siah had alarmed the emperors of the East as well as 
 the emperors of Rome ; and that holy men journeyed 
 from the East, directed by a miraculous star, to see the 
 heavenly child. It further appears, that many of the 
 Shanscrit writings to which had been attributed a vast 
 antiquity, were not only composed after the Christian 
 sera, but contain particulars of the advent, birth, life, 
 miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Sa¬ 
 viour. 
 
 To establish fully the authenticity of these important 
 records, and to invite investigation, Captain Wilford 
 has deposited his authorities and vouchers in the libra¬ 
 ry of the College of Fort-William, and among the ar- 
 chieves of the Asiatic Society. 
 
 At the conclusion of the work the learned author thus 
 expresses himself; “ I have written this account of the 
 “ Christian religion with the impartiality of an histori- 
 « an ; fully persuaded that our holy religion cannot pos- 
 “ sibly receive any additional lustre from it.” 
 
 M. 
 
 Chinese Version of the Scriptures ; and Chinese Lite¬ 
 rature. 
 
 1. The projected translation of the Scriptures into 
 the Chinese language in England, which, we under¬ 
 stand, has already obtained the most respectable patron¬ 
 age, is considered here as an undertaking, which will 
 be attended with extreme difficulty, if it be not found al¬ 
 together impracticable. Before any commencement 
 be made, the subject ought certainly to be maturely- 
 considered, both in regard to the expense and the exe¬ 
 cution. The estimate is stated to be thirty thousand 
 pounds sterling, and doubtless the expense of executing 
 the work in the proposed form, by types, (or even by cop- 
 
272 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 perplate, which would be the cheapest and perhaps the 
 only practicable mode in England,) is not over-rated at 
 that sum. 
 
 2. But who is to translate the work ? Dr. Montucci’s 
 Dictionary, now in the press, must indeed be a valuable 
 performance, (judging from the genuineness of the ma¬ 
 terials and the erudition of the compiler,) and it will be 
 of considerable use to any translator whether in China 
 or in England. But will the united labours of Dr. Mon- 
 tucci and Dr. Hager ever produce a chapter of the Bi¬ 
 ble which will be intelligible to a native of China ? 
 Without the aid of learned natives of the country to 
 write their own language, or to hear it read by the 
 translator, no work of this kind can be proscuted with 
 any confidence of its utility. This has been sufficiently 
 proved to us in the versions in other Oriental langua¬ 
 ges (much more simple than the Chinese) which have 
 been undertaken at the College of Fort-William. Even 
 the Arabic Bible, which is now republishing in Eng¬ 
 land, can never be useful as a popular work in Arabia, it 
 being composed in the classic, and not in the vernacu¬ 
 lar dialect of that country. For a similar reason the old 
 Persian translation is of no use in Persia. 
 
 3. But even supposing a Chinese version of the Scrip¬ 
 tures to have been executed in England, how is it to be 
 printed ? or in what form presented to the Chinese ? 
 Has it been seriously proposed to print it in a moveable 
 type, and on English paper ! It ought to be printed, not 
 in the moveable type, nor in the stereo-type, but in the 
 mode commonly used in China. The characters are by 
 the Chinese engraved on a tablet of wood the size of the 
 page, and the impression is thrown off, as by copper¬ 
 plates in England. At Canton, the dispatches from Pe¬ 
 kin which arrive in the morning, are put into the hands 
 of the engraver, and the newspaper is thrown off in the 
 afternoon of the same day. We have Chinese artists 
 now in Calcutta, who engrave on wood with neatness 
 and accuracy; and who are competent to engrave the 
 whole of the Scriptures in the Chinese manner ; and 
 to print them on China paper, and in such a form, that 
 the book shall appear to have been published in China. 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 273 
 
 If in this projected translation at home, the real ob- 
 icct be utility to the Chinese people, by affording to 
 them a faithful record of the revealed word of God in 
 their vernacular tongue, we have no hesitation in affirm¬ 
 ing that that object will be attained with more certain 
 advantage, by remitting one-fourth of the sum, which 
 it has been proposed to embark, in the undertaking in 
 England, to the College of Fort-William in Bengal : 
 which institution, it may be observed, (independently 
 of this particular object, and considered merely as the 
 fountain of Christian knowledge to the Oriental world,) 
 is well entitled to the ample support of every Christian 
 church and religious society in Europe. 
 
 4. Since the College Report of Literature, published 
 in September last, (1804,) a commencement has been 
 made in translating the scriptures in the Chinese lan¬ 
 guage. The book of Genesis and the Gospel of St. 
 Matthew are in course of translation ; and some chap¬ 
 ters of each have already been printed oft. 
 
 The translator is Johannas Lassar, a native of China, 
 and professor of the Chinese language, assisted by 
 a Chinese moonshee. He was lately employed by 
 the Portuguese government at Macao, in conducting a 
 correspondence with the court at Pekin. Being an 
 Armenian Christian, he translates from the Armenian 
 Bible. 
 
 It must be known to some of the learned in Europe, 
 that the Armenian version of the Scriptures is one of 
 the most accurate extant. It is also remarkable for its 
 antiquity; being among the first translations after the 
 Septuagint; and is styled by the learned Orientalists, 
 Golius and La Croze, the “queen of versions.” Though 
 the Armenian language have no affinity to the Hebrew, 
 or to any other language in the world, it abounds in the 
 Oriental idiom ; and this Bible is therefore considered 
 by us as eminently useful in collating new versions in 
 the Oriental tongues. The translators of the Armenian 
 Bible (called the Interpreters) were famed for their piety 
 and learning ; their lives are recorded in Armenian 
 history in the fifth century of our aera, and their transla¬ 
 tion is reverenced by their nation as an inspired work. 
 From this Armenian original, our translator (who is ig- 
 
274 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 norant of the Greek and Hebrew languages) is ena^ 
 bled to render a faithful version into the language of 
 China. 
 
 We expect soon to be in possession of those portions of 
 the Scriptures which have been translated into the Chi¬ 
 nese language by the Romish missionaries } and which 
 are interspersed in their missals, and catechetical books. 
 These specimens will be of use in the general collation 
 of the text, and particularly in translating proper names ; 
 since it would be improper to deviate unnecessarily 
 from the expressions already familiar in China. 
 
 The mode which has been adopted for editing the Chi¬ 
 nese Bible, is the following : 
 
 Each verse is printed in English, in columns of one 
 or two lines, from the top to the bottom of the page, and 
 the Chinese version is printed in the usual manner, in a 
 corresponding column. The English is introduced with 
 a view to render the work a good class book for students 
 in the Chinese language. The whole is translated in the 
 Mandarine dialect ; but wherever there appears a dan¬ 
 ger of the sense being misunderstood, there are mar¬ 
 ginal readings in the familiar dialects. 
 
 5. On the expediency of publishing the Scriptures in 
 China, we shall offer a few observations. 
 
 It is the solemn duty of our imperial nation to dif¬ 
 fuse Christian knowledge throughout the world at all 
 times; but more particularly at those periods, when 
 the providence of God shall point out to her the means 
 of doing it, and at the same time, offer to her advan¬ 
 tage , by the execution. To the East and West of 
 peaceful Hindostan, there is a “ shaking of the na- 
 “ tions.” This seems to be favorable not only to our 
 own stability, but to the extension of our civilizing in¬ 
 fluence in Asia. The Wahabiansto the West are ex¬ 
 tinguishing Mahomedanism. And the enemies of the 
 Tartar dynasty in China threaten the overthrow of that 
 ancient government. After a slumber of many ages, 
 that mighty empire seems to be on the eve of a terri¬ 
 ble convulsion. The spirit of insurrection which broke 
 forth about five years ago in the western provinces, is 
 now diffusing itself towards the eastern parts of the 
 
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. 
 
 275 
 
 empire ; and a prophecy is spread abroad that the end 
 of the Tartar dominion is at hand. 
 
 The Chinese are permitted by existing law, to choose 
 what religion they please ; the present emperor and 
 his court profess one faith, and the people another. 
 They are a curious and inquisitive race, and would most 
 certainly read any new book which should be put into 
 their hands. “ The press in China,” says Mr. Barrow, 
 “ is as free as in England, and the profession of print- 
 u ing open to every one. It was the press in Europe 
 “ that openad a free access to the doctrines of that reli- 
 “ gion, which of all others, is best calculated for the 
 u promotion of individual happiness and public vir- 
 “ tue.”* The copies of the bible would soon be multi¬ 
 plied in China. If an individual (a prime mover of the 
 revolutionary opinions in Europe) found means to send 
 his u Rights of Man” to China,! shall not our nation¬ 
 al zeal in the defence of truth and of social happiness 
 urge us to diffuse among that people a code of nobler 
 principles ? There are no arguments against this meas¬ 
 ure of a benign philosophy and true philanthropy, buC 
 those which are contained in the Books of Voltaire and 
 Rousseau. 
 
 6. The British nation, though so intimately connect¬ 
 ed with China by commercial negociation, has no insti¬ 
 tution for instruction in the Chinese language at home 
 or abroad. The consequences of such disadvantage, on 
 our influence , our character , and our commerce at Can¬ 
 ton, are well illustrated by an authentic historian, who 
 had the best opportunities of obtaining information on 
 the subject.^ 
 
 If it be possible any where to furnish to Europeans 
 the means of regular instruction in the Chinese lan¬ 
 guage, it may be expected at the College of Fort Wil¬ 
 liam in Bengal; our propinquity to China affording 
 opportunities of obtaining a constant supply of teach¬ 
 ers and books; and of maintaining a regular corres¬ 
 pondence with its learned men. Our territories on the 
 
 * See Barrow’s Travels; page 392. f Ibid. 396. 
 
 t John Barrow, Esq. Secretary to Lord Macartney’s Embassy, 
 See his Travels in China, page 616. Mr Barrow is the only wri¬ 
 ter from Kircher downwards, who has illustrated China. 
 
2T6 
 
 APPENDIX TO MEMOIR, 
 
 continent are contiguous to the Chinese frontier ; and 
 our islands are resorted to by the Chinese people. 
 
 The French are at this time cultivating the Chinese 
 language with great assiduity ; and no doubt with a 
 prospect of certain advantage. We have in India sat¬ 
 isfactory evidence that they meditate an embassy to 
 China, or a descent on Cochin China, as soon as peace 
 in Europe shall give them opportunity.§ “The French,” 
 says Mr. Barrow, “ aware of the solid advantages 
 “ that result from the knowledge of languages, are at 
 “ this time holding out every encouragement to the stu- 
 “ dy of Chinese literature ; obviously not without de- 
 ‘ c sign. They know that the Chinese character is un- 
 u derstood from the gulf of Siam to the Tartarian Sea, 
 “ and over a very considerable part of the great Eastern 
 “ Archipelago; and that the Cochin Chinese, with 
 “ whom they have already firmly rooted themselves, use 
 a no other writing than the pure Chinese character, 
 “ which is also the case with the Japanese. It is to be 
 “ hoped therefore that the British nation will not neg- 
 “ lect the means of being able to meet the French, if ne* 
 “ cessary, even on this ground.!! 
 
 § Daring tlie short interval of the last peace, this expedition 
 was talked of publickly at the Mauritius ; and mentioned to the 
 English there as a project of France, to which the British govern¬ 
 ment could not possibly have an objection. 
 
 H Barrow’s Travels in China, page 615. 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST\ 
 
 WITH THREE NEW 
 
 SERMONS, 
 
 PREACHED ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS, 
 
 BY 
 
 THE REV. CLAUDIUS BUCHANAN, L. L. D 
 

 
 
 m 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SERMON I, 
 
 MATTHEW II. 2. 
 
 « For we have seen his Star in the East, and are come to 
 
 worship, him.” 
 
 WHEN, in the fulness of time, the Son of Gocl came 
 down from heaven to take our nature upon him, many 
 circumstances concurred to celebrate the event, and to 
 render it an illustrious epoch in the history of the 
 world. It pleased the Divine Wisdom that the mani¬ 
 festation of the Deity should be distinguished by a suit¬ 
 able glory: and this was done, by the ministry of An¬ 
 gels, by the ministry of men, and by the ministry of Na¬ 
 ture herself. 
 
 First, This was done by the ministry of Angels ; for an 
 Angel announced to the shepherds “ the glad tidings of 
 “ great joy which should be to all peopleand a 
 u multitude of the heavenly host sang Glory to God 
 
 in the Highest, on earth peace, good-will toward 
 “ men.” 
 
 Secondly, It was done by the ministry of Men ; for 
 illustrious persons, divinely directed, came from a far 
 country, to offer gifts, and to do honor to the new-born 
 King.. 
 
 Thirdly, It was done by the ministry of JVature. 
 Nature herself was commanded to bear witness to the 
 presence of the God of Nature. A Star or Divine 
 Light, pointed out significantly from heaven the spot 
 upon earth where the Saviour was born. 
 
 Thus, I say, it pleased the Divine Wisdom, by an as¬ 
 semblage of heavenly testimonies, to glorify the incarna¬ 
 tion of the Son of God. 
 
 All these testimonies were appropriate ; but the Jour¬ 
 ney of the Eastern Sages had in it a peculiar fitness. 
 
2S0 
 
 THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 We can hardly imagine amove natural mode of honour- 
 ing the event than this, that illustrious persons should 
 proceed from a far country to visit the child which was 
 born Saviour of the world. They came, as it were, in 
 the name of the Gentiles, to acknowledge the heavenly 
 gift, and to bear their testimony against that nation 
 which rejected it. They came as the representatives of 
 the whole heathen world ; not only of the heathens in 
 the East, but also of the heathens in the West, from 
 w hom we are descended. In the name of the whole 
 world, lying “in darkness, and in the shadow of death,” 
 they came inquiring for that Eight which, they had heard, 
 Avas to visit them in the fulness of time. “ And the Star 
 “ which they saw in the East went before them, till it 
 “ came and stood over where the young child was. 
 “ And when they were come into the house, they fell 
 “ down and worshipped him ; and when they had opened 
 “ their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold, 
 “ and frankincense, and myrrh ;” and they departed into 
 their own country. 
 
 Do you ask how the Star of Christ was understood in 
 the East ? Or why providence ordained that peculiar 
 inode of intimation ? 
 
 Christ was foretold in old prophecy, under the name 
 of the “ Star that should arise out of Jacoband the 
 rise of the Star in Jacob was notified to the world, by 
 the appearance of an actual star. 
 
 We learn from authentic Roman history, that there 
 prevailed “ in the East” a constant expectation of a 
 Prince, who should arise out of Judea, and rule the 
 world. That such an expectation did exist, has been 
 confirmed by the ancient writings of India. Whence, 
 then, arose this extraordinary expectation, for it was 
 found also in the Sybilline books of Rome ? 
 
 The Jewish expectation of the Messiah had pervaded 
 the East iong before the period of his appearance. The 
 Jews are called by their own prophet the “ Expecting 
 people*,” (as it may be translated, and as some of the 
 Jews of the East translate it,) the “ people looking for 
 “ and expecting One to come.” Wherever, then, the 
 
 Is. xviii. 2. “ The people meted out,” in our translation. 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 281 
 
 gen tribes were carried throughout the East, they car¬ 
 ried with them their expectation. And they carried 
 also the prophecies on which their expectation was 
 founded. Now one of the clearest of these prophecies 
 runs in these words : “ There shall come a Star out of 
 Jacob.” And as in the whole dispensation concerning 
 the Messiah, there is a wonderful fitness between the 
 words of prophecy and the person spoken of, so it 
 pleased the Divine Wisdom that the rise of the Star in 
 Jacob should be announced to the world by the appear¬ 
 ance of an actual Star, (for by what other means could 
 the great event be more significantly communicated to 
 the remote parts of the earth ?) and this actual Star, 
 in itself a proper emblem of that “ Light which was to 
 “ lighten the Gentiles,” conducted them to Him who- 
 was called in a figure the Star of Jacob, and the “ glory 
 “ of his people Israel;” and w r ho hath said of himself, 
 (Rev. xxii. 16 ,) “ I, Jesus, am the bright and morning 
 “ Star.”f 
 
 But again, why was the East thus honoured ? Why 
 was the East, and not the West, the scene of these 
 transactions ? The East was the scene of the first reve¬ 
 lation of God. The fountains of inspiration were first 
 opened in the East. And, after the flood, the first family 
 of the new world was planted in the East; I mean the East 
 in relation to Judea. Besides, millions of the hum an race 
 inhahit that portion of the globe. The chief population 
 of the world is in these regions. And in the middle of 
 them the Star of Christ first appeared. And, led by it, 
 the wise men passed through many nations, tongues, and 
 kindreds, before they arrived at Judea in the West;bear¬ 
 ing tidings to the world that the Light was come, that 
 the “ Desire of all Nations” was come. Even to Jeru¬ 
 salem herself they brought the first intimation that her 
 long-expected Messiah was come. 
 
 Now, my brethren, as the East was honoured in the 
 first age, in thus pointing out the Messiah to the world - 
 so now again, after a long interval of darkness, it is 
 bearing witness to the truth of his religion ; not indeed 
 
 t The Jews used to speak of their Messiah under the appella¬ 
 tion of Bar Cocab , or “the Son of the Star;” and false Christs- ac.; 
 tu?.lly assumed that name. 
 
 z 2 
 
282 
 
 THE STAR IN THE EAST, 
 
 by the shining of a Star, but by affording luminous evi¬ 
 dence of the divine origin of the Christian Faith. It 
 affords evidence, not only of the general truth of its his¬ 
 tory , but of its peculiar doctrines ; and not of its doc¬ 
 trines merely, but of the divine power of these doc¬ 
 trines in convincing the understandings and converting 
 the hearts of men. And in this sense it is, that “ we 
 have seen “ his Star in the East, and are come to wor¬ 
 ship him.” 
 
 And when these evidences shall have been laid before 
 you, you will see that the Time is come for diffusing 
 His religion throughout the world; you will “ offer 
 gifts” in His name for the promotion of the work ; and 
 you will offer up prayers in its behalf, “ that God would 
 “ be pleased to make his ways known, his saving health 
 “ unto all nations.” 
 
 In this discourse, we propose to lay before you, 
 
 1st. Evidences of the general truth of the Christian 
 Religion, existing in the East. 
 
 2d!y. Evidences of the divine power of that Religion 
 exemplified in the East. 
 
 I. The general truth of the Christian Religion is il¬ 
 lustrated by certain evidences in the East. Of these 
 we shall mention the following. 
 
 1. Ancient writings of India, containing particulars of 
 the history of Christ. 
 
 2. Certain doctrines of the East, shadowing forth the 
 peculiar doctrines of Christianity, and manifestly deri¬ 
 ved from a common origin. 
 
 3. The state of the Jews in the East, confirming the 
 truth of ancient prophecy. 
 
 4. The state of the Syrian Christians in the East, 
 subsisting for many ages, a separate and distinct people 
 in the midst of the heathen world. 
 
 These subjects, however, w r e must notice very 
 briefly. 
 
 1. Hindoo history illustrates the history of the gospel. 
 There have lately been discovered in India, certain 
 Shanscrit waitings containing Testimonies of Christ. 
 They relate to a Prince who reigned about the period of 
 the Christian aera; and whose history, though mixed 
 with fable, contains particulars which correspond, in a 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 283 
 
 surprising manner, with the advent, birth, miracles, 
 death, and resurrection of our Saviour. The event 
 mentioned in the words of the Text is exactly recorded, 
 namely, That certain holy men, directed by a Star, jour¬ 
 neyed toward the West, where they beheld the incarna¬ 
 tion of the Deity.* ** 
 
 These important records have been translated by a 
 learned Orientalist!, and he has deposited the originals 
 among the archieves of the Asiatic Society. From 
 these, and from other documents, he has compiled a 
 work, entitled, “ The History of the introduction of the 
 Cnristian Religion into India; its progress and decline 
 and at the conclusion of the work he thus expresses 
 himself: u I have written this account of Christianity 
 “ in India with the impartiality of an Historian; fully 
 “ persuaded that our holy Religion cannot receive any 
 “ additional lustre from it.” 
 
 Thus far of the history of the Gospel. 
 
 2. We are now to notice certain doctrines of the 
 East, shadowing forth the doctrines of Christianity. 
 
 The peculiar doctrines of the Christian Religion are 
 so strongly represented in certain systems of the East, 
 that we cannot doubt the source whence they have been 
 derived. We find in them the doctrines of the Trinity, 
 of the incarnation of the Deity, of the Atonement for 
 sin, and of the inlluence of the Divine Spirit. 
 
 First, The doctrine of the Trinity. The Hindoos be¬ 
 lieve in one God Brahma, the creator of all things : and 
 yet they represent him as subsisting in three persons ; 
 and they worship one or other of these persons through¬ 
 out every part of India. And what proves that they 
 hold this doctrine distinctly, is, that their most ancient 
 representation of the Deity is formed of one body 
 and three faces. Nor are these representations con¬ 
 fined to India alone ; but they are to be found in other 
 parts of the East. 
 
 Whence, then, my brethren, has been derived this 
 
 * This testimony of the Hindoo writer accords with that of C'hnI. 
 eiilins, the ancient commentator on l’lato, who adds, “ That the 
 “ in fan’ Majesty being found, the wise men worshipped, and gave 
 
 ** gifts suitable to so great a Cod.” 
 
 t Mr. Wilford. 
 
284 
 
 THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 idea of a triune God ? If, as some alledge, the doctrine 
 of the Trinity among Christians be of recent origin, 
 whence have the Hindoos derived it ? When you shall 
 have read all the volumes of Philosophy on the subject, 
 you will not have obtained a satisfactory answer to this 
 question. 
 
 Secondly, The doctrine of the Incarnation of the 
 Deity. The Hindoos believe that one of the persons 
 in their Trinity, and that, too, the second person,) was 
 “ manifested in the flesh.” Hence their fables of the in¬ 
 carnations of Vishnoo, of which you may have heard. 
 And this doctrine of the incarnation of the Deity, is 
 found over almost the whole of Asia. 
 
 Whence, then, originated this idea, that “ God should 
 “ become man, and take our nature upon him ?” The 
 Hindoos do not consider that it was an Angel merely 
 that became man, but God himself. The incarnation 
 of God is a frequent theme of their discourse. We 
 cannot doubt whence this peculiar tenet of religion has 
 been derived. We must believe that all the fabulous 
 incarnations of the Eastern Mythology are derived from 
 the veal incarnation of the Son of God, or from the 
 prophecies which went before it. 
 
 Thirdly, The doctrine of Atonement for Sin, by the 
 shedding of blood. To this day in Hindostan, the peo¬ 
 ple bring the Goat or Kid to the Temple ; and the Priest 
 sheds the blood of the innocent victim. Nor is this 
 peculiar to Hindostan. Throughout the whole East, 
 the doctrine of a sacrifice for sin seems to exist in one 
 form or other. 
 
 Plow is it then, that some of you in this country say 
 that there is no atonement! For, ever since “ Abel of- 
 « fered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain 
 ever since Noah, the father of the new world, “offered 
 “ burnt-offerings on the Altar,” sacrifices have been of¬ 
 fered up in almost every nation ; as if for a constant 
 memorial before the world, that “ without shedding of 
 “ blood there is no remission of sin.” 
 
 Fourthly, The doctrine of the influence of the Sfiirit 
 of God. In the most ancient writings of the Hindoos, 
 some of which have been lately published, it is asserted 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 285 
 
 that the “ divine spirit, or light of holy knowledge,” in¬ 
 fluences the minds of men. And the man who is the 
 subjectof such influence is called the “man twice born.” 
 Many chapters are devoted to the duties, character, and 
 virtues of “ the man twice born.” 
 
 If, then, in the very systems of the heathen world, 
 this exalted idea should have a place, how much more 
 might we expect to find it in the revelation of the true 
 God ! 
 
 We could illustrate other doctrines by similar anal¬ 
 ogies, did time permit. If these analogies were mere¬ 
 ly partial or accidential, they would be less important. 
 But they are not casual; as every man who is versed in 
 the Holy Scriptures and in Oriental Mythology well 
 knows. They are general and systematic. Was it 
 ever alleged that the Light of Nature could teach such 
 doctrines as these ? They are all contrarij to the Light 
 of Nature. 
 
 These, my brethren, gre doctrines which exist at this 
 day, in the midst of the idolatry and moral corruption of 
 the heathen world. Every where there appears to be a 
 counterfeit of the true doctrine. The inhabitants have 
 lost sight of the only true God, and they apply these 
 doctrines to their false gods. For these doctrines are 
 relics of the first Faith of the earth. They are, as you 
 see, the strong characters of God’s primary revelation 
 to man, which neither the power of man, nor time it¬ 
 self, hath been able to destroy ; but which have en¬ 
 dured from age to age, like the works of nature, the 
 moon and stars, which God hath created incorruptible. 
 
 3. Another circumstance, illustrating the truth of the 
 Christian religion in the East, is the state of the Jews. 
 The Jews are scattered over the whole face of the East, 
 and the fulfilment of the prophecies concerning them is 
 far more evident in these regions than it is here among 
 Christian nations. 
 
 The last great punishment of the Jewish people was 
 inflicted for their last great crime—their shedding the 
 blood of the Son of God 1 And this instance of divine in¬ 
 dignation has been exhibited to all nations, and all na¬ 
 tions seem to have been employed by the ordinance of 
 God in inflicting the punishment. 
 
235 
 
 THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 By express prophecy the Jews were sentenced to be¬ 
 come “ the scorn and reproach of all people and “ a 
 proverb and by-word among all nations.” Now, that 
 their stubborn unbelief should be a reproach to them 
 among Christian nations here in the West, is not so 
 strange ; that they should be a proverb and by-word 
 among those who had heard the prophecy concerning 
 them, is net so remarkable. But to have seen them (as 
 I have seen them) insulted and persecuted by the ig¬ 
 norant nations in the East; in the very words of proph¬ 
 ecy, “ trodden down of the heathen trodden down by 
 a people who never heard the name of Christ: who 
 never heard that the Jews had rejected Christ; and who, 
 in fact, punished the Jews , without knowing their caime : 
 this, I say, hath appeared to me an awful completion of 
 the divine sentence. 
 
 4. Another monument of the Christian religion in the 
 East, is the state of the Syrian Christians , subsisting for 
 many ages a separate and distant people, in the midst of 
 the corruption and idolatry of the heathen world. They 
 exist in the very midst of India, like the bush of Moses, 
 burning and not consumed ; surrounded by the enemies 
 of their faith, and subject to their power, and yet not de¬ 
 stroyed. There they exist, having the pure word of 
 Godin their hands, and speaking in their churches that 
 same language which our Saviour himself spake in the 
 streets of Jerusalem. 
 
 We may contemplate the history of this people ex¬ 
 isting so long in that dark region, as a type of the inex¬ 
 tinguishable Light of Christ’s religion : and in this 
 sense it may be truly said, “We have seen his Star in 
 the East.” 
 
 The probable design of the Divine Providence, in pre¬ 
 serving this people, appears to be this : That they 
 should be a seed of the Church in Asia: that they 
 should be a special instrument for the conversion of 
 the surrounding heathen, when God’s appointed time 
 is come ; a people prepared for his service, as fellow- 
 labourers with us; a people, in short, in the midst of 
 Asia, to whom we can point as an evidence to the rest, 
 of the truth and antiquity of the Christian Faith. 
 
 And this shall suffice as to the testimonies of the gen¬ 
 eral truth of Christianity existing in the East. 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 28 7 
 
 II. We proposed, in the second branch of the dis¬ 
 course, to lay before you some evidences of the divine 
 power of the Christian Religion exemplified in the 
 East. 
 
 To say that Christianity has been propagated in the 
 East, as other religions have been propagated, is to say 
 nothing. It is little to say that thousands have adopted 
 the name , and that it pervades populous provinces. For 
 three centuries past, the Romish Church has diffused 
 the name of Christianity throughout the East; and this 
 success demonstrates how practicable it is to “ propa¬ 
 gate our religion,” in the common sense of that expres¬ 
 sion,) throughout all nations of the world. Providence 
 seems to have ordained this previous labour of the 
 Romish Church, to facilitate the preaching of the true 
 Gospel at the appointed time ; for Christianity is found 
 even in its worst form to possess amoral and civilizing 
 efficiency. 
 
 But it is in the East, as it is in the West—all are not 
 Christians who are called Christians. “ He is not a 
 u Christian, who is one outwardly ; neither is that bap- 
 il tism which is outward in the flesh.” The fact was, 
 the Romish Church preached Christianity in the East, 
 without the Bible. 
 
 Let us now inquire what has been the consequence 
 of sending the Bible to the East. It is nearly one hun¬ 
 dred years since the Bible was sent to the Hindoos; 
 but not by our country. This honor was given to the 
 Protestant churches of Denmark and Germany. It 
 was sent to a certain nation in the South of India ; for 
 there are many nations in Hindostan. What then was 
 the effect of giving them the Bible ? It was the same 
 as that which followed the giving the Bible to us, while 
 we lay in almost Hindoo darkness, buried in the igno¬ 
 rance and superstition of the church of Rome. It gave 
 light and knowledge ; God blessed his own word to the 
 conversion of the heart, and men began to worship 
 him in sincerity and truth. 
 
 That province in India, which was blessed with the 
 Bible, hath since “ seen a great Light.” During near¬ 
 ly the whole of the last century, multitudes of Hindoos 
 (both heathens and Roman Catholics) became members 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 288 
 
 of the Protestant Church, one generation after an¬ 
 other; and amongst them there has ever been found, 
 according to the records of the Mission,* such a pro¬ 
 portion of serious piety, as you might expect to find, 
 when the Gospel is preached with faithfulness and zeal. 
 
 During the whole of the last century, Providence 
 favored them with a succession of holy and learned 
 men, educated at the Universities of Germany : among 
 whom was the venerable Swartz, called the Apostle 
 of the East; and others not much inferior to him ; men 
 whose names are scarcely known in this country, but 
 who are as famous among the Hindoos, as Wickliflfe 
 and Luther are amongst us. The ministry of these 
 good men was blessed in many provinces in the South 
 of India, and the bounds of their churches are extend¬ 
 ing unto this day. The language of the country is cal¬ 
 led the Tamul ; and the first translation of the Bible 
 in that language, was made, as we said, about a hun¬ 
 dred years ago. Like Wickliffe’s Bible with us, it be¬ 
 came the father many versions, and, after a succes¬ 
 sion of improved editions, it is now considered by the 
 Brahmins themselves (iike Luther’s Bible in German) 
 as the classical standard of the Tamul tongue. 
 
 A Jubilee has latelvbeen celebrated in India, in hon¬ 
 our of the Gospel. In the month of July, 1806, a Ju¬ 
 bilee was observed by these Hindoo churches, in com¬ 
 memoration of the arrival of the two first Protestant 
 Missionaries on the 9th of July, 1706. The year 1806, 
 being the hundredth year (or the second fiftieth) since 
 the Gospel first visited their land, was to them “ the 
 <c year of Jubilee ” The happy occasion had been long 
 anticipated, and was marked with demonstrations of 
 joy and gladness. The people, as we were informed, 
 walked in procession to their churches, carrying palms 
 in their hands, and singing the 98th Psalm ; and, after 
 offering up praises and thanksgivings to the Most High, 
 they heard a sermon suitable to the day. The sermon 
 at the Jubilee of Tritehinopoly was preached by their 
 aged Minister, the Rev. Mr. Pohle, from these words: 
 “ Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations ; baptizing 
 
 * These records are published in upwards of 30 vols. thick 4to. 
 
THE STAR IX THE E.A ST. 
 
 289 
 
 tl them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
 u of the Holy Ghost.”* 
 
 These were the effects of sending the Bible to the 
 East. Men were “ brought to a knowledge of the 
 “ truth and at the end of a hundred years, the na¬ 
 tives kept the Jubilee of the Bible. 
 
 Such, my brethren, was the Light in the South of 
 India. And now a Light hath sprung up in the North, 
 of which you have heard. Our own country hath be¬ 
 gun, though late, to dispense “ the word of Life.” 
 And although the time has been short, the success has 
 been great. In the North, in the AVest, and in Cey¬ 
 lon, translations of the Scriptures are going on in al¬ 
 most all the languages of Oriental India. 
 
 Our own country hath at length assumed an interest 
 in diffusing the Gospel. “ In the fulness of time,” we 
 trust, her different societies have come forth, as with 
 one consent, to begin the work of evangelizing the 
 East. “ In the fulness of time,” we trust, hath this 
 country begun, by these instruments, to employ her 
 great power, and her enlightened zeal, in extending 
 the knowledge of the true God throughout the world. 
 
 AA'e ought not to regret that the work is carried on 
 by Christians of different denominations ; for if they 
 teach the religion of the Bible, their labour will be bles¬ 
 sed. AVe have no contentions in India, like those in 
 Britain, between Protestants of different names. There 
 they are all friends. The strife there is between light 
 and darkness ; between the true God and an idol. "So 
 liberal and catholic is the Christian in Asia (while he 
 looks over the map of the AVorld, and can scarcely find 
 where the isle of Britain lies) that he considers even the 
 term “ Protestant,” as being in a certain degree exclu¬ 
 sive or sectarian. . “ The religion of the Bible,” or “ the 
 “ religion of Christ ,' 5 is the name by which he would 
 describe his creed. For when the idolater once abjures 
 ms own cast for the Gospel, he considers the differen¬ 
 ces of Protestants, (if he ever hear of them) as being 
 ■very insignificant. Indeed he cannot well understand 
 
 ^ fOT Pro ^ efc **” K "- 
 A a 
 
SO 0 
 
 THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 them. In the great revolution that takes place in his mind 
 (if his conversion be real) he cannot contemplate these 
 •minute objects. We ought not then, I say, to regret 
 that different classes of Christians are employed in the 
 work. For the case is an exact parallel of that record¬ 
 ed in the Gospel (Mark ix. 38 :) “ And John answering 
 “ said, Master, we saw one casting out Devils in thy 
 “ name, and he followeth not us ; and we forbad him, 
 “ because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, “For- 
 
 “ BID HIM NOT.” 
 
 On my arrival from India, a few months ago, I learn¬ 
 ed that a controversy had engaged the attention of the 
 public, for some time, on the question of sending Mis¬ 
 sions to the East. In the future history of our country it 
 will scarcely be believed,that in the present age an attempt 
 should have been made to prevent the diffusion of the 
 blessed principles of the Christian religion. It will not 
 be believed that an attempt should have been made to 
 prove by argument, that it was wrong to make known 
 the revelation of the true God to our fellow-men ; or if, 
 in some instances, it might be permitted (as in the case 
 of remote nations) that we ought not to instruct that 
 people who were affirmed to be the most superstitious, 
 and the most prejudiced; and who were our own sub¬ 
 jects. We scarcely believe ourselves that, twenty years 
 ago, an attempt was made to defend the traffic in slaves , 
 and that books were written to show that it was humane in 
 its character,just in its principle, and honourable to our 
 nation. The discussion, therefore, thathas taken place on 
 the civilization of the East, has been of important use. 
 Men in general were not informed. The scene of ac¬ 
 tion was remote, and the subject was new in almost all 
 its relations. Even to some of those persons who had 
 been in India, the subject was new. Just as in this 
 country, if you were to ask certain persons whether they 
 had any acquaintance with the religious world, they 
 would say they had never heard there was such a world ; 
 so some from India hazarded an opinion concerning the 
 “ inveterate prejudices” of certain tribes in the East, 
 who scarcely knew the geography of the country where 
 they lived ; what their religion was, or whether they had 
 any religion at all. They had seen no Star in the East; 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 29? 
 
 they had heard of no jubilee for the Bible. Like the 
 spies of Israel who brought back “ an evil report” from 
 Canaan, they reported that India was no “ land of pro- 
 « mise” for the Gospel; that the land was barren , and 
 that the men were Anakims. But the faithful Swartz 
 gave another testimony. He affirmed that it is “ ex¬ 
 ceeding good land and “ his record is true.” He 
 who was best qualified to give an opinion on the sub¬ 
 ject, who preached among the Hindoos for nearly fifty 
 years, founded churches among them in different pro¬ 
 vinces, established schools for their children, dissemi¬ 
 nated religious tracts in their own tongue, and inti¬ 
 mately knew their language, manners, prejudices, and 
 superstitions ; he who restored the Christian character 
 to respect, after it had fallen into contempt: who was 
 selected by the natives as an arbiter of their differences 
 with the English, and whom both Hindoos and English 
 loved and feared in his life, and honoured in his death ;* ** 
 this good man, I say, differed in opinion from some, 
 who have lately ventured to give a judgment in this mat- 
 
 * At the funeral of Mr. Swartz, the Hindoo Rajah of Tanjore 
 came to do honour to his memory in the presence of his Bramini- 
 cal Court. He covered the body -with a gold cloth, and shed a flood of 
 tears He afterwards composed an epitaph, for him whom he cal¬ 
 led “ his father and his friend,” and caused it to be inscribed on 
 the stone which covers Swartz’s grave, in one of the Christian 
 churches of Tanjore. 
 
