JU>'o 
 'Ai Si 
 lU'ii 
 
 AN 
 
 APOLOGY 
 
 FOR TBE LATE 
 
 C|)]rfsttan ittiBsion© to gnWa: 
 
 PART THE FIRST. 
 
 COMPEtSING 
 
 An ADDRESS to the CHAIRMAN 
 
 OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY 5 
 In ansver to 
 
 MR. TWINING; 
 
 And 
 
 STRICTURES on the PREFACE of a PAMPHLETj 
 
 ^ BT 
 
 MAJOR SCOTT WARING; 
 
 With an 
 
 AFFEHBIX, 
 
 CoRTAiNisc Authorities, primcipallv 
 
 TJKEN FROM THE IeFORT 
 
 OH' LEDGE* 
 
 OF The Societt for promotieo Christian Ks 
 
 BY ANDREW FULLER. 
 
 Seceetaby to the Baptist Missionary Society. 
 
 Second fficition. 
 
 o« nIean.“‘'°“°*“"'‘ “ thou saves! ; but thou feignest them out of t 
 
 counsel'* o^to work ^loVJMrlf 
 
 not overthrow it, lest haply yc found even to'figkaglinst GOD^ ' 
 
 ® * G A M A L 1 1 I 
 
 Sold by BuRniTT, 60. and Button 24, Paternoster Row; also by 
 Williams and SatiTii, Stationer’s Court. London. 
 
 Printed by J. B. Mon is, Dunstable. 
 
 1808. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2016 
 
 https://archive.org/details/apologyforlatechOOfull 
 
Mr. FULLER’S ANSWER 
 
 TO 
 
 MR. TWINING, 
 
 AND 
 
 iHaior ^cott IKlauns. 
 
 Price two shillings and sirpence* 
 
TO 
 
 EiDWAiRB PARRY, ESQ» 
 Chairman of the East India Company. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 As in a Letter lately addressed to 
 you by Mr. Thomas Twining, on the 
 danger of interfering in the religious opi- 
 nions of the natives of India, there is a 
 reference to the labours of the Baptist mis- 
 sionaries in that country, you will not con- 
 sider me, I hope, as obtruding myself on 
 your attention while I offer a few remarks 
 upon it, and upon the important subject 
 which it embraces. . 
 
 It is true, the principal part of Mr. 
 Twining’s pamphlet is directed against 
 The British and Foreign Bible Society, and 
 
 li 
 
4 
 
 that this has been sufficiently answered 
 from another quarter ; Init though he affects 
 “ not to know these missionaries,” yet their 
 undertaking, particularly in tlie work of 
 translating the Scriptures, has no doubt 
 conti'ibuted to excite his alarm. 
 
 If by “ interfering in the religious opi- 
 nions of the natives of India,” Mr. Twining 
 means nothino- more than the dissemination 
 of the Christian faith by the fair methods 
 of persuasion ; the baptist missionasies, and 
 those of e\ ery otlier denomination, must be 
 acknowledged to have interfered; but if he 
 include under that term, .violence, unfair 
 influence, or any measures subversive of 
 free choice; or any addresses, either in 
 speech or writing, which have endangered 
 the peace of society, they have not inter- 
 fered, nor have they any desire of so 
 doino;. 
 
 AV’hether Mr. Twinino- has chosen this 
 
 O 
 
 ambiguous term, that he may with the 
 greater ease insinuate, as occasion requires, 
 the obnoxious idea of a design to overthrow 
 
o 
 
 ihe pagan and inahomcdan religions bj 
 force, I shall not determine; iDut that such 
 is the use that is made of it, throughout his 
 pamphlet, is clear. “ As long,’' he sa3^s, 
 “ as we continue to govern India in the 
 mild and tolerant sj)irit of Christianit}^ Ave 
 may govern it Avith ease; but if ever the 
 fatal (lav shall arrive Avhen rclioious in- 
 