 The English also have pronounced a noble and affecting enco¬ 
 mium on the character of this estimable Missionary. 
 
 The Honourable the East-India Company have sent out to Ma¬ 
 dras a monument of marble to be erected in the Church of St. Ma¬ 
 ry at that place, to the memory of the Rev. Mr. Swartz, inscribed 
 with a suitable epitaph ; and they announced it, in their general 
 letter, dated the 29th of October, 1806, “ As a testimony of the 
 “ deep sense they entertained of his transcendent merit, of his un- 
 
 wearied labours in the cause of religion and piety, and of his 
 “ public services at Tanjore, where the influence of his name and 
 “ character was, for a long course of years, productive of impor- 
 
 ** portant benefits to the Company.” The Honourable court fur¬ 
 ther adds. “ On no subject has the Court of Directors been more 
 “ unanimous than in their anxious desire to perpetuate the mem- 
 4 * ory of this eminent person, and to excite in others an emulation of 
 “ his gi'eat example .” They direct finally, “ that translations shall 
 “ be made of the epitaph into the country languages, and publish- 
 
 ed at Madras ; and that the native inhabitants shall be encoura- 
 “ ged to view the monument.” 
 
292 
 
 THE STAR IJt THE EAST. 
 
 ter : he affirmed that it was England’s Duty to make 
 known the Revelation of the true God to her Indian sub¬ 
 jects. 
 
 In the mean time, while men hold different opinions 
 on the subject here, the great work goes on in the 
 East. The Christians there will probably never hear of 
 our dissentions; nor, if they should hear of them, 
 would they be much interested about them. And on 
 this point I judge it right to notice a very singular mis¬ 
 take which appears to have existed on both sides of 
 the question. It seems to have been understood that 
 we have it in our power to prevent the progressof Chris¬ 
 tianity in India, if we wish to do so ; if such a meas¬ 
 ure should be recommended by what is called “ a wise 
 C( policy.” But we have no power to prevent the ex¬ 
 tension of the Christian religion in India. We have it 
 in our power, indeed, greatly to promote it, but we 
 have no power to destroy it. It would be as easy to ex¬ 
 tinguish Christianity in Great-Britain as in India. There 
 are thousands of Christians in India—hundreds of thou¬ 
 sands of Christians. And while we are contending 
 here, whether it be a proper thing to convert the Hin¬ 
 doos, they will go on extending the bounds of their 
 churches, keeping their jubilees, and enjoying the 
 blessings of the Gospel, regardless of our opinions or 
 authority. 
 
 The dispute in this country, relative to the efficiency 
 of preaching the faith of Christ to the heathen world, 
 is not unlike the dispute of the Jewish doctors in the 
 gospel, concerning our Saviour’s power “ to forgive 
 “ sins.” We read that our Lord had healed a woman, 
 who was a sinner. And he said unto her, “ Daughter, 
 <l thy sins are forgiven ; thy faith hath saved thee ; go 
 “ in peace.” Then began the Pharisees to say within 
 themselves, “ Who is this that forgiveth sins also ?” 
 But she felt in herself that she was healed, and leaving 
 the doctors to dispute whether “ her faith could save 
 “ her or not,” she departed in peace and joy. 
 
 So, while we are disputing here, whether the faith 
 of Christ can save the heathens, the Gospel hath gone 
 forth “ for the healing of the nations.” A congrega¬ 
 tion of Hindoos will assemble on the morning of th« 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 293 
 
 Sabbath, under the shade of a Banian tree, not one of 
 whom, perhaps, ever heard of Greatr Britain by name. 
 There the Holy Bible is opened ; the word of Christ 
 is preached with eloquence and zeal; the affections 
 are excited ; the voice of prayer and praise is lifted 
 up ; and he who hath promised his presence e< when 
 “ two or three are gathered together in his name, is 
 ’** there in the midst of them to bless them, according 
 “ to his word.” These scenes I myself have witnes¬ 
 sed ; and it is in this sense in particular I can say, 
 “ We have seen his Star in the East, and are come to 
 “ worship him.” 
 
 Thus far we have spoken of the success of the Gos¬ 
 pel in Asia, by means of European preachers. But 
 we shall now exhibit to you evidence from another 
 source, from a new and unexpected quarter. We are 
 now to declare what has been done, independently of 
 our exertions, and in regions where we have no labor¬ 
 ers, and no access. And this I do to show you, that 
 whether we assist in the work or not, it is God’s will 
 that it should begin. You have hitherto been contem¬ 
 plating the Light in India. We are now to announce 
 to you, that a Light hath appeared in Arabia, and dawn¬ 
 ed as it were, on the Temple of Mecca itself. 
 
 Two Mahometans of Arabia, persons of consideration 
 in their own country, have been lately converted to the 
 Christian faith. One of them has already suffered mar¬ 
 tyrdom, and the other is now engaged in translating 
 the Scriptures, and in concerting plans for the conver¬ 
 sion of his countrymen. The name of the martyr was 
 Abdallah ; and the name of the other, who is now trans¬ 
 lating the Scriptures, is Sabat; or, as he is called since 
 his Christian baptism, Nathaniel Sabat. Sabat resided 
 in my house some time before I left India, and I had 
 from his own mouth the chief part of the account which 
 I shall now give to you. Some particulars I had from 
 others. His conversion took place after the martyr¬ 
 dom of Abdallah, “ to whose death he was consent¬ 
 ing and he related the circumstances to me with ma¬ 
 ny tears. 
 
 Abdallah and Sabat were intimate friends, and being 
 young men of family in Arabia, they agreed to travel 
 
2 94 
 
 THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 together, and to visit foreign countries. They were 
 both zealous Mahometans. Sabat is son of Ibrahim Sa- 
 bat, a noble family of the line of Beni-Sabat, who trace 
 their pedigree to Mahomet. The two friends left Ara¬ 
 bia,after paying their adorations at the tomb of their pro¬ 
 phet at Mecca, and travelled through Persia,and thence 
 to Cabul. Abdallah was appointed to an office of state 
 under Zcmaun Shah, King of Cabul ; and Sabat left him 
 there, and proceeded on a tour through Tartary. 
 
 While Abdallah remained at Cabul, he was converted 
 to the Christian faith by the perusal of a (Bible, as is 
 supposed,) belonging to a Christian from Armenia, then 
 residing at Cabul*. In the Mahometan states, it is 
 death for a man of rank to become a Christian. Abdal¬ 
 lah endeavoured for a time to conceal his conversion, 
 but finding it no longer possible, he determined to flee 
 to some of the Christian churches near the Caspian 
 Sea. He accordingly left Cabul in disguise, and had 
 gained the great city ofBochara, in Tartary, when he 
 was met in the streets of that city by his friend Sabat, 
 who immediately recognized him. Sabat had heard of 
 his conversion and flight, and was filled with indigna¬ 
 tion at his conduct. Abdallah knew his danger, and 
 threw himself at the feet of Sabat. He confessed that 
 he was a Christian, and implored him, by the sacred tie 
 of their former friendship, to let him escape with his 
 life. “ But, Sir,” said Sabat, when relating the story 
 himself, u I had no pity. I caused my servants to 
 “ seize him, and I delivered him up to Morad Shah, 
 “ King of Bochava. Pie was sentenced to die, and a 
 « herald went through the city of Bochara, announcing 
 “ the time of his execution. An immense multitude 
 
 attended, and the chief men of the city. I also went 
 “ and stood near to Abdallah. He was offered his life, 
 “ if he would abjure Christ, the executioner standing 
 u by him with his sword in his hand. No,’ said he, (as 
 “ if the proposition were impossible to be complied 
 “ with) ‘ I cannot abjure Christ.* Then one of his hands 
 (( was cut oft'at the wrist. He stood firm, his arm hang- 
 
 * The Armenian Christians in Fersia have among them a few 
 •opies of the Arable flible. 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 295 
 
 (i ing by his side with but little motion. A physician, 
 « by desire of the king offered to heal the wound, if he 
 « would recant. He made no answer, but looked up 
 « stedfastly towards heaven, like Stephen the first mar- 
 « tyr, his eyes streaming with tears. He dill not look 
 « with anger towards me. He looked at me, but it was 
 « benignly, and with the countenance of forgiveness. 
 “ His other hand was then cut off. “ But, Sir,” said 
 Sabat, in his imperfect English, “ he never changed, 
 “he never changed. And when he bowed his head to 
 “ receive the blow of death, ail Bochara seemed to say, 
 “ ‘ What new thing is this V ” 
 
 Sabat had indulged the hope that Abdallah would 
 have recanted when he was offered his life ; but when 
 he saw that his friend was dead, he resigned himself 
 to grief and remorse. He travelled from place to place, 
 seeking rest, and finding none. At last he thought that 
 he would visit India. He accordingly came to Madras 
 about five years ago. Soon after his arrival, he was 
 appointed by the English government a Mufti, or ex¬ 
 pounder of Mahometan law; his great learning, and 
 respectable station in his own country, rendering him 
 eminently qualified for that office. And now the period 
 of his own conversion drew near. While he was at 
 Visagapatam, in the Northern Circars, exercising his 
 professional duties, Providence brought in his way a 
 New Testament in Arabic.* lie read it with deep 
 thought, the Koran lying before him. He compared 
 them together, and at length the truth of the word of 
 God fell on his mind, as he expressed it, like a flood 
 of light. Soon afterwards he proceeded to Madras, a 
 journey of 300 miles, to seek Christian baptism ; and 
 having made a public confession of his faith, he was 
 baptized by the Rev. Dr. Kerr, in the English Church 
 at that place, by the name of Nathaniel, in the twenty- 
 seventh year of his age. 
 
 Being notv desirous to devote his future life to the 
 glory of God, he resigned his secular employ, and 
 came by invitation to Bengal, where he is now engaged 
 in translating the Scriptures into the Persian language. 
 
 * One of those copies sent to India by the “ Society for Pronto* 
 ° ting Christian Knowledge.” 
 
296 
 
 THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 This work hath not hitherto been executed, for want of 
 a translator of sufficient ability. The Persian is an im¬ 
 portant language in the East, being the general lan¬ 
 guage of Western Asia, particularly among the higher 
 classes, and is understood from Calcutta to Damascus. 
 But the great work which occupies the attention of this 
 noble Arabian, is the promulgation of the Gospel 
 among his own countrymen ; and from the present fluc¬ 
 tuations of religious opinion in Arabia, he is sanguine 
 in his hopes of success. His first work is entitled, 
 (Neama Besharatin lil Arabi,) “ Hapfvy News for Ara¬ 
 bia written in the Nabutte, or common dialect of the 
 country. It contains an eloquent and argumentative 
 elucidation of the truth of the Gospel, with copious au¬ 
 thorities admitted by the Mahometans themselves, and 
 particularly by the Wahabians. And prefixed to it, is 
 an account of the conversion of the author, and an ap¬ 
 peal to the members of his well-known family in Arabia, 
 for the truth of the facts*. 
 
 The following circumstance in the history of Sabat 
 ought not to have been omitted. When his family in 
 Arabia had heard that he had followed the example of 
 Abdallah, and become a Christian, they dispatched his 
 brother to India, (a voyage of two months,) to assassi¬ 
 nate him. While Sabat was sitting in his house at Vis- 
 agapatam, his brother presented himself in the dis¬ 
 guise of a Faqueer, or beggar, having a dagger con¬ 
 cealed under his mantle. He rushed on Sabat and 
 
 * Sabat is now at Dinapore, in Bengal, with the Rev. Mr. 
 Martyn, Peliow of St. John’s College, Cambridge, Chaplain to 
 the East-India Company, who is well qualified, by his knowledge 
 of the Arabic and Persian languages, to superintend his labors. 
 Mirza Fitrut, another celebrated Persian scholar, who visited 
 England some years ago, is engaged as the coadjutor of Sabat 
 in his translation. Mr. Martyn himself is translating the Scrip¬ 
 tures into the Hindostanee language. Sabat, soon after his arri¬ 
 val in Bengal, visited the Baptist Missionaries at Serampore, and 
 remained there for two months and a half, that is, from August 
 to October, 1807. Ever since tiiat period he has been at Dina¬ 
 pore. Mr. Martyn, in his latest letters, speaks of his friend Sa¬ 
 bat in terms of affection and admiration. Sabat accounted him¬ 
 self, at onetime, the best mathematician and logician in Arabia. 
 Mr. Martyn was senior Wrangler in mathematics at Cambridge, 
 in the year 1801. 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 297 
 
 ■wounded him. But Sabat seized his arm, and his ser¬ 
 vants came to his assistance. He then recognized his 
 brother. The assassin would have become the victim 
 of public justice, but Sabat interceded for his brother, 
 and sent him home in peace, with letters and presents 
 to his mother’s house in Arabia. 
 
 And these, my brethren, arc the instances I wished 
 to lay before you, of the divine power of the Christian 
 religion recently exemplified in the East. The con¬ 
 versions of Abdallah and Sabat seem to have been as 
 evidently produced by the Spirit of God, as any con¬ 
 version in the primitive church. Other instances have 
 occured in Arabia of a similar kind, and on the very 
 borders of Palestine itself. These are like the solita¬ 
 ry notices which in other nations, have announced the 
 approach of general illumination. John Huss, and 
 Jerome of Prague, were not, perhaps, more talked of 
 in Europe, than Abdallah and Sabat are at this day, 
 in Bochara and Arabia. 
 
 What conclusion, then, shall we draw from these 
 facts ? It is this : that the time for diffusing our reli¬ 
 gion in the East is come. We shall notice some other 
 particulars which encourage us to think that the time 
 is come. 
 
 1. The minds of good men seem every where to be 
 impressed with the duty of making the attempt. Near¬ 
 ly fifteen years have elapsed since it began, and their 
 ardor is not abated. On the contrary, they gather 
 strength as they proceed ; new instruments are found, 
 and liberal contributions are made by the people. In¬ 
 deed the consciences of men seem to bear witness that 
 the work is of God. 
 
 I he rapid success of this undertaking must appear 
 almost incredible to those who are not acquainted with 
 the fact. Translations of the Scriptures are carried on, 
 not only in the languages of India, Persia, and Arabia, 
 but in those also of Burmah and China. Mount Cau¬ 
 casus, in the interior of Asia, is another centre of trans¬ 
 lation for the East, particularly for the numerou§ na¬ 
 tions of the Tartar race. The Scriptures are prepar¬ 
 ing for the Malayan isles, and for the isles of the Pa¬ 
 cific sea. The great continent of Africa has become 
 
298 
 
 THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 the scene of different missions and translations. North 
 and South America are sending forth the Scriptures. 
 They are sent to the uttermost parts of the earth. They 
 have been sent to Greenland, Labrador, and Austral 
 Asia. We might almost say, “ There is no speech nor 
 language where their voice is not heard.” 
 
 And this spirit for the diffusion of the truth, is not 
 confined to Britain. It is found among good men of 
 every Christian nation. Perhaps on this day prayers 
 are offered up in behalf of the work, in Europe, Asia, 
 Africa, and America. We are encouraged, then, to 
 believe, that the time is come, in the first place, by the 
 consejit of good men. When I say good men, I mean 
 religious and devout men, whose minds are not entire- 
 ly occupied with the politics and affairs of this world, 
 but who are “ looking for the consolation of Israel 
 as it is expressed in these words, “ Thy kingdom 
 “ come.” 
 
 2. Another circumstance indicating that the time is 
 at hand, is the general contemplation of the prophecies. 
 The prophecies of Scripture are at this time pondered 
 as seriously in Asia as in Europe. Even the Jews in 
 the East, begin to study the oracles of the prophet Isa¬ 
 iah. And, what is more important, the prophecies be¬ 
 gin to be published among heathen nations; and we 
 may expect that every nation will soon be able to read 
 the divine decree concerning itself. 
 
 3. The holy Scriptures are translating into various 
 languages. 
 
 When the Gospel was first to be preached to all na¬ 
 tions, it was necessary to give a diversity of tojigues ; a 
 tongue for each nation ; and this was done by the Divine 
 Power. But in this second promulgation, as it w T ere, of 
 the Gospel, the work will probably be carried on by a 
 diversity of translations , a diversity of Scriptures; a 
 trarislation for each nation. Instead of the gift of 
 tongues, God, by his providence, is giving to mankind a 
 gift of Scriptures. 
 
 4. Another circumstance, which seems to testify that 
 this work is of God, is the commotion in the bands of 
 Infidelity against it. “ Herod is troubled, and all Jeru- 
 w salem with him.” A spirit hath issued from the 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 299 
 
 •mouth of infidelity, which rageth against Him whose 
 Star appeared in the East, and would destroy the work 
 in its infancy. It rageth not against the Romish Church 
 in the East, though that be Christian; nor against the 
 Armenian Church in the East, though that be Chris¬ 
 tian ; nor against the Greek Church in the East, though 
 that be Christian ; but it rageth against the religion of 
 the New-Tcstament, that vital religion which aims at 
 the conversion of the hearts of men. 
 
 Our Saviour hath said, “ The Gospel shall be pub- 
 “ lished among all nations.” But these resist the Di¬ 
 vine Word, and say it cannot be published in ail nations. 
 Our Lord hath said, “ Go ye into all the world, and 
 “ preach the Gospel to every creature.” But these al¬ 
 lege that the Gospel cannot be preached to every crea¬ 
 ture, for that “ the bond of superstition is too strong, or 
 “ that the influence of Christianity is too weak.” 
 
 These are ungarded words, and ought not to be heard 
 in a Christian country. These are presumptuous words, 
 arraigning the dispensation of the Most High. Such 
 words as these were once spoken by the philosophers 
 of Greece and Rome, but the Gospel prevailed, and 
 first erected its dominion among them. In process of 
 time the barbarous nations of Europe yielded to its sway, 
 of which we are evidences at this day. And the nations 
 of Asia will yield to the same power, and the truth will 
 prevail, and the Gospel shall be preached over the whole 
 world. 
 
 5. The last circumstance which we shall mention, as 
 indicating that the period is come for diffusing the Light 
 of Revelation, is the revolution of nations , and “ the signs 
 “ of the times.” 
 
 Men of serious minds, who are erudite in Holy 
 Scripture, and in the history of the world, look forward 
 to great events. They judge of the future from the 
 past. They have see?i great events ; events which, 
 twenty years ago would have appeared as incredible as 
 the conversion of the whole world to Christianity. 
 
 At no former period have the judgments of heaven 
 been so evidently directed against the nations which are 
 called Christian, as at this day. It is manifest that God 
 hath a controversy with his people, whatever be the 
 
300 
 
 THE STAR IK THE EAST. 
 
 cause. The heathen world enjoys a comparative tran¬ 
 quility. But Christian nations are visited in quick 
 succession by his awful judgments. What, then, is 
 the cause of the judgments of God on his Christian 
 people ? 
 
 If we believe the declarations of God, in his Holy 
 Word, we shall ascribe the judgment of Christian na¬ 
 tions, at this day, to their rejecting, so generally the tes¬ 
 timony of Christ. That nation which first “ denied his 
 “ name before men,” was first given up to suffer terri¬ 
 ble judgments itself, and is now permitted to become 
 the instrument of inflicting judgments on others. And 
 this is agreeable to the ordinary course of God’s just 
 and retributive Providence. That kingdom which first 
 seduced others by its infidelity, is now become the in¬ 
 strument of their punishment. The same retributive 
 Providence is “ making inquisition for the blood of the 
 “ saints.” The massacres, fires, and anathemas of a 
 former day, filled the minds of men with dismay. We 
 forget these scenes, but all things are present with God. 
 And as a nation cannot be punished as a nation in the 
 next world for its iniquity, it must be punished in this 
 world ; and its “ sins will be visited to the third and 
 “ fourth generation.” For a long time, (as men count 
 time,) God kept silence ; but the day of retribution is 
 come at last, and the seats of the inquisition must be 
 purged with blood. 
 
 From the fury of these desolating judgments ive have 
 hitherto been preserved. “ Righteousness exalteth a 
 ‘ £ nation.” (Prov. xvi. 24.) It would appear as if God 
 would thus do honor to a Church holding pure doc¬ 
 trine, and to a State united with that Church which 
 hath defended the true Faith, amidst the superstitions 
 and corruptions which have so long reigned in the Chris¬ 
 tian world. Latterly, indeed, it should seem as if God 
 had selected this nation, as formerly his chosen people 
 of Israel, to preserve among men a knowledge of the 
 true religion ; for we have been called to stand up, as 
 it were, “ between the living and the dead,” in defence 
 of Christian principles. And although it be true that 
 we have fought rather for our country, than for our re¬ 
 ligion, yet it is also true that religion is, in present cir- 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 30 ! 
 
 cumstances, identified, in a certain degree, with the 
 existence of our country. And we trust, that it is in 
 the purpose of Providence, by saving the one, to save 
 the other also. 
 
 Let this nation, then, weigh well what it is, in God’s 
 moral administration of the world, which saves her at 
 this period. Let her beware of infidelity, and of that 
 moral taint which ever accompanies it. Is it true that 
 any of our chief men begin to “ laugh at vice,” like 
 Voltaire ! Let us recal to view the experience of France. 
 We beheld infidelity gradually infecting that nation, 
 even as poison passeth through the human frame, till 
 the whole body of the great was saturated. Then was 
 their iniquity full, and God’s judgment began. Now, 
 though it be true that the faith of our church is pure, 
 that “ she holdeth the head,” that she is founded on the 
 Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles ; though it be true 
 that there is in the midst of her a large body of right¬ 
 eous persons, men possessing sound learning, enlight¬ 
 ened zeal, and pure charity ; men w'ho are called by 
 our Saviour “ the light of the world,” and “ the salt 
 “ of the earth;” yet it is equally certain that the great¬ 
 er part of her members are not of that description. It 
 is certain that the spot of moral disease begins to be vis¬ 
 ible at a distance. And we know r not but that the true 
 state of the nation may be this, that there is just “ salt” 
 enough, (to use the figure of the Gospel,) to preserve 
 the body from corruption. 
 
 Let us then weigh well •what it is which, in the 
 present circumstances of the world, saves this nation. 
 If it be the divine pleasure to save us , while other na¬ 
 tions are destroyed, it cannot be on account of the great* 
 ness of our empire , or of our dominion by sea , or of our 
 extended commerce. For why should the moral Govern¬ 
 or of the world respect such circumstances as these ? 
 
 , But it we are spared, it will be, we believe, on account 
 of our maintaining the pure religion of Christ as the re¬ 
 ligion of our land , and of our promoting the knowledge of 
 that religion , and of the blessed principles which accom¬ 
 pany it', throughout the rest of the world. This may be 
 a consideration worthy of the divine regard. And this 
 though it be no pledge of our duration, is the chief as- 
 
 li b 
 
302 
 
 THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 surance of our perpetuity. On this chiefly, (viz. our 
 being an instrument of good to the world,) must depend 
 our hope of surviving the shocks and convulsions which 
 are now overwhelming the other nations of Europe. 
 
 Let us now recapitulate the evidences noticed in this 
 discourse, which encourage us to believe that the time 
 is come for disseminating the knowledge of Christiani¬ 
 ty in the heathen world. 
 
 1. The facility with which Christianity is propaga¬ 
 ted generally in Asia, wherever the attempt has been 
 made. 
 
 2. The peculiar success that has attended our own en¬ 
 deavours to promote the religion of the Bible. 
 
 3. The conversion of illustrious persons in Asia, by 
 means of the Bible alone. 
 
 4. The translation of the Bible into almost all the lan¬ 
 guages of Asia ; promising, as it were, a second pro¬ 
 mulgation of Christianity to the East. 
 
 5. The general contemplation of the prophecies in 
 Europe and Asia. 
 
 6. The general commotion among the bands of infi¬ 
 delity, who are hostile to the design, both in Europe and 
 Asia. 
 
 7. The consent of good men, in all Christian nations, 
 to promote the design. And, 
 
 8. The preservation of our own country, to carry on 
 the work, amidst the ruin or infidelity of other nations. 
 
 Behold, then, my brethren, the great undertaking, for 
 the promotion of which you are now assembled. If it 
 were in the power .of this assembly to diffuse the bles¬ 
 sings of religion over the whole world, would it not be 
 done ? Would not all nations be blessed ? You perceive 
 that some take a lively interest in this subject, while 
 others are less concerned. What is the reason of this 
 difference ? It is this : Every man, who hath felt the in¬ 
 fluence of religion on his own heart, will desire to ex¬ 
 tend the blessing to the rest of mankind ; and no one 
 who hath lived without a concern about religion, will be 
 solicitous to communicate to others a gift which he val¬ 
 ues not himself. At the same time, perhaps, he is not 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 303 
 
 willing to be thought hostile to the work. But there is 
 no neutrality here. “ He that is not with Christ,” in 
 maintaining his kingdom on earth, “ is against Him.” 
 And so it appeareth to “ God, who searcheth the heart.” 
 Every one of us is now acting a part in regard to this 
 matter, for which he must give an account hereafter. 
 There is no one, however peculiarhe may reckon his sit¬ 
 uation or circumstances, who is exempted from this re¬ 
 sponsibility. For this is the criterion of obedience in the 
 sight of God, even our conduct in receiving or reject¬ 
 ing the “record which God hath given of his Son.” 
 And no man “ receiveth this record,” in sincerity and 
 truth, who will not desire to make it known to others. 
 You have heard of the conversion of Mahometans and 
 Hindoos. Yes, our Lord hath said, “ Many shall come 
 “ from the East and from the West, and shall sit down 
 “ with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom 
 “ of Heaven: but the children of the kingdom shall be 
 “ cast out.” 
 
 Begin, then, at this time, the solemn inquiry, not 
 merely into the general truth of Christ’s religion, but in¬ 
 to its divine and converting power. You observe that 
 in this discourse I have distinguished between the name 
 of Christianity and the thing. For it seems there are 
 some who have departed from the, ancient principles of 
 our reformation, who admit the existence of the .Spirit 
 of God, but deny his influence ; who agree not with the 
 Apostle Paul, that the “ Gospel cometli to some in word 
 “ only,” and to others “in power, and in the Holy 
 Ghost, and in much assurance and who seem to for¬ 
 get what our Saviour hath said of the « broad road” and 
 the « narrow way.” Begin, then, the important inqui¬ 
 ry ; for “ the time is short,” and this question will soon 
 be brought to issue before an assembled world. In the 
 mean time I shall offer to you my testimony on this sub¬ 
 ject. 
 
 T. lie operation of the grace of God, in “ renewing a 
 right spirit within us,” (Ps. li.) is a doctrine professed 
 by the whole faithful Church of Christ militant here on 
 earth. The great author of our religion hath himself 
 delivered the doctrine, in the most solemn manner to 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 304 
 
 the world. “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a 
 “ man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of 
 “ God.” Verily , verily : it is an undoubted truth, an 
 unchangeable principle of the heavenly dispensation, 
 that, except a man be renewed in mind by the Spirit of 
 God, he shall not have power even to see or behold the 
 ■kingdom of God. What, though many in our day deny 
 this doctrine ? A whole nation denied a doctrine, greater, 
 if possible, than this. The very name and religion of 
 Christ have been denied in our time. But if our Saviour 
 hath declared any one doctrine of the Gospel more clear¬ 
 ly than another, it is this of a spiritual conversion ; and 
 the demonstration of its truth is found in all lands where 
 his gospel is known.* ** Christians, differing in almost ev¬ 
 ery thing else, agree in this. Differing in language, cus¬ 
 toms, colour, and in country ; differing in forms of wor¬ 
 ship and Church government, in external rites and in in¬ 
 ternal order ; they yet agree in the doctrine of a change 
 of heart, through faith in Christ; for this hath been the 
 grand characteristic of Christ’s religion among all na¬ 
 tions, tongues, and kindreds, where the Gospel hath 
 been preached, through all ages down to this day. 
 This is, in fact, that which distinguishes the religion 
 of God, in Asia, from the religions oi men. In every 
 part of the earth where I myself have been, this doctrine 
 is proclaimed, as the hope of the sinner, and the glory 
 of the Saviour. And again, in every place it is oppo- 
 
 * The late learned and judicious Parey has given his dying 
 testimony to the truth of this doctrine. (See his sermons, p. 119 ) 
 “ A change so entire, so deep, so important as this, I do allow to 
 “ be a conversion; (he had said before, * there must be a rev- 
 
 ** olution of principle : there must be a revolution within ;’) and 
 “ no one who is in the situation above described, can be saved with- 
 
 out undergoing it; and he must necessarily both be sensible of 
 “ it at the time, and remember it all his life afterwards. It is too 
 “ momentous an event ever to be forgot. A man might as easily 
 “ forget his escape from ship’ wreck. Whether it was sudden, or 
 “ whether it was gradual, if it was effected (and the fruits will 
 “ prove that,) it was a true conversion ; and every such person may 
 “ justly both believe, and say it himself, that he was converted at a 
 “ particular assignable time.” 
 
 Paley here speaks the language of the true Church of Christ, (n 
 all ages and nations. 
 
THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 SOS- 
 
 seel, in a greater or less degree, by the same evil pas¬ 
 sions of the human heart. In rude nations, the same 
 arguments are brought against it, in substance, which 
 are used here in a learned country. Among ignorant 
 nations, a term of reproach is attached to serious piety, 
 even as it is here among a refined people ; thereby prov¬ 
 ing what our Lord hath taught, That the superior good¬ 
 ness inculcated by his Gospel would not be agreeable 
 to all men; and that some “ would revile and speak 
 evil of his disciples, for righteousness’ sake thereby 
 proving what the Apostle Paul hath taught, That “ the 
 Cross of Christ is an offence” to the natural pride of the 
 human heart; that “ the carnal mind is enmity against 
 God and that “ the natural man receiveth not the 
 things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually 
 discerned.” 
 
 I have thought it right, my brethren, to deliver to 
 you my testimony at this time ; to assure you that the 
 Gospel which begins to enlighten the East, is not 
 “ another gospel,” as the Apostle speaks, but the same 
 as your own. There is one Sun ; there is one Gos¬ 
 pel ; “ There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism 
 and there is one Judgment. May we be all prepared 
 to give our answer on that day ! 
 
 _ My brethren, you are now invited to contribute some 
 aid toward the extension of the religion of Christ. You 
 are now called on to give your testimony to its truth. 
 You arc now, as it were, to present “ your gifts” before 
 Him who was born Saviour of the world; and to send 
 back those “ glad tidings” to the East, which the East 
 once sent to you, namely, that the Light is come, that 
 “ the Desire of all nations is come.” Let every one 
 who prays with his lips, “Thv kingdom come,” prove 
 to himself, at this time, his own sincerity, that he really 
 desires in his heart that the kingdom of Christ should 
 come. Blessed is the man who accounts it not only a 
 duty, but. a privilege, to dispense “the word of life” 
 amongst his fellow-men. It is indeed, a privilege, and 
 so you will account it hereafter, when you shall behold 
 all nations assembled before the judgment seat of Christ. 
 You will then reflect with joy that you were enabled, at 
 
306 
 
 THE STAR IN THE EAST. 
 
 this time , 11 to confess His name before men,” and to af¬ 
 ford some aid for the <c increase of his government” and 
 glory upon earth. And let every one who lends this 
 aid accompany it with prayer, that the act may be bles¬ 
 sed to himself in awakening his mind more fully to the 
 Unutterable importance of the everlasting Gospel. 
 
SERMON II 
 
 Matt. v. 14. Ye are the Light of the World. 
 
 a T 
 
 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word 
 was with God, and the word was God,” John i, 1. 
 “ And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among 
 us ; and we beheld his Glory, the glory as of the only- 
 begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth,” John 
 i, 14. And the word, being “ manifest in the flesh, 
 was justified in the Spirit, seen of angels” in this hum¬ 
 ble state, “ preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in 
 the world, received up into glory,” 1 Tim. iii. 16. 
 
 This, my Brethren, is the sum of that Divine Re¬ 
 cord, which is to give light to the world. 
 
 Christ is the fountain of light. “ I am the light of 
 the world,” saith the Eternal Word. When therefore 
 he saith, “ Ye are the light of the world,” he means 
 not that ye are that light, but are to “ bear witness of 
 that light,” John i, 18. Ye are merely instruments 
 of the light (like the greater and lesser lights in the fir¬ 
 mament of heaven) to reflect and diffuse it throughout 
 the world. 
 
 Christ is the Fountain of Light; that is, of spirit¬ 
 ual light. For, as the light of reason was conferred 
 on the first man Adam, and is natural to all men ; so the 
 LIGHT of LIFE cometh by the Second Adam, who 
 is “ a quickening spirit, the Lord from heaven.” “ He 
 that followeth me,” saith Christ, “ shall have the light 
 pi life;” John viii, 12. 
 
 That you may have clear conceptions on this subject, 
 we shall, in our introduction, discuss this doctrine of 
 our Saviour concerning “ the Light of Life,” even that 
 spiritual light by which, saith the Apostle, “ the eyes of 
 our understanding are enlightened,” Eph. i, 18 ; for I 
 fear that many discourses have been pronounced in this 
 
308 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 nation without any allusion to it. And, first, let us in¬ 
 quire who those persons were whom our Lord called 
 
 the light of the world.” This appellation was not 
 given to the Jewish nation in general, but to a few in¬ 
 dividuals, whom the great body of the Jews supposed 
 to be in the darkness of error ; but who, in reality, saw 
 the true Light, while “ the darkness comprehended it 
 not.” 
 
 As it was in the days of Christ, so it is in our time : 
 the spiritual light is not poured upon a whole nation, 
 or upon a whole community of men by any system of 
 education, but it is given to individuals ; even to such 
 individuals as earnestly pray for it. “ He, that follow- 
 eth me,” saith Christ, “ shall not walk in darkness, but 
 shall have the light of life ;” for u every one, thatasketh, 
 receiveth : he, that seeketh, findeth : and to him, that 
 knocketh, it shall be opened,” Matt, vii, 8. And this 
 is expressly spoken in reference to the gift of the Holy 
 Spirit. A whole nation may enjoy the external light, 
 and may exhibit the civilizing power of Christianity, 
 and yet be involved in spiritual darkness. And this is 
 “ the hard saying” which “ the world cannot receive.” 
 “ The words of scripture,” say they, “ are sufficient of 
 themselves to illuminate the mind without the light 
 from heaven.” The dead letter hath light enough for 
 them. Whereas the Apostle saith, “ God hath made 
 usable ministers of the New Testament; not of the 
 letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the 
 spirit giveth life,” 2 Cor. iii, 6. But the world in gen¬ 
 eral will not receive this truth. “ And this is the con¬ 
 demnation,” saith our Lord, “ that light is come into 
 the world, and men love darkness rather than light.” 
 Thus St. Paul himself disbelieved once, and proceeded 
 to Damascus, having his heart filled with enmity against 
 this heavenly doctrine. But behold, “ he saw in the 
 way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the 
 sun, shining round about him :” yet this external light 
 was but a faint emblem of that illumination, which was 
 imparted to his soul, and which our Saviour calleth “ the 
 Light of Life.” 
 
 My Brethren, unless a man have the Light of Life, 
 he cannot see the kingdom of God. For, though there 
 
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 309 
 
 be no external miracle, like that in the case of the 
 Apostle, to accompany it; yet the internal miracle 
 subsists, in all its truth and reality; and is manifest¬ 
 ed at this day in the same kind of vigor and efficacy, as 
 in the first days of the Gospel. For, as the first Chris¬ 
 tians and the Christians of this age are to be partakers 
 of the same glory in heaven, so it is necessary that 
 they acquire the same meetness for that inheritance, 
 and become subjects of the same conversion of heart 
 here on earth. 
 
 I would record this doctrine of the Divine Illumi¬ 
 nation in the very threshold of our discourse ; for it is 
 of importance that its truth be made manifest to our¬ 
 selves, before it be preached to the heathen world. 
 But it will be useful to prosecute the argument fur¬ 
 ther. 
 
 It is common to arraign that ancient people, the 
 Jews, for their unbelief: and we are wont to view 
 their hardness of heart with a kind of horror. But, in 
 regard to the doctrine alluded to, Jews and nominal 
 Christians are in the same condemnation. The Jews 
 received the words of Scripture as we do: but they 
 rejected the spiritual light. “ When they read the Old 
 Testament,” saith the Apostle, “ the veil is upon their 
 hearts unto this daythey perceived not the spiritual 
 kingdom of the promised Messiah. In like manner, 
 when nominal Christiana read the New Testament, 
 the veil is upon their hearts, and they perceive not the 
 promise of the Holy Spirit. For, as the Messiah, God 
 the SON, was the one great object presented to view 
 in the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament; 
 so the subject of the Grand Promise in the New Tes¬ 
 tament is, God the HOLY GHOST. The Holy Spir¬ 
 it is the very life and essence, and, in regard to actual 
 operation on the hearts of men, the Alpha and Omega 
 of the New Dispensation, which is emphatically called 
 “ the Ministration of the Spirit,” 2 Cor. iii, 8. This 
 was that “ promise of the Father of which our Saviour 
 spake with such earnestness and exultation to his dis¬ 
 ciples ; and which he said would u abide in the world 
 for ever,” John xiv, 16. The Day of Pentecost was 
 properly the first day of the Christian Dispensation, 
 
310 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 for, on that clay, the fountains of divine influence were 
 opened for the Universal Church ; never to be closed 
 again to the end of time. Unless this light of the Spir¬ 
 it had been shed forth, the Apostles themselves could 
 not have fully understood the Gospel, even after hear¬ 
 ing the words of Christ from the beginning of his min¬ 
 istry to the hour of his ascension. And, without this 
 light, the New Testament, in regard to its spiritual 
 meaning, must be as “ a sealed book” to every man at 
 this day. 
 
 Men of the world acknowledge, indeed, that there is 
 a promise of divine light under the New Dispensation ; 
 but they allege that it was intended for others, and not 
 for them. They say that the light shone a little while 
 at the beginning of the Christian Religion, but was soon 
 extinguished, and that the world was left again in dark¬ 
 ness ! They do not understand, they say, that there is 
 any difference between the dispensation of Moses and 
 the dispensation of Christ, except merely in the publi¬ 
 cation of an inspired hook throughout the world ! 
 What further evidence can we require of the exist¬ 
 ence of a kingdom in this world, which is under the 
 dominion of that spirit, who is called by our Saviour, 
 “ the Prince of Darkness and by St. Paul “ the god 
 of this World,” who “ hath blinded the minds of them 
 that believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of 
 Christ, w r ho is the image of God, should shine unto 
 them,” 2 Cor. iv, 4. 
 
 In the foregoing argument, we have not spoken of 
 that extraordinary light, which imparted to men the 
 gift of prophecy and of tongues ; but of that ordinary 
 light, which sheweth to the sinner “the glorious Gos¬ 
 pel of Christas above expressed : and which inspir- 
 cth him w ith love to God and with faith in his redeem¬ 
 er ; which mortifieth evil affections, purifieth the heart, 
 giveth to the soul a peace which passeth all under¬ 
 standing, and a sure and certain hope of the resurrec¬ 
 tion unto eternal life. We speak of that light, what¬ 
 ever it may be, which is necessary “ to open the under¬ 
 standing, that w r e may understand the Scriptures,” 
 Luke xxiv, 45. 
 
 We before asserted, that the spiritual light is not 
 
THE LIGHT OE THE WORLD. SH 
 
 given to a nation or community of men by any sys¬ 
 tem of education ; but to individuals : even to those, 
 who obey the divine admonition, and supplicate the 
 Father of Lights,” for the “good and perfect gift.” 
 Let us now proceed to inquire what was the charac¬ 
 ter of those persons whom our Saviour addressed as 
 “ tlie Light of the World.” For if men say, “We can¬ 
 not see this spiritual light: to us it is invisible:” we must 
 lead their attention to that which is obvious and visi¬ 
 ble ; namely, the MORAL character of “ the children 
 ofLight.” 
 
 The character of those who are called the Light of 
 the World, is recorded by our Lord himself'in his 
 Sermon. from the Mount; for they are the persons 
 whose virtues are the subject of his beatitudes. It 
 was on that occasion, when he had finished the enu¬ 
 meration of their peculiar dispositions, that he said 
 “ Ye are the Light of the world.” 
 
 I know not any mistake so general at this day as 
 that which regards our Lord’s Sermon from the Mount. 
 'I he general impression seems to be that these precepts 
 may be obeyed by a heathen as well as by a Christian, 
 if you merely propose them to him, without the aid of 
 any spiritual influence from above. But, my brethren, no 
 man can observe these precepts, or even have a just 
 conception of the meaning of these Beatitudes, unless 
 he have “ the light of life.” For how can we under- 
 stand what it is to be “ poor in spiritto hunger and 
 thirst after righteousness :” or “ to rejoice and be ex¬ 
 ceeding glad when we are persecuted for righteousness 
 sake ; or “ to pray for them who speak all manner ofevil 
 against us falsely for Christ’s sake,” unless the “eyes 
 of our understanding be opened ?” Eph. i, 18. 
 
 “ In these Beatitudes, our Saviour exhibits to the 
 world the character of his disciples. Fie declares the 
 heavenly temper and consequent blessedness of those 
 persons, who should be subjects of his spiritual king- 
 Gom, which had now commenced. For, when ife 
 saith, “ Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the 
 kingdom of heaven he saith, in effect, “ Blessed are 
 ye, my disciples, for ye are poor in spirit:” and so of 
 all the other dispositions there described ; “ Blessed are 
 
■312 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 the meek:” “ Blessed are the merciful:” “ Blessed arc 
 the peace-makers “ Blessed are the pure in heart:” 
 “ Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after right¬ 
 eousness.” All these inestimable ^lulities of mind 
 belong to the disciples of Christ; not one of them, but 
 all. They all flow from “ the self-same Spiritlike 
 sweet waters from the same fountain. They are the 
 characters of that great moral change, which our 
 Saviour foretold would be a frequent event under the 
 New Dispensation. 
 
 When our Lord had given this record of the pure 
 and heavenly dispositions of his disciples, he said unto 
 them, “Ye are the light of the world.” 
 
 At that time, there were many illustrious characters 
 in the world: men of great eminence, who flourished 
 in Greece and Rome, and enlightened mankind by their 
 science and learning ; whose names are renowned at 
 this day. But our Loi’d said to his unlettered disciples, 
 “ YE are the light of the world.” 
 
 At that time, too, there were many in Judea, who 
 had the revelation of God in their hands; “ to whom 
 were committed the oracles of God,” and who con¬ 
 ceived themselves to be the church and people of God. 
 Yet, when our Saviour came, he did not find one fit 
 instrument for his ministry among the priesthood of 
 the Jewish Church. And he turned to his disciples, 
 and said, “ YE are the light of the world.” 
 
 We have introduced this doctrine of the Divine Illu¬ 
 mination into the exordium of the Discourse, that it 
 may guide us in our way through the difficult subject 
 which lies before us. You will be now prepared to con¬ 
 sider the following propositions: 
 
 1. If you would be “ The light of the world,” you 
 will draw your light from Christ, and send forth preach¬ 
 ers bearingthe character which He hath delineated. 
 
 2. If you fye instruments of “ the true light,” you 
 will be zealous in adopting the most effectual means of 
 diffusing it. And it will probably appear to you, that 
 you ought to adopt more efficient measures for this 
 purpose, than have hitherto been employed. For it is 
 manifest, that a new era in the Church hath arrived; 
 which authorizes you to use new means. 
 
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 313 
 
 I. If you would appropriate the appellation 
 of our Saviour, and be “ the light of the 
 world,” you will draw your Light from Christ, 
 and send forth preachers bearing the char¬ 
 acter which he hath delineated. 
 
 They must be men into whose hearts “ the true light 
 hath shined ;” such preachers as our own Church ap¬ 
 proves ; who “ trust that they are moved to the work 
 by the Hoiy Ghost.” And, with regard to their out¬ 
 ward deportment, they must be men whose dispositions 
 accord with those which are described in the Sermon on 
 the Mount; such as the Hindoo Christians call « Men 
 01 the Beatitudes That is their proper character; 
 and there are more persons of that character in Great 
 Britain at this day, than there were in Judea, in the 
 time of our Saviour. This is sufficiently evident from 
 the Evangelic History. You ought to be at no loss, 
 then, to find fit instruments of the Light. 
 
 But, in regard to such instruments, there are two 
 important subjects of inquiry at this period of the 
 Church: first, what degree of Learning they ought to 
 possess; and, secondly, whether they ought to be in¬ 
 vested with the Sacred Character before they proceed 
 on their mission. 
 
 1. Our first inquiry respects the degree of Learn¬ 
 ing, which Christian Missionaries ought to possess. 
 
 The preachers, whom our Saviour sent forth, were 
 men oi humble condition, and destitute of human 
 learning. This was ordained, that the divine power of 
 his Gospel might be made manifest, by the apparently 
 inadequate means employed in its promulgation. All 
 learning, however, of whatever kind, which was ne¬ 
 cessary for their ministry, was imparted to them su- 
 pernaturally. 
 
 But the Apostle Paul, the « chosen vessel/’ who 
 was ordained to preach to the Gentiles, was not des¬ 
 titute of human learning, naturally acquired. And we 
 aie tuugnt by his ttpistles, that we may avail ourselves 
 of every human aid to dispense the blessings of the 
 Gospel; such as rank, wealth, eloquence, and°Iearning. 
 For all these are blessings of God; and are means of 
 persuading men, as much as speech itself. Has it eve- 
 
514 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 been imagined, that a man could preach the Gospel 
 without the gift of speech, by signs alone ? All these 
 human aids, I say, are valuable gifts of God ; and only 
 cease to be blessings by the abuse of them. It is true, 
 that the Gospel may be preached with great energy by 
 Ministers possessing inconsiderable attainments in lit¬ 
 erature. * It sometimes happens, that the most success¬ 
 ful ministrations are conducted by men of very mode¬ 
 rate acquirements. And, indeed, the character of the 
 Gospel seems to require, that, in most cases (where the 
 true doctrine is preached) it should give more honor to 
 zeal and diligence than to genius and learning. But 
 it is also true, that God is pleased to make himself 
 known by the use of means. And, when these means 
 are used in subordination to his grace, he will honor 
 the means. This has been the experience of every 
 eminent preacher of the Gospel, in the history of Chris¬ 
 tianity, from the time of the Apostle Paul, down to 
 your late, pious, eloquent, and honored Pastor, who 
 so long and so successfully ministered in this church.* 
 
 It is expedient, then, that those who go forth as 
 preachers to the Gentiles at this day, should, like the 
 first great preacher, have a competent degree of 
 knowledge ; that they may be able to meet the argu¬ 
 ments of the more learned among the Heathen. 
 
 I have sometimes been ashamed to see the Christian 
 Missionary put to silence by the intelligent Brahmin, in 
 some point relating to the history of Eastern nations, 
 or to the present state of mankind. I have felt anx¬ 
 ious for the credit of Christianity, if I may so speak, 
 on such occasions : for the argument from fact , and 
 from the existing state of the world, is strong ground, 
 both for the Christian and his adversary, in all discus¬ 
 sions relating to a revelation from God. This is well 
 illustrated in the history of St. Paul, who disputed with 
 the learned at Athens on their own principles ; and 
 quoted their poets in defence of the Gospel. 
 
 Let us then honor human learning. Every branch 
 of knowledge which a good man possesses, he may 
 apply to some good purpose. if he possessed the 
 
 * The Rev. William Romaine. 
 
THE LIGHT OF THE WOULD. 
 
 315 
 
 knowledge of an archangel, he might employ it all to 
 the advantage of men, and the glory of God. 
 
 Some portion of learning is, therefore, indispensible 
 to insure even a tolerable degree of success, in preach¬ 
 ing to the Heathen World. But let us rightly under¬ 
 stand what the nature of this learning is. It is not an 
 acquaintance with mathematical or classical literature 
 that is chiefly required. The chief use of natural sci¬ 
 ence to a preacher, is, to illustrate moral and spiritual 
 subjects : but it other men be not acquainted with the 
 scientific facts which he adduces, these facts no longer 
 serve as illustrations to them. Neither is a knowledge 
 of the classics requisite. For those Missionaries, in¬ 
 deed, who are to translate the Scriptures, a knowledge 
 of the original languages is indispensible ; but for 
 Missionaries in general, who preach to uncivilized na¬ 
 tions, classical erudition is not necessary. 
 
 The proper learning of the Christian Preacher, who 
 goes forth to the Gentiles, is an accurate knowledge of 
 the Bible, and a general knowledge of the history of 
 the world. It was reported to me, as a saying of the 
 venerable Swartz, that the foundation of extensive 
 usefulness among the Heathen is “ a knowledge of the 
 Scriptures in the vernacular language,and an acquaint¬ 
 ance with the history of nations in any language.” 
 This seems to be the testimony of truth. The History 
 of the World illustrates the Word of God; and the 
 Book of Providence, when devoutly studied, becomes 
 a commentary on the Book of Revelation. But if the 
 preacher be ignorant of the great events of the world, 
 “ the word of prophecy” is in a manner lost in his min- 
 istry ; particularly in relation to the revolutions in Eas¬ 
 tern Nations : for, in this respect, the East has an 
 importance greater than that of the West; for the 
 East is the country of the first generations of men. 
 
 To conclude this part of our subject. The Mission¬ 
 aries of this day find by experience the importance of 
 human learning in the present circumstances of the 
 world ; and some of them, by painful study in their 
 old age, have acquired a competent degree of knowl¬ 
 edge while resident in a foreign land. 
 
 2. We now come to the second point of inquiry? 
 
316 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 Whether the Christian Missionary ought to be invest¬ 
 ed with the sacred character, before he leaves our 
 own shores. 
 
 To preach the glad tidings of salvation to a lost 
 world, is the most honorable office that can be assigned 
 to man. The office of Kings and Legislators is not so 
 exalted. Angels alone, we should naturally think, are 
 qualified to do justice to the heavenly theme ; and to 
 appear before men as “ the ambassadors of Christ.” 
 Let those, therefore, who undertake this embassy, be 
 satisfied that they are called to it of God. 
 
 We have already seen the importance of human 
 learning for the preacher of the Gospel. It is no less 
 necessary that he should appear before the nations of 
 the East in a character of sanctity : for they expect that 
 the man who ministers among them in holy things, 
 should be recognized by his own countrymen as bear¬ 
 ing a holy character. 
 
 It is proper, then, that every preacher who obtains 
 from our own Church official sanction to go and 
 baptize the nations,” should be set apart to the Holy 
 Office, and ordained according to the Order of the 
 Church. You may observe, that almost all societies 
 of Christians ha\e some form of Ordination ; and, so 
 far, they recognize the office of the Ministry as sacred. 
 Nay more, they confine their Missionaries to their 
 own ritual or creed; and will patronize them no 
 longer than they conform to it. This is not, indeed, 
 the Catholic Charity of the Gospel. This is not the 
 character of the true light which shineth on all. But 
 this partiality appears to be inseparable from the vevy 
 constitution of religious bodies, differing in form from 
 one another. It may be called the Infirmity of the 
 Visible Church of Christ; which is imperfect and mil¬ 
 itant here on earth. This advantage, however, results 
 from such partiality, that more interest is created and 
 more energy excited, when the attention is confined to 
 the operation of a single body of men. At this very 
 time, some societies are so intent on their own work, 
 that they do not well know what the rest are doing. 
 
 But the Church of England ought to shine upon 
 ALL. Like a venerable Nursing-Mother of the Churcfi. 
 
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 $17 
 
 €t Christ, she ought to contemplate with candor and 
 benignity the useful exertions of the several Societies 
 not subject to her jurisdiction, notwithstanding their 
 differing from her, and from one another, in matters 
 not essential to salvation. 
 
 But, in the great work of converting the Heathen 
 vv oild, men of different stations and offices are requir¬ 
 ed. At the first promulgation of the Gospel, there 
 wcie, saith the Apostle, “ some, Evangelists ; and some, 
 Pastors and Teachers.” There were also what he 
 denominates “ Helps for the work of the Ministry.” 
 In like manner, we may now employ, “some,” Evan¬ 
 gelists and Pastors invested with the sacred character ; 
 and some Teachers and Catechists, with such “ Helps” 
 . a secular kind as may be useful. Such subordinate 
 instructors may be sent forth to commence the work ; 
 and, in process of time, those of them may return as 
 candidates lor ordination, who shall have acquired a 
 knowledge ol the foreign language, and a competent 
 degree ol learning for the sacred office ; and who shall 
 have obtained a good report for piety, zeal, diligence, 
 
 To this object we would now particularly direct your 
 attention. I can report to you from my own observa- 
 
 t v° n Lr tliat ^ ie mo . st use ^ u l and necessary labors amono- 
 the Heathen, during the first years of Christian Instruc- 
 lion, are those of the humble Teacher and Catechist 
 \Y henever then, you find a man well qualified by knowl¬ 
 edge and piety for this subordinate office, you may send 
 him forth with confidence, in his secular character, as 
 a lit instrument of light in a dark region. 
 
 II you look around, you may observe that few of the 
 RICH or learned of any society of Christians, however 
 small, and however zealous to diffuse Christianity, are 
 disposed to go forth as Missionaries. And it is true 
 that, it the rich and learned did go, they could not as¬ 
 similate with the poor and ignorant among the Heathen 
 so easily as their brethren of inferior station. They 
 could not so easily associate with their poverty, or tole 
 rate their ignorance. * 
 
 If then you cannot find rich men of your own body 
 to go forth to enlighten the world, you must send men 
 
 c c 2 
 
315 
 
 THE LIGHT 0? THE WORLD, 
 
 of humble condition; and if you cannot engage learn¬ 
 ed men, you must send men of inferior attainments : 
 for the Gospel must be “ preached to all nations 
 some men must go forth to be “ the Light of the 
 World.” Only let it be your care that the men whom 
 j-ou do send, possess the dispositions which our Lord 
 hath enjoined. Let them be “ Men of the Beati¬ 
 tudes.” In regard to learning, they will acquire 
 some portion of it in a foreign land. It is proper to 
 observe that a Missionary is not made a Missionary 
 wholly in his own country ; but in the country of his 
 labors. Learning is eventually necessary for him : it 
 is indispensible to great success : but it is not so requi¬ 
 site st his first entrance on his employment. The 
 primary qualifications are evangelic fortitude, zeal, 
 humility, self-denial, prudence, temperance ; to which 
 must be added, assiduity in learning a new language 
 with the docility of a child. And, in the period of 
 eight or ten years, whilst that language is acquiring, 
 some other branches of useful learning may be success¬ 
 fully cultivated. 
 
 This opinion on the means of forming a missionary, 
 I deliver in perfect confidence : not only as the result 
 of my own observation and inquiry ; but as being sanc¬ 
 tioned by the most eminent and useful preachers in the 
 East, during the last century.* 
 
 II. We now proceed to consider our Second Proposi¬ 
 tion : that if you be instruments of the true Light, 
 
 V,OU WILL BE ZEALOUS IN ADOPTING THE MOST EFFECT¬ 
 UAL MEANS OF DIFFUSING IT. 
 
 But, perhaps, it may be expected, that, to stimulate, 
 your exertions, I should give some account of the Dark¬ 
 ness which exists in the Heathen World. 
 
 I have, indeed, seen that Darkness; but it is not. 
 easy to describe it. No man can know what it is, who 
 has not seen it. It is no less dreadful, than when the 
 Israelites beheld, at a distance, the thick darkness of 
 Egypt from their dwellings “ in Goshen, where there 
 was light.” I have been in what the Scripture calls 
 44 the Chambers of Imagery,” Ezekiel viii, 12, and have 
 witnessed the enormity of the Pagan Idolatry in all its 
 
 * Ziegenbalg, Shultz, Swartz, and Gyricke. 
 
THE LIGHT OF THE WOULD, 
 
 319 
 
 turpitude and blood. I can now better understand 
 those words of the Scriptures, “ the dark places of the 
 earth are full of the habitations of cruelty ;” Psalm 
 Ixxiv, 20. I have seen the libations of human blood, 
 offered to the Moloch of the Eastern World; and an 
 assembly, not of two thousand only, which may consti¬ 
 tute your number, but of two hundred thousand, falling 
 prostrate at the sight before the idol, and raising accla¬ 
 mations to his name. 
 
 But the particulars of these scenes cannot be rehear¬ 
 sed before a Christian Assembly ; as indeed the Scrip¬ 
 tures themselves intimate : Eph. v, 12. It may suffice 
 to observe, that the two prominent characters of idolatry 
 are the same which the Scriptures describe; Cruelty 
 and Lasciviousness ; Blood and Impurity. It is already 
 known to you that the fountain-head of this superstition 
 in India, is the temple of Juggernaut: and it will give 
 you satisfaction to hear that the Gospels have been re¬ 
 cently translated into the language of Juggernaut. The 
 Christian World is indebted to the labors of the Mission¬ 
 aries of the Baptist Society in India, for this important 
 service. 
 
 But there is a moral darkness in the East, of a differ¬ 
 ent character from that of Paganism, I mean the dark¬ 
 ness of the Romish Superstition in Pagan Lands. Up¬ 
 wards of two centuries ago, Papal Rome established 
 her Inquisition in India, and it is still in operation. By 
 this tribunal, the power of the Romish Church was con¬ 
 solidated in that hemisphere. From Goa, as a centre, 
 issue the orders of the Santa Casa ,or Holy Office, to al¬ 
 most every nation of the East; to the western coast of 
 Africa, where there are many Romish churches ; and 
 thence to their settlements along the shores of the con¬ 
 tinent of Asia, as far as China and the Philippine Isles. 
 Ships of w ar and ships of commerce have ever been un¬ 
 der its command ; for the Vice-Roy of Goa himself is 
 subject to its jurisdiction : and these ships afford the 
 means of transmitting orders to all countries, of send¬ 
 ing forth priests, and sometimes of bringing back vic¬ 
 tims. 
 
 Besides the spiritual tyranny of the Inquisition, 
 there exists, in certain provinces, a corruption of Chris- 
 
S20 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 tian Doctrine more heinous than can easily be credited. 
 In some places, the Ceremonies and Rites of Moloch 
 are blended with the Worship of Christ! This specta¬ 
 cle I myself have witnessed at Aughoor, near Madura, 
 in the south of India. The chief source of the enor¬ 
 mity is this : The Inquisition would not give the Bible 
 to the people. In some provinces I found that the 
 Scriptures were not known to the common people, 
 even by name ; and some of the priests themselves as¬ 
 sured me that they had never seen them. 
 
 But the era of light seems to have arrived, even to 
 this dark region ; fora translation of the Scriptures has 
 been prepared for it. This version has been recently 
 made by the Bishop of the ancient Syrian Chris¬ 
 tians ; and I have the satisfaction to announce to you 
 that a part of it hath been already published. It has 
 been printed at Bombay, by the aid of the funds, to 
 the augmentation of which the Society has recently 
 contributed. 
 
 This translation is in the Malayalim Tongue, some 
 times called the Malabar: which is spoken not only 
 by the ITndoos of Malabar, Travancore, and Cochin; 
 but by upwards of three hundred thousand Christians 
 in these provinces: some of them belonging to the an¬ 
 cient Syrian Church, and some of them to the Romish 
 Church ; and who will all, as we have been informed, 
 gladly receive the Word of God, both priests and 
 people. 
 
 Another remarkable event hath concurred to favor 
 the design. The Italian Bishop of chief eminence in 
 those parts, who presides over the college of Verapoli, 
 which has been established for the Students of the 
 Romish Church, has denied the authority of the In¬ 
 quisition ; and has acceded to the design of giving the 
 Holy Scriptures to the people. I myself received from 
 him the assurance of his determination to this effect, in 
 the presence of the British President in Travancore. 
 So that the version executed by the Syrian Bishop, 
 whom Rome has ever accounted her enemy in the 
 East, will be given to the Romish Church. Thus, after 
 a strife of three hundred years, doth “ the Wolf lie down 
 with the Lamb j” and the Lion, changing his nature. 
 
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 321 
 
 begins to “eat straw like the Ox,” Isaiah xi. 7. And 
 it is for the support of this work, in particular, that we 
 would solicit your liberality on this day. It is for 
 the translation of the Bible into a new language, which 
 is not only vernacular to Hindoos and Mahomedans, 
 but is the language of a nation of Christians , who 
 never saw the Bible; and whose minds are already 
 disposed to read the book which gives an account of 
 their own religion. 
 
 Thus much of the Darkness which pervades Heathen 
 Lands. We shall now advert to the means of impart¬ 
 ing light to them. 
 
 The time seems to have arrived, when more effectual 
 measures ought to be adopted for the promulgation of 
 Christianity, than have hitherto been employed. It is 
 now expedient to open a more direct and regular com¬ 
 munication with our Missionaries in foreign countries. 
 It is not enough that there be ample contributions at 
 home, and that we meet in large assemblies to hear and 
 to approve ; but there must be greater personal activity, 
 and a more frequent intercourse with the scene abroad. 
 
 Let ships be prepared to carry the glad ti¬ 
 dings of the Gospel to remote nations. 
 
 The auspicious circumstances of the present time, 
 and the blessing that hath hitherto evidently attended 
 the labors of the general body of Missionaries, seem 
 to justify the adoption of these means. There is no¬ 
 thing new in the proposal, if it be not, that it is new to 
 ■us. You have seen with what facility the Romish 
 Church can open a communication with distant na¬ 
 tions, by ships of war and commerce. You see with 
 what facility commercial men at home can open a 
 communication with remote regions, at a very small 
 expense, sometimes merely on speculation ; and, if they 
 do not succeed in one country, they go to another. 
 “ The children of this world are wiser in their genera¬ 
 tion than the children of light.” Let us follow their 
 example in conducting the commerce of knowledge. 
 Let societies, let individuals, according to their ability, 
 charter ships for this very purpose. Much of the ex¬ 
 pense may be defrayed by judicious plans of commerce. 
 
322 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 But let the chief and avowed object be, a the mer¬ 
 chandize of the Gospel.” 
 
 In support of the perfect expedience of this measure, 
 we shall submit to you the following considerations: 
 
 1. A chief obstacle to persons proceeding as Mis¬ 
 sionaries to remote regions, is the want of conveyance. 
 Were a facility afforded in this respect, many individ¬ 
 uals and families would offer themselves for the work, 
 who would not otherwise ever think seriously on the 
 subject. Experience has shewn how difficult it is to 
 procure a passage, in a commercial ship, for a religious 
 family of humble condition. Nor is it proper that a 
 family of pure manners, who never heal’d the holy 
 name of God profaned in their own houses, should be 
 exposed, during some months, to the contaminating in¬ 
 fluence of that offensive Language, which is too often 
 permitted on board ships of war and commerce belong¬ 
 ing to the English Nation. 
 
 2. The success of a Mission abroad depends much 
 on frequent correspondence with the patrons at 
 home. By this communication the interest and repu¬ 
 tation of the Missionaries are better supported, at their 
 respective places of residence. And they always need 
 this support; for, in every place, they are exposed to 
 some degree of persecution. 
 
 3. The Missionaries need regular supplies, for their 
 comfortable subsistence, and for the prosecution of 
 their work. The want of subsistence is more frequent 
 in certain climates, than is generally supposed. And 
 the regular transmission of such supplies as are con¬ 
 nected with the prosecution of their proper work is 
 indispensible. The object of the Missionaries, in the 
 East in particular, is to print and publish the Holy 
 Scriptures ; and a fresh supply of the several materials, 
 essential to the further prosecution of this purpose, is 
 required every year. 
 
 In the first promulgation of the Gospel, the preachers 
 were endowed with “ the Gift of Tongues and thus 
 they may be said to have carried about with them the 
 instruments of conversion. In its present promulga¬ 
 tion, the Providence of God hath ordained the Gift of 
 the Scriptures; and the materials for printing these 
 
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 Scriptures must be sent out to the preachers. There 
 is likewise this further preparation by the same Provi¬ 
 dence ; that most of the languages of the East have 
 become, in the course of ages, written languages. As 
 the art of printing extended the knowledge of the Gos¬ 
 pel to our own country, at the Reformation ; so the art 
 of printing must now convey it to the other nations of 
 the world. 
 
 It may be also observed, that, if the means of con¬ 
 veyance were at our command, many works in the 
 Eastern Languages, might be printed with more ex¬ 
 pedition, and at less expense, at home, than abroad. 
 
 4. A further and a very important consideration is 
 this. It is proper that a Missionary should have an 
 opportunity of returning to liis native country, when 
 ill health or the affairs of his family may require it. 
 When he goes out as a Missionary, we are not to un¬ 
 derstand that he goes necessarily into a state of banish¬ 
 ment. It is proper indeed that he should go forth with 
 the spirit of one, who “ hath left father and mother for 
 the Gospel’s sake but men in general have duties to 
 discharge ^ to their parents, to their children, and to 
 their relations of consanguinity; duties sometimes of 
 a spiritual nature. We do not read that St. Paul wen 
 forth to his work as an exile. On the contrary, we 
 know that he returned home, at least fora time, and 
 kept up a personal correspondence with Jerusalem. In 
 like manner, many of the preachers who are now abroad, 
 suffering in health, and sinking under the pressure of 
 an enervating climate, if they had the means of convey¬ 
 ance, would be glad to revisit their Jerusalem ; that 
 they might return again to their labors with renewed 
 strength and spirits. 
 
 It may be further observed, that the communications 
 of such persons would be very valuable to the Church 
 at home. This may be exemplified in the instance of 
 the worthy clergyman of New South Wales ; who late¬ 
 ly visited England :* and whose communications were 
 not only serviceable to the general interests of religion • 
 but were, in many respects, very acceptable to the Bri¬ 
 tish government. 
 
 * The Kev. Mr. Marsden. 
 
324 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 5. The last advantage which we shall mention, is 
 that of Visitation, by men of learning, prudence, and 
 piety: who would make a voyage with no intention 
 of remaining; but, induced partly by considerations of 
 health, and partly by motives of public service to the 
 Church, would visit their brethren in distant lands, to 
 inform themselves fully of their state and progress, to 
 animate and exhort them, and to report to their res¬ 
 pective societies concerning new plans of usefulness. 
 As there ought to be no jealousy among men promot¬ 
 ing the same object, the same ship might, in her voy¬ 
 age, visit all the stations in her way, render every grate¬ 
 ful service, communicate with all, afford supplies to all. 
 There are, at this time, upwards of thirty different 
 places where Missionaries are preaching in foreign 
 lands. If but a single ship were employed for the gen¬ 
 eral use of all the societies, it might be an auspicious 
 beginning. 
 
 In adopting means for regular communication with 
 our Missionaries, we have the example of two of the 
 oldest societies: the “ Society for promoting Christian 
 Knowledge,” and the Society of the u United Brethren.” 
 The former sends out an investment to their Mission¬ 
 aries in India, regularly every year ; and has so done 
 for a century past. These supplies consist not only of 
 books, stationary, and materials for printing; but they 
 include articles of household economy, and for female 
 use, which are forwarded, under the name of presents) 
 to the families of the Missionaries. 
 
 The Reverend Mr. Kohloff, the worthy successor of 
 Swartz, assured me, that he considered the well-being 
 of that Mission, during so long a period, to have been 
 much promoted by this parental and affectionate in¬ 
 tercourse. The u Society for promoting Christian 
 Knowledge” have no ship of their own ; but they are 
 favored with the necessary freight every year in the 
 ships of the East-India Company. Let us then imitate 
 the example of this Venerable Society, which, in regard 
 to the support of Missions, and the translation of the 
 Scriptures, is “ the mother of us all.” 
 
 But the strongest recommendation of the measure 
 which I propose to you, is the successful example of 
 
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 525 
 
 M.e « United Brethren.” That Episcopal Body has 
 had a ship during a period of more than fifty years, 
 chartered for the sole purpose of carrying the Gospel 
 to Labrador, and other foreign lands. The ships Har¬ 
 mony and Resolution have been employed in this impor¬ 
 tant service ; a service far more honorable than any that 
 has ever been atchieved by any ship of war, commerce, 
 or discovery. ’ 
 
 Nor ought we to omit, on this occasion, to make 
 honorable mention of the liberal plans of the “ London 
 Iissionary Society.” The first operation of that body, 
 in sending forth, at once, a “ great company of preacn- 
 eis, displayed a noble spirit of zeal and unanimity; 
 and manifested a laudable and well-grounded confil 
 dence in the intimate success of the great design. The 
 
 bee? 13 ° r; bat ? hrist , ian Expedition have not, perhaps, 
 been sufficiently acknowledged at home. But the 
 sending forth a ship to the Pacific Ocean at that day, 
 was a great event in the history of the Gospel ; and 
 wiH no doubt be recorded in the books of the^ieatheu 
 V v orld m ages to come.* 
 
 ma r y I , ead yOUr thou S hts to the serious con- 
 SP n ° f . the measurc which I have proposed, I 
 shall now recite to you a prediction of the prophet 
 Isaiah, and the interpretation of it by the Jews of the 
 
 chSer nf °T Ph - eC , y t0 T W , 3licI ? 1 a,lude is ™ thexviiith 
 
 chapter of Isaiah. It begins in our Translation with 
 
 translated^ Oi the landbu '" ought to be 
 
 .-csnect “ O K,- “ffeotiM, and 
 
 ™ h wWchii 
 
 u 11 . vv iLii vvino'S, which i<* 
 
 dSsb'v the e - VerS of sendeth ambassa- 
 
 dors b/ the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the 
 
 * Our approbation here refers not to the Mace selector! 
 first mission, but to the spirit which seni it fbr,h r, f 
 
 rVie 
 
 regular government, is indeed the most suitable Pm a -Vtd 
 government will not always receive a mission nf„i i ular 
 several examples. BesidL th/ZpeUs IT S'' '£? 
 
 dirdosp” livery'age kS ‘ “** *"*" <“« »««* ^edie'at 
 
 D d 
 
326 
 
 TUB LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 waters, satin g, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation 
 scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their 
 beginning hitherto :” and concludes with these words : 
 “ In that time shall the present be brought unto the 
 Lord of Hosts of a people scattered and peeled, to the 
 place of the name of the Lord of Hosts, the Mount 
 Zion.” 
 
 This prophecy, which had been considered by some 
 of the learned in this country, and first, I believe, by 
 the late Bishop Horsley, as referring to these times, I 
 proposed to the Jews in the East; who, after some de¬ 
 liberation, gave me the following explanation : 
 
 “ The prophecy in this chapter relates to the restora¬ 
 tion of the Jews to their own country. The nation 
 here addressed, by a kind compellation, ‘ O thou land,’ 
 was to send a message to the Jewish People ; and this 
 was to be a message of kindness.” 
 
 I then desired they would describe the character of 
 the nation, which was to send a message of kindness 
 to the Jewish People, according to the prophecy. 
 They stated these four particulars concerning it. 
 
 1. That the place of the nation was beyond the riv¬ 
 ers of Cush, that is, to the west of the Nile ; for the 
 prophet was on the east of the Nile when he delivered 
 his prophecy. 
 
 2. That it was a land “ shadowing with wings;” 
 which signifies that it should be of great extent and 
 powei*, and capable of giving protection. 
 
 3. That it was a Maritime Nation “ sending ambas¬ 
 sadors by sea in vessels of bulrushes :”a figure for light 
 ships, not burthened with commerce, but light for des¬ 
 patch ; carrying merely the tidings of gladness: 
 and that the ambassadors sent in them were messen¬ 
 gers of peace. When I expressed some doubt as to 
 the character of these Ambassadors, we referred to the 
 old Arabic Translation of Isaiah, which happened to 
 be at hand; where the word for Ambassadors is ren¬ 
 dered Prophets or Preachers. 
 
 4. That the issue of this embassy would be the re¬ 
 storation of “ the people scattered and peeled to the 
 Lord of Hosts in Zion :” and that, at the period when 
 this should take place, there would be a shaking of 
 
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 the'nations ; for it is said, in the third verse, that God 
 “ would lift up his ensign on the mountains, that all 
 might see : and blow his trumpet, that all the inhabi¬ 
 tants of the earth might hear.” 
 
 When I endeavored to shew that all these charac¬ 
 ters centered in Great Britain, and that she was actu¬ 
 ally sending forth messengers at this time to all na¬ 
 tions, the Jews were alarmed at their own interpreta¬ 
 tion, and began to qualify some parts of it. I then 
 demanded what they really believed to be intended by 
 the mission of these “ ambassadors.” They answer¬ 
 ed, that they understood the embassy in a political 
 sense only; and that the nation spoken of was merely 
 to afford its aid to restore them to their temporal king¬ 
 dom. 1 b 
 
 But, whether the prophecy have a temporal or a 
 spiritual sense, I submit to your judgment, and not 
 to that of the Jews in the East. 
 
 Let us then, my Brethren, obey the Prophetic man¬ 
 date, and “ send forth ambassadors in light ships; say- 
 mg, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and 
 peeled,” dispersed in all lands :■ “ to a people terrible 
 irorn their beginning hitherto.” For from the time 
 since they came forth from Egypt, accompanied by 
 signs and wonders, they have been a terror and a 
 wonder to all. Send ye ambassadors “ to a nation ex¬ 
 pecting and looking out” for the Messiah, who is also 
 the desire of other nations; and announce ye to all, 
 i hat the “ Desire of ALL nations is come,” Hag. ii, 
 
 7 :, “ L . lf t y? U P the ensign upon the mountains, that 
 all the inhabitants of the world may see ; and blow ye 
 the trumpet,” the Great Trumpet of the World’s Ju¬ 
 bilee, “ that all the dwellers on the earth may hear.” 
 