 V- O 
 
 novation shall set lier foot in that countiy, 
 indignation Avill spread from one end of 
 limdostan to the other.” (p. 30.) Is giving the 
 Scriptures then to the nati\’cs, in tlieir OAvn 
 lano;ua 2 :es, and olferino; to instruct them in 
 tiieii’ leading doctrines, opposed to the mild 
 ami tolerant spirit of Christianity ? If it be. 
 Sir, neither the Founder of the Christian 
 religion, nor his followers, have yet under- 
 stood it. Be this as it may, it is not an 
 “ innovation:” the fatal day has arriA’ed 
 more than a century ago. Mr. Twining 
 “ hopes our native subjects in India Avill be 
 permitted quietly to follow their oavu reli- 
 gious opinions.” (p. 31.) We hope so too; 
 but if this gentleman’s Avishes could be 
 realized, Ave should not be permitted to 
 lolloAv ours, nor to recommend Avhat Ave 
 
6 
 
 believe to be of eternal importance to our 
 fellow-men, and fellow subjects. Yet this is 
 all we desire. If missionai-ies, or any other 
 ])ersons on their behalf, should so far forget 
 the principles of the gospel as to aim at 
 any thing beyond it, i trust the government 
 will always possess Arisdom and Justice 
 sufficient to counteract tliem. The question. 
 Sir, winch Mr. Twining proposes to submit 
 to a general court of proprietors, Avhatever 
 be the teiins in which it ina\- be couclied, 
 Aviil not be. Whether the natives of India 
 shall continue to enjoy the most perfect 
 toleration; but aviiktheh that tolera- 
 tion SHALL r,E EXTENDED TO CHRIS- 
 TIAN MISSIONARIES ? 
 
 I have observed with pain. Sir, of late 
 3'ears, a notion of toleration entertained 
 even by some who Avould lie thought its 
 tirmest advocates, which tends not only to 
 abridge, but to subvert it. Tiles’^ have no 
 olijection to Christians of any denomination, 
 enjoying their own opinions, and it may be 
 their own worship; but tliey must not be 
 allowed to make i.rusehttes. Such ajipcar to 
 
7 
 
 be the notions of Mr. Twining and Ins 
 friends. They do not propose to persecute 
 the Christians of India, provided tliey would 
 keep their Christianity to themselves; but 
 those who attempt to convert others are to be 
 exterminated. Sir, I need not say to you, 
 that this is not toleration, but persecution. 
 Toleration is a legal permission not only to 
 enjoy our own principles unmolested, but 
 to make use of all the fair means of per- 
 suasion to recommend them to others. The 
 former is but little more than iniolit be en- 
 
 / O 
 
 joyed in countries the most distinguished 
 by persecution; lor few would wish to in- 
 terrupt men so long as they kept their 
 religion to themselves. Yet this is the whole 
 of what some would wish to allow, both in 
 the East and West Indies. In former times 
 unbelievers felt the need of toleration for 
 themselves^ and then they generally advo- 
 cated it on behalf of others; but of late, 
 owing perhaps to the increase of their 
 numbers, they have assumed a loftier tone. 
 Now, though for political reasons, all men 
 must be allowed to follow their own reli- 
 gion, yet they must not aim at making pro- 
 
8 
 
 sdiftes. Men who liave no belief in the 
 Christian religion may be expected to have 
 no regard for it; and where this is the ca e, 
 the rights of conscience will be but little 
 respected. 
 
 So far as my observations extend, these 
 remarks are applicable to deists in general; 
 and where situations are favourable to their 
 views, they may be expected to lise in their 
 demands. ]n a letter from Mr. Cahey, 
 now before me, of as late date as Feb. 13th, 
 he writes as follows: — “ India swarms Avith 
 deists; and deists are, in my oj)inion, the 
 most intolerant of mankind. Their great 
 desire is to exterminate true religion from 
 the earth. I consider the alarms which have 
 been spread through India, as the fabrica- 
 tions of these men. 'I’he concurrence of two 
 or three circumstances, in ))oiut of time; 
 namely, the massacre at Vellore, the re- 
 bellious disposition of the inhabitants in 
 some parts of M 3 ^sorc, and the public ad- 
 vertisements for subscriptions to the oriental 
 translations, have furnished them with oc- 
 casion to represent the introduction of 
 
9 
 
 Christianity amonj>’ the natives as dan- 
 
 ^ o 
 
 gerous.” 
 