 Ye are the light of the world.” Let not your light 
 be confined to this spot, in a northern region. Put 
 away the reproach, that ye are known out of your coun¬ 
 try, merely as a Commercial People. Even as a Com¬ 
 mercial People, you are, at this moment, shut out of 
 the countries of Europe. Obey then the present prov¬ 
 idence, and resort to the ports of distant lands ; carry¬ 
 ing the message of kindness to a people who “ stretch 
 
323 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WOULD. 
 
 forth their hands,” and will receive your commerce, 
 and the Gospel together. 
 
 It is not your duty to wait till the nation send forth 
 messengers at the public expense. Perhaps that period 
 may never come. It may be, that our Church know- 
 eth not how to promote such an object, but by the in¬ 
 strumentality of subordinate societies : even as the 
 State sometimes administers the government of a re¬ 
 mote branch of the empire by the same means. Two 
 Societies were instituted about a hundred years ago; 
 but the period for great and successful exertion was 
 evidently not then come. You are a Third Society, 
 established in more auspicious times; and others may 
 follow. 
 
 It is not your duty, I say, to wait till the Nation, in 
 its public capacity, begin to send forth preachers to 
 the Gentiles. If that event should ever arrive, you 
 prepare the way. If Individuals did not begin, the 
 Universal Church would not follow. What measure 
 of great public utility was ever executed by Church or 
 State, which was not first proposed by Individuals ? 
 which was not first resisted by the greater body ; and, 
 perhaps, defeated for a time ? 
 
 Consider, finally, the example of the Great Author 
 of our Religion. Draw your light from Christ. At 
 the first promulgation of his Gospel to the Heathen 
 World, he gave his commission to individuals. Dur¬ 
 ing three hundred years, the Ministry of the Gospel 
 was committed to individuals : I mean they were not 
 associated by any authority of temporal empire : and 
 by them the conversion of the nations was eftected, un¬ 
 der the direction of their respective Churches in Rome, 
 Corinth, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. It may 
 be the Divine will that the promulgation of the Gospel 
 at this time should be effected partly by the same 
 means. 
 
 Your object and that of the Bible Society is the same. 
 It is, to give the Bible to the World. But, as that Sa¬ 
 cred Volume cannot be given to men of different nations 
 until it be translated into their respective languages, it 
 is the province of your Institution to send forth proper 
 instruments for this purpose. Your Society is confined 
 
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 329 
 
 to Members of the Established Church. You do not 
 interfere with the “ Society for the Propagation of the 
 Gospel in Foreign Parts," nor with that “ for Promoting 
 Chiistian Knowledge for neither of these professes 
 the piecise objects to which you would confine your~ 
 selves. It does not seem to be possible to frame an ob¬ 
 jection to your establishment. When the design and 
 the proceedings of your Institution shall have been fully 
 made known, you may expect the support of the Epis¬ 
 copal Body, of the two Universities, and of every zeal¬ 
 ous Member of the Church of England. 
 
 It has been objected to that Noble Institution to 
 which we have alluded, the British and Foreign Bible 
 Society, that it is in its character universal; that it 
 embi aces all, and acknowledges no cast in the Chris¬ 
 tian Religion: and it has been insinuated, that we 
 ought ^not to be zealous even for the extension of 
 Christ s Kingdom, if we must associate, in any degree, 
 with men of all denominations. But, surely, there is 
 an error in this judgment. We seek the aid of all de- 
 scuptions of men in defending our country against the 
 enemy. We love to see men of all descriptions shew¬ 
 ing their allegiance to the King. Was it ever said to 
 a poor man, “ You are not qualified to shew your al¬ 
 legiance to the King ? You must not cast your mite in¬ 
 to the treasury of your King.’* My Brethren, let every 
 man, who opposes these institutions, examine his own 
 heart whether he be true in his allegiance to “ the Kins' 
 Of kings.” ’ b 
 
 For myself, I hail the present unanimity ot hither¬ 
 to discordant bands, as a great event in the Church • 
 and as marking a grand character of Christ’s promis¬ 
 ed kingdom; when “ the leopard shall lie down with 
 the kid ; and the calf, and the young lion, and the 
 lading together, and a little child shall lead them,” 
 Isaiah xi, 6. I consider the extension and unity of 
 the Bible Society as the best pledge of the continu¬ 
 ance of the Divine mercy to this land ; and I doubt 
 not, the time will come when the nation will reckon 
 that Society a greater honor to her, as a Christian 
 
 People, than any other institution of which she can 
 boast. 
 
 3 d 2 
 
330 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, 
 
 We shall now conclude this discourse with stating to 
 you the cause why so few comparatively co-operate in 
 these sacred designs. Many, it is probable, are ignor¬ 
 ant of their existence : some may be supposed, without 
 any culpable motives, to question their exfiedicncy : but 
 the greater part, it is feared, are restrained by a state 
 of mind which we cannot sufficiently condemn and 
 deplore. It is not because they do not believe in 
 Christianity, generally ; but because they are strangers 
 to Christ’s spiritual religion. They have seen the light 
 of civilization, but they have not seen the “ Light of 
 Life and this is the great and important distinction 
 on which the happiness of the soul depends. This 
 was the great distinction in the time of the Apostle 
 Paul; for even in the day of his ministration, the Gos¬ 
 pel was hid from some. “If our Gospel be HiD,”saith 
 he, “it is hid to them that are lost,” 2 Cor. iv, 3. If 
 then the light was hid from some when he preached, 
 with a divine energy, and with the demonstration of 
 miracles, shall we wonder that it is hid from some in 
 our day ? 
 
 There is nothing, my Brethren, worth living for, of 
 equal importance with the diffusion of this light. We 
 must all meet again at a future day, in a larger Assem¬ 
 bly than the present, when we shall behold HIM who 
 hath said, “ I am the light of the world.” Let every 
 one of us, then, “ beau witness to the light by con¬ 
 tributing, according to his ability, to its extension 
 throughout the world : If the Christian Revelation be 
 from God, to give that Revelation to the heathen world 
 is the first duty of a Christian nation. If there be a 
 majority of our nation who do not acknowledge this 
 duty, the case is not different from what it ever hath 
 been. When the Apostle Paul went forth to evangel¬ 
 ize the world, men accounted him to be “ beside him¬ 
 self.” Now we have stronger encouragement to at¬ 
 tempt the conversion of the heathen world at this day, 
 than the Apostle had, in the first age ; for we have seen 
 that their conversion is practicable. We only med¬ 
 itate to do that a second time which hath been once 
 done already. And we know that the same Divine 
 Spirit which was with him, “ will abide in the world 
 
THE LIGHT 0E THE WORLD. 331 
 
 for ever.” Men were not converted then merely, by 
 the sight of a miracle: but by the Grace of God. And 
 the same Grace is promised to us. 
 
 But there is another consideration. Do we not hear 
 the command of Christ ? “ Go ye and teach all nations.” 
 If we are sure that this is Christ who speaketh to us, 
 let us not “ confer with flesh and blood.” If there be 
 any man who is swayed by the opinion of the multitude, 
 he “ is not worthy” of Christ. “ He that taketh not 
 his cross and followeth after me, saith our Lord, is not 
 worthy of me : and he that loveth father or mother 
 more than me is not worthy of me.” No man can fol¬ 
 low Christ in the sense here L.tended, who cannot fol¬ 
 low the example of Enoch and Noah and believe God 
 and not man. Let us therefore press forward in faith, 
 and “ serve God in our generation,” contented to do a 
 little, where much cannot be done. Some of the dis¬ 
 ciples ol our Lord whom he addressed as “ the Light 
 of the World,” left the world very shortly afterwards :* 
 but, like John the Baptist, whose race was also short, 
 they shone as “ burning lights” during their appointed 
 season. Sa let us shine. 
 
 Yet a little while and “ the Son of Man shall come 
 in his glory, and all the holy angels with him ; and be¬ 
 fore him shall be gathered all nations.” Then shall 
 the adversaries of the truth be abashed and confounded, 
 when they shall hear him say to “ the Redeemed out 
 of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,” 
 (some ol whom they had said could never believe in 
 Christ) COME, YE BLESSED ! Then shall they 
 strike their breasts and say, ‘ Destroyers of our own 
 souls ! we could not believe the word of God. But our 
 doom is just. We believed Satan and promoted his 
 designs, and labored for his glory : and we opposed the 
 work ol God, and obstructed the Gospel of Christ 
 and ruined the souls of men. Our condemnation is 
 just; and now we must go with the “ Prince of Dark¬ 
 ness” whom we served upon earth : and now we must 
 hear the terrible sentence, “ Depart ye cursed into ev¬ 
 erlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels,” 
 Matt, xxv, 41. 
 
 * Stephen and James. 
 
332 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 My Brethren, “ Heaven and Earth shall pass away; 
 but the words of Christ shall not pass away,” Matt, 
 xxiv, 35. 
 
 Let us then with true affection for the souls of our 
 brethren, earnestly supplicate a merciful God who 
 willeth not the death of a sinner, that he would send 
 forth his Light and his Truth to convert their hearts 
 and enlighten their understandings, in this their day of 
 life and hope ; that so they may unite with his people, 
 in endeavoring to do his will on earth, as it is in heav¬ 
 en; “ teaching all nations to observe all things whatso¬ 
 ever Christ hath commanded us,” Matt, xxviii, 20. 
 
 And now, with one voice, and with true faith let us 
 ascribe to God the Father who loved us before the 
 world was : and to God the Son who redeemed us by 
 his blood ; and to God the Holy Ghost, who hath 
 sanctified us and “ made us meet to be partakers of the 
 inheritance of the saints in light,” all blessing, and hon¬ 
 or, and glory, and power, for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
SERMON III. 
 
 (MORNING.) 
 
 Gen. i, 3. Let there be Light. 
 
 “In the beginning, GOD created the heavens and 
 the earth. And the earth was without form and void, 
 and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And 
 God said, Let there be Light: and there was Light.” 
 In these first words of Revelation we read how God 
 gave light to, the natural world. But he is also the 
 author of spiritual light; and by the same almighty 
 Fiat, he dispelled the darkness of the moral world. 
 For, “ when the fulness of time was come, God sent 
 forth his Son,” who is “ the brightness of his glory, and 
 the express image of his person and he said unto the 
 Church, which was to be illuminated by him, “ Arise, 
 shine, for thy light is come Is. lx, 1, and “ the peo¬ 
 ple which sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, 
 saw a great Light,” Matt, iv, 16. 
 
 Now the Scriptures mark a certain analogy between 
 the creation of natural and of spiritual light; and shew 
 that both are produced by an exertion of the same 
 Almighty power. “ For God, who commanded the 
 light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our 
 hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory 
 of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” 2 Cor. iv, 6. 
 
 Under the authority of this analogy we may be per¬ 
 mitted to inquire, which is the grandest display of the 
 Divine power, the creation of natural or of spiritual 
 light ? the production of the sun, which shines in the fir¬ 
 mament, or spiritual illumination by him, who is called 
 i( the Sun of Righteousness:” connected as it is with 
 those stupendous events in heaven and earth, “ which 
 angels desire to look into j” the incarnation of the Dei- 
 
334 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 ty; the passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of 
 the Mediator ; the coming of the Holy Ghost; the gift 
 of Tongues; the promulgation of the Gospel; and the 
 liberation of millions of souls from darkness to light, and 
 from the power of Satan unto God ? Doubtless, the glo¬ 
 ry of the spiritual dispensation far transcends that of 
 the natural creation, both in the importance of its ef¬ 
 fects, and in the extent of its duration. 
 
 Let this, then, be our subject to contemplate the 
 spiritual illumination which comes by Jesus Christ: 
 who, when the world was in darkness, “ brought life 
 and immortality to light by the Gospel.’ 5 Of the diffu¬ 
 sion of this heavenly Light, we shall notice three dis¬ 
 tinct Eras. 
 
 I. The first Era is that of the Promulgation of the 
 Gospel by Christ himself. 
 
 II. The second is the Era of the Reformation ; when, 
 after that the Christian world had again sunk into dark¬ 
 ness, and passed a long night of superstition, the 
 beams of truth broke forth with renewed splendor. 
 
 III. A third Era of Light is the present period. 
 The Reformed Church, after preserving its purity as 
 long, perhaps, as the primitive Church, began to suffer 
 a general declension, and was in danger of being utterly 
 overthrown by Infidelity. A decorous external pro¬ 
 fession was indeed observed ; and, in our own Church, 
 u the form of sound words” was retained ; but the spir¬ 
 it and power of religion had very generally departed. 
 By many persons the spiritual influence of the Gospel 
 was not even acknowledged. The effusion of the Di¬ 
 vine Spirit was not believed to exist in any measure or 
 degree, but was considered as something which was 
 confined to the first age of the Church. But now the 
 vital spirit of our religion hath revived, and is produ¬ 
 cing the fruits of the first century. Christianity hath 
 assumed its true character, as “ the Light of the world.” 
 The Holy Scriptures are multiplying without number. 
 Translations are preparing in almost all languages; 
 and Preachers are going forth into almost every region, 
 “ to make the ivays of God known upon earth, his sav¬ 
 ing health among all nations.” 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 o rt h 
 
 oo5 
 
 I. We are first to review that grand Era of Light, 
 when “ the Sun of Righteousness” himself appeai'ed. 
 
 The period of this event has been observed as an 
 epoch of time by almost all the civilized nations of the 
 world; and with good reason; for the world was in 
 darkness till Christ came. The Spirit of God, indeed, 
 moved upon the face of the earth ; and to ‘he Patri¬ 
 archs and Prophets an intimation was given that a Light 
 would come ; yet it was true that, with the exception 
 of the chosen people, who were themselves the harbin¬ 
 gers of the Light, “ darkness covered the earth, and 
 gross darkness the people.” This was the state of 
 mankind even in the brightest periods of Greece and 
 Rome. Those nations had made some progress in na¬ 
 tural science, and in human learning ; but they were 
 utterly ignorant of that science which is chiefly worthy 
 of an immortal creature ; namely, the knowledge of 
 their Creator, and of their being’s use and end. 
 
 Such was the state of the moral world, when HE 
 came, who is called “ the Desire of all Nations,” 
 Haggai ii, 7. It was not unlike the state of the na¬ 
 tural world, at that period of creation when “ the earth 
 was without form, and void ; and darkness was upon 
 the face of the deep.” But while mankind were in¬ 
 volved in this spiritual obscurity, “ The Word was 
 made flesh.” That eternal Word, u by whom all 
 things were made, and without whom was not any thing 
 made that was made,” John i, 3 ; by whom “ God 
 made the worlds,” Heb. i. 2 ; that same Almighty 
 Word which spake at the first creation, said a second 
 time, “Let there be Light ;” and there was Light. 
 “ I am come,” said our Saviour, “ a Light into the 
 world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide 
 in darkness,” John xii, 46. Christ came to reveal 
 “ the mystery which was kept secret since the world 
 began, but now is made manifest; and by the scrip¬ 
 tures of the Prophets, according to the commandment 
 of the Everlasting God, made known to all Nations,” 
 Rom. xvi, 25. What then was this Mystery which 
 Christ came to reveal ? 
 
 He revealed the Love of God the Father. “ God 
 so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 Son, that whosoever believetfi on Him, should not 
 perish, but have everlasting life,” John iii, 16. 
 
 He revealed the Atonement of'God the Son, in as¬ 
 suming the human nature, and offering himself up a 
 sacrifice for the sins of men. “ My flesh,” saith he, 
 “I will give for the life of the world,” John vi, 51. 
 “ A body hast thou prepared me. Lo, I come to do 
 thy 'will, O God,” Heb. x, 5. 
 
 He revealed the Inspiration of God the Holy 
 Ghost ; which was now to descend from heaven, and 
 to “ abide with men for ever,” John xiv, 16; even 
 the spirit of truth which should “ reprove the world 
 of sin, and of righteousness, and judgment,” John xvi. 
 18; the Holy Spirit, which should “ be given by our 
 heavenly Father to them that ask him,” Luke xi, 11. 
 These were the doctrines which were to give light to 
 the world. They are comprehended by the Apostle 
 Peter in one sentence. He addresses believers as be¬ 
 ing “ elect, according to the foreknowledge of God 
 the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto 
 obedience ; and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus 
 Christ,” 1 Pet. i, 2. 
 
 These doctrines our Saviour embodied in a short 
 Commission or Charge, which he delivered, after his 
 ascension into heaven, to one of his Apostles. It was 
 given to that Apostle, whom our Lord called “ the 
 chosen vessel, to bear his name to the Gentiles,” 
 Acts ix, 15. For when Paul was proceeding on his 
 way to Damascus, “a light above the brightness of the 
 sun shone around him ;” and our Saviour spoke to him 
 from heaven in the following words: “I send thee to 
 the Gentiles to open their eyes, and to turn them 
 from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan 
 unto God ; that they may receive forgiveness of sins, 
 and inheritance among them which are sanctified by 
 faith, which is in me,” Acts xxvi, 13. 
 
 This Charge our Lord delivered after his ascension 
 into heaven, expressly for the instruction of his Min¬ 
 isters, in regard to the doctrine they were to preach, 
 and to the effects which should'follow. It may 
 therefore be considered as a summary of the doctrine 
 of the four Gospels; and every Minister of Christ 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 * r' 
 
 ought to engrave it on the tablet of his memory, anti 
 comprehend it well: whether he preach “ to Greek or 
 to barbarian, to learned or to unlearned, to bond or 
 to free.” 
 
 Here is first established that fundamental truth, 
 which ought ever to be presentwith us in all our coun¬ 
 sels concerning the promulgation of the gospel, That 
 the Gentiles are “ under the power of Satan.” “ I send 
 thee r saith our Lord, “ to the Gentiles, to turn them, 
 from the power of Satan unto God.” This is a truth 
 which the wisdom of this world “ will not receive 
 and it is assaulted by a false philosophy continually. 
 But, like a rock assailed by the restless waves, it will 
 remain for ever immoveable. For what we call a 
 revelation from heaven, is properly a revelation of this, 
 That all men are by nature “ in darkness, and under 
 the power of Satan ;” and that Christ hath come “to 
 turn them from darkness to light, and from the power 
 of Satan unto God.” 
 
 The second part of our Saviour’s Charge declares the 
 effects of preaching the Gospel, namely, That the 
 Gentiles should receive “ forgiveness of sins by faith in 
 Christ,” and that “ their eyes should be opened.” 
 These are the effects in this world. 
 
 The third part declares the consequence in the 
 world to come ; that they should receive a glorious 
 “ inheritance among them which are sanctified;” that 
 is, among them which are made meet “ by the Holy 
 Ghost to become partakers of the inheritance of the 
 saints in light,” Col. i, 12. 
 
 These were the doctrines of Light « which were now 
 made manifest, and, by the commandment of the ever¬ 
 lasting God, were to be made known to all nations ” 
 And our Saviour said unto his Disciples, “ Go ye into 
 all the world and preach the Gospel unto every crea¬ 
 ture. They accordingly went forth. Though un¬ 
 learned men, they went forth with confidence, to 
 change THE religion of the world. The darkness 
 of paganism receded before them; and in process of 
 time there was a general illumination. 
 
 In the course of three hundred years “ the ever¬ 
 lasting Gospel” was published generally through¬ 
 out the habitable world ;^and a great company were 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 «r.ri 
 OOO 
 
 gathered out of many nations, who became partakers 
 of “the inheritance among them which are sancti¬ 
 fied.” But, during that period “the children of light” 
 had to maintain a fiery conflict with the powers of 
 darkness. For a new thing appeared upon the earth. 
 The pagan religions, though they differed from each 
 other in form, yet agreeing in principle, had existed in 
 amity together; because they were of the same kind, 
 and members of the same family. “ The strong man, 
 armed, kept his palace, and his goods were in peace,” 
 Luke xi, 21. But they no sooner beheld the religion 
 from heaven, than they all united against it, and per¬ 
 secuted it. They hated its purity, its humility, its spir¬ 
 itual worship, its renunciations of self-glory, and its 
 contemplation of eternal life. “ The light shined in 
 darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not,” John 
 i, 5. The heathen governments deveted multitudes of 
 their fellow subjects to death, not for crimes which 
 they had done, but “ for righteousness sake ;” wonder¬ 
 ing themselves at their own new and strange work, of 
 which there had been no example in the records of na¬ 
 tions. And these multitudes met death with cheer¬ 
 ful hope ; because they knew that there should be “ a 
 resurrection from the dead.” At length the great con¬ 
 flict was ended, and the Christian faith obtained the 
 dominion. 
 
 But, as Adam, the parent of the human race, fell 
 from his high estate by withdrawing from communion 
 with God ; so his descendants follow his sin, in per¬ 
 verting the truth, and renouncing the gift of heaven. 
 As the chosen race who had communion with God 
 upon earth at Sinai, turned away afterwards and 
 sought salvation by other gods: so that peculiar peo¬ 
 ple, yet more highly favored, who had “ communion 
 with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,” turned away 
 « from him who spake unto them from heaven.” Ileb. 
 xii, 25. No sooner had the religion of Christ become 
 the religion of the world, and been invested with digni¬ 
 ty and power, than it began to be corrupted. Men be¬ 
 gan “ to hold the truth in unrighteousness ;” and “ Sa¬ 
 tan himself was transformed into an Angel of Light,” so 
 as to deceive the nations. They sunk gradually into 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 339 
 
 the abyss of ignorance and superstition ; and « darkness 
 eart ^» anc l gross darkness the people.” 
 What added to the horror of this darkness, the Bible it¬ 
 self, the fountain of Light, was taken away; and, for 
 some ages, the Revelation of God, which had been giv¬ 
 en by the hand of a Mediator, and by the ministry of Pa¬ 
 triarchs, Prophets,and Apostles, was hid from the world, 
 Christianity hath two principal enemies to contend with, 
 SuPEiis-rnuoN and Infidelity. It was Superstition 
 which first shut the Bible. The age of Infidelity had 
 not yet come. 1 
 
 f n dark P er “d of which we speak, even the 
 chief Seats of learning became fountains of error to 
 the world. From those very Scats it was maintained, 
 1 hat Christianity was little more than a moral code, 
 and that the Faith by which we should be saved con¬ 
 sisted principally in “ a mere historic belief.” The 
 doctrine asserted amounted in substance to this, that a 
 man might almost, if not entirely, qualify and entitle 
 h mself by certain good actions to receive the grace of 
 God; and that thus he might purchase heaven by his 
 own merit. So thick a mantle of darkness had covered 
 the minds of men ! 
 
 At length there appeared a dawn of light. Brad- 
 wardine of Oxford combated these errors of doctrine 
 with great energy and eloquence. He was Archbish¬ 
 op of Canterbury, and the most profound scholar of 
 his age._ And as he was first in the Church in learn¬ 
 ing and in station, so he was almost sole in his opinion 
 But he was « full of faithand singly attempted, as 
 he expressed it, “ to defend so great a cause.”* 
 
 ... said Archbishop Bradwardine, “ I sneak it 
 
 with grief; as formerly four hundred and fifty prophets were 
 united against one prophet of the Lord ; so at this day how inTnv 
 O God contend for Free-Will (human sufficiency and meritl 
 against thy gratuitous Grace ! How many indeed in our™ m2 
 despise thy saving Grace; or if they use the term Grace Tow 
 do hey boast that they deserve it by the strength of their FreZ 
 
 rS ’ Arise*°0 W °1 d * ^ after info el 
 
 ror. Arise, O Lord, judge thine own cause; sustain him whn 
 
 undertakes to defend thy truth. Protect, strengthen and com! 
 
 01 1 me: for thou knowest that, nowhere relying on my own 
 
340 
 
 THE ERAS OP LIGHT. 
 
 But Wickliffe of the same University was ordain¬ 
 ed to confirm more fully the evangelic testimony. 
 He was properly the first great light in that dark age. 
 He translated the Bible into our own tongue ; and his 
 own mind was illumined by it. He then assailed with 
 an intrepid spirit the before-mentioned errors, and in 
 particular, the position (which is the fundamental prin¬ 
 ciple of a corrupt theology) “ That a man becomes 
 acceptable to God, and is finally saved, by his own 
 works and merits.” 
 
 “ Human nature,” pronounced Wickliffe from the 
 theological chair, “ is wholly at enmity with God. 
 Man is a sinner from the womb. He cannot think a 
 good thought; he cannot perform a good work, except 
 he receive grace.” And with respect to that Faith 
 whereby we shall be saved, he speaks in these terms, 
 u The merit of Christ is sufficient of itself to redeem 
 every man from Hell. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ 
 is sufficient for salvation. We are not to seek to be 
 justified in any other way than by his justice. We 
 become righteous through the participation of HIS 
 righteousness.”* Wickliffe here speaks the sense of 
 a Text, from which every Theologian should learn to 
 preach ; “ To him that worketh NOT, but believeth 
 on HIM that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted 
 for righteousness.” This text is found in the fourth 
 chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and at the fifth 
 
 strength, I attempt to maintain so cheat a cause.” Bradwar- 
 dini Opera, Prefat, 
 
 The Theologians, whom Bradwardine opposed, correspond 
 nearly with the great Pelagian body of the present day. This 
 body assumes not the ancient name, but exists under different 
 names, and is composed of different denominations. But they 
 all agree in one distinguishing character, “ That they despise the 
 saving grace of God.” They generally profess, what they call, 
 Rational Christianity ; by which they mean that their religion 
 is merely rational, and that it hath nothing spiritual in it. They 
 acknowledge no influence from above, nor any operation of di¬ 
 vine grace. In this sense, it is true that they profess a rational 
 religion : but on the same principle, it might be easy to prove that 
 the religions of the heathen world are all rational religions. 
 It is surely high time for Christians to take leave of the Pelagian 
 Philosophy. 
 
 * Dr. James’s Apology for Wickliffe. 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 341 
 
 \erse. But the unanswerable argument for the truth 
 ot this doctrine is derived from the history of Corne¬ 
 lius, the Centurion. “ His alms and prayers came up 
 as a memorial before God,” Acts x, 4; but he became 
 not thereby an heir of salvation. He was directed to 
 go to the Apostle Peter, “ who should tell him words 
 whereby he should be saved.” Acts xi, 14. Until 
 Cornelius heard the words of the Gospel from Peter, 
 and thereupon “ received the Holy Ghost,” he knew 
 
 nothing of that faith whereby alone he could be 
 saved. 
 
 But Wickliffe was only the forerunner. Like John 
 the Baptist, he prophesied of a Light that should 
 and almost in his words he said, “ I am but a solitary 
 evidence against a Host. I am but the voice of one 
 citing in the wilderness.” But his own light did not 
 dispel the gloom. Though it shone far into the vale 
 ot night, it reached not to the Throne of darkness at 
 Rome., 
 
 II The second Era of Light is the Reformation. 
 In the midst of this spiritual darkness, while men 
 ivere sitting a second time “ in the region and shadow 
 ot death, the “ day-spring from on high visited them.” 
 Ihis has been accounted by some an epoch in the 
 Church not less remarkable than that of the firs' pro¬ 
 mulgation ot the Gospel. And although it is now 
 much out of view in the minds of many ; although In¬ 
 fidelity would obscure its glory, and “ the withered 
 hand hath been lifted up against Him that healed it,” 
 the Reformation will ever be considered as a great 
 event m the divine dispensation by all true members of 
 tlic Chur ch of Christ, to the end of time. 
 
 As, in the first age, the preaching of the Apostle 
 Paul was chiefly instrumental in the conversion of 
 men ; so, at this second Era, the ministry of Luthfr 
 was principally honored of God, for that purpose. Lu¬ 
 ther was ordained to be the great instrument of Lio-ht • 
 and he, like Wickliffe, gave the Holy Scriptures 
 to his nation in their own tongue. 
 
 But, by what means was Light restored at the Re¬ 
 formation ? The cause is to be found in the third pan 
 of our Saviour’s doctrine before mentioned, namelv 
 
 e e 2 
 
342 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost, the spirit of Truth 
 which should resist the spirit of Satan and of error, 
 “ reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and. 
 of judgment; and guide men into all truth.” This 
 was the efficient cause : but the means or instrument 
 was the Bible. Light was restored to the world by the 
 Bible. 
 
 The writers of that day give an animating account of 
 the sensations of joy and exultation, with which the 
 people of our own country received the Word of God. 
 A Copy of the Bible was fixed by the Royal command 
 to a desk in the Churches ; and the people assembled 
 in crowds to read it, or to hear it read. It is recorded 
 that many persons learned to read in their old age, that 
 they might be able to read the Bible. A frequent Text 
 of the Preachers of that time was that which we have 
 chosen, “ And God said, Let there be Light; and there 
 was Light.” For the light of truth shone upon them 
 suddenly ; and every where illumined the minds of 
 men, almost at the same time. 
 
 The distinguishing doctrine of the Reformation was 
 “ Justification by Faith alone.” “ This,” said Luther, 
 “ is the only solid Rock.” “ This Rock,” continues 
 he, “ did Satan shake in Paradise, when he persuaded 
 our first parents that by their own wisdom and power 
 they might become like unto God ; and thereby in¬ 
 duced them to renounce their faith in God, who had 
 given them life, and a promise of its continuance.” 
 In the same manner do many at this day renounce 
 their faith in God, who hath promised life by his 
 Son ; and they seek Life by their own wisdom and 
 power. “ The kingdom of Satan,” added Luther, “ is 
 to be resisted by this heavenly and all-powerful doc¬ 
 trine. Whether we be rude or eloquent, whether we 
 be learned or unlearned, THIS ROCK must be de¬ 
 fended; this doctrine must be published abroad in ani¬ 
 mated strains.”* 
 
 Pure religion being thus restored, the first labor of 
 our Church was to do honor to the true and genuine 
 doctrines of Christianity. And this she did by exhib- 
 
 * Preface to the Commentary on the Galatians. 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT, 
 
 343 
 
 king them to the world “ in a form of sound words.” 
 in the composition of our Liturgy, Articles, and 
 Homilies ; which we maintain to be the standard of 
 sound doctrine unto this day.* 
 
 But an affecting and awful scene was to follow in 
 England. The providence of God directed that the 
 truth and efficacy of these doctrines thus set forth, 
 should be proved. In like manner as at the first pro¬ 
 mulgation of the Gospel, its divinity was displayed by 
 the marvellous constancy of the first Martyrs ; so 
 it was ordered that when the truth was published a 
 second time, it should undergo a similar trial. Many 
 persons, of every rank, age, and sex, suffered death for 
 the faith of Christ, “ not accepting deliverence, that 
 they might obtain a better resurrection,” Heb. xi, 35. 
 And thus there has been given to the Church, in these 
 latter days a recent and undeniable testimony of the 
 nature and divine power of the true doctrine. 
 
 From that time the light of truth continued to shine 
 in the Protestant Church for a long period; with some 
 intermission indeed, and in certain churches more in¬ 
 tensely than in others. But it shone in some places 
 as brightly, and probably endured as long, as it ever 
 did in any period in the Primitive Church. At length, 
 however, by the combined operation of causes which 
 are well known,f a spirit of indifference to religious 
 
 * And not we only; for though certain churches differ from us 
 and from each other in form and discipline, they agree with us in 
 doctrine. The doctrines of our Church are acknowledged by 
 the Protestant Churches on the continent, by the established 
 Church of Scotland, and by the great body of dissenters in our 
 own Country. 
 
 f By the association of sanctity with the spirit of republi¬ 
 canism and rebellion during the Usurpation of Cromwell, that ho¬ 
 liness of life which was enjoined by our Saviour, became a sub¬ 
 ject of scorn or contempt. The people passed over from one er¬ 
 ror to the contrary extreme. The bow was bent till the string 
 was broken, and it has never been rightly strung again. The na¬ 
 tion being emancipated from a yoke which assumed a religious 
 name, considered religion as its enemy ; and thus the spiritual 
 faith of Christ became identified with fanaticism or enthusiasm ; 
 and so it has remained in a great measure to this day. Political 
 dissention, the most powerful engine in a free nation,"has tended 
 Vo keep this prejudice alive. As might he expected the charge of 
 
34'4 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 truth began to manifest itself, not only in the establish¬ 
 ed and national churches, but among all the other de¬ 
 nominations of Christians. It is difficult to say where 
 there was most apathy and languor. For though “ the 
 form of sound words” was still generally retained (in 
 our own church in a written form, in other churches 
 in an extempore form) and there were some eminent 
 examples of piety and laudable zeal; yet it was most 
 evident that in many places religion was sinking fast 
 into a lifeless profession ; and that in some places it 
 merely exhibited the body and external figure. Even 
 among those denominations of Christians, who were 
 once distinguished by a name derived from purity, 
 little fruit was to be found. They were in the state 
 in which the Prophet describes the remnant in his 
 day; “ as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three 
 berries on the top of the uppermost bough.” Isai¬ 
 ah xvii, 6. And not only was the spirit of religion 
 nearly extinguished, but men began to be ashamed 
 of their religion.* All this while science and human 
 
 fanaticism is chiefly imputed to Dissenters. And thus both par¬ 
 ties have been kept in bondage during a long period, dread¬ 
 ing each otlier’s power, and doubting each other’s purposes, and 
 taking the measure of each other’s religion by their own fears and 
 the horrors of a former age. The Dissenter is a fanatic, and the 
 Churchman is a bigot. And so absolute is this alienation in the 
 minds of some, that the idea of an Union in any religious pur¬ 
 pose, is considered to be so unnatural as to be displeasing to God 
 himself. On this subject neither Churchman nor Dissenter will 
 ever find rest until he shall have been taught by the grace of 
 God, the nature of that Charity which our Saviour enjoined. 
 
 A new Commandment 1 give unto you, that ye love one an¬ 
 other even that charity which the Apostle Paul lias so sublime¬ 
 ly described in the thirteenth chapter of the first epistle to the 
 Corinthians: “Though I speak with the tongue of men and 
 angels and have not Charity, I am nothing.” And again; 
 “Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, 
 and have not Charity, I am nothing.” Beaman a learned. 
 Churchman or an orthodox Dissenter, “ if lie have not Charity, 
 lie is nothing.” 
 
 * To this fact the chief Representative of the Church at that 
 time has recorded the following testimony : 
 
 “ It is a reproach, I believe peculiar to the Christians of this 
 age and nation, that many of them seem ashamed of their Chris¬ 
 tianity : and excuse their piety as others do their vices.” 
 
 Seeker's Sermons, vol. i. 59j 
 
 The testimony of Bishop Butler to the prevalence of Infidelity 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 345 
 
 learning were progressive; but the knowledge of the 
 Holy Scriptures was passing away. As a proof of 
 this decay in sacred literature, we need noly notice 
 this fact. The Hebrew language, which is the source 
 of all critical knowledge of the Bible (of the New 
 Testament as well as of the Old,) became, at length, 
 but little known even to learned men. And though 
 there ever have been illustrious exceptions, it ceased 
 at last, to form a part of the ordinary studies of youth 
 at our Seats of Learning; even of those students who 
 were destined for the sacred office, 
 
 Out of this state of things arose a new Enemy to 
 the Church ; the enemy that might be expected, Infi¬ 
 delity; or the positive denial of the truth of a rev¬ 
 elation from God. We have seen that it was supersti¬ 
 tion which first shut the Bible. The second attempt 
 was made by Infidelity. But the further consid¬ 
 eration of this subject we must reserve for the af¬ 
 ternoon ; when we shall review the progress of infidel¬ 
 ity in extending- its darkness; and the Era of Light 
 which followed. 
 
 But before I conclude this discourse I would beg 
 leave to direct your attention to a subject of no little 
 consequence to the interests of religion, and to the 
 character of our Universities in the present circum¬ 
 stances of the Church ; the notice of which arises im¬ 
 mediately from our present discussion. I mean the 
 importance of a critical knowledge of the Original 
 languages of the Holy Scriptures to the theological 
 Student. 
 
 The original language of the New Testament has 
 
 is very remarkable. “ It is come,” says he, “ I know not how, 
 to be taken for granted, by many persons, that Christianity is not 
 so much as a subject of enquiry: but that it is, now at length, 
 discovered to be ficticious : and, accordingly they treat it, as if 
 in the present age, this were an agreed point among all people 
 of discernment; and that nothing remained but to set it up 
 as a principal subject of mirth and ridicule ; as it were, byway 
 of reprisals for its having so long interrupted the pleasures of the 
 world.” Preface to the Analogy, 1736- 
 
 What must have been the state of the common people in gene¬ 
 ral, when it was taken for granted that such were the sentiments 
 of all people of discernment in the nation ! 
 