 AVhile Mr. Carey was writing this letter. 
 Sir, he iihgiit not be aware that a number 
 of these men were preparing to embark 
 for Europe, with a view to spread the alarm 
 at home. Assuredly they have a cause in 
 which they are engaged, as well as the Bible 
 Society; and are not wanting in zeal to 
 support it. Mr. Twining would be thought 
 a Christian; but if so, in what cause is he 
 engaged ? He may pretend that he is only 
 pleading for toleration; but in fact he is 
 pleading for the exclusion of what he ac- 
 knowledges to be light and truth, and for 
 the refusal of tolcialioii to the religion of 
 his Maker. 
 
 As “ the religious opinions and customs 
 of the natives of India” are a subject on 
 which Mr. Twining’s feelings are so “ par- 
 ticularl}'^ alive,” it may not be amiss to state 
 what a few of these opinions and customs 
 are. It may not be necessary’. Sir, for your 
 information; but some persons into whose 
 
10 
 
 liands this pamphlet may fall may Idc the 
 iDetter able to judge of the question at 
 issue. 
 
 In the first place then, the Hindoos ac- 
 knowledge ONE SUPREME God : they do 
 not appear however to worship Him, but 
 certain subordinate powers which they say i 
 
 proceeded from him. Of these the three 
 principal are denominated Biumiia, the 
 creator of all ; Vishnoo, the preserver of 
 all : and Serb, the destro}"er of all. Ihrmha 
 is not ^vorshipped at all ; Vishnoo only by 
 a few ; but Seeb (the' destroyer) by almost 
 all: their worship therefore is chiefly the ' 
 effect of sui)crstitious fears. The foulest 
 vices are ascribed to these subordinate 
 deities in their owui Shasters ; but that 
 w’hich is sin in men, they say, is not sin in 
 the gods. Besides these, they w’orship in- 
 numerable inferior deities, called debtas, 
 chied}", if not entirely under an idea that it 
 is in their power to do them harm. The 
 lusts, quarrels, and other vices of these deb- 
 tas, also fill their shasters, as their images 
 do the country. The chief use that they 
 
 / 
 
11 
 
 seem to make of tkc One Supreme God is, 
 to ascribe to him all the evil that they com- 
 mit; and to persuade themselves that they 
 are not accountable bcina’S. 
 
 They have a most firm faith in conjura- 
 tion, in lucky and unlucky da}’s; and in 
 almost all their civil concerns act under its 
 influence. 
 
 A considerable part of their religion con- 
 sists in self-torment. One will hold up a 
 hand till it is grown stiff, and he is incapa- 
 ble of taking it down again: another will 
 lie upon the points of iron spikes, just so 
 blunt as not to pierce him to death, and 
 this for years together; others on certain 
 days at the beginning of the new year, are 
 suspended in the air by sharp iron hooks 
 stuck through the skin on each side of their 
 back, and continue swinging round in that 
 position from five to fifteen minutes. At 
 the worship of Jaggernaut, whose temple 
 is in Orissa, this massy wooden god is borne 
 in a carriage drawn by the multitude ; and 
 while the air resounds with their shouts, 
 
 c 
 
12 
 
 happy are those who throw themselves un- 
 der the wheels to be crushed to death ! This, 
 and every other species of self-torment, and 
 self-murder, gains admiration from the spec- 
 tators. 
 
 Besides this, it is well known to be a part 
 of their religion to favour the burning of 
 widows with the corpes of their deceased 
 husbands. Their shasters pronounce this 
 to be a great virtue^ and to render them a 
 kind of celestial beings. And lest the cir- 
 cumstance of absence at the time of the 
 husband’s death should prevent it, their 
 laws prescribe as follows. — “ If the wife be 
 within one day’s journey of the place where 
 her husband dies, the burning of his corpse 
 shall be deferred one day for her arrival. 
 If he die in another country, the virtuous 
 wife shall take any of his effects, a sandal 
 for instance, and binding it on her thigh, 
 shall enter the fire with it.” I'hus careful 
 are these sacred laws to secure their victim. 
 And, as if it were meant to outrage every 
 vestige of humanity, and to refine upon 
 cruelty, it is an established law, that the 
 
IS 
 
 \ 
 
 eldest son, or nearest relation, shall set fire 
 to the pile ! 
 
 Great numbers of infants also are thrown 
 into the river, as offerings to the goddess; 
 and others who refuse their mother’s milk 
 are frequently hung up in a basket on the 
 branch of a tree, to be devoured by ants, or 
 birds of prey ! 
 
 Whether all these customs be proper ob- 
 jects of toleration, may admit of a doubt. 
 The British Government in India seems to 
 have thought otherwise. The Governor 
 General in Council, on Aug. 20. 1802, is 
 said to have passed a decree declaring some 
 of them to be murder. We leave this how- 
 ever to the civil authorities. Our object is 
 confined to remonstrance, persuasion, and 
 the exhibition of truth : and surely, if it be 
 possible by such means to induce a people, 
 or any part of a people to cast away these 
 practices, it must be so far favourable to 
 human happiness. If, Sir, there were no 
 hereafter, and we were merely to consult 
 our own national interest, it were wortb 
 
u 
 
 %vhile, as far as possible, to endeavour to 
 mitigate these evils : but if the good of the 
 governed be allowed to have place in a 
 government, it is still more so : and if there 
 be a Judgment to come, where governors and 
 governed must each appear and give an ac- 
 count, it must be an object of the first im- 
 portance. At that bar, Sir, the adversaries 
 of those who peaceably endeavour to bring 
 off the Hindoos from tliese abominations 
 will be ashamed to shew their face | 
 
 I may be told that the particulars above 
 referred to are the most offensive parts of 
 the system, and that other parts of it may 
 be very good. It is true that there are 
 degrees in evil. All things pertaining to 
 Ilindooism may not be equally shocking 
 to the feelings of an enlightcne(l mind. I 
 might safely affirm, however, with Dr. 
 Buchanan, “The Hindoos have no moral 
 gods:” neither does any part of their re- 
 ligion produce a moral impression on their 
 minds, but the contrary. As men, they 
 arc not worse than other men ; but by their 
 
15 
 
 
 superstitions they are become exceedingly 
 corrupt. 
 
 “The natives of India/’ Mr.Twiniug tells 
 us, “ are a religious people ; and in this res- 
 pect they differ, he fears, from the inhabi- 
 tants of this country,” If by the inhabi- 
 tants of this country he means those Chris- 
 tians who a]’e alarmed at the progress of 
 Christianity, I fear so too. If the religion 
 of the natives of India, however, have no 
 influence on their morals, unless it be to 
 corrupt them, it Avill argue nothiiig in its 
 favour. And that this is the case, every 
 friend to the morality of the New Testa- 
 ment, who lias resided in India, can bear 
 witness. I have read enough, Sir, of the 
 communications of men of this description 
 to make me disregard the praises bestowed 
 on the’ virtues of these people by others. I 
 find these praises proceed either from dcisti- 
 cal writers, whose manifest design is to de- 
 preciate the value of Christianity, or from 
 persons residing in the countiy, who “ de- 
 spairing,” as Dr. Buchanan says, “ of the 
 intellectual or moral improvement of the na- 
 
16 
 
 lives, are content with an obsequious spirit 
 and manual service. Tliese they call the 
 virtues of the 'Hindoo; and after twenty 
 years service, praise their domestic for his 
 virtues” 
 
 “ 1 know not,” says Bernier, an in- 
 telligent French traveller, “ whether there 
 be in the world a. more covetous and sordid 
 nation.— rhe bramans keep these people 
 in their eriors and superstitions, and scruple 
 not to commit tricks and villainies so in- 
 famous, that I could never have believed 
 them if I had not made an ainple inquiry 
 into them.”* 
 
 — ‘‘A race of people,” saj^s Governor 
 lIoLWELL, “ who from their infancy are 
 utter strangers to the idea of common faith 
 and honesty. 'I'his is the situation of the 
 bulk of the people of Hindostan, as well 
 as of the modern brahmans ; amongst the 
 latter, if we except one in a thousand. 
 
 * Vot/nges de Francois Bernier, Tome I. pp. 150, l62, et 
 Tome II. p. 105. 
 