34S 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT*. 
 
 been well cultivated; and one cause of this has been 
 its affinity to the Greek Classics. But the acqui¬ 
 sition of the language of the Old Testament is equally 
 necessary. It is indispensible for those who would 
 possess a critical knowledge of the Bible ; for the New 
 Testament is written in the idiom of the Old. It may 
 be received as an axiom, That a knowledge of He¬ 
 brew learning “ among the great body of the clergy, 
 is the mark of a flourishing church ;** that is, of a 
 church which is ardent in maintaining the true faith, 
 and in expounding the pure word of God to the peo¬ 
 ple. Among the members of the Romish communion 
 this species of learning is almost entirely extinct. 
 
 Having thus asserted the importance of a critical 
 knowledge of the Bible, I think it fit, nevertheless, to 
 controvert the opinion, that without such a knowledge 
 individuals cannot build the doctrines of Christianity, 
 or Christianity itself, upon a solid foundation. If this 
 were true, what must have been the state of our own 
 Church in the absence of Hebrew learning ? If sacred 
 criticism be the sole foundation and constitute the very 
 grounds of our belief, upon what has our belief hither¬ 
 to been grounded ? This opinion places the Christian 
 Religion on the footing of the superstitions of Mahom¬ 
 et and Brahma ; which is this, That if you commit to 
 memory a certain number of historic facts, and can 
 read certain languages, (all of which, both facts and 
 languages, may be obliterated from your memory in 
 less than twenty years) you are a good Theologian ; 
 but with this advantage, however, in favor of the Ma¬ 
 hometan, in regard to many theologians of this day, 
 that, whereas he can read his Koran in the original 
 Arabic, they cannot read the Old Testament in the 
 original Hebrew. My brethren, by this argument, 
 (which is the same in principle with those which we 
 haye seen, were uttered in a dark age from the chief 
 Seats of Learning,) the assisting Grace of God, and 
 all that is peculiar to the Christian religion, seems to 
 
 be VERY BOLDLY EXTINGUISHED. 
 
 But perhaps the source of this misapprehension lies 
 in confounding these two terms, a Theologian and a 
 Christian. That which constitutes a Christian is “ Faith, 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 347 
 
 Hope, and Charity ; these three.” Much human learn¬ 
 ing is not essentially necessary to constitute a Christian. 
 Indeed a man may be a profound Theologian and not be 
 a Christian at all. He may be learned in the doctrines 
 and history of Christianity, and yet be a stranger to the 
 fruits of Christianity. He may be destitute of Faith, of 
 Hope, and of Charity. 
 
 Let us not then confound the fruits of religion, 
 namely, its influence on our moral conduct, its peace of 
 mind, and hope of heaven, with the circumstances 
 of religion. True religion is that which its great Au¬ 
 thor himself hath declared. It is a practical knowl¬ 
 edge of the Love of God the Father, “ who sent not 
 his Son into the world, to condemn the world ; but that 
 the world, through him, might be savedof the 
 Atonement of God the Son, by faith in whom we 
 receive remission of our sins, and are justified in the 
 sight of the Father ; and of the Sanctification of 
 God the Holy Ghost, by which we are made meet 
 “ to become partakers of the inheritance of the saints 
 in light.” The preacher who can communicate this 
 knowledge to his hearers (and it is true, that if he pos-. 
 sess a critical knowledge of the Bible, and of the his¬ 
 tory of Christianity, he will be likely to do it with the 
 most success,) the same is “a workman that needeth 
 not to be ashamed, and a good minister of Jesus Christ,’* 
 1 Tim. iv, 6. 
 
 As an illustration of this truth, we may adduce the in¬ 
 fluence of the Gospel on the ignorant minds of persons 
 born in the heathen world. 
 
 It has been maintained by some, that civilization 
 must always prepare the way for Christianity. But 
 this position, like many others allied to this subject, is 
 completely at variance with the fact. Civilization is a 
 blessing of itself, and ought to be given, as we have op¬ 
 portunity, to all nations : but it is not universally neces¬ 
 sary that it should precede the Gospel. The fact is, 
 that the religion of Christ has sometimes found more 
 difficulty in conflicting with a refined superstition, with 
 what St. Paul calls “ the wisdom of men,” than with 
 the ignorance of barbarism. It doth not appear that 
 human learning, in itself considered, though in many 
 
MS 
 
 1&E ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 ways an important instrument of good to mankind, 
 predisposes the mind in any manner or degree to re¬ 
 ceive the Grace of God. There is a sense in which 
 Learning, like Riches, may impede our spiritual pro¬ 
 gress, for “ Knowledge puffeth up,” 1 Cor. viii, 1 ; 
 Though we are ever to distinguish between the use 
 and the abuse of learning. On this subject we ought 
 to keep in remembrance our Saviour’s words, “ The 
 poor have the Gospel preached to them in which is 
 implied, “That the poor would understand the Gos¬ 
 pel and receive the Gospel and these words have 
 been illustrated in every age. The Apostle Paul had less 
 success among the learned at Athens, than among the 
 barbarous people. And the same is sometimes the 
 experience of Preachers at this day among the Gen¬ 
 tile nations. It so happens that the most numerous con¬ 
 versions, during the last century, have been among those 
 nations which have least civilization.* And this fact de¬ 
 monstrates the PERMANENT CHARACTER and DIVINE 
 nature of the Christian dispensation. For, u Where 
 is the wise ?” saith the Apostle, in reference to this 
 subject: “ Where is the Scribe ? Where is the disput- 
 er of this world ? Hath not God made foolish the wis¬ 
 dom of this world? For ye see your calling, brethren; 
 how that not many tvise men after the flesh, not many 
 mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath cho¬ 
 sen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise : 
 and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to 
 confound the things that are mighty : That no flesh 
 should glory in his presence: But, that according as it 
 is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord,” 
 1 Cor. i, 26. 
 
 * The Esquimaux Indians of Labrador ; the Colarees of 
 the Deccan in India ; tlia African slaves of several islands in 
 the West Indies ; and the natives of Caffraria, and ofthe Great and 
 Little Namaquas, in the South of Africa. See the reports of the 
 Moravian and Danish Missions. 
 
SERMON IV. 
 
 (AFTERNOON.) 
 
 Gen. i, 3. Let there be Light. 
 
 Among the many pieces of sublime and beautiful com¬ 
 position with which the service of our Church abounds, 
 there is a prayer which I have always admired ; and 
 which will properly introduce the Era of Light, that 
 is to be the subject of this discourse ; I mean that Col¬ 
 lect in which we pray that our Church may be “ enlight¬ 
 ened by the doctrine of the Evangelist Saint John.” 
 
 The doctrine of the Evangelist St. John accords with 
 that of our Saviour before mentioned namely, 
 
 J- bat God the F ather is love. ii God is Love. Here¬ 
 in is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved 
 us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our Sins,” 
 1 John iv, 10. 
 
 . ° f Gocl the Son he saith, that Jesus Christ is come 
 in the flesh : and that the blood of Jesus Christ his Son 
 cleanseth from all sin,” 1 John i, 7. 
 
 Of God the Holy Ghost he saith, « It is the Spirit 
 that _ beareth witness (to the Son of God,) because the 
 Spirit is Truth ;” and of its operation on the hearts of 
 believers he saith) that u they have an Unction from 
 the Floly One ; and that this unction Abideth in 
 them j that they are thus born of God,” and become 
 ‘ die children ot God and, finally, that the evidence- 
 oi their being thus born again, is « the love of the breth¬ 
 ren. ^ “ W e know,” saith he, “ that we have passed 
 from death to life, because we love the brethren,” 1 
 John iii, 14. 
 
 This is the doctrine of the blessed Apostle and 
 Evangelist St. John, as expressed in his Epistles, and 
 confirmed by his Gospel ; and this is the heavenly doc- 
 
 F f 
 
S50 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 trine which our Church prays for in the following 
 words : 
 
 “ Merciful Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright 
 beams of Light upon thy Church, that it being enlight¬ 
 ened by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evan¬ 
 gelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, 
 that it may at length attain to the light of everlasting 
 life ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” 
 
 This prayer was offered up continually during a long 
 season of darkness, and at length was answered at the 
 appointed time. 
 
 In our former discourse we stated that, while the Pro¬ 
 testant Churches were declining in piety, a new enemy 
 appeared. “While men slept, the Tares were sown,” 
 Matt. xiii^25. It was about the middle of the last cen¬ 
 tury that Infidelity, which had appeared long before, 
 first began to shew itself in strong and general operation. 
 At the very time when the spirit of Infidelity was foster¬ 
 ing its strength,under the name of Philosophy, and prepar¬ 
 ing for the awful revolutions which followed, the spirit¬ 
 ual religion of Christ began to revive, and has since 
 produced the most beneficial effects. True Religion 
 and Infidelity have shown their proper fruits in our oivn 
 time ; and we can now contrast them with advantage. 
 Let us therefore look back, and examine what have 
 been the effects of each. 
 
 Infidelity first caused a whole nation to renounce 
 Christianity; and, by natural consequence, destroyed 
 religious hope and moral obligation ; that nation, in¬ 
 flamed with cupidity and lust of dominion, invaded oth¬ 
 er nations, deluged them with blood : and at last having 
 acquired the temporal power, would, like Papal Rome, 
 enslave the world, by its despotism. And the principle 
 of its despotism is the same ; namely, “To keep the 
 minds of men in the chain of darkness.” Thus do 
 Infidelity and Superstition lead to the same point, by 
 different ways. 
 
 The spiritual Religion of Christ hath, during the 
 same period, produced very considerable effects. 
 
 1. It hath promoted a knowledge of the Holy Scrip¬ 
 tures (the same effect which was produced at the Re¬ 
 formation,) and hath thereby cultivated, to a great ex- 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 351 
 
 tent, the principles of the Gospel. And, on this founda¬ 
 tion hath been built the practice of many excellent vir¬ 
 tues (some of them very seasonable in this age of rev¬ 
 olution,) such as, subordination, quiet conduct, loyalty, 
 and contentment. 
 
 2. It hath promoted, the instruction of the Poor. 
 The number of those among the lower classes, who 
 can read the Scriptures for themselves, is supposed to 
 have been more than doubled, within the last thirty 
 years. 
 
 3. It hath promoted a more general worship of God. 
 The volume of Praise and Thanksgiving which rises to 
 the Most High from voices in this land, constitutes an 
 acclamation, compared to the feeble sound at a period 
 not very remote. 
 
 4. It hath cultivated very extensively a critical knowl¬ 
 edge of the Holy Scriptures. A reverence for Hebrew 
 learning seems again to be restored to the nation ; for 
 persons, even in secular life, begin now to study the Bi¬ 
 ble in the original Tongues; as we know was the case 
 in a former age. 
 
 5. But this revival of religion has been productive of 
 another good, new and extraordinary in its nature ; not 
 confined to this country, or to the present time ; but 
 extending to remote nations and distant ages. 
 
 Christianity hath again, after a lapse of many ages, 
 assumed its true character as “ the Light of the world.” 
 We now behold it animated by its original spirit, which 
 was to extend its blessings “ to all nations.” The 
 Scriptures are preparing in almost every language, 
 and preachers are going forth into almost every clime. 
 Within the period of which we speak men have heard 
 the Gospel “ in their own tongue, wherein they were 
 born,” in India, throughout many of its provinces ; 
 in different parts of Africa ; in the interior of Asia ; 
 in the western parts of America ; in New Holland ; 
 and in the isles of the Pacific Sea ; in the West In¬ 
 dies, and in the northern regions of Greenland and 
 Labrador. Malays, Chinese, Persians, and Ara¬ 
 bians, begin now to hear, or read, in “ their own 
 tongues the wonderful works of God,” Acts ii, 11. 
 
 III. It is with propriety then that we distinguish the 
 
352 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 present period as a Third Era of Light in the Chris¬ 
 tian Dispensation. Yes, it is true, that while Infi¬ 
 delity, like the pillar of the cloud hanging over tl>e 
 Egyptians, Exod. xiv, 20, is rising in awful form, 
 threatening to involve the earth in darkness ; the Re¬ 
 ligion of Christ, on the other side, like “ a pillar of 
 Eire,” is giving light to the world. While Infidelity 
 is prostrating thrones, and forging chains for mankind, 
 the religion of the Messiah is diffusing its pure and 
 free spirit, like a copious stream, into the hearts of 
 men ; constraining them not only to cultivate its moral 
 and benevolent principles in their own country, (where¬ 
 by they resist Infidelity with the best weapons) but to 
 communicate them to others ; and to enrich, with high¬ 
 er blessings than those of commerce, the most distant 
 climes and nations. 
 
 Is it asked why this spirit for diffusing religious 
 knowledge did not sooner appear in this nation ; for it 
 seems scarcely to have been thought of at the era of 
 the Reformation ? The desire was not given, because 
 we had not the means. Our commerce had not ex¬ 
 tended to the uttermost parts of the earth. We had no 
 Empire in the East. Another reason was, The Rom¬ 
 ish Church held the world in chains. Its superstition 
 had supplanted us in almost every region. But by the 
 revolution of events, this obstacle is now nearly re¬ 
 moved. 
 
 It was an opinion delivered by Sir Isaac Newton, 
 after the study of the prophetical books, that the pow¬ 
 er of Superstition which had so long enslaved the 
 world, would at last be broken by the strong arm of 
 Infidelity. And we have just seen u this strong arm” 
 .give the last blow to the temporal power of Rome. 
 This loosens her hold upon remote nations. Now then 
 the fulness of time for enlightening the Gentiles seems 
 to be come, for the obstructions are nearly removed, 
 and the means are granted. And no sooner are the 
 means granted, than the desire is given ; and thus, 
 in every age, the great designs of the Almighty are 
 executed by the Sons of men. 
 
 But let us now inquire by whom it is that the Light 
 of Christianity is diffused throughout the heathen 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 553 
 
 world ? To whom has been assigned the honor of lead¬ 
 ing the way in. this undertaking ? 
 
 Our own Church acknowledged the object a hun¬ 
 dred years ago, and led the way. Two Societies 
 were incorporated for the purpose by the Royal sanc¬ 
 tion ; and Letters were written by the King of Great 
 Britain and by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the 
 humble Missionaries in the East, to animate, strength¬ 
 en, and encourage them in their important work.* ° 
 These Societies still exist, and prosecute the primary 
 objects of their institution. A mission in India has 
 been supported by “ the Society for promoting Christian 
 knowledge” with eminent success ; for it was under its 
 patronage that the Apostolic Swartz preached the 
 Gospel to men of “ different tongues, kindreds, and 
 nations.” 
 
 But it is evident that, at the present time, missions 
 are conducted to a greater extent by other societies than 
 by our own. When the Gospel was first preached to 
 the heathen, our Saviour gave the commission to indi¬ 
 viduals ; that is, they were not associated by any pow¬ 
 er of temporal empire. And it would appear as if it 
 were to be promulgated to the Gentiles a second time, 
 by the same means. But this is a subject which will oc¬ 
 cupy the serious attention of our Church. 
 
 T. he Chuich of Rome certainly considered it to be her 
 duty, as the Church of Christ, «to teach all nations.” 
 Now it has been so ordered that the Church of England 
 should possess at this time a greater facility of access 
 to the remotest nations, than Rome ever had in the plen¬ 
 itude of her power. While therefore we contemplate 
 with a benignant eye the laudable exertions of the sub¬ 
 ordinate Societies, it would well accord with the dignity 
 and character of the Church of England, to resume the 
 lead in this work ; and, standing as she does like a Pha¬ 
 ros among the nations, to be herself the Great Instru¬ 
 ment of Light to the world.t 
 Let this nation understand the voice of that Provi- 
 
 * See Letters in Appendix. 
 
 f t *. e sl " n .^ as Lights of the world, holding forth the word 
 ©i Life.” Phil, u, 16. 
 
 r f 2 
 
354 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 •dence which hath exalted her to such a height in the 
 view of mankind. It saith in the words of the text, 
 <c Let there be Light.” But when we speak of the 
 nation, we mean the Church; and the Voice of the 
 Church is to be heard at the Universities. Is not 
 this the University that gives the light of Science to 
 the world ? Let it also give the light of Religion. We 
 are proud to acknowledge that this Seat of Learning 
 hath already begun to diffuse the truth of Revelation in 
 the heathen world. Some of its members have already 
 gone forth to the East. Men of your own body, who 
 had acquired the very highest honors in science, are 
 now in that country engaged in translating the Scrip¬ 
 tures into the Oriental languages. And it would give 
 new ardor to their undertaking, to know that it meets 
 with your countenance and approbation. 
 
 But it will be proper to give some account of the 
 darkness which exists in heathen lands, that our na¬ 
 tion may feel it her duty to send forth the Light. For 
 it has been asserted by some that there is no darkness ; 
 at least among the idolaters of India ; and passages are 
 quoted from their ancient poetry to prove that their 
 morals are sublime and pure. It would however ap¬ 
 pear from passages in the Holy Scriptures, that the 
 nations addicted to Idolatry are not only involved in 
 darkness and error, but live in the commission of tur¬ 
 pitude and crime. In the Old Testament it is stated, 
 that u the dark places of the earth are full of the habi¬ 
 tations of cruelty and that “ even their sons and their 
 daughters they burn in the fire to Moloch ;”t and it 
 marks the prevailing characters of Idolatry to be these 
 two, Cruelty and Impurity. In the New Testament 
 the same characters are assigned to it; and are exem¬ 
 plified in the state both of the Greeks and Romans ; 
 of the Greeks in the fourth chapter to the Ephesians,! 
 and of the Romans in the first chapter of the Epistle 
 
 * Psalm lxxiv, 20. f Deut. xii, 31. 
 
 + St. Paul writes to the Greeks at Epbasus in these words : “ I 
 pay therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not 
 as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having- the 
 understanding darkened : who being- past feeling, have given 
 themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with 
 greediness.” Eph. iv, 19. 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 355 
 
 which is addressed to them: and this too in the period 
 of their learning and civilization. 
 
 If, then, turpitude and crime marked the idolatry of 
 the enlightened states of Greece and Rome, how- 
 much more may we expect to find them among the 
 ignorant and idolatrous nations of the present day ? I 
 resided many years in the heathen world, and was sat¬ 
 isfied, by casual observation, that the character of their 
 idolatry corresponded with that which is given in the 
 Scriptures. I resolved, however, to visit the chief seat 
 of the Hindoo religion, in order to examine the nature 
 of that Superstition which held so many millions in its 
 chain. For this purpose I made a journey to the 
 Great Temple of Juggernaut, in the province of 
 Orissa, which is to the Hindoos (what Mecca is to the 
 Mahomedans,) the strong hold and fountain-head of 
 their idolatry. I chose that season of the year when 
 there is the celebration of the great annual festival 
 called the Rutt Jattra. 
 
 On our entering the province of Orissa, we were 
 joined by many thousands of Pilgrims, who were pro¬ 
 ceeding to the Festival. Some of these come from re¬ 
 mote regions, with their wives and children, travelling 
 slowly in the hottest season of the year, and are some¬ 
 times upwards of two months on their journey. Ma¬ 
 ny of the Pilgrims die by the way; and their bodies 
 generally remain unburied ; so that the road to Jugger¬ 
 naut may be known for the last fifty miles, by the hu¬ 
 man bones which are strewed in the way. 
 
 On the great day of the Festival, the Idol was brought 
 out amidst the acclamations of hundreds of thousands 
 of his worshippers. He was seated on a lofty throne, 
 and surrounded by his Priests. After a short interval 
 of silence, we heard a murmur at a distance among 
 the multitude ; and behold a body of men, having green 
 branches and palms in their hands, advanced with 
 great speed. The people made way for them, and 
 when they had come up to the throne, they fell down 
 before the Idol that sat thereon and worshipped ; and 
 the multitude again sent forth an acclamation “ like the 
 voice of a great thunder.” 
 
 Tims the worship of the Idol began. But on this 
 
356 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 subject, we cannot recite particulars. Suffice it to say, 
 that this worship had the two characters before 
 mentioned. Men and women devoted themselves to 
 death before Moloch. I myself beheld the libations 
 of human blood. And I merely give you this short re¬ 
 cord, because I witnessed the fact. 
 
 I feel it my duty to state to you that these idolaters 
 are, in general, our own subjects; and that every man, 
 who can afford it, is obliged to pay a tribute to the Eng¬ 
 lish Government for leave to worship the Idol. This 
 is called the Revenue of the Temple ; and a civil officer, 
 supported by a military force, is appointed to collect 
 the Tax. Other temples in Hindostan have long been 
 considered as a legitimate source of a similar revenue. 
 The temple of Juggernaut is now under our own im¬ 
 mediate management and control. The law enacted 
 for this purpose is entitled “A regulation for levying a 
 Tax from Pilgrims resorting to the Temple of Jugger¬ 
 naut, and for the superintendance and management of 
 the Temple:” passed by the Bengal Government, 3d 
 April, 1806. It will give me sincere pleasure, if the 
 further investigation of this subject, shall tend in any 
 degree to soften the painful impression which the above 
 statement must make on the public mind. 
 
 There is another enormity of Hindoo superstition, 
 which is well known to you, and which I need not 
 describe; I mean the immolation of female victims on 
 the funeral pile. I shall only observe, that the num¬ 
 ber of these unfortunate persons who thus perish an¬ 
 nually in our own territories, is so great, that it would 
 appear incredible to those who have not inquired into 
 the fact. The scene is indeed remote ; but these are 
 our own subjects, and we have it in our power to re¬ 
 dress the evil. There is a time appointed by the Di¬ 
 vine Providence (according to the Prophetic record) 
 to every nation, for its amelioration and felicity. Such 
 a time came to our nation, when the light of Christian¬ 
 ity visited it, for our altars were once polluted by hu¬ 
 man sacrifices. The same happiness, we would hope, 
 is now come for India. If it should be said that the 
 sacrifice of women cannot be abolished, it will be a 
 sufficient answer to state, that \vhen the Mahomedans 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 357 
 
 were in power, they did abolish it partly: and the 
 Brahmins themselves have suggested means to us by 
 whiph, in the course of time, it may be entirely abol¬ 
 ished. But the proper answer for the present is to ask 
 another question : Has the subject ever been officially 
 inquired into ? 
 
 For many years this nation was reproached for tol¬ 
 erating the Slave Trade. Many books were written 
 on the subject: and the attention of the Legislature 
 was at length directed to it. Some asserted that the 
 abolition of it was impracticable , and some that it was 
 impolitic ; but it was found on an investigation of the 
 traffic, that it was defended because it was lucrative : 
 and a humane nation abolished it. But let us ask, 
 What is there in buying and selling men compared to 
 our permitting thousands of women, our own subjects, 
 to be every year burned alive, without inquiring in¬ 
 to the cause, and without evidence of the necessity ? 
 Or what can be compared to the disgrace of regulat¬ 
 ing by Christian law the bloody and obscene rites of 
 Juggernaut ? 
 
 1 he honor of our nation is certainly involved in this 
 matter. But there is no room for the language of crim¬ 
 ination or reproach ; for it is the Sin of ignorance. 
 These facts are not generally known. And they are 
 not known, because there has been no official inquiry. 
 Could the great Council of the nation witness the 
 darkness which I have seen, there would be no dissen¬ 
 tient voice as to the duty of giving light. 
 
 It is properl should add, in justice to that honorable 
 body of men who administer our Empire in the East, 
 that they are not fully informed as to these facts.* 
 
 But there is a two-fold darkness in the East which it 
 is proper to specify. There is the darkness ofpagan- 
 
 * In regard to the Idol-Tax, the principle of the enormity, it 
 is said, has never been fully explained to the Government at 
 home. It was admitted by the Indian Government many years 
 ago without reference, 1 believe in the first instance, to England > 
 and possibly the reference may now appear in the books under 
 some specious or general name, which is not well understood. 
 The Honorable the Court of Directors will feel as indignant, on a 
 full developement of the fact, as any public body in the nation. 
 
358 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 ism ; and there is the darkness of the Romish Super¬ 
 stition in pagan lands. 
 
 Christianity, under almost any modification, is cer¬ 
 tainly a benefit to mankind ; for it prevents the perpe¬ 
 tration of the bloody rites of Idolatry. But the cor¬ 
 rupted Christianity to which we allude has established 
 its Inquisition in the East, and has itself shed blood. 
 About the time when the Protestant Bishops suffered 
 in our own country, the Bishops of the ancient Syrian 
 Church became martyrs to the same faith in India. 
 From that time to this the mournful bell of the Inqui¬ 
 sition has been heard in the mountains of Hindostan. 
 The inquisitions in Europe have gradually lost their 
 power by the increase of civilization ; but this cause 
 has not operated equally in India, which is yet, in 
 many parts, in a state of barbarism. Though the po¬ 
 litical power of the Romish Church has declined, its 
 ecclesiastical power remains in India, and will proba¬ 
 bly endure for a long period to come.* The Inquisi¬ 
 tion at Goa is still in operation, and has captives in its 
 dungeon.f 
 
 A Protestant Establishment is wanted in our Em¬ 
 pire in the East, not only to no honor to Christianity 
 (for in many places in Hindostan the natives ask wheth¬ 
 er we have a God, and whether we worship in a Tem¬ 
 ple,) but to counteract the influence of the ecclesiasti¬ 
 cal power of Rome : for in some provinces of Asia, 
 that power is too strong for the religion of Protestants, 
 and for the unprotected and defenceless missionaries.!: 
 
 * Since the delivery of this Discourse I have with pleasure 
 observed, in the recent Treaty between his Majesty and the Prince 
 Regent of Portugal, an article by which that Prince engages that 
 the Inquisition shall not hereafter be established in the South 
 American dominions. Does not this alford a reasonable hope that 
 we may ere long behold that engine of Superstition abolished in 
 Portugal ? 
 
 f See Appendix. Inquisition of Goa. 
 
 4: The influence of the Romish Church in India is far greater 
 than is generally imagined ; or than our Government has hither¬ 
 to had any means of ascertaining. Though the political power is 
 almost extinct, the religion remains in its former vigor. And on 
 this fact is founded a strong argument for the policy of promoting 
 the Christian Instruction of our native subjects. “ Although the 
 Portuguese, for instance, possess but little territory in continen- 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 359 
 
 But, besides the tyranny of the Inquisition, there is 
 in some of the Romish provinces a corruption of Chris¬ 
 tian doctrine which is scarcely credible. In certain 
 places the rites and ceremonies of Moloch are blend¬ 
 ed with the worship of Christ.* 
 
 It is surely our duty to use the means we possess of 
 introducing a purer Christianity into our Empire in 
 the East.f I shall mention one circumstance which 
 may well animate our exertions. A large province of 
 Romish Christians in the South of India, who are 
 now our subjects, are w illing to receive the Bible ; and 
 this too, under the countenance of the Romish Bishop, 
 an Italian, and a man of liberal learning. And Prov¬ 
 idence hath so ordered it, that a translation of the 
 Scriptures hath been just prepared for them. This 
 Translation has been made by the Bishop of the Syrian 
 Church. Yes, my brethren, a Bishop of the ancient 
 Church of Christ in India, has translated the Holy 
 Scriptures into a new language. That venerable man, 
 who did not know, till lately, that there was a pure 
 church in the Western world, is now pressing before 
 many learned men in the West, in promoting the know¬ 
 ledge of the religion of Christ.:}: 
 
 tal India, yet their hold on the native affections is incalculably 
 stronger than that of Britain, though in the zenith of her politi¬ 
 cal power; and were that power to be annihilated, as that of the 
 Portuguese now is, it would scarcely be known, in respect of any 
 hold which Britain has on the native mind, that she had ever set 
 foot in Tndia.” 
 
 “ This impolicy astonishes those who have acted with success 
 on the opposite system A lloman Catholic, high in spiritual au¬ 
 thority in India, expressed his utter amazement that the British 
 Government should not act on a better policy : and declared that, 
 in consequence of the hold which Christianity had obtained 
 through the Roman Church on the minds of the natives ; there 
 were seven millions of British subjects in India, with whose 
 sentiments he had the means of becoming perfectly acquainted, 
 and over whose minds he could exercise a commanding control.” 
 
 See Tenth Annual Report of “ Society for Missions to Africa 
 and the East,” just published: containing the communications 
 of Sir Alexander Johnstone, Chief Justice of Ceylon, p. 78. 
 * At Aughoor, near Tritchinopoly, and in other places, 
 f See in Appendix, J.etter of the Bishop of Landaff, on the ex¬ 
 pediency of an Ecclesiastical Establishment for British India, 
 t See Appendix. Account of Syrian Christians 
 
360 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 We have now taken a review of three Eras of Light 
 in the Christian dispensation. Do you require further 
 evidence of this being a Third Era? Behold Societies 
 forming in every principal City of Great Britain for 
 the purpose of giving the Bible to all nations! Do 
 you ask further proof ? Behold the Christian Church 
 beginning, after a delay of eighteen centuries, to in¬ 
 struct the Jew's, and to attempt the conversion of the 
 ancient people of God. Why did not the Church di¬ 
 rect her attention sooner to this great undertaking ? 
 It was because the Era of Light had not arrived. 
 
 This learned body have it in their power greatly to 
 promote the extension of Christianity among the Jews. 
 Men have begun to preach the Gospel to that people 
 without giving them the Gospel in their own lan¬ 
 guage. A Translation of the New Testament into 
 the Hebrew tongue would be a gift worthy of our Uni¬ 
 versity to present to them. It must appear strange 
 to us, on a retrospect of the fact, that during so long 
 a period, Christians should have reproached the Jews 
 for not believing the New Testament, and yet never 
 have put that volume into their hands in their own 
 language, that they might know v'hat they were to 
 believe 1* This conduct of Christians might be called 
 an infatuation , were it not prophesied that thus it 
 should be. They did not think of giving the Gospel 
 
 * Translations of portions of the New Testament into different 
 dialects of the Hebrew language have been made by different per¬ 
 sons at different times ; but these have been rather intended as ex¬ 
 ercises for the scholar, or for the use of the learned, than for the 
 use of the Jews. The Romish Church printed a version of the 
 Gospels in Hebrew, and the whole Syriac New Testament in the 
 Hebrew character; but it would not give the book to that people 
 who could read it. In Spain and Portugal they condemned the 
 Jew's to the flames, for professing Judaism, but they would not 
 give them the New Testament that they might learn Christianity. 
 The English Church, which has succee ded the Romish Church as 
 first in influence and dignity, has not, as yet, given the New Tes¬ 
 tament. to the Jew's. The Church of Scotland has not given it. 
 The chief praise is due to some of the Protestant divines in Univer¬ 
 sities on the Continent, who published some parts of the New Tes¬ 
 tament in what is call, d German Hebrew, and dispersed copies 
 among the Jews, as they bad opportunity. It is encouraging to 
 know that even this partial attempt was not without success. 
 
THE ERAS 03? LIGHT. 
 
 361 
 
 to a people of whom the Prophet had said, a that they 
 should be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth 
 for their hurt, to be a reproach, and a proverb, and 
 a taunt, and a curse,” Jer. xxiv, 9. But we can now 
 “ speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her 
 that her wareare is accomplished for it is prophe¬ 
 sied again, “ That blindness in part is happened to 
 Isiael, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in,” 
 Rom. xi, 25. By this prophecy we see that the con¬ 
 version of the Jews is connected with that of the Gen¬ 
 tiles : and is to be, if not contemporaneous, at least, 
 an immediate consequent. But the conversion of the 
 Gentiles has already commenced; and commenced 
 with most remarkable success. And now, behold the 
 preparation for the conversion of the Jews ! Add to 
 this, the Jews themselves contemplate some change to 
 be at hand. It is certainly true that both among the 
 Jews in the East and in the West there is, at this 
 time, an expectation of great events in regard to their 
 own nation. It is not unlike that expectation, which 
 pervaded the Roman Empire before the coming of the 
 Messiah. 
 
 We are now to notice a remarkable peculiarity in all 
 these three Eras of Light. 
 
 In the first Era, when our Saviour preached his 
 own Gospel, and performed wonderful works, there 
 were some who denied that the work was from God ; 
 and he was said to be li beside himself; and to do 
 these works by the power of the prince of darkness.” 
 But our Lord’s answer to them was in these words, 
 
 I he works that I do, bear witness of me, that the 
 Father hath sent me,” John v, 36. And when the 
 Apostle Paul preached the Gospel of Christ, he was 
 accounted “ a fool for Christ’s sake : he was reviled 
 persecuted, and defamed,” 1 Cor. iv, 10. But he 
 could appeal to the great work which he performed 
 |; tne 5 deliverance ot the Gentiles from darkness to 
 
 In the second Era, at the Reformation, Luther and 
 those other great Teachers whom God so highly honor¬ 
 ed, were also called Enthusiasts, and were accused of a 
 flagrant and misguided zeal. But « the works which 
 
 G g 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 562 
 
 they did” testified that they were sent of God, as Am¬ 
 bassadors of Christ, of which the conversion of our own 
 nation is an evidence to this day. 
 
 In the Third Era of Light, those eminent persons 
 who were chiefly instrumental in diffusing it, were in 
 like manner called Enthusiasts. But “ the works which 
 they did, testify that they were also Ambassadors of 
 Christ,” and “ able ministers of the New Testament,’* 
 preaching unto men the doctrine of life ; of which, re¬ 
 mote nations as well as our own, will bear witness at a 
 future day. 
 
 For let us dispassionately contemplate the works that 
 have followed the revival of Religion in this country. 
 We now stand at some distance, and can survey the ob¬ 
 ject in all its parts, and in its just proportion. We sta¬ 
 ted these works to be, 
 
 1. An increased knowledge of the Holy Scriptures; 
 producing 
 
 2. A cultivation of the principles of the Gospel, and 
 the practice of the virtues of subordination, loyalty, and 
 contentment. 
 
 3. The almost universal instruction of the poor : so 
 that it may be truly said, “ The poor have the Gospel 
 preached to them.” 
 
 4. The more general worship of God in our land. 
 
 5. The publication of the Bible in new languages ; 
 and, 
 
 6. The promulgation of Christianity among all na¬ 
 tions ; to Jews and to Gentiles. 
 
 Are these works of darkness ? Are they not rather 
 the works which are called in Scripture “ the fruits of 
 the Spirit ?” Let a man beware how he arraigns or 
 contemns those works which he may not perfectly 
 comprehend, lest peradventure he should speak a word 
 against the operation of God the Holy Ghost. There 
 are many at this day who say they believe in one God. 
 These may be Deists and others. There are many 
 who say they believe in God the Son, after a certain 
 manner. These may be Socinians, and Pelagians. 
 But the true criterion oLthe faith of a Christian at this 
 day, is to acknowledge the continued influences of 
 God the Holy Ghost. “ By this shall ye know them.” 
 
THE ERAS Of LIGHT. 
 
 362 
 
 For the Apostle Paul hath said, “ That no man can 
 say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost,” 
 1 Cor. xii, 3. And our Saviour hath said that the Holy 
 Ghost shall abide with his Church “ tor ever.” John 
 xiv, 16. 
 
 But those who deny the influence of the Holy 
 Spirit; will also deny the works of the Spirit. What 
 more undeniable work of the Spirit can be visible in 
 the Church of Christ than the sending forth preachers 
 to preach the everlasting Gospel to the heathen world ? 
 What nobler or purer work of righteousness can be 
 imagined than the giving the Holy Bible to all na¬ 
 tions ? and yet there are many who behold both un¬ 
 dertakings with indifference, or even hostility. Oth¬ 
 ers there are who, professing a purer theology, can¬ 
 not deny the truth and justice of the principle, but 
 they argue against the way : they contend for the 
 old way ; as if a man should think to evangelize the 
 world after the fashion of his own parish. They say 
 they would conduct these new a»d grand designs after 
 the old precedent; when the truth is, there has been no 
 precedent lor what is now doing, in its present extent, 
 for nearly eighteen centuries past. Christ and his 
 Apostles established the first and great precedent. 
 
 It may be expected that those who deny the con¬ 
 tinued influences of the Holy Spirit in the Church, 
 will deny that the present is an Era of Light. When 
 Christ came, who was “ the Light of the world,” there 
 were many who denied that any Light had come. 
 When the Truth shone a second time at the Reforma¬ 
 tion, there were many who perceived it not. And 
 though the bright beams of Light at the present peri¬ 
 od far transcend those of the Reformation, there are 
 many who behold them not. They wonder indeed 
 to see various Societies, which have no connexion 
 with each other, engaged in pursuing the same object. 
 They behold men of different nations and of different 
 languages, animated by the same spirit, promoting the 
 same design, encountering the same difficulties, perse¬ 
 vering with the same ardor, giving and not receiving, 
 expending money, time, and labor, in an undertaking 
 in which there is no self-interest ; and all agreeing 
 
364 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 in one common voice, Let there be Light. All 
 this they behold, and they wonder: but they do not 
 believe. And thus it is written ; “ Behold, ye despi- 
 sers, and wonder, and perish ; for I work a work in 
 your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, 
 though a man declare it unto you,” Acts xiii, 41. 
 