IT 
 
 we give them over measure. The Gentoos 
 in general are as degenerate, superstitious, 
 litigious, and wicked a people, as any race 
 of people in the known world, if not emi- 
 nently more so, especially the common run 
 of brahmans ; and we can truly aver that 
 during almost five years that we presided 
 in the judicial Cutchery court of Calcutta, 
 never any murder, or other atrocious crime 
 came before us, but it was proved in the 
 end a brahman was at the bottom of it.”'* 
 
 “ A man must be long acquainted with 
 them,” says Sir John Shore, Governor 
 General of Bengal, before he can believe 
 them capable of that bare-faced falsehood, 
 servile adulation, and deliberate deception, 
 which they daily practice. It is the business 
 of all, from the Eyott to the Dewan, to 
 conceal and deceive: the simplest matters 
 of fact are designedly covered with a veil, 
 through which no human understanding 
 can penetrate.”J* 
 
 * Holwell’s Historical Events, Voi. I. i». 228. Vol, II, 
 p. 151. 
 
 t Parliamentary Proceedings against Mr. Hastings, Appendix 
 to Vol. II. p. 65. 
 
18 
 
 Lying, theft, whoredom, and deceit,”* 
 says Mr. Carey, “ are sins for which the 
 Hindoos are notorious. There is not one 
 man in a thousand Avho does not make 
 lying his constant practice. Their thoughts 
 of God are so very light, that they only 
 consider him as a sort of play-tliing. Ava- 
 rice and servility are so united in almost 
 every individual, that cheating, juggling, 
 and lying are esteemed no sins with them; 
 and the best among them, though they 
 speak ever so great a falsehood, yet it is 
 not considered as an evil, unless you first 
 charge them to speak the truth. When 
 tliey defraud 3'ou ever so much, and you 
 charge them with it, they coolly answer, 
 ‘ It is the custom of the country.’ AVere 
 you to charge any company of ten men 
 with liaving amongst them liars, thieves, 
 whoremongers, and deceitful characters, 
 liowever improper it might be, owing to 
 your waiit of proof, 3’et there would be 
 little probability" of your accusing them 
 falsely". All the good that can with justice 
 be said in favour of them is, they arc not 
 so ferocious as many other heathens.” 
 
19 
 
 I have said nothing of the Mahometans; 
 but it is well known that tliey are not 
 behind the Hindoos in superstition, and 
 greatly exceed them in ferocity, pride, and 
 intolerance. 
 
 In short. Sir, to every European who 
 places virtue in the fear of God, and a 
 regard to men, and not in that which merely 
 contributes to his own interest and incli- 
 nation, the introduction of the means of 
 Christian it}% among both Hindoos and Ma- 
 hometans, must appear a matter of national 
 importance. Christianity might not be 
 embraced at first by the* greater part; but 
 it would nevertheless have a powerful in- 
 fluence on society; not only on those who 
 believed it, but, by way of example, on 
 those who believed it not. 
 
 But Mr. Twining professes to be alarmed 
 at the measure, as dangerous to the British 
 interests in India. He asserts this again 
 and again ; but what has he done beyond 
 asserting it? Has he produced a single fact 
 that can bear upon the subject; or pre- 
 
 D 
 
20 
 
 ferrecl a single charge against the conduct 
 of the missionaries? Neither the one, 
 nor the other. It is rather surprizing, in- 
 deed, that he should not have discovered 
 something on which to found the appear- 
 ance of a charge; for I am not ignorant. 
 Sir, that the missionaries have on some oc- 
 casions felt much, and spoken in strong 
 language. They have frequently seen fe- 
 males burnt alive, and have remonstrated 
 against the horrid deed, as an act of mur- 
 der; taking occasion also from thence to 
 prove to the people, that such a religion 
 could not be of God. If at such times 
 there had been somewhat of a local tumult, 
 there had been nothing -surprizing in it. 
 But the truth is, no such tumult has ever 
 occurred ; nor have any means wliich they 
 have used, so much as endangered their 
 own safety. 
 