 A violent but ineffectual attempt was made some 
 time ago to impede the progress of this work. But 
 the current was strong and deep, and these momentary 
 obstructions served merely to increase its force. “ There 
 is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the 
 city of God,” Psalm xlvi, 4. No human power can 
 stop its course. Many who are yet hostile to this un¬ 
 dertaking will shortly join in it. We believe that the 
 strength of the nation will soon be with it: and that all 
 hope of resisting it, entertained by unbelieving men, 
 will be disappointed. For the prophecy hath gone 
 forth, “ He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh ; the 
 Lord shall have them in derision. I will declare the 
 decree : Thou art my Son, I shall give thee the hea¬ 
 then for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts 
 of the earth for thy possession,” Psalm ii, 8. 
 
 It is of vast consequence to the purity and perpetu¬ 
 ity of our Church that those Students who are prepar¬ 
 ing to enter it, should have just views on this subject. 
 There is one fact which ought frequently to be illustra¬ 
 ted to them, as being the foundation, on which they 
 are to form a judgment on this and other parts of the 
 divine dispensation. It is the following. 
 
 It is an undeniable truth, constantly asserted by 
 Scripture, and demonstrated by experience, that there 
 have ever been two descriptions of persons in the 
 Church. They are denominated by our Saviour, “ the 
 children of light and the children of this world ;” and 
 again, “ the children of the wicked one, and the chil¬ 
 dren of the kingdom.” Matt, xiii, 38. These different 
 terms originate entirely from our receiving or not re¬ 
 ceiving that illumination of understanding which God, 
 who cannot lie, hath promised to give to them that 
 ask him. For if a man supplicate the Father of Lights 
 for his “ good and perfect Gift” with a humble and be¬ 
 lieving spirit, he will soon be sensible of the effect in 
 
the eras of light,' 
 
 365 
 
 his own mind. He will begin to behold many things 
 m a view very different from what he did before; he 
 will devote himself to the duties of his profession with 
 alacrity and zeal, as to “ a labor of love ;” and his moral 
 conduct will be exemplary and pure, adorning that 
 Oospel which he is now desirous to preach. Another 
 consequence will be this. He will learn, for the first 
 time, what is meant by the reproach of the world, 
 r or men in general will not approve of the piety and 
 punty of his life ; and they will distinguish it by some 
 term of disparagement or contempt. 
 
 v L am r^ a . re , that man y who h a ve supplicated the 
 Father of Lights for “ the good and perfect gift,” and 
 who see, by the light that is in them, “a world lying 
 in wickedness,” 1 John v, 19, are yet induced to con¬ 
 ceal their sentiments in religion, or at least, are pre¬ 
 vented horn assuming a decided character in the pro¬ 
 fession of it, from the dread of reproach. But they 
 ought to remember that a term of reproach has now 
 become so general, and attaches to so slight a degree, 
 not only of religious zeal, but of moral propriety, that 
 no man who desires to maintain a pure character in his 
 holy office needs to be ashamed of it.* 
 
 * Xt is worthy of remark, that the names of reproach which 
 men of the world have given to religious men, have been jrene- 
 raUy derived from something highly virtuous or laudable. 
 
 Believers were first called Christians, as a term of re- 
 proaoh, after the name of Christ. They have been since called 
 Pietists from their piety, Puritans from their purity, and 
 Saints from their holiness. In the present day, their ministers 
 are called Evangelical, from their desire to “ do the work 
 of an Evangelist ” See 2 Tim. iv. 5. Thus, the evil spirit in the 
 damsel who followed Paul, cried out, by an impulse which he 
 could not resist, “ 1 hese men are the servants of the most high 
 
 God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.” Acts xvi 17 
 
 1 he most opprobrious epithet which the Jews thought they could 
 give our Saviour, was to call him a Samaritan. “ Thou art a Sa 
 maritan, and hast a devil,” John viii. 48. But our Saviour ha- 
 given a permanent honor to the name, by his parable of “ t | jt 
 good Samaritan.” 1 
 
 The usual name of religious reproach at this day is Metho¬ 
 dist ; a term first used at Oxford, and derived from the meth 
 od, which some religious Students observed in the employment 
 of their time. So far it is an honorable appellation. It is now 
 applied to any man of pure and unaffected piety, and is, in short 
 
 G g 2 ' 
 
56S 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 But there is another consideration for those who are 
 ordained to be ministers of Christ, namely, that this 
 Reproach seems to be ordained as a necessary evidence 
 in an evil world that their doctrine is true. For the 
 offence of the Cross will never cease. The Apostle 
 Paul was accused of being “ beside himself;” but his 
 only answer was this ; “ Whether we be beside our¬ 
 selves, it is to God ; or whether we be sober, it is for 
 your cause,” 2 Cor. v. 13. And let this be your an¬ 
 swer also. If the minister of Christ give no off ence to 
 “ the children of this world,” he has reason to suspect 
 the purity either of his doctrine or of his practice. 
 
 On the other hand, a corrupt theology has no offence 
 and no reproach. You have heard of a two-fold dark¬ 
 ness in the East. There is also a two-fold darkness in 
 the West. There is the darkness of Infidelity, and the 
 darkness of a corrupt Theology. Infidelity has slain 
 its thousands : but a corrupt Theology has slain its ten 
 thousands. 
 
 Let every Student of theology inquire whether the 
 religion he professes bear the true character. Instead 
 of shunning the reproach of Christ, his anxiety ought 
 to be, how he may prepare himself for that high and 
 sacred office which he is about to enter. Let him ex¬ 
 amine himself whether his views correspond, in any 
 degree, with the character of the ministers of Christ, 
 as recorded in the New Testament. “ Woe is unto 
 me, if I preach not the Gospel,” 1 Cor. ix, 16. Even 
 the Old Testament arrests the progress of the unquali¬ 
 fied and worldly-minded teacher. It is recorded that 
 when Dathan and Abiram invaded the priest’s office, 
 with a secular spirit, “the earth opened her mouth and 
 swallowed them up,” in the presence of Israel. This 
 
 another term for a Christian. Of the Methodists Paley says, 
 in his Evidences of Christianity, that in regard to piety to God, 
 and purity of life, they may be compared io “ the primitive Chris¬ 
 tians.” The name JYIethoilist in England was, for a time, as dis¬ 
 reputable as RoyalLt in France And indeed there is an analogy 
 in the character ; for Methodism implies Loyalty to “ the KmgcJf 
 kings.” And I am happy to add, in regard to that numerous body 
 of our fellow subjects who are called by that name, that it also 
 implies, after an experience ofhalf a century, pure loyalty to 
 an earthly Sovereign- 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 367 
 
 was written “ for our admonition,” that no man should 
 attempt to minister in holy things until he has cleansed 
 his heart from the impurities of life ; and is able to pub¬ 
 lish the glad tidings of salvation with unpolluted lips. 
 
 If the Student desire that God would honor his fu¬ 
 ture ministry, and make him an instrument for pre¬ 
 serving the unity of the Church, instead of his being 
 an instrument of secession from it, he will seek to 
 understand that pure doctrine of which our Lord 
 speaks, when he saith, “ He that will do the Will of 
 God shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.” 
 This is an Era of Light in the Church. Men are ar¬ 
 dent to hear the word of God. And if a thousand 
 churches were added to the present number, and “ en¬ 
 lightened by the doctrine of the Evangelist John,” they 
 would all be filled. Those who preach that doctrine 
 are the true defenders of the Faith, and the legiti¬ 
 mate supporters of the Church of England. If these 
 increase, the Church will increase. If these increase 
 in succeeding years in the same proportion as they 
 have hitherto done, it is the surest pledge that the 
 Church is to flourish for centuries to come, as she has 
 flourished for centuries past. And there is nothing 
 which forbids the hope that &he will be PERPETUAL ; 
 if she be the ordained Instrument of giving Light to 
 the world. 
 
 I shall now conclude this discourse with delivering 
 my testimony concerning the spiritual religion of 
 Christ. I have passed through a great part of the 
 world, and have seen Christianity, Judaism, Mahom- 
 edanism, and paganism in almost all their forms ; and 
 I can truly declare, that almost every step of my pro¬ 
 gress afforded new proof not only of the general truth 
 of the religion of Christ, but of the truth of that change 
 of heart in true believers which our Lord describes in 
 these words, “ Born of the Spirit;” and which the Evan¬ 
 gelist John calls, “Receiving an unction from the Ho¬ 
 ly One.” For even the heathens shew in their tradi¬ 
 tions and religious ceremonies, vestiges of this doc¬ 
 trine.* Every thing else that is called religion, in Pa- 
 
 * See The Star in the East. 
 
368 
 
 THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 gan or Christian lands, is a counterfeit of this. This 
 change of heart ever carries with it its own witnesses; 
 and it alone exhibits the same character among men of 
 every language and of every clime. It bears the fruit 
 of righteousness ; it affords the highest enjoyment of 
 life which was intended by God, or is attainable by 
 man ; it inspires the soul with a sense of pardon and of 
 acceptance through a Redeemer: it gives peace in 
 death ; and “ a sure and certain hope of the resurrection 
 unto eternal life.” 
 
 Let every man then, who hath any doubt in his 
 mind as to this change in the state of the soul in this 
 life, apply himself to the consideration of the subject. 
 For if there be any truth in revelation, this is 
 true. “ What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole 
 world and lose his own soul ?” What avails it that all 
 the treasures of science and literature are poured at 
 our feet, if we are ignorant of ourselves, of Christ, and 
 holiness ? The period is hastening which will put an 
 end to this world and all its distinctions ; which, like a 
 flood, will sweep away its applause and its frown, its 
 learning and its ignorance. The awful glories of the 
 last judgment will, ere long, appear ; when the humble 
 and penitent inquirer who has received by faith that 
 stupendous Grace which the doctrine of Christ reveals, 
 shall be eternally saved; while the merely speculative 
 student whose secret love of sin led to the rejection of 
 that doctrine, shall, notwithstanding his presumption of 
 final impunity, be, for ever, undone.f 
 
 I cannot permit myself to conclude, without expres¬ 
 sing my thanks for the very candid attention with which 
 you have been pleased to honor these discourses. I trust 
 that every word hath been spoken with a just deference 
 for the learned assembly before whom I preach for I 
 greatly covet your approbation, and I hope that I shall 
 obtain it. But I have a solemn account to render ; for 
 I have had many opportunities. And I desire to say 
 that, now, which my conscience shall approve, at that 
 hour when I shall be called to give an account of my 
 stewardship. 
 
 I pray that “ the Spirit of truth,” which our Saviour 
 
 * Forbes. 
 
THE ERAS OF LIGHT. 
 
 369 
 
 promised should abide with his people for ever, may 
 manifest his power amongst us, dispels the darkness of 
 ignorance and error, and “ guide our minds into all 
 Truth,” John xvi, 13. 
 
 To this Holy Spirit, w r ho, together with the Father 
 and the Son, is One God, be ascribed all honor and glo¬ 
 ry, power, might, majesty, and dominion, now and ever¬ 
 more. Amen. 
 
Dr. KERR’s REPORT. 
 
 — 0+0 - 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL ANTIQUITIES IN INDIA. 
 
 [We have been favoured by a respectable correspondent in India, 
 with a copy of a Report', presented by a pious clergyman, at 
 the request of the Governor of Madras, concerning the state of 
 the ancient Christians in Cochin and Travancore. This Report 
 is so curious and so interesting, that we shall give the whole of 
 it to our readers, assured that they will esteem it, as we do, a 
 most valuable and important document.] 
 
 London Evangelical Magazine. 
 
 REPORT of the Senior Chaplain of Fort St. George, to the Right 
 Honourable Lord William Bentinck, Governor of Madras, on 
 the state of the chrisMans inhabiting the kingdoms of Cochin, and 
 Travancore, undertaken by order of the supreme government 
 of Bengal. 
 
 “ Public Department. 
 
 “ To the Rev. Dr. Kerr, Senior Chaplain of Fort St. George . 
 
 " Rev. Sir, 
 
 “ The Right Honourable the Governor in Council, being de« 
 “ sirous of availing himself of your vicinity to the Malabar coast, 
 “ to obtain every possible information in regard to the establish- 
 “ ment, &c. of the Christian Religion in that part of the peninsula, 
 “ I am directed by his lordship in council, to desire that so soon 
 “ as the state of your health and the season will permit, you will 
 “ proceed to the provinces on that coast; and you will forward to 
 “ me, for the information of government, such accounts as you 
 ** may be able to collect, of the first introduction of Christianity 
 “ into India—of the arrival of the different sects who have been, 
 “ or may be, in existence—of their general history, and of the per- 
 “ secutions to which they may have been exposed—of their suc- 
 ** cess in making proselytes—of their church-establishment, and of 
 ** the source from which they are maintained, and with all other 
 “ circumstances connected with this important subject. 
 
 “ I have the honour to be, Rev. Sir, 
 
 “ Your most obedient humble servant, 
 cSigned) G. G. KEBLE, 
 
 Sec. to Government. 
 
 Fort St. George, June 28, 1806.” 
 
dr. kerr’s report. 
 
 ow 1 
 O ( 1 
 
 “ To the Right Honourable Lord William C. Bentinck, Governor in 
 
 Council, &c. Uc. 
 
 “ My Lord, 
 
 “ When at Mysore, I was honoured by the receipt of Mr. sec¬ 
 retary KeDie’s letter, dated the 28th June last; and finding my gen¬ 
 eral health much improved, I resolved to proceed to the Malabar 
 coast,_ in search of the information required by your lordship in 
 council, regarding the Christians inhabiting that part of the penin¬ 
 sula: an investigation which I have found as interesting as it is 
 important, whether, it regards humanity at large, or as it is con¬ 
 nected, in a political view, with the British interests in this coun¬ 
 try. 
 
 “ To view the extensive field pointed out for my inquries mi¬ 
 nutely, would require much more of my time than could be well 
 spared from my other public avocations ; and as I learned that the 
 Rev. Dr Buchanan was nominated by the government of Bengal, 
 to travel over the same ground, for purposes somewhat similar, I 
 did not think it incumbent on me to take up more than a general 
 view of the subject, and I directed my attention accordingly not 
 so much to details as to matters of comprehensive import. 
 
 The first object to which the orders of government refer, is to 
 an account of the introduction of Christianity into this country. 
 
 . “ There can be no doubt whatever, that the St. Thome Chris- 
 tians settled on the Malabar coast at a very early period of the 
 Christian church; from whence they, at one time, spread in various 
 directions as far even as Mileapoor, and St. Thomas’s Mount; but 
 to derive authentic information as to the time of their arrival, is at 
 present no easy task 
 
 “ From the confusion arising from the imperfection of Hindoo 
 chronology, from the desire which these Christians have to derive 
 their origin from the earliest possible times, (which may perhaps 
 have introduced false traditions amongst them,) and as all their 
 authentic records are reported to have been destroyed during the 
 persecutions of the church of Rome ; from all these circumstances, 
 whether we refer to the Hindoo accounts, to the St Thome Chris¬ 
 tians themselves, or to their persecutors, the Roman Catholics, we 
 are not likely to arrive at any certain conclusion as to the exact 
 time of their establishment in Malabar. Some circumstances, 
 however, may be collected from undoubted authority by which it 
 may be inferred, that they have been for nearly fifteen centuries 
 established in India ; for we find, in ecclesiastical history, that at 
 the first council at Nice, in the year 325, a bishop from India was 
 amongst the number composing tliat memorable synod; and, in 
 tnc cieeds and doctrines ot the Christians of Malabar, internal evi¬ 
 dence exists of their being' a primitive church ; for the supremacv 
 of the Pope is denied, and the doctrine of Transubstantiation nev¬ 
 er has been held by them : and they regarded, and still regard the 
 worship of images as idolatrous, and the doctrine of purgatory to 
 be fabulous : moreover they never admitted as sacraments extreme 
 unction, marriage, or confirmation : all which facts may besubstan- 
 
DR. KERR’S REPORT. 
 
 O l 
 
 tiated on reference to the acts of the synod established by Don 
 Alexis de Meneses, archbishop of Goa, at Udiamper, in the year 
 1599. 
 
 " The history of this council will be found most ably detailed 
 in a. work printed in French, and entitled, “ The history of Chris¬ 
 tianity in India,” published at the Hague, in the year 1724, by La 
 Croze, thecelebrated librarian to the King of Prussia. 
 
 “ The object of this work was to deduce, from authentic ma¬ 
 terials, the rise, progress, and establishment of Christianity in the 
 East; and to hold up to disgrace, and to merited indignation, the 
 bigoCed and unworthy conduct of the Roman Catholic church, in 
 the persecution set on foot by her emissaries, under her avowed 
 sanction, against the primitive Christians, who were found settled 
 on the coast of Malabar ; and La Croze seems to have discharged 
 his duty to the public in a most faithful, interesting, and able 
 manner. 
 
 “ When the Portuguese first arrived in this country, in the be¬ 
 ginning of the sixteenth century, they found a Christian church 
 using the Syrio-Chaldaic language, established in the neighbour¬ 
 hood of Cranganore ; and, though it was published to the world 
 many centuries before that period, that such a church existed, yet 
 we find their ignorance expressed in the wonder which it excited. 
 
 “ These Christians met the Portuguese as natural friends and 
 allies, and rejoiced at their coming; but the Portuguese were 
 much disappointed at finding the St. Thome Christians firmly fix¬ 
 ed in the tenets of a primitive church ; and soon adopted plans 
 for drawing away from their pure faith this innocent, ingenuous, 
 and respectable people : however, after using for nearly a centu¬ 
 ry, all the customary arts and abominable persecutions of the 
 church of Rome to no purpose, Don Alexis de Meneses, the arch¬ 
 bishop of Goa, appeared amongst them; and, by his command¬ 
 ing influence, his zeal, and his learning, and on the authority 
 of what he called the council of Udiamper, forced the Syrian 
 Metropolitan, his priests, and people, into the Roman pale. The 
 archbishop, however, had not long quitted the scene of this tri¬ 
 umph of bigotry, ere the people sighed for their old religion, 
 and cherished it in private ; but on the 22d of May, 1653, they 
 held a Congress at Alingatte, and great numbers, headed by their 
 Metropolitan, revolted publicly from the Romish communion ; 
 nor has all the influence of the Roman Pontiff, and the kings of 
 Portugal, been able to draw them away again from their old 
 faith. 
 
 “ Leaving the history of this interesting people, which is af- 
 fectingly delineated in La Croze’s book, I shall in this report, con¬ 
 fine myself more particularly to the existing state of Christianity 
 in Malabar; and, in order that your lordship may have the sub¬ 
 ject clearly before you, I shall consider each sect of Christians 
 by itself, under the head of, 1st, St. Thome, or Jacobite Christians; 
 —2dly, The Syrian Catholics, who have been forcedfrom the Jac¬ 
 obite Church into the lioHlish pale; and, 3dly, The Latin Church. 
 
Bit. KERRIS REPORT. 
 
 373 
 
 St. Thome, or Jacobite Christians. 
 
 tc These people, who still retain their ancient creed and usage$» 
 consider themselves as the descendants of the flock established 
 by St. Thomas, who is generally esteemed the Apostle of the 
 East.. Their ancestors emigrated from Syria, and the Syrio-Chal- 
 daic is the language in which their church service is still per¬ 
 formed. They admit no images within their churches, but a fig. 
 ure of the Virgin Mary, with the child Jesus in her arms, which 
 is considered merely as an ornament, and not a subject for adol- 
 atrous worship They are generally denominated by the country- 
 people, Nazaranee Mapiiles. Naz&ranee is obviously derived 
 from iMazaretu ; but the origin of the word JWapillah is variously 
 accounted for; by some it is ingeniously supposed to refer to the 
 Virgin and Child, the only image admitted within their churches; 
 as J/a implies Mother, in various languages, derived from the 
 Shanscnt; and Pillah, Child. Others again, construe the term 
 to indicate the rank originally conferred on these Christians by 
 the sovereign of Malabar. Poolali signifies a class, in a state sy¬ 
 nonymous with our secretaries. Ma or JMaha signifies preat or 
 superior. The term Mapillah is indiscriminately applied to Jews 
 and Musselmen as to these Christians, distinguishing each by the 
 prehx of the Jew, Syrian, or Nazarenee, or Musselman. 
 
 It is certain that grants of honour and emolument were former¬ 
 ly possessed by these Christians, given to them by a king of Mal¬ 
 abar, named Peremaul, engraven on copper, five of which enerav- 
 mgs are still in existence ; a facsimile of which I have seen in the 
 possession of the Resident of Traveneore. 
 
 “ It has been long believed, that these Christians held the te¬ 
 nets of the Nestonan heresy, and that they were obliged to leave 
 their own country in consequence of persecution : however it ac- 
 pears that the creed which thev now follow denies that heresy 
 and seems to coincide in several points with the creed of Sr* 
 Athanasius, but without its damnatory clauses, 
 
 “ Baron Von Wrede has written a memoir on the subject of 
 diese Christians which appeared in the 7th volume of the Asiatic 
 Researches, and which has the merit of calling our attention to 
 t n se people , though it is no better than a lame transcript of infer 
 mat mn which may be fully and satisfactorily obtained in LaCroze’s 
 book, from whence every material part of that memoir is obviously 
 taken; indeed, wherever the Baron departs from his au hor hi 
 becomes less interesting, or misleads his reader. That the chris! 
 turns in Malabar were early taught the tenets of Nc-storius is 
 proved by La Croze, on the direct authority of Cosmas, an Egyn- 
 t .an merchant, (himself a Nestorian,) who published hi. voyaife L 
 India m the year 547 It seems, however^ not improblbfe' ,hit 
 Christians had been planted in these shores, long before the time 
 f Nestorius, and, 1 am inclined to regard the tradition of its ha¬ 
 il h 
 
374 DR. KERIt’s REPORT.' 
 
 ving spread hither in the age of the Apostles, as very far from 
 fabulous.* 
 
 “ With respect to their religious tenets, writers may and will 
 disagree : upon such subjects human reason avails nothing The 
 disputes which on these points have agiled the world, are in gen¬ 
 eral no better than the perverse offspring of verbal differences. 
 
 “ The following is a version of the present creed of these peo¬ 
 ple, being a written communication from the Metropolitan to the 
 Resident at Travancore : 
 
 “ In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, We, the 
 “ Christians, believers in the religion of Jesus Christ, subject to 
 “ the Jurisdiction of Mar Ignatius, patriarch of Antioch, being 
 “ loyalf Jacobians, hold the following creed : 
 
 “ We believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three persons 
 “ in one God, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the 
 “ substance, one in three, and three in one. 
 
 “ The Father generator,—the Son generated,—and the Holy 
 “ Ghost proceeding’. 
 
 “ None is before nor after other in Majesty, honour, might, and 
 ,f power ; co-equal, unity in trinity, and trinity in unity. 
 
 " We do not believe with Aerius and Eunomius, that there are 
 “ three different and separate substances 
 
 “ We do not believe, as Sabellius believes, by confusion of sub* 
 “ stance. 
 
 “ We do not believe, as Macedonius said, that the Holy Ghost 
 “ is less than the Father and Son. 
 
 “ We do not believe, as Mawney andi: Marcianus said, that the 
 “ body of Christ was sent down from heaven. 
 
 “ We do not believe, as Julianus§ said, that Christ was only 
 “ man. 
 
 * Eusebius informs us, that there were Christians in India as early as the year 183, 
 who had the Gospel of St. Matthew in Hebrew, which they declared was received 
 from St. Bartholomew. 
 
 + Eastern Christians, who renounce the communion of the Greek church, who 
 differ from it both in doctrine and worship, may be comprehended under two distinct 
 classes. To the former belong the Monophysites or Jacobites, so called from Jacob 
 Albardai, who declare it as their opinion, that in the Saviour of the world there is on¬ 
 ly one nature ; while the latter comprehends the followers of Nestorius, frequently 
 called Chaldeans, fr6m the country, where they principally reside, and who suppose 
 that there are two distinct persons or natures in the Son of God. The Monophysites 
 arc subdivided into two sects or parties, the one African and the other Asiatic. At 
 the head of the Asiatics is the patriarch of Antioch, w ho resides for the most part in 
 the monastry of St. Ananias, which is situated near the city of Merdin, and sometimes 
 at Merdin, his Episcopal seat ; as also at Amida. Aleppo, and other Syrian cities. 
 The government of this prelate is too extensive, and the churches over which he pre¬ 
 sides too numerous, to admit of his performing himself all the duties of his high of¬ 
 fice ; and. therefore, a part of the administration of the pontificate is given to a bind 
 of colleague, who is called the Maphrain, or Primate of the East, and whose doctrines 
 and discipline are said to he adopted by the eastern church beyond the Tigris This 
 primate used formerly to reside at Tauris, a city on the frontiers of Armenia: but 
 his present habitation is the monastry of St. Matthew, which is in the neighbourhood 
 of Monsul, a city of Mesopotamia. It is further observable, that all the patriarchs of 
 the Jacobites assume the denomination of Ig'natius —Moslteim. vol. 4. Seaton si. Vage 
 257. 
 
 t These I sunnose might be Manes and Marci&n, 
 
 y Perhaps Julian, Bishop of Halicarnassus. 
 
DR. KERR’s REPORT. 
 
 5 75 
 
 <! We do not iiold, as Nestorius, the doctrine of two natures, and 
 two substances in the Messiah. 
 
 “ We do not believe as the Chalcedonians said, that there are 
 two natures in the Messiah. 
 
 (( “ IJ,U we believe by the doctrine of the Trinity, that the Son is 
 ‘ coequal with the Father, without beginning- or end—that in the 
 ‘‘ appointed time, through the disposition of the Father and Holy 
 Ghost, without disjoining from the right side of the Father, he 
 appeared on earth for the salvation of mankind—that he was 
 born of the Virgin Mary, through the means of the Holy Ghost, 
 „ a " d was incarnate, God and man. So that in the union of the 
 divine and human nature, there was one nature and one substance. 
 ** So we believe ” 
 
 I lie service in their church is performed verv nearly after the 
 manner of the church of England : and when the Metropolitan was 
 told that it was hoped that one day an union might take place be- 
 tween the two churches, he seemed pleased at the suggestion. 
 
 The present Metropolitan Mar Dionisius, is now old and in. 
 firm, bat a very respectable character, and of the most venerable 
 and prepossessing appearance. A person has been sent from 
 Mousul.a city m Mesopotamia,to succeed to his station, in the event 
 of lus decease; but this stranger, ignorant of the language of the 
 country, with the character of being violent in his temper? and not 
 averse, as it is supposed, to the views of the Romish church, it is 
 to be hoped, will be prevented from ever taking charge of this pre¬ 
 cious remnant of a pure and valuable people. 
 
 _ “ The Metropolitan has several archdeacons and deaeous under 
 lum, who act as Vicar-Generals. They have fifty-five churches - 
 and the number of their people, as given in to the Resident, is esti¬ 
 mated at 23,000. 
 
 ‘‘ Ihe residence of their Metropolitan is at Candenatte, twelve 
 or fourteen miles inland from Cochin. In seme of their churches 
 divine service is performed in the Syrian and Latin ritual alter- 
 nately by the priests of the Christians of St. Thome, who have ad- 
 SA ancient rites, and those who have been united to the 
 chuich of Rome. When the latter have celebrated mass, they 
 carry away the images from the church before the others enter. 7 
 The character of these people is marked by a striking superi- 
 onty over the Heathens in every moral excellence ; and they are 
 l emarkable for their veracity and plain dealing. They are extr eme- 
 
 Lt P , 1 ; ell£ ' , ? US duties ’ and abide b > the decision of 
 
 then Pi lests and Metropolitan in all cases, whether in spiritual, or, 
 
 as I heard, in temporal affairs. They are respected very highly by 
 the Nairs, who do not consider themselves defiled by associating 
 with them, hough it is well known that the Nairs are the most par? 
 ticulai of all the Hindoos in this respect; and the Rajahs of Travan. 
 
 CkrisUaa 1£,Jerality 5 very m * ient 
 
276 
 
 DR. KERR’S REPORT. 
 
 core and Cochin, admit them to rank next to Nairs. Their num¬ 
 bers, it is conjectui’ed, are under-rated in the statement given to 
 the resident, as it is generally supposed that they may be estimated 
 at 70 or 80,000. They are not persecuted ; but they are not per¬ 
 mitted to make converts, by the governments under which they re¬ 
 side ; and it is supposed, that many respectable Hindoos would be 
 happy to join their sect, were it not for this circumstance but at 
 present they suffer, as far as I can learn, no other hardship. 
 
 “ If good men from Syria could be obtained, not as parish priests, 
 but to superintend and regulate their concerns, I conceive it would 
 be a great blessing to these good people. 
 
 “ The direct protection of the British government has been al¬ 
 ready extended to them; but as they do not reside within the 
 British territories, I am some what doubtful how far it may be of 
 use to them. 
 
 “To unite them to the church of England, would, in my opin¬ 
 ion, be a most noble work ; and it is most devoutly to be wished 
 for, that those who have been driven into the Roman pale might be 
 recalled to their ancient church ; a measure which it would not, 
 I imagine, be difficult to accomplish, as the country governments 
 would, it is supposed, second any efforts to that purpose. 
 
 “ Their occupations are various as those of other Christians ; 
 but they are. chiefly cultivators and avtizans ; and some of them 
 possess a comfortable, if not a splendid independence. Their 
 clergy marry in the same manner as Protestants. Their resi¬ 
 dence is entirely inland. 
 
 Syrian Homan Catholics. 
 
 “ These people, as stated above, were constrained to join the 
 Latin church, after a long struggle for the power of maintaining* 
 their purity and independence ; and still appear a people perfectly 
 distinct from the Latin church, being allowed to chant and per¬ 
 form all the services of the church of Rome in the Syrio-Chaldaic 
 language by a dispensation from the Pope. They live under 
 the authority of the Metropolitan of Cranganore and the Bishop 
 of Yerapoli, and dress differently from other priests. They wear 
 a white surplice, while the priests of the Latin communion wear 
 black gowns, like the Capuchin friars of Madras. The Roman 
 Catholic Syrians, it is thought, are much more numerous than the 
 members of the original church. Their clergy are spread through 
 the rncient churches, and, by retaining their language, and acting 
 under the direction of the church of Rome, they leave no means 
 unessayed to draw over their primitive brethren to the Latin com¬ 
 munion. It appears to me, that they are allowed to use their ori¬ 
 ginal language, and to frequent the original Church, entirely with 
 this view ; and as far as I can learn, their numbers are gaining 
 ground. There are said to be eighty-six parishes of Roman Cath¬ 
 olic Syrians subject to the diocese of Cranganore and Verapoli- 
 Their priests, to the number of four hundred, are styled Catanars, 
 which is a Syrian appellation: their congregations are reported at 
 
dr. kerr’s report. 
 
 37 * 
 
 90,000, (old and young included,) agreeably to the last return 
 transmitted to Rome.—There is an inferior order of Priests, who 
 are called Chiamas, in number about 120. The Hindoos have, as 
 far as I can learn, a much greater respect for tiie Christians of the 
 original church, than for the converts of the Latin communion ; 
 which may be accounted for by their not associating with the low¬ 
 er orders of people. Attached to each church is a convent, where 
 the Catanars reside in community, there being three, four, or five 
 to each church. The service is performed weekly, in rotation. 
 There is a seminary at the college of Verappli for the education of 
 the Syrio Roman Catholics, and also one for the Latin church. 
 The Syrio Roman Catholics are chiefly engaged, as already men¬ 
 tioned, in drawing their ancient brethren within the Romish pale ; 
 but it appears that some of them have been employed formerly in 
 extending the general object of conversion over the peninsula. 
 I saw one of their churches, at a village near Pillambaddy, about 
 thirty miles on the Madras side of Trichinopoly ; and I heard of 
 several others. They had at this village adopted the use of a 
 sawmy coach, like that of the Heathens, with the Crucifix and the 
 Virgin Mary in it, instead of the Hindoo sawmy.—Their church 
 was much out of repair; and the ignorance of the few Christians 
 remaining in charge of it is striking : the letters I, N, R, I, over 
 the figure of our Saviour on the cross, being absolutely inverted ; 
 nor did the priest who visits them ever notice the circumstance! 
 They read prayers in Malabar, according to the ritual of the 
 church of Rome. Their church appears to iiave been once respect¬ 
 able, but is now fallen into decay. 
 
 Latin Roman Catholics. 
 
 “ Within the provinces of Travancore and Cochin there are 
 one archbishop and two bishops :—the archbishop of Cranganore, 
 and the bishops of Cochin and Verapoli. 
 
 “ The two former have sees, the latter is titular. The arch¬ 
 bishops ol Cranganore and the bishop of Cochin are nominated 
 
 by the queen of Portugal, after the following manner :_Three 
 
 names are sent, (when either of these sees become vacant,) by 
 the sovereign of Portugal to the Pope ; and the Roman Pontiff' is 
 bound to select the name that stands first, and to issue his brevet 
 or patent accordingly. 
 
 “ They are subject in all spiritual concerns to the primate of 
 Goa ; who has power also during a vacancy, of sending from Goa 
 a locum tenens, who is styled Padre Governador. Both sees are 
 at this moment filled by such. 
 
 “ The titular Bishop, who resides at the college of Verapoli, 
 is appointed directly by the Pope, and is subject to no jurisdic! 
 
 tion but that of his holiness, or the propaganda at Rome._This 
 
 mission being more susceptible of control and regulation than the 
 others, has been countenanced by the honorable company, as the 
 following copy of a Proclamation issued by the government of 
 Bombay will show. 
 
 Ji h2 
 
375 
 
 DR. KERr’s REPORT^ 
 
 “ PROCLAMATION. 
 
 “ The honorable the Court of Directors of the honorable Eng- 
 “ lish East-India Company, having been pleased to order that the 
 ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic churches un- 
 “ der this government, shall be withdrawn from the Archbishop 
 “ of Goa, and restored to the Carmelite Bishop of the apostolic 
 “ mission, the President in Council has accordingly resolved, that 
 ** the said restitution shall take place on the first of the ensuing 
 “ month ; from which time he hereby enjoins all the Catholic in- 
 “ habitants in Bombay, as well as the several factories and set- 
 “ tlements subordinate thereto, to pay due obedience in spiritual 
 “ matters to the said bishops, on pain of incurring the severe 
 displeasure of government. 
 
 “ By order of the Honourable the Governor in Council , 
 
 “ Bombay Castle, > ( SignedJ WILLIAM PAGE, 
 
 “ 2d Aug. 1791. ”3 Secretary. 
 
 “ The Priests attached to the college of Yerapoli are all Carme¬ 
 lites, united to the apostolic mission at Bombay, but not subject 
 to it. The jurisdiction of each is not marked by distinct bounds ; 
 the parishes and churches being so intermingled, that it is diffi¬ 
 cult to form a right notion of their extent. The Bishop of Coch¬ 
 in, however, may be said to have a controul overall the Romish 
 churches situated on the sea coast, immediately, (with few ex¬ 
 ceptions.) from Cochin to Ramnad, and thence round the whole 
 Island of Ceylon ; the churches are numerous ; but as they are in 
 general poor, and are obliged to be supplied with priests from 
 Goa, it would appear that one vicar holds, upon an average, five 
 or six churches. The number of Christians composing these 
 churches must be great, as all and every of the fishermen are 
 Roman Catholics.—The Bishop of Cochin usually resides at Qui- 
 lon. There are very few European clergy, (not above seven or 
 eight,) under the three jurisdictions, and none of them men of 
 education ; and it cannot be expected that the native priests, who 
 have been educated at Goa, or at the seminary at Yerapoli, should 
 know much beyond their missals and rituals —The Latin comritu- 
 nicants, in the diocese of Verapoli, are estimated at 35,000.—The 
 catechuman suffers no persecution on account of his religion, 
 when once converted ; but the country governments are exces¬ 
 sively jealous upon this point, and do their utmost to discounts 
 nance any conversion 
 
 “ The converts are from various casts, viz. Chegas or Teers,— 
 Muckwas and Pullers ; and there can be no doubt but that many 
 of higher casts would be baptized, if they did not dread the dis¬ 
 pleasure of their governments. 
 
 “ It is w r ell known that the Roman religion was introduced by 
 the Portuguese, at the commencement of the sixteenth century ; 
 the number converted in each year, upon an average, reach to 
 nearly 300;—the number, of course, naturally diminishes. The 
 morality of the converts is very loose ; and they are generally in¬ 
 ferior ip this respect to tlig heathens of the country.” 
 
DR. KERR’s REPORT. 
 
 379 
 
 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 “ Reflecting- on the whole subject, several suggestions present 
 themselves to my mind; and 1 shall not be considered as devia¬ 
 ting from the line of my profession, or the intention of your Lord- 
 ship, in calling- for my Report, by offering some opinions to gov¬ 
 ernment, which in a moral and political view, seem of the high¬ 
 est importance. It appears, from the foregoing statement, that 
 pure Christianity is far, very far, from being a religion for which 
 the highest cast of Hindoos have any disrespect ; and that it is 
 the abuse of the Christian name, under the form of the Romish 
 religion to which they are averse. We have, my Lord, been 
 sadlv defective in what we owed to God and man, since we have 
 i-u a * 00tin S' ' n thj 3 country, as well by departing most shame- 
 lully from our Christian profession ourselves, as in withholding 
 those sources of moral perfection from the natives, which true 
 Christianity alone can establish; and, at the same time, we have 
 allowed tiie Romanists to steal into our territories, to occupy the 
 giound we have neglected to cultivate, audio bring an odium on 
 cui pure and honourable name as Christians. The evil would be 
 less, were it not well known that many of the Romish priests, 
 and then- people, who have thus been allowed to grow numerous 
 iinuer our authority, are supposed to be far from well affected to 
 the government under which they reside; indeed, in many in¬ 
 stances, the Roman clergy are the natural subjects of nations at 
 enmity with ourselves, at the same that they are eminently quali- 
 iiee by their influence in their profession, to do us the greatest 
 mischief, by spreading disaffection throughout every part of the 
 extended country. The Roman Catholic religion, my Lord, I 
 believe I may say, without offence to truth or charity, has almost 
 always been made a political engine in the bands of its govern, 
 mems and we must be blinded indeed, by our own confidence, 
 it we cio not calculate on its being so used* in this great and rich 
 country, where it lias established a footing amongst an ignorant 
 people ; especially when it is so well understood that our eastern 
 possessions have been a subject of the greatest jealousy to all the 
 rival nations of Europe. In my humble opinion, my Lord, the 
 error has been in not haying- long ago established free schools* 
 throughout every part of this country, by which the children of 
 the natives might have learned our language, and got acquainted 
 With our morality. Such an establishment would, ere this, have 
 
 ,1.* El ?£] isk m °rals to the natives in their purity, we must, I imagine, make 
 
 LIS b< ' 0ks - Translation, have hitherto been very defective’inU,® 
 ^Liwtcountiy languages; besKies. they must be extremely circumscribed in nnm. 
 
 .I, ?, Dot ll ;r k , tU ‘ natives will come to us freely but to learn English. Thu 
 
 mim W ill 1 er 8 1 un® t0 f ortune : a5K b otl the coast, tile most strict of the Brali- 
 
 J lb have little hesitation, as far as 1 can learn, in permitting their children tL 
 
 sunnose u‘>a SC -’ 0 ° °‘ lnu ' licise o1 ' Naming it; for they despise us too much to 
 
 t mrill vr Y , Jan S e i' °! overturning the principles of Brahmiuism. Bat 
 
 tlun ill-founded, ridiculous principles must be shaken to the verv foundation hvthn 
 su f h hbeval knowledge as a Christian can instil into the niimU of 
 youth, and fax there by means of English books ; and all this without lliakiniramr 
 ahumiiig attack directly m the religion w the Hindoos, '* B ‘ J y 
 
380 
 
 DR. KERR’s REPORT. 
 
 made the people at large fully acquainted with the divine spring’, 
 from whence alone British virtue must be acknowledged to flow. 
 This would have made them better acquainted with the princi¬ 
 ples by which we are governed : they ,would have learned to re¬ 
 spect our laws, to honour our feelings, and to follow ©ur max¬ 
 ims ; whereas they appear to me, generally speaking, at this mo¬ 
 ment, as ignorant of their masters as on their first landing on 
 these shores. I speak not of interfering with their religious pre¬ 
 judices, or endeavouring to convert the natives by an extraordi¬ 
 nary effort on the part of the British government. Conversion, 
 in my opinion, must be the consequence which would naturally 
 flow from our attention to their moral instruction, and their more 
 intimate acquaintance with the English character. 
 
 “ I do not mention this as an experiment, the result of which 
 might be considered as problematical; the experiment has been 
 already made, and the consequences have proved commensurate 
 with the highest expectation which reasonable men could enter- 
 tain. The Danish mission, united with the Society for propaga¬ 
 ting the Gospel, have sent some good men into this country, with 
 the laudable view of spreading true Christianity throughout our 
 Eastern possessions; and the names of Swartz, Gerricke, and 
 others, will ever be remembered by numbers of our Asiatic sub¬ 
 jects, of every cast and description, with veneration and affeetion : 
 and there are happily still living some amongst us of the same 
 character. 
 
 “ It is true, that the object they had more particularly in view, 
 has in some measure failed: and few good converts, it is gene¬ 
 rally imagined, have been made; but let it be remembered also, 
 that they have laboured under every possible disadvantage ; they 
 have scarcely enjoyed a mere toleration under our government, 
 and received no kind of assistance whatsoever ; that they were 
 few in number, and perhaps I may say, without injustice, that they 
 erred (as the best might err) in the means which they adopted; 
 but that they have done much good by the purity of their lives, 
 and by their zeal in spreading instruction. This will admit of no 
 denial; andl doubt not that I may sav, without the danger of con¬ 
 tradiction, that few and poor as these men have been, without au¬ 
 thority or power to support them, a greater and more extended por¬ 
 tion of heart-felt respect for the European character has been diflus- 
 cdby their means throughout this country, than by all the other Eu¬ 
 ropeans put together. We have, in my humble opinion, my Lord, 
 kept ourselves too far from the natives; we have despised their igno¬ 
 rance, without attempting to remove it—and we have considered 
 their timidity, (the natural result of their being trampled upon by 
 one race of conquerors after another,) also as an object for our 
 contempt; at the same time, that we have viewed the cunning of 
 their character, (which is ever the natural resource of ignorance 
 and weakness,) as the completion of all that is vile and deceitful. 
 Thus have we continued a system of neglect towards the inter¬ 
 ests of our native subjects, in points the most essential to their 
 
DR. KERR’S REPORT. 
 
 331 
 
 every happiness, throughout the whole of our governments in this 
 country. Fain, my Lord, would I see a change in this particular ; 
 and I seize the opportunity which the present moment affords, to 
 press the justice and the policy of the measure on the attention of 
 your Lordship’s government. 
 
 Having the honor to remain, with the highest respect, my Lord, 
 Your Lordship’s faithful and obedient humble servant, 
 
 CSigned) R. H. KERR, 
 
 Senior chaplain of Fort St. George. 
 
 “ Madras, Nov. 3,1806.” 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 EXTRACT FROM THE REVIEW OF DR. BUCHANAN’S SER- 
 MOn’s AND CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES IN ASIA, 
 
 From the Christian Observer for April, 1811. 
 
 “ But much as wehave been interested by these sermons, we 
 have felt a still livelier interest excited by the account, which 
 follows them, of the author’s Christian Researches in Asia. We 
 should be afraid of appearing- extravagant to our readers, -were 
 vve to say all that we think respecting the importance of this 
 work. But we wish them to judge for themselves, whether we 
 exceed the bounds of moderation, when we rate its value above 
 that of any other work, connected with our Oriental empire, 
 which we hare yet seen. When we speak of its value, we have 
 no eye to its merits as a composition : although, in that view, 
 every tiling which proceeds from the pen of our author must be 
 respectable ; but to the stupendous magnitude, and infinite mo¬ 
 ment, of the subject of which it treats, the means of establishing 
 the empire of Jesus Christ, and diffusing the light of his Gos¬ 
 pel, over, perhaps, four hundred millions of human beings, who 
 now “ sit in darkness.” It has to do, not merely with the mil¬ 
 lions of India who are subjected to our government, and who 
 therefore have a sort of filial claim on our regard ; but with 
 the hundreds of millions in Asia, who are united to us by social 
 ties more or less binding, to whose shores we have easy access, 
 and who seem to demand from our compassion the light of life. 
 Nor does it merely press upon us our obligations to these count¬ 
 less multitudes ; but it points out specifically how those moment¬ 
 ous obligations are to be fulfilled. Its object, in short, is to real¬ 
 ize the magnificent anticipation of a poet of the present day for 
 whose splendid production we are also indebted to the philan¬ 
 thropy of our author. 
 
 “ Be these thy trophies, queen of many isles ! 
 
 On these high Heaven shall shed indulgent smiles. 
 
 First by thy guardian voice to India lea, 
 
 Shall truth" divine her tearless victories spread ; 
 
 Wide and more wide the heaven-born light shall stream, 
 
 New realms from thee shall catch the blissful theme ; 
 
 Unwonted warmth the softened savage feel, 
 
 Strange chiefs admire, and turbaned warriors kneel i 
 The prostrate East submit her jewelled pride, 
 
 And swarthy kings adore the Crucified. 
 
 Fam’d Ava’s walls Messiah’s name shall own, 
 
 Where haughty splendor guards the Birman throne. 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 383 
 
 Thy hills, Tibet, shall hear, and Ceylon's bowers, 
 And snow-white waves that circle Pekin's towers; 
 Where sheathed in sullen pomp the Tartar lord, 
 Forgetful, slumbers o’er his idle sword. 
 
 OYv all the plains, where barbarous hordes afar 
 On pant ing steeds pursue the roring war. 
 
 Soft notes of ,joy th ’ eternal gloom shall cheer, 
 
 And smooth the terrors of the arctic year ; 
 
 1 ill from the blazing line to polar snows, 
 
 Through varying realms, one tide of blessing flows.” 
 
 Di\ Buchanan’s object, we repeat it, is to realize this sub¬ 
 lime anticipation, this dream, as many will doubtless account 
 it, ot the poet’s fancy. And in order to effect this obiect, he 
 looks to no supernatural interference, to the occurrence neither 
 ot prodigies nor miracles, but to the use of those means which 
 are within our reach, and particularly to the diffusion of Chris- 
 tian ignt by the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in the lan¬ 
 guages of the East. 
 
 Had Dr. Buchanan confined himself to the bare statement of 
 his general views on this subject, he would have done no more 
 than has often been done before ; and he would not have meri¬ 
 ted on that account any peculiar distinction. But he has de¬ 
 scended to particulars. He has uncovered to our view the 
 gloomy recesses of Asiatic superstition ; he carries us with 
 linn by turns, to the temple of Juggernaut, and the dungeons 
 ot .he Inquisition ; lie shews us the “ gross darkness” {dark- 
 ness which may be felt) “ that covers the people he tells us 
 what he has seen with his eyes, and heard with his ears; and 
 lie is enabled, by Ins own testimony, to contrast the horrid ef¬ 
 fects of the false religions of the East, with the benign influ- 
 
 0fChl -‘ Sll r a ( n,t >’ as llie >' are severally exemplified in differ¬ 
 ent parts of Hindostan. And with respect to those parts of 
 Asia which he was himself unable to visit, he has collected 
 much valuab e information, all tending to shew the greatness 
 . l l , e evi1 wll, ch calls for our compassionate interferance. He 
 "m how ev e r with exposing to our view the existing- 
 
 that evd ?* ch case ’ to the means bv which 
 
 that evil, if not completely subdued, may at least be combated 
 
 wi 1 a hope oi success ; by which the darkness, if not at once 
 removed, may yet be gradually dispelled. He describes to us 
 in fine what Christianity has already effected in the East, and 
 what she has yet to do; and he founds his hope, as to the effect 
 of future, increased, and well concerted exertion, on the expe¬ 
 rience of the benefits which have flowed from the efforts, limit¬ 
 ed and desultory as they have been, already made to evangelize 
 our Eastern empire. But it is time that we should make our 
 readers more particularly acquainted with the nature andresu t 
 ot Dr. Buchanan’s researches. 
 
 The College of Fort-William was founded in May, 1800 
 On the 1st of January 1807, its establishment was so reduced 
 that the translations ol the Scriptures, and some other literary 
 
384 
 
 REVIEW. 
 
 works which had been commenced under its patronage, were 
 suspended. Under these circumstances, the superintendants 
 of the colleges resolved to encourage individuals to proceed 
 with versions of the Scriptures, by all the means in their pow¬ 
 er, purposing, at the same time, not to confine this encourage¬ 
 ment to Bengal, but to extend it to every part of the East, 
 where fit instruments could be found. To promote this object, 
 subscriptions were set on foot ; representations were also made 
 to the supreme government in behalf of the undertaking, and 
 a correspondence was opened with intelligent persons in differ¬ 
 ent parts of India. Nor was this all. With a view to obtain 
 accurate information respecting the real state of religion, and 
 to discover the means of disseminating the Scriptures, in dif¬ 
 ferent parts of India, Dr. Buchanan resolved to devote the last 
 year or tw r o of his stay in that country to purposes of local inqui¬ 
 ry. In pursuance of this design, he travelled by land from Cal¬ 
 cutta to Cape Comorin, visited Ceylon thrice, thence pursued 
 his journey along the Malabar coast, and into the interior of 
 Malabar and Travancore. After this tour he returned to Cal¬ 
 cutta, where he remained for nine months, and then visited 
 Malabar and Travancore a second time, before his departure 
 for England. 
 
 Dr Buchanan, in prosecuting his researches, first adverts 
 to the state of China. “ India,” he says, “ contains but a 
 ■small part of the natives who seek the revelation of God” at our 
 hands. “ The Maylayan Archipelago includes more territory, 
 and a larger population, than the continent of India. China is 
 a more extensive field than either.” He details the means 
 which were employed by the superintendants of the college, 
 for obtaining a version of the Scriptures in the Chinese lan¬ 
 guage. It was through them that Mr. Lassar, who is now 
 employed in this work, in conjunction with the Missionaries at 
 Serampore, w r as at first induced to engagein it. 
 
 The Hindoos are next brought under our view by the pious 
 author ; and he states it to have been one of the objects of his 
 tour to ascertain what are the actual effects of Christianity in 
 those interior provinces of Hindustan, where it has been in¬ 
 troduced, and to compare the Hindoo Christians with such of 
 their countrymen as remain in their pristine idolatry. “ It was 
 a chief object of his tour through India, to mark the relative 
 influence of Paganism and Christianity;” and in order that the 
 English nation may be able to form a judgment on the subject, 
 he proceeds to give, in the way of extracts from his journal, 
 some account of the Hindoos of Juggernaut and the native 
 Christians in Tanjore. The former continue to worship the idol 
 Juggernaut; the latter, until the light of revelation visited them, 
 worshipped an idol also, called the Great Black Bull of Tanjore. 
 
A SERMON, 
 
 PREACHED AT THE PARISH CHURCH GI¬ 
 ST. ANDREW BY THE WARDROBE AND ST. ANNE, 
 BLACKFRIARS, 
 
 ON TUESDAY IN WHITSUN WEEK, JUNE A, 1811, 
 
 BEFORE THE 
 
 Society for Missions to Africa and the East, 
 
 INSTITUTED BY 
 
 MEMBERS OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH, 
 
 BEING THEIR 
 
 ELEVENTH ANNIVERSARY. 
 
 BY THE REV. MELVILLE HORNE, 
 
 liStc Chaplain to the Colony of Sierra Leone. 
 
 ALBANY : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY B. D. PACKARD, 
 
 No. Si State-Street. 
 
 E, SJ E. Hosford, Printer*. 
 
 1812 . 
 

 
 
 
 
 
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 . •> * ii- 1 rj-. if. 
 
 
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 ‘ • * 
 
 
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 .X-..." v ; . . 
 
 4V « 
 
 • ' * 
 
 
A SERMON. 
 
 — 040 — 
 
 PHIL. iv. 13. 
 
 / can do all things , through Christ which strengtheneth 
 
 me. 
 
 On such an occasion, and before such an auditory, it 
 would ill become me to appear, without solicitude and 
 godly fear. The comments which may be passed on. 
 the preacher are, indeed, of no moment, but the im¬ 
 pression made by his sermon on the cause of Missions, 
 is a consideration, which merits the most serious 
 thought. He feels his need of a becoming confidence, 
 no less than of a becoming modesty; and that confi¬ 
 dence, which it is impossible he should find in himself, 
 he derives from the dignity of his subject, from the 
 character of this congregation, and from the promised 
 aid of our Lord Jesus Christ: the Lord of all power 
 and might 1 
 
 . The subject inspires confidence. I plead for mil¬ 
 lions, rational, immortal as yourselves; the meanest of 
 whose souls is more prized by their Redeemer, than 
 the fabric of this material system. By me they sue, 
 not to be instructed in our European Arts, not to be 
 fteed fi om tne iron bondage of the worldly oppressor, 
 not to be admitted to the participation of the civil 
 i ights and liberties ox Britons: no, my brethren, they 
 sue for nobler things. By the tender mercies of Christ, 
 by the blood of his cross, by the promises of truth, by 
 the hope of the Gospel, they sue to be received into 
 the peaceful Church of Jesus, to be associated in the 
 privileges, and honours of the Christian name ; and in 
 that inheritance in the heavens, incorruptible, undefi¬ 
 led, and that fadeth not away, which is the Christian’s 
 lot.. This they solicit, they demand, in the name of 
 .heir Lord and ours .j who hath asked and received the 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of 
 the earth for his possession. 
 
 The character of this congregation inspires 
 confidence. I see before me wealth, and learning, and 
 talents : but I see, or think I see, their possessors, in¬ 
 different to these envied distinctions, anxious only to 
 know Jesus Christ, and him crucified; and to spread 
 the blessings of his kingdom, from shore to shore, 
 from the rising to the setting sun. Their hearts and 
 prayers are with the cause 1 plead ; and they will re¬ 
 ceive with pleasure, as well as hear with attention, 
 every thing which may be suggested to excite the 
 spirit of missions, or which is calculated to direct their 
 conduct. 
 
 And, if the subject and the auditory inspire con¬ 
 fidence, how much more the promised aid of him, 
 whose I am, and whom I serve 1 I stand not here the 
 servant of a man, however highly exalted: neither is 
 it in the name of some unknown superangelic creat¬ 
 ure, that we display the missionary banner; but in the 
 name of the Lord of Hosts, the mighty God of Jacob, 
 the living strength of Israel. Jesus, the Word made 
 flesh , Immanuel, God with us, the brightness of the Fa¬ 
 ther’s glory, and the express image of his person : he, of 
 whom it is written, Let all the angels of God worship 
 him ; and, Let every man honour the Son, even as he 
 honourcth the Father ; the hope, the life, and the sal¬ 
 vation of the ends of the earth : in his name, who com¬ 
 mands and inspires our labours, who crowns them with 
 success and rewards them with immortality, we are 
 bold to plead the Missionary Cause, and to anticipate 
 the glory of the latter day. We can, and I trust we 
 shall, do all things, through Christ which strengtheneth us. 
 
 On this subject, Brethren, we need not to be taught, 
 but exhorted; not to be convinced, but persuaded. 
 For I assume that we all know our duty, and have only 
 to be prevailed upon to do it. We know that he, who 
 dwelt among us in the form of a servant, was born a 
 king; and that, in contemplation of his sufferings, he 
 solaced his sorrows with this consideration, When lam 
 lifted up, I will draw all men to me. In death, calm and 
 unaltered, his closing eye was lighted up with the pros¬ 
 pect of universal dominion: his expiring breath —It is 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 5 
 
 finished ! was the signal of victory over the god of this 
 world, and of all its kingdoms. Of his government, and 
 of the increase of his kingdom , there shall be no end ; for 
 he must reign , until all enemies be put under his feet. 
 
 . The Prophets predicted the glory that should follow 
 his sufferings, and the apostles were the honored in¬ 
 struments of fulfilling their predictions. To both, it 
 was given to see the visions of the Almighty, and to 
 read the prophetic page, to the last syllable of’record¬ 
 ed time. To us they have delineated all the fluctua¬ 
 tions of his empire ; and marked the period of the 
 partial eclipses of the sun, moon, and stars, and when 
 they shall shine forth again in unclouded splendor. 
 
 As laid dov. Ti in their Chart of Prophecy, we have 
 seen the false prophet rising from the Cave of Iiira, 
 and wasting the Eastern Churches with the Koran and 
 the Sword. We have beheld the Euphratean Horse- 
 men, going forth conquering and to conquer, until the 
 fuikisli Crescent waved over the city of Constantine. 
 In the \ v est, tne desolations of the Church advanced 
 with equal steps, though in a form more concealed and 
 questionable. In the very Temple of God, did the 
 Man of Sin arise ; and a Christian Bishop presumed to 
 convert Christ’s spiritual empire into a kingdom of 
 this world, and to usurp domination over its proudest 
 potentates. But, in the darkest night of the Church, 
 when error was made orthodox and sin sanctified as 
 Christianity, a ray of light shone forth from the sanc¬ 
 tuary, and partially dispelled the darkness. An ob¬ 
 scure German Monk dared to be a Man, a Christian, 
 and a Minister. With the invincible spirit of an Apos¬ 
 tle, Martin Luther confronted a Synod of Princes; 
 and braved both the authority of the imperial decrees 
 and the thunders of the Vatican. A large part of Eu- 
 lope heart: his voice ; and, in obedience to the divine 
 command, came out of Babylon, that Mother of Abom¬ 
 inations. With our own eyes we have seen a man 
 arise, who, having encircled his brows with the iron 
 crown of Charlemagne, has torn the tiara from the 
 head of the pretended Vicar of Christ; and has resum¬ 
 ed the dominions bestowed upon him, by the ill-judged 
 liberality of his great predecessor. While these won¬ 
 derful transactions have passed in Europe, the Cres- 
 
 A 3 
 
6 
 
 SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 cent, long declining from its splendor, visibly begins 
 to wane ; and the Temple of Mecca and the tutelary 
 Demon of Mahomet shrink beneath the sword of the 
 Wechabites.—While Rome boweth down, Mecca 
 stoopeth ! 
 
 From these signs in heaven and in earth, in the State 
 and in the Church, it is visible to those who read them 
 with a Christian eye, that some grand and universal 
 change is taking place in religion and morals, worthy 
 of the splendid and tremendous machinery, with which 
 it is introduced. Of the nature of that change, we 
 are informed by the sure word of prophecy. It is con¬ 
 fessedly difficult, perhaps impossible, to ascertain with 
 precision, the commencement and termination of the 
 grand prophetic period of 1260 years, determined for 
 the desolation of the sanctuary ; but it is obvious, that 
 that period has now nearly elapsed, and that the re¬ 
 demption of the Church draweth nigh. Faith and 
 Hope already behold her coming up out of the wil¬ 
 derness, leaning on the bosom of her beloved, and 
 glorious as an army with banners. They see the dis¬ 
 persed of Israel and Judah restored to the land of their 
 fathers, and converted to the faith of that Messiah 
 whom they so long rejected. They see the fulness of 
 the Gentiles flow'ing to her, and the kingdoms of this 
 world becoming the kingdoms of our God and of his 
 Christ, until righteousness cover the earth, as the wa¬ 
 ters cover the great deep. 
 
 These happy presages, these lively expectations, 
 geem to have obtained a general prevalence ; and no 
 where more, than in this favored country. Our Bible 
 Societies, our Missionary Associations, and the vari¬ 
 ous Versions of the Scripture now making into the 
 most prevalent languages of the East, are precious 
 drops, large and frequent, which precede plenteous 
 rain, when the seasons of refreshing come from the 
 presence of the Lord. The Angel, who is to preach 
 the Everlasting Gospel to every tribe of man, is even 
 now on the wing. The precursors of the evangelic 
 army are already landed on the African and Asian 
 shores, and call on us to follow, and to support the sa¬ 
 cred banner of the cross. Inquiry and expectation are 
 excited among the Eastern People j and we are as- 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS, 
 
 * 
 
 sembletl, this day, on the banks of the Thames, to ani¬ 
 mate each other to these peaceful wars, and to consid¬ 
 er how we may best fulfil the hopes which we have ex¬ 
 cited. 
 
 IIow Missions shall be conducted with most effect, may 
 welladmitdiversity of opinion; but, of the duty ofengaging 
 in them, among Christians, I presume there can be but 
 one. We found our undertaking,not on the secret,buton 
 the revealed will of God—to make his Son the head of the 
 heathen. We justify it, not by the fallible deductions 
 of reason, but by the explicit command of Christ—Go, 
 preach the Gospel to every creature. We are encour¬ 
 aged to prosecute it, by the example of the Universal 
 Church, which in no century of the Christian era, and 
 under no discouragements, hath ever been prevailed on 
 to relinquish the claims of her Lord, or wholly to desist 
 from propagating his saving faith. Gratitude impels, 
 humanity implores, justice commands, honour invites, 
 and conscience approves the war. Whatsoever things 
 are lovely and of good report , if there be any virtue , 
 and if there be any praise, they all conspire to warm 
 our hearts, and to strengthen our hands. 
 
 A cause so sacred, so truly Christian, taken up on 
 principles of faith and reason, may well be expected to 
 meet with general approbation and support. That it 
 docs meet with them is more than I dare affirm ; much 
 less, that that approbation is cordial and affectionate, 
 and that support zealous and liberal—commensurate to 
 the. magnitude of its object, and the discouragements 
 which it has to encounter. Alas ! my Brethren, the 
 spirit of missions has, as yet, but half warmed the 
 bosom of the Church. That zeal, which prompts to 
 personal exertions and sacrifices, is not the character¬ 
 istic of the day, nor of the Members of the Church of 
 England. Long peace, and disuse of missionary arms, 
 have chilled our blood. The trumpet sounds, and 
 principle and shame compel us to the field. But our 
 orders are loose and broken ; our minds timid and irres¬ 
 olute. We talk of insurmountable obstacles—of pri¬ 
 vations intolerable,—and of sacrifices, which it is not 
 justifiable for even religion to make: while pretenders 
 to tenderness of conscience affect to tremble to think 
 of the eyils, which harmless Gentoos arc to suffer frpns 
 
8 
 
 SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 our intolerance ; and profound politicians can discover 
 in this pacific assembly, the seeds of future wars, and 
 of a revolution which is to subvert the British Empire 
 in the East.. But is this the fearless enterprise of Brit¬ 
 ish Seamen, British Soldiers, British Merchants ? Is 
 this the unequivocal language of the votaries of ava¬ 
 rice, of ambition, or of fame? Was it in this calcula¬ 
 ting spirit, that three obscure individuals sealed the 
 fate of Peru, on the blessed body and blood of Christ ? 
 Had Arcot been defended, or the field of Plassy fought 
 in this temper, where now were our Indian Empire ? 
 And is it in fear and irresolution, that Bonaparte stands 
 in the midst of the earth, like an angel commissioned 
 to destroy ? 
 
 Well might our Blessed Master observe, that the 
 children of this world are wiser in their generation than 
 the children of light. With equal truth it may be said, 
 that they have generally more zeal, more fortitude, 
 more patience, and more perseverance. To exonerate 
 ourselves from censure, we may lay what colours we 
 please on the subject: at the same time, nothing but 
 the anti-christian principles of sloth, fear, love of the 
 world, and a distrust of the power and grace of Christ, 
 could make us exaggerate, beyond all proportions of 
 truth, discouragements, which are in themselves, in¬ 
 deed, as formidable as the v’orld, the flesh, and the 
 devil can render them ; discouragements, however, 
 which we can overcome, through Christ which strength- 
 cneih us. 
 
 Doth unbelief ask, Who is sufficient for these 
 things ? The God whom we serve, the Creator, Up¬ 
 holder, and Governor of all worlds, in whose hands are 
 all hearts, and whose pleasure is served by every vary¬ 
 ing event—He is all-sufficient. -His wisdom and 
 power, his faithfulness and truth, will not be neutral 
 witnesses of our patience of hope, and labour of love. 
 The unsearchable riches of Christ, and his inexhausti¬ 
 ble grace, are all-sufficient, to supply all our neces¬ 
 sities. He will go forth with our hosts, marshal their 
 orders, inflame their courage, himself lead the war, 
 and scatter the alien armies. And, in the hands of the 
 Divine Spirit, the evidence of the gospel is all-suffi¬ 
 cient, to convince the most sceptical; the motives of 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 9 
 
 the gospel all-sufficient, to subdue the most obdu¬ 
 rate ; and the sanctions of the gospel all-sufficient, 
 to triumph over the most worldly, sensual, and fero¬ 
 cious. Our all-sufficiEncy is of God : we can do all 
 things through Christ , which strengtheneth us. 
 
 Away, then, with the wretched cant of false humility 
 —“ We can do nothing.” What, then? Is the arm of 
 the Lord shortened , that he cannot save ?—That he can¬ 
 not do, in us, and by us, whatever he commands ? Je¬ 
 sus of Nazareth did conquer the world, by men of like 
 passions with ourselves ; and he hath pledged himself, 
 that he will conquer it again—conquer it more general¬ 
 ly, more permanently, and more gloriously ; and it may 
 be, by instruments more contemptible than the blessed 
 fishermen of Galilee, and by means less splendid than 
 the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost. Then, the 
 Church came down all glorious from heaven : now, 
 she will be wonderfully raised up from the bosom of the 
 earth. 
 
 Let then the heathen rage , and the people imagine a 
 vain thing. Let the kings of the earth set themselves , 
 and the rulers take counsel together , against the Lord , 
 and against his Anointed , saying , Let us break their 
 bands asunder , and cast away their cords from us. He , 
 that sitteth in the heavens , shall laugh ; the Lord shall 
 have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them, 
 in his wrath , and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet 
 have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will de¬ 
 clare the decree : The Lord hath said unto me , Thou art 
 my Son : this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me , and 
 I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance , and 
 the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou 
 shalt break them with a rod of iron : thou shalt dash 
 them in pieces , like a potter’s vessel. Be wise flow, 
 therefore , O ye kings : be instructed ye judges of the 
 earth. Serve the Lord with fear , and rejoice with trem¬ 
 bling. Kiss the Son , lest he be angry , and ye perish 
 from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. 
 Blessed are all they , that put their trust in him ! Fear 
 we the success of this victorious kingdom? Or can we 
 be ashamed of this King of Kings ? 
 
 St. Paul combined with profound humility the most 
 confident faith : In hisfesh there dwelled no good thing $ 
 
10 
 
 SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 but, being strong- in the spirit, he could do all things y 
 through Christ which strengthened him. Say not, “Are 
 we Apostles ?”—We are Christians. We are minis¬ 
 ters. As such, we have the same faith, the same Spir¬ 
 it, the same Father, and the same Lord, with the apos¬ 
 tle. What was he, which Christ did not make him ? 
 What did he do, which Christ did not work in him and 
 by him ? Let us, then follow him, as he followed Christ, 
 and be strong in the Lord , and in the flower of his might. 
 
 We are not apostles, and, therefore, need not their 
 credentials : our warfare, though similar, is not exactly 
 the same : so far as we are called to tread in their steps, 
 we may confidently rely on the same all-sufficient Lord. 
 He will not send us on his warfare, at our own charges : 
 nor can we say what may be done, until we make a fair 
 trial. Men, who fill the earth with their fame, might 
 have lived and died unknown, had not providence 
 set before them a bold career, and heaven or hell sup¬ 
 plied them with motives to enter on it. What a thea¬ 
 tre lor truly grand achievements is now set before us, 
 and who shall dare to say, that, through Christ which 
 strengthened us, we cannot act our part with proprie¬ 
 ty, if not with success ? Under God, man is much the 
 creature of occasion, association, and circumstance. 
 Great pursuits form great men ; and, in this cause, 
 there is every thing that can elevate the genius, and 
 ameliorate the heart. As our day is, so shall our strength 
 be. If we dare believe Christ’s promises in Europe, 
 we shall see the lighting down of his arm , in the ends of 
 the world. 
 
 We dare not intrude into the province of the Ilead 
 of the Church. He will select his own instruments, 
 qualify them for their work, and prosper their labours, 
 how, and when, and in what measure he pleases. Nor 
 will that Faithful Witness fail to make good every tit¬ 
 tle of his engagements. The duty of this Association 
 is neither to be ashamed of Missions, nor to despair 
 of their success, nor to be fastidiously delicate in the 
 exertion of its influence to promote them. Shame is 
 disaffection; despair, disloyalty; and to be too nice, in 
 the use of fair and honest means, a dereliction of the 
 cross of Christ,—that standard, around which we should 
 rally and unite all our efforts. To collect information 
 
fcEllMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 If 
 
 by correspondence at home and abroad—to establish 
 funds—to deliberate on every measure, which prudence 
 can suggest- -and above all, to diffuse the spirit of mis¬ 
 sions in every possible direction—comprises, perhaps, 
 all we can do. ibis should be done with simplicity, 
 humility, fear, trust, patience, and perseverance: and, 
 while we thus act, be this our motto, We can do all 
 thnigs , through Christ which strengtheneth us. 
 
 The most immediate and most distressing of all our 
 discouragements, is, the want of Missionaries. I was 
 Petore b°!d to advance strong censure on this point; 
 and I dare not retract it: but it is a justice which I 
 owe o my honoured brethren of the gospel ministry, 
 before I press the censure further, to observe, with 
 respect to Missions, how differently they are circum¬ 
 stanced from the laity. The part allotted to the laitv 
 les in a small compass : it is easy, and revolts none of 
 the grand principles of human nature. Would each 
 contribute his wealth, his prayers, his counsels, and his 
 influence, according to the ability which God giveth. 
 Missions would be nobly patronized ; and yet, no indi¬ 
 vidual would feel their pressure. Should the laity 
 shi ink from their duty, wholly or in part, their num¬ 
 ber and station in the church secure them, in some de¬ 
 gree, from observation and reproach. Should their 
 most zealous endeavours be frustrated, they have no 
 personal suffering, shame, or responsibility. Indiffer¬ 
 ent spectators of those, who were jeopardizing their 
 lives, they could not be. They would feel a generous 
 interest, an affectionate sympathy, in the we®! o, wo 
 of the soldiers of the cross ; but, after all, they would 
 be spectators only, and not combatants in the war. 
 
 Far different is the part of the clergy. They are cal- 
 led to advance with the standard in the van, and to sus¬ 
 tain the whole shock of battle. Every Christian prin- 
 ciple is bi ought to the severest test. Every affection 
 of the heart must be laid on the cross. If they will do 
 then duty, the son, the husband, the father, the friend, 
 Sf n l^’ P erlia P s > even the minister must be sacrificed, 
 ihe Missionary can borrow no aid from avarice, ambi¬ 
 tion, or fame principles, which work miracles in the 
 woi tIt is not a temporary, but an everlasting adieu* 
 which he must bid to his native soil, and all the fond 
 
n 
 
 SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 charities ■which it contains : it is not a few protracted 
 campaigns of danger, toil, or privation, which he is to 
 endure ; it is not even the glorious death of a martyr, 
 (though this may be his lot - ) which only he is to encoun¬ 
 ter. To every principle of flesh and blood, he must 
 die daily. His life is one martyrdom; and, with St. 
 Paul, he must bear about in his body , the dying of the 
 Lord Jesus. Every active and passive virtue, the Hero 
 and the Saint, must be called into habitual exercise. 
 Universal temperance and self-denial—fervent zeal, 
 tempered with the meekness of heavenly wisdom'— 
 restless activity, which thinks nothing done, while any 
 thing remains undone ; supported by invincible forti¬ 
 tude, and perfected by patient industry—and perseve¬ 
 rance full of joyful hope—these graces combine to form 
 the grand outline of the Christian Missionary. His la¬ 
 bours end only with his life ; and that may terminate, 
 he knows not where nor how—by land or sea—in the 
 midst of a ferocious multitude, or alone, unsheltered, 
 and without a friend to close his eyes. 
 
 And is this race of glory, to be run hastily, even 
 by the best of men ? Is it modest, is it humble, to be 
 candidates for missionary arms, “sharp, massive and 
 refulgent,” which claim the spirit and strength of an 
 apostle to wield them ? Ah ! my friends, little do you 
 know the fears and solicitudes, with which, under 
 every possible advantage, we conduct the sacred minis¬ 
 try at home. Thousands of light men have, indeed, 
 thrust themselves into the ministry ; but no one who 
 knows what the cure of souls is, will undertake it, 
 or continue in it when undertaken, unless a necessity 
 be laid upon him, and he feels, Wo be unto me, if I 
 preach not the gospel! Can you, then, wonder if the 
 clergy be circumspect and deliberate ; and if, before 
 they become Missionaries, they require every evidence 
 of which it is susceptible—that they have a mission 
 from above, and some humble qualification to fulfil it? 
 Shall they stake their all, in heaven and earth, and com¬ 
 mit the honor of the church, before they be fully per¬ 
 suaded in their own minds? 
 
 Here, I fear, some will think I have forgotten my 
 text, and the cause which I am to plead; and that I 
 have painted the qualifications and labours of the Mis- 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 13 
 
 feionary, in colours by no means alluring ; and will ask, 
 \vhat motives can induce a sober man to engae-e in 
 such a warfare, or what principles support him under 
 it. —And what motives influenced thy incarnation, O 
 bon of God—influenced thee to be a servant, yea, a 
 
 ZZV r “ man ofsorr ™ s acquainted 
 
 withgnefs? What principles sustained thee, O Jesus 
 
 of Nazareth, in the garden of Gethsemane, and on the 
 accursed tree, when thou didst tread the winepress alone, 
 and of the people there was none with thee ?_ Those 
 
 ZTT d M 6 ? rindples ’ sha11 ^fiuence and sustain 
 thee, thou Missionary man of God. The love of Christ 
 
 which passeth knowledge , shall constrain thee. The 
 cross, tne sacred cross, thy tree of life, thy hope, thv 
 rejoicmg thy glory, shall kindle up in thy soul all ihc 
 mind of Christ, and sustain thee with all [he power of 
 
 , . ' aou canst do, canst suffer, canst conquer all 
 things, through Christ which strengthened, thee. Thv 
 losses, thy crosses, thy sorrows, thy wife, thy children 
 thyself, thy all are Christ’s,and Christ is God’s! If in thee’ 
 the measure of his sufferings be filled up, in him shall 
 
 t ry joys be full ; and he shall anoint thee with the oil of 
 gladness, above thy fellows. He shall feed thee with hid- 
 den manna, which the world knoweth not: and in thv 
 heart,will he make rivers of living water toVpdng up ancl 
 
 witiMdm" u- b T SUffe, 7 ith hira ’ ‘>>ou -halt also reign 
 %r GoT , aVe ? 5, hal ‘ be th >' »ncl Ws God 
 
 ('iff ,.A" f sm,t “'/“‘’■ale thee from the love of 
 
 Chi ist f Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution or 
 famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ? AW in all 
 
 norUfe nor angels, nor ltrinei^UtleTnTfoZersTo'r 
 things firesent, nor things to conte, nor height, Zr deZh 
 
 R i A in Christ Jesus our Lord 
 
 Be-loved Brethren, if we look only on the outside of 
 
 Hnefsinhim M ) S r S10 "? r ^ we sha » see no form nor come- 
 Alness in him. Ins life may seem madness, and his death 
 
 without nonour. But, if we look nearer into the innm ma 
 
 v ' e shail see Bus outcast of men exceeding 
 glad, filled with all consolation* ard reinirintr ui • ^ 
 
 sjtcakable, and full of glory . Be his liie 5 'nc{er“ o 
 
u 
 
 SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 great, he accounts them as nothing : be his sufferings 
 never so heavy, he rejoices in tribulation : he hugs his 
 chain; sings midnight hymns of praise to Christ, in the 
 dungeon and in the stocks ; and, with the calmest rea¬ 
 son, reckons that his present light afflictions , which are 
 but for a moment , are not worthy to be compared with 
 that far., more exceeding , and eternal weight of glory , 
 which shall be revealed. 
 
 And are there in this place any—I would hope there 
 are none !—who are disposed to turn with contempt from 
 the Missionaries of the Cross ?—men, who hazard 
 their lives for the sake of the Lord Jesus, whose names 
 are written in his book of life, and who shall hereafter 
 rank among his martyrs and confessors !—They sink 
 not under your contempt, nor value any thing which 
 you may possess ? They feel that ample fortunes, splen¬ 
 did establishments, personal or hereditary honours, gar¬ 
 ters and mitres, without the love of Christ, are nothing, 
 worse than nothing—straws, which float on the stream 
 —vain decorations, which cover the cheerless man¬ 
 sions of the dead ? But are there here any such as I 
 have supposed ?—Let them take home with them one 
 word of St. Paul, which I pray God that they may pon¬ 
 der in their hearts— If any man love not the Lord Jesus 
 Christ , let him be Anathema , Maranatha ! 
 
 To you, my Christian Brethren, I return ; and to your 
 hearts I appeal, whether I have not done some humble 
 justice to the Missionary Character, and exhibited its 
 luminous, as well as its dark side ? Can, then, your 
 time, your money, your influence in society, be better 
 employed, than in discovering such characters, cherish¬ 
 ing their pious ardour, and forwarding them to the sta¬ 
 tions whither their high destinies call them ? Whatev¬ 
 er coldness I impute to the clergy, as well as to the la¬ 
 ity, yet such characters there certainly are among them, 
 and possibly more than we suppose. Then patiently 
 persevere in well doing, and you shall discover them, 
 and bring them to the places, where they ought to stand. 
 For it cannot be, that, in the Nineteenth Century, and 
 in the first of the reformed Churches,—while God’s 
 judgments are abroad in the earth, while illustrious 
 prophecies are accomplishing : while the Church i^ 
 raising her languid head, and while the pious Laity are 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 15 
 
 calling loudly for Missionaries—it cannot be, that the 
 clergy alone should remain cold and supine. Not so 
 the Great Shepherd slumbered ! Not so did he charge 
 the Apostolic Shepherds —-feedmy sheep—feed my lambs. 
 Not so did the noble Paul watch over his Philippians, 
 on the service of whose faith he was willing to be offer¬ 
 ed up. Not so our Cranmers, Ridleys, Latimers and 
 Hoopers quenched the violence of fire. 
 
 What avail, my reverend Brethren, the doctrinal pu¬ 
 rity of our articles, the Christian spirit of our Liturgy 
 i«.nd Services, and the apostolic gravity of our Homilies, 
 unless they be embodied in the Clergy, and endued 
 ■with life and action ? However excellent, they are not a 
 living CHURCH. We must support them, and not they 
 us. 1 hey cannot, of themselves, endure the fiery or¬ 
 deal of our times. From the external enemies of our 
 Church, we have nothing to fear : for who , or what shall 
 harm us, If we be followers of that which is good ? But 
 it is from ourselves, that we have every thing to appre¬ 
 hend. A Laodicean temper and secular life, personal 
 neglect of the great salvation, and negligence in the 
 discharge of our ministerial office, these are the mystic 
 hngers of that invisible hand, which writes in legible 
 characters, Ye are weighed in the balances , and are 
 found wanting. In respect of Missions, and of every 
 thing else in which we fail, let us then rouse ; and re¬ 
 deem our Church from ruin, and ourselves from shame. 
 Let us prove to the world, that the cause of Christ is 
 dear to us; and that we have nobler motives of prefe¬ 
 rence to our Church, than those of ease, honour, and 
 emolument. 
 
 By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I beseech 
 you, Brethren, forgive this my boldness toward you • 
 and do me the justice to believe, that I hope better 
 things of you, though I thus speak. You will arise, and 
 
 nobly redeem your own honour, and that of our venera¬ 
 ble Church; and, in this confidence, the meanest of her 
 sons addresses to you the word of exhortation.—The 
 
 7fA! ?' a ? u P° n y° u - To you, Asia and 
 Africa stretch forth their hands. From you, they de¬ 
 mand their portion of the inheritance under the New 
 1 estament, of which you are the Trustees and adminis¬ 
 trators. To you the Church looks for the confirmation 
 
16 
 
 SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 of her best hopes, and the prophecies for their most - 
 glorious accomplishment. Your Baptismal Vow binds 
 you to take a part with the zealous Laity ; and your Or¬ 
 dination to the Sacred Office is your glorious preroga¬ 
 tive to be leaders of the war. How beautiful arc their 
 feet on the mountains, who publish glad tidings of peace : 
 who say unto Zion, Behold thy God ! 
 
 Do you still hesitate ? Go to Mount Tabor, and con¬ 
 template the glory of your Immanuel, as of the Only Be¬ 
 gotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Behold, 
 in Gethsemane, the Son of Man, prostrate on the earth 
 —inexpressible anguish forcing from his person a pre¬ 
 ternatural and bloody sweat—thrice deprecating the cup 
 of sorrow, and then meekly drinking it to the dregs S 
 Place yourself beneath his Cross. Mark the sorrows of 
 the Friend and Mother of your Lord. Hear the savage 
 shouts cf the infuriate populace ; and the brutal insults 
 of the priests and rulers. Behold the Lamb slain front 
 the foundatioTi cf the world: the Lamb of God that ta- 
 keth away its sins. Look into his heart, and read there 
 love unutterable : Glory to God in the highest: peace 
 and good-will to man. Listen to his dying pardons, bles¬ 
 sings, and prayers. Drink in his last breath, It is fin¬ 
 ished J while earth trembles, heaven mourns, rocks 
 rend, the sun refuses to shine, and nature groans.—Say, 
 is this thy Master, thy Saviour, thy God ? Do thy eter¬ 
 nal hopes hang with him on the cross ? And dost thou 
 expect to see him again in glory, and that he will say 
 unto thee, Well done, good and faithful servant, enter 
 thou into the joy of thy Lord ? And will not such match¬ 
 less love constrain us to forsake all, to take up our 
 cross, and to follow him ?—will it not constrain us to say, 
 il Lord, we are thine by every sacred tie. Appoint to 
 us our work, and the bounds of our habitation. All 
 countries and climates are alike : life and death are 
 equal: only let us live and die for thee ? 
 
 Such meditations as these, my Brethren, frequent and 
 brought home to the heart, familiarized and wrought by 
 the Holy Spirit into the temper of our minds, would 
 spread the Spirit of Missions far and wide, among the 
 Clergy and Laity. Our very women would catch the 
 sacred fire, and glory in the warfare of the cross.— 
 Christian Matrons I from whose endeared and endear- 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 17 
 
 ing lips, we first heard of the wondrous Babe of Beth¬ 
 lehem, and were taught to bend our knee to Jesus—ye, 
 who fii st taught these eagles how to soar, will ye now 
 check their flight in the midst of heaven ? « I am 
 weary,” said the ambitious Cornelia, “ of being called 
 Scipio s Daughter. Do something, my sons, to style 
 me the Mother of the Gracchi.” And what morelaud- 
 able ambition can inspire you, than a desire to be the 
 Mothers of the Missionaries, Confessors, and Martyrs 
 of Jesus? Generations unborn shall call you blessed. 
 1 he Churches of Asia and Africa, when they make 
 grateful mention of their founders, will say, Blessed be 
 the wombs which bare them , and the breasts which they 
 have sucked ! Ye Wives also of the Clergy, let it not 
 be said, that, while ye love the milder virtues of the 
 Man, ye are incapable of alliance with the grandeur of 
 the Minister. The Wives of Christian Soldiers should 
 learn to rejoice at the sound of the battle. 'House then 
 the slumbering courage of your soldiers to the field: and 
 think no place so safe, so honoured, as the camp of Jc- 
 sus. Tell the missionary story to your little ones, un¬ 
 til then young hearts burn ; and, in the spirit of those 
 innocents who shouted Hosanna to their lowly Kino- 
 they cry, “shall not we also be the Missionaries of Je¬ 
 sus Christ?” 
 
 And what, I beseech you, Brethren, is the Spirit of 
 Missions, but the Spirit of Christianity operating in its 
 divinest energies, and closely treading in the steps of 
 our Lord and of his Apostles ? Be it then the peculiar 
 concern of this Association to fan and spread this hal¬ 
 lowed flame. From the pulpit and from the press 
 again and again, let the subject be brought before the 
 Church and her Mm^ters, under every possible form, 
 t all ioith our ablest pens and warmest hearts. Be the 
 temperaments of men hot or cold ; whether their heads 
 or hearts must be assailed ; only let them be Christian 
 and they will be won to our cause. For what honest 
 mind can withstand the consolidated force of scripture 
 and reason, with which it may be urged ? or what feel¬ 
 ing heart resist the bursts of sacred elocution which it 
 inspires ? We need only to be brought into contact with 
 it, and we must catch its spirit. Nothing Christian 
 can sustain so strong and bright a flame. 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 15 
 
 What should affright us from this war ? It is not the 
 voice of the martial Godfrey, which calls us to slaugh¬ 
 ter ; but that of the Good Shepherd, who invites us to 
 attend his steps, while he folds his sheep among the 
 Gentiles; when we shall all be one fold , under one 
 Shepherd. It is not for the land of malediction, stained 
 with his innocent blood, and the sepulchre in which he 
 reposed for a night, that we contend ; but for his spirit¬ 
 ual, saving, and universal reign. We carry not war, 
 but peace in our arms. No trumpet shall sound, but 
 that of the jubilee ; no sword be drawn, but that of the 
 Spirit; no blood shed, but that of joyful martyrs. And 
 if, in defiance of religion, reason, and policy, the rude 
 eloquence of Peter of Amiens armed the nations of 
 the West, and precipitated Europe on the head of Asia, 
 shall we despair of a Crusade to save and bless man¬ 
 kind, and which is sanctioned by every principle 
 
 OF UNDEFILED RELIGION, SOBER REASON, AND SOUND 
 
 policy? Then, great Emperors and Kings, illustrious 
 Princes, mitred Prelates, and all Orders of Men, took 
 the Cross ; and why should they refuse it now ? Super¬ 
 stition has had its day, and a dreadful one it was. The 
 day of Atheism, miscalled the Age of Reason, has suc¬ 
 ceeded, and bleeding nations display its trophies. It is 
 time for the day of Religion to take place ; and for the 
 wearied creature to rest, in the peaceful and pacific 
 kingdom of the Son of God. 
 
 From the Reformation, the Bishops of Rome have 
 exerted all their influence in Missions ; and what they 
 did effect, evinces what may be done by a purer reli¬ 
 gion. The FAITHFUL, CATHOLIC, and CHRISTIAN, 
 Kings of Portugal, Spain, and France have endeavored 
 to merit those titles, by their powerful patronage of 
 Missions. All orders of the Roman Priesthood have 
 vied with one another in missionary zeal. They have 
 submitted to every privation and hardship: they have 
 shunned no danger; and have been nobly prodigal of 
 life. The Princes of Denmark have thought them¬ 
 selves honoured, in extending his kingdom, by whom 
 kings reign. Even the Commercial States of Holland, 
 and other Protestant Powers,, have done honour to our 
 Holy Religion. But, in England, so far as Missions 
 are concerned, till of late, we have hardly assumed the 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS, 
 
 19 
 
 aspect of a Christian Country : we have neither treated 
 religion as a thing divine, nor deigned to use it as 
 an instrument of state. Yet, to the influence of reli¬ 
 gion is Europe indebted for her superiority over the 
 other continents. Religion saved her in the fall of the 
 Roman Empire, and vanquished all the northern con¬ 
 querors. In the middle ages, Christian Kings trem¬ 
 bled before the pagan Dane, Norman, Saxon, and 
 Hungarian. Ly cession of territory, by the marriage 
 of their daughters, and even by the sword, they pro¬ 
 pagated the religion of Jesus, as an instrument of 
 state ; as the only bond, which could bind those faith¬ 
 less barbarians. To whatever censures their conduct 
 is open, they knew, at least, the value of religion, as 
 connected with the temporal welfare of mankind, and 
 did not treat it with the superlative contempt which we 
 have done. The influence of religion withdrawn, ev¬ 
 ery malevolent demon hath ravaged the continent. 
 At this hour, religion, Protestant religion, is the 
 bulwark, shield, swoid, and glory of Britain ; and if 
 Providence has placed under her dominion the provin¬ 
 ces of the distant East, it is hard to say for what pur¬ 
 pose, worthy of the Judge of all the earth, it is done, 
 unless it be, that we may impart to them the blessed 
 religion of Jesus. They, and the poor slaves in the 
 West Indies, are now our fellow-subjects as w r ell as 
 our fellow-creatures ; and, if we continue to despise 
 them as brute beasts who have no souls to be saved, 
 and persist to intercept the blood-bought bounties of 
 our God, they will have a great and terrible avenger, 
 who will respect no dignities in the Church or State, 
 and who will call the most serious clergy to the 
 most serious account; for WE know our Master’s 
 will, and we approve it , and yet we do it not. 
 
 . 1 repeat, we have not assumed the aspect of a Chris¬ 
 tian Country. Of all our English Kings, not one has 
 stood forth as the Leader and Patron of any National 
 Attempt to propagate through the Heathen World that 
 faith, of which they all claim, and not without justice, 
 to be the Defenders. I state the fact, but my censure 
 falls rather on those who should suggest this duty to 
 the Throne, than on the Throne itself: for I will not 
 believe, until it be proved, that there has lived, qk 
 
20 
 
 SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 lives, a Prince of the House of Brunswick, in particu¬ 
 lar, who would withhold his princely aid from the king¬ 
 dom of his God.* 
 
 Neither are our hopes less firmly founded on the 
 British Senate. The care of religion, they deem not 
 beneath the dignity of their legislative wisdom. The 
 residence of the Clergy, the amelioration of their hum¬ 
 ble stipends, the support even of a Roman College, 
 the different claims of English Dissenters and Irish 
 Catholics, have all, in their turns, come before them, 
 and have been discussed with calmness and dignity. 
 By that August Assembly, the chain of Africa has been 
 broken, and their country exonerated from a load of 
 blood. And if these comparatively minor points have 
 been respected, surely they will lend a patient car to 
 our Common Christianity—the dearest interests of 
 mankind—the ardent prayers and joyful hopes of the 
 Universal Church—the dear-bought purchase of our 
 Redeemer’s blood—the cause for which the wisdom, 
 goodness, and power of the Eternal Majesty at first 
 created, and still supports the universe. 
 
 The Throne, the Senate, is not dead, but sleejieth. 
 The voice, that is to wake their Christian Virtue, must 
 proceed from the Altar. And whither should we look, 
 but to you, ye Venerable Men, whom the pleasure of 
 your Sovereign, and the Providence of Heaven, have 
 exalted to be “ Fathers in God/’ and the great Lumi¬ 
 naries of the Church of England ?—Ye are our great¬ 
 est—be ye our best. To you it is given, to approach 
 the throne of Majesty ; and, without offence to admon¬ 
 ish kings. To you it is given to raise your voices 
 among the Princes of Britain, and to plead for your 
 Saviour and your God. Raise then your pastoral voi¬ 
 ces, and all ihe Clergy shall hear. Lead—and your 
 obedient sons will follow : command—and they will 
 obey. To your wisdom and piety we commend the 
 most momentous cause, ever brought before a British 
 
 * The first Sovereign, indeed, of this illustrious family who 
 sat on our throne, patronized the first Protestant. Mission in 
 India, and encouraged the Missionaries by his letters: (See 
 Buchanan on an Ecclesiastical Establishment for British India, 
 pp. 232—234.)butmy remark applies to a national attempt 
 — such as might be justly expected from an enlightened Chris¬ 
 tian Country. 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 o ] 
 
 /V A 
 
 King and Parliament: and may He, whose ambassadors 
 ye are, bow before you the hearts of the Sovereign 
 and of the Senate, and make them all to vise to build 
 the House of their God ! 
 
 I am not ignorant, that, a century ago, the respectable 
 u Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,” were 
 the first to assert the Missionary Cause ; that, under 
 their auspices and at their expense, was published the 
 first Oriental Version of the Scriptures ; that the Lu¬ 
 theran Ministers employed in their Missions have been 
 pious, wise, and indefatigable; that Swartz has left 
 behind him an apostolic name ; that the effects of these 
 Missions have been equal, perhaps superior, to what has 
 been done by all the rest of Europe, in that period of 
 time ; and that they still continue their labours in India. 
 All this they have done under great disadvantages and 
 with slender funds ; when their countrymen, in general, 
 viewed the subject with lifeless apathy, and, for this, 
 they merit the gratitude of the Church. But though it 
 should be granted, that they have done all which exist¬ 
 ing circumstances would permit, yet all will not inval¬ 
 idate my censures. Nothing has been done by authori¬ 
 ty—nothing worthy of England—nothing adequate to 
 the object—nothing by the English Clergy! What has 
 been done fora century, proves the absolute necessity 
 of calling all our forces into the field, and rousing the 
 whole Church, Clergy and Laity to strain every nerve of 
 exertion. Inveterate prejudices yield only to time. 
 Missions, at first treated as wild and romantic, begin 
 now to be considered feasible, as well as laudable : and, 
 in a few years, I trust, they will be thought the necessary 
 result ol sober Christianity; and that they who refuse 
 to concur in them, have virtually denied the faith , and 
 are worse than Infidels. 
 
 The trumpet of the Millennial Jubilee is, at last, 
 heard among the thousands of Israel, and will soon fill 
 all the tents of Jacob. Serious Christians of all de¬ 
 nominations are espousing the Cause of Missions, and 
 anxious to firejiare the way of the Lord. Among others, 
 this Association of attached Members of the Church of 
 England is not ashamed to claim an interest in the Son 
 of David. But, sorry am I to say, that the Clergy, and 
 the Clergy alone, decline the Cross. We claim the 
 
22 
 
 SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 palm—oh, why will we not deserve it ? In the midst 
 of judgment and mercy, while war shakes cur coasts, 
 shall we recline indolently under our vine and fig-tree j 
 and bid our Lord extend his kingdom, how and by 
 whom he will ? In comparison of this, defeat itself 
 were victory. The Church, while lamenting their de¬ 
 feat, would magnanimously console her vanquished 
 Missionaries; and would renew the war w r ith redoub¬ 
 led zeal and better hopes. But, when not one Clergy¬ 
 man will arm in the cause of his Redeemer, what is to 
 be said l The fact is, I believe, unparalleled in the 
 annals of the Church. That it is a fact, I appeal to this 
 Association, and ask, “Have you, my honoured Breth¬ 
 ren, in Africa, or in the East, one English Clergyman, 
 who serves as a missionary ?” From such a spirit, lit¬ 
 tle is to be hoped ; and if, as I said before, I confident¬ 
 ly expect the Clergy will redeem their honour, it is not 
 the language of eulogy that is to rouse them. The 
 Cause of Missions must be pleaded with a boldness, 
 which knows no fear nor compromise ; and in this spir¬ 
 it only, we can do all things , through Christ which 
 strengthened us. 
 
 Still, this Society is undiscouraged ; and despairs 
 neither of Missions, nor of the co-operation of the 
 Clergy. They patiently wait the salvation of God ; and, 
 in the meanwhile, avail themselves of such instruments 
 as he supplies. A small number of pious foreigners, 
 Lutheran Clergy, are now engaged in their Missions. 
 But, highly as we are obliged to them, highly as we re¬ 
 spect them, and most cordially as we accept their godly 
 services, my duty this day obliges to say, that the flow¬ 
 er of the Lutheran Clergy cannot promote our cause 
 like those of our own establishment. Their persons, 
 characters, and connexions are necessarily unknowm j 
 and cannot excite that lively interest and emulation 
 with which we should view the labours of our own 
 Clergy. Independently of the disgraceful confession, 
 that we have not piety to conduct our own Missions, 
 should they be permitted once to flow in a foreign 
 channel, we damp the Spirit of Missions, and destroy 
 the vital sap that should feed them : for the Clergy will 
 feel themselves discharged from the war; and, instead 
 ©f our spirit and resources increasing with success and 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 23 
 
 the demand for greater exertions, we shall soon relapse 
 into our former apathy. Not only our honour, but our 
 zeal and success, depend on our employing our own 
 countrymen, as much as we can. The God ofTruth 
 will not impute to the English Clergy, the services of 
 pious foreigners. Our own work can be best done by 
 our own hands. 
 
 The Annual Sermons and Reports of this Society are 
 loud calls on the Clergy. Every thing passes before 
 our eyes, which can provoke us to jealousy. We hear, 
 we see : yet the greater part cares not for these things ; 
 and they who do, content with affording pecuniary aid, 
 withhold unanimously their personal service. Have 
 Carey and his Baptists had more forgiven than we, that 
 they should love more ? Have the fervent Methodists 
 and patient Moravians been extortionate publicans, that 
 they should expend their all, in a cause which we de¬ 
 cline ? Have our Independent and Lutheran Brethren 
 persecuted the Church, that they should be now so much 
 more zealous, in propagating the faith they once de¬ 
 stroyed ? Would a British Army, fed, clothed, honour¬ 
 ed, and rewarded by their Sovereign, stand inactive, 
 and see brave allies bleeding in their battles, and the 
 fate of their country suspended on a foreign sword ? 
 The Great Dictator once brought to reason a refractory- 
 legion by a word—“ Citizens ! depart.” And fear we 
 not the anger of our Immortal Sovereign, who now 
 smiteth through kings—subverteth thrones, altars, and 
 kingdoms—breaketh the arm of the mighty—maketh 
 foolish the wisdom of counsellors—trampleth on the 
 necks of prelates ; and sendeth to us the Gallican Cler¬ 
 gy, to tell us, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the 
 hands of the living God ? 
 
 An opinion seems to prevail, that our meanest Min¬ 
 isters arc fittest for Missionaries, and that our best and 
 greatest are superior to the office. This opinion, I con¬ 
 ceive, is arrogant and contemptuous ; as pregnant with 
 mischiefs, as unfounded in truth. Surely we can better 
 spare one or two great men, than millions of wretched 
 Heathens can dispense with their services. An able 
 General is worth half his army ; an apostolic Bishop 
 half his Clergy. On great men the Almighty suspends, 
 sometimes, the fate of Churches and Nations ; and this 
 is a crisis in our affairs, which seems to call for the 
 
24 
 
 SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 % 
 
 services of no common characters. The meanest of 
 our Missionaries should be greatly good, to embark in 
 a godlike work, on godlike motives. Great activity, 
 industry, patience, fortitude, and perseverance are 
 qualifications essential to the Missionary. Without 
 these, he never can succeed. Zeal, disinterestedness, 
 talents, elocution, will not avail without their firm sup¬ 
 port. How few, even of good men, combine a large 
 proportion of these solid qualities ! Blunt must be that 
 tool, which receives not an edge from incessant sharpen¬ 
 ing; barren the soil, which derives not fertility from 
 patient cultivation. Men, thus diligent in the noblest 
 business, cannot be mean men ; nor shall they stand 
 before mean men, but before the princes of God’s peo¬ 
 ple. Usefulness, peace, and honour will attend all their 
 steps. They are the men whom we want. They have 
 the qualifications of Missionaries, though they should 
 not have one splendid trait in their characters. But to 
 these veteran qualities which maintain the tug of battle, 
 if we can accumulate on our Missionary every endow¬ 
 ment of nature and every improvement of education, 
 nothing will be superfluous. We will despise no man : 
 we will flatter no man. It was to no inferior, nor even 
 ruling Angel, that God committed the work of our sal¬ 
 vation. It was delegated to his own dear Son, and it 
 pleased the Father , not to spare, but to bruise him ; to 
 subject him to every suffering and indignity, that none 
 might claim exemption, from the peasant to the prince. 
 In his hand the weakest instrument shall be strong, 
 and the noblest derive dignity from his meanest service. 
 The Master Builders of the Sanctuary must be no com¬ 
 mon artists. Bezaleel and Aholiab , in whose hearts is the 
 spirit of God , in wisdom , in understanding, and in 
 knowledge ; to know how to work all manner of work for 
 the Sanctuary , must build it. When on earth, the gen¬ 
 erous St. Paul could not brook to build on another man’s 
 foundation ; or to boast of things made ready to his hand 
 in another’s line of service. Could he be permitted to 
 aid the labours of the Church from heaven, what could 
 we offer him but this deserted standard, and request 
 him to lead us to Delhi, to Ispahan, and Mecca ? 
 
 Pre-eminent as the Episcopal Order is now, the Apos¬ 
 tles and Evangelists claimed the glorious work of Mis¬ 
 sions, as their own. It was the post of danger, suffer- 
 
&T&RMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 25 
 
 lag, and labour ; and, therefore, the post of honour. 
 bo it is now. Mean is the man, who thinks it mean. 
 
 he othce has sunk m estimation, because we are too lit¬ 
 tle to assert its dignity; but when that day shall come— 
 and come it will—when God shall again pour out his 
 Spirit from on high, then we shall learn war, and know 
 how to use missionary arms. The sword is nothing, 
 without the hand that wields it. The glorious Gos¬ 
 pel itself may be made a mere neutral thing. We 
 have the sword of St. Paul, the sword, of God, into 
 whose ethereal temper the Holy Ghost has wrought all 
 the truth and wisdom, all the grace and power of God. 
 On its double edge are life and death. All the idols of 
 
 the East anc South are destined to fall before its insuf- 
 
 feiabie brightness. But where is the hand to grasp it ? 
 
 weanen g would S lor y to use this immortal 
 
 to thi rl bU l ^. not be - It is the gift of Christ 
 
 beeiiftv )Z ; r"r d . 1 V? t0 u be USed on! y b y conscious im- 
 
 the elle l ° Ugh faith 1Q the Lorcl of lhe Sword, that all 
 
 h mi l y -f J hG ^ eapon and of the faith that uses 
 it, may be ascribed to God alone. 
 
 \ e Leaders of the Armies of the Living God, dare 
 
 sword °anH Christ .ff h st ? en g t heneth youfreceive this 
 swold, and war with it against those fallen angels, who 
 
 have usurped dominion in Africa and in the East and 
 opposed their bloody altars and filthy mysterfes to the 
 
 Sen ' e M W ° °. ffer • V0U fi ' st honour,.! 
 
 la / rT 1 '** ‘ c ’i lh his the /el. 
 
 low shift of /ns sufferings : a conformity to his life who 
 
 had net where ,o l„j Hu Head ; and a conformity to his 
 
 covS’t'lmntnfi P 'u d ° n • C1 ° SS - What mor ° ca " 
 covet, than to fight conspicuous on the sharpest ed"e of 
 
 sTlvaZ r *Y“ med ? at « of the CapSSnof four 
 Salvation, and sheltered under his arm, until you die at 
 
 Jus feet, and, it may be, have your pale brows graced 
 
 ^b^ martyr’s crown ? Is not this ?he consummation 
 
 thir i C r 11 T Stlan a ™. bltlon enough to satiate the infinite 
 thnst of glory, which Christ excites in the Soldiers of 
 
 like v°f* ‘ X - n c . omparison of th is, how poor is it, to fall 
 like Nelson, in the arms of Victory-cohered with stars 
 
 ed wkh’a n t ? honourabJe wounds ; and to be embalm- 
 cu with a nation s tears ! 
 
 Hear the gracious declarations of your Lord; Verily 
 
 C 
 
Q 6 
 
 SERMON ON MISSIONS, 
 
 1 say unto you , that ye y ’who have followed me in the re- 
 generation , when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne 
 of his glory , shall also sit on twelve thrones judging the 
 twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsa¬ 
 ken houses , or brethren , or sisters , or jather , or mother , 
 or wife , or children , or /arads /or ?rz/ «a£e, s^a/Z receive 
 a hundred fold , and «/za// inherit eternal life. And who¬ 
 soever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven , fAe 
 same is my brother , and sister , and mother. Brother !— 
 Sister !—Mother !—what words of grace are these ! If 
 felt aright the Church would never want missionaries 
 or martyrs. 
 
 It may be thought that I am soliciting the migration 
 of the Clergy. Far from it. One in a hundred might 
 supply our wants a hundred years hence. Would God 
 we had twenty ! would God we had ten, worthy of the 
 fame of the Church of England ! whose wisdom might 
 direct, whose courage might animate, and whose influ¬ 
 ence might serve as a centre of union to the pious youth 
 from our colleges, who would soon resortto our standard, 
 when conducted by such leaders. A College in the 
 East for Religion and the Oriental Languages, under 
 their auspices, might one day rival the famed Alexan¬ 
 drian School; and produce even native students to vie 
 with its most renowned worthies. 
 
 For, next to the difficulty of obtaining Missionaries 
 is that of giving effect to their labours, by affording ev¬ 
 ery facility, for the acquisition of the native tongues. 
 To relinquish our connexions at home requires a pain¬ 
 ful effort; but, when that effort is made, the ties which 
 hold us shall yield to it, as threads consumed by fire. 
 At personal hardship and inconvenience, the Christian 
 will smile. The care and provision of our wives and 
 orphans touch the lenderest chords of nature : the he¬ 
 ro feels as a man, and the saint is not ashamed to be so : 
 but the pang, though sharp, is transient: these loved 
 pledges we bequeath to the Chureh, and Jesus will 
 place them under the care of some Beloved Disciple. 
 Glorious martyrdom is thrown so far into the back 
 ground of the Missionary Picture, that it is hardly to be 
 seen ; and, if seen at all, it will, I trust, be viewed as 
 the crown of honourable love and approved service. 
 But, for adults again to go to school j for ministers to 
 
SERMON ON MISSIONS, 
 
 l&y asid e their Bibles for grammars ; to devote their 
 prune oflife, which they woiild think best improved in 
 the delightful labours of the pulpit, to the painful ac¬ 
 quirement of languages ; and perhaps, to fall victims 
 to disease, before they have well entered on their Mis¬ 
 sions—these are, indeed, discouraging considera¬ 
 tions. bo much so, that some good men despair of any 
 success worthy of our efforts, unless the Gift of 
 Tongues were revived in the Church. To this objec 
 tion our reply is simple and obvious— The King’s busi¬ 
 ness requireth haste. We have no alternative but to 
 obey, and to leave the issue with God. Judah and Israel 
 shall be gathered. The fulness of the Gentiles shall 
 
 h Kard°^H T' h *1° ShaU be done * The zeal of the 
 Lorclofnos.s shall perform this. But, whether this be 
 
 effected, by ordinary or extraordinary means, is of no 
 
 lmpoitance. Miracles are great things to little man ; 
 
 nothing to the Glorious God. To him they cannot be 
 
 necessary ; and therefore not to us. For we can do all 
 
 things, through'Christ vMck strengtheneth us. Never- 
 
 thexess, that assistance, which we cannot command from 
 
 the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, we ought the 
 
 moie solicitously to implore from the succours of his 
 
 grace. It we cannot speak with tongues, we ought, at 
 
 least, carefully to provide every means to facilitate the 
 
 f of lan pages ; and should avail ourselves, in its 
 utmost extent, of the advantages of the press. 
 
 io produce those strenuous exertions, necessary to 
 the end which we would obtain, we must be raised and 
 hrecl, by near views of the glory of the latter day. To 
 faith, as to the God whom she serves, a thousand years 
 are as one day. Nevertheless, let us not indulge illu- 
 sive hopes of immediate and splendid success. As vet 
 we are only exploring the perils of the Desert, and not 
 entering on the Land of Promise. We may expect a 
 night, long, dark, and perhaps tempestuous ; and should 
 be prepared to toil patiently at the oar, in sure and cer¬ 
 tain hope of a bright morning, when our Master shall 
 come to us walking on the waters, and our weather¬ 
 beaten baik shall rest in a secure haven. 
 
 One word more, my Brethren. Let nothing which 
 I have said be construed as tending to insinuate that 
 all Ministers who decline a personal engagement in 
 
28 
 
 SERMON ON MISSIONS. 
 
 Missions, are therefore indifferent to their success. 
 God forbid ! Very few of ys can be called to that ser¬ 
 vice. Some of us certainly are ; and, as it is impossi¬ 
 ble to say, who are the disobedient prophets, who re¬ 
 sist the Holy Ghost, censures, particular in their 
 application, must be conveyed in general terms. I?ut 
 certain I am, that many hoary veterans would gladly re¬ 
 new their youth, to reap the harvest of so rich a field. 
 Many young soldiers are ardent to engage ; but modes¬ 
 ty and inexperience withhold them. Not for them¬ 
 selves, but for the ark of God, they fear: and, when 
 their Pentecost shall fully come, they will go forth, as 
 Christ’s joyful witnesses. Above all, let none, whose 
 zeal shall engage them first to take the cross, fondly 
 imagine, that they only dare to meet the alien Foe. 
 They may be assured that they will leave behind them 
 many more pious than themselves ; and whose faithful 
 prayers, under the blessing of God, will be the surest 
 pledges of their own success. If a righteous indigna¬ 
 tion, to see the armies of the Living God defied by 
 the proud and sanguinary demons of the Gentiles, em¬ 
 bolden them to advance to the perilous encounter, let 
 it be in the modest spirit of David, who trusted not in 
 his sling and stone, but in that God whose soldier he 
 was. In this spirit, they may well disregard the malice 
 of envious brethren, who say, We know your / iride, and 
 the naughtmess of your hearts. For is there not an im¬ 
 perious cause, why striplings should seek to fight, when 
 neither brave Jonathan draws the sword, nor warlike 
 Abner lifts the spear ? 
 
 Go forth, then, ye Soldiers of the Cross ; and may 
 the God whom ye serve go forth with you, and teach 
 your hands to war and your fngers to fight i Rejoice in 
 your high and holy calling; and, in the grateful and 
 humble triumph of your souls, say, Unto us, who are 
 less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that 
 we should fireach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable 
 riches of Christ. 
 
 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the 
 only wise God, be praise, power, and dominion in the 
 Church, throughout all ages. Amen 1 
 

 
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