 Mr. Twining speaks of alarms among the 
 natives ; but what are they ? When, or 
 where did they manifest themselves ? If by 
 “ alarms,'’ he mean a conviction that their 
 principh's will gradually fall before the 
 
21 
 
 light of the gospel, there is some foundation 
 for what he says; for considerable numbers 
 of them have calmly acknowledged as 
 much as this. But if he mean, that, on 
 account of any thing done or doing by the 
 missionaries, they are appreiiensive of tlicir 
 religion being suppressed by authority', 
 there is no proof of the fact, nor so much 
 as an attempt to prove it. Notlung can 
 furnish strono’er evidence of ]\ir. 'I’winint»''’s 
 
 O O 
 
 want of materials of this kind than hi§ 
 reference to “ the recent catastrophes of 
 Buenos Ayres, Rosetta, and \'eilore.” 
 (p. 27-) You need not be told. Sir, that 
 none of these catastrophes were produced 
 by an attempt to recommend our religious 
 principles. 
 
 That alarms may exist in India is veiy 
 possible ; but if such there be, they are of 
 a date posterior to the Vellore mutiny', and 
 must be traced, it is probable, to the causes 
 which produced that melancholy event. 
 That the labours of the missionaries, either 
 in Bengal, or on the Coast, have been pro- 
 ductive of any such elicct, remains to be 
 
 / 
 
22 
 
 proved. The only alarms which they have 
 excited, will be found in the minds of 
 Europeans, who, passing under the name 
 of Ciii’istians, arc tremblingly alive to the 
 danger of Christianity making progress in 
 the earth. 
 
 If by “ the light and truth, into 
 wliich tiic omnipolCiit power of heaven may ^ 
 
 some time lead tiicse people,’^ Mr. Twining 
 means Christianitjs his pamphlet exhibits, 
 to say the least, an awkward association 
 of ideas. Of Mr. Twining, I know no- 4 
 
 thing, but from the part he has taken in 
 this business, and therefore can have no 
 jiersonal disrespect towards him ; but 1 
 cannot understaiul. Sir, hoiv a cUrhtian 
 could be disgusted vritli the idea expressed - 
 
 by a Swabian catholic, of “ the , great 
 Shepherd and Bishop of souls gathering 
 together his sheep from all nations ami 
 religions, languages and kingdoms; (pp. 9? 
 
 10.) how, in seardiing for something which 
 the British nation l alues as the Hindoos do 
 their Shasters, and the Mahometans their 
 Koran, he should overlook the Bible, and 
 

 instance in “ Magna Charta;” (p. SO.) 
 how iie can be shocked at the downfall of 
 Mahometanism; (p. 17.) how his feelings 
 can be so “ particular!}^ alive” on the reli- 
 gious opinions of the natives of India; 
 (p. 29.) and above all, how he can be so 
 alarmed at the progress of Christianity. It 
 is true, he professes to feel on this sulnect, 
 chiefly from his “ extreme appreliensioii of 
 the fatal consecpaences to ourselves."'’ But 
 if so, why do his alarms exteiid to Turkey, 
 and even to China (pp. 15, 17-) Is he 
 afraid that, if the maiiometanism of the 
 one, and the paganism of the other, should 
 give place to the gospel, they would refuse 
 to trade with us? Surely, Sir, there can be 
 but little doubt of this gentleman’s being 
 “ of a party,” nor of what that party is. 
 
 May I not take it for granted. Sir, that 
 a British Government cannot I’efuse to to- 
 lerate Protestant missionaries; that a Pro- 
 testant Government cannot forbid the free 
 circulation of the Scriptures; that a Chris- 
 tian Government cannot exclude Chris- 
 tianity from any part of its territories; and 
 
24 
 
 that if, in addition to this, the measures 
 which have of late years been pursued 
 in India, without the least inconvenience 
 arising from them, can be proved to be safe 
 and wise, the}^ will be protected rather than 
 suppressed ? 1 trust I may. 
 
 Permit me. Sir, to copy an extract or 
 two from the Letters ot tiie Missionaries on 
 this subject. “No political evi],"” says 
 ]\Ir. Caret, “ can reasonably be feared 
 from the spread of Christianity now; for it 
 has been publicly preached in different 
 parts of Bengal for about twenty years 
 past, without the smallest symptom of the 
 kind. Within the last five 3 'cars, an edi- 
 tion of the New Testament, of two thou- 
 sand copies, nearly one of the Pentateuch 
 of a thousand, one of Matthew of five hun- 
 dred, and one of the Psalms and Isaiah of a 
 thousand, besides many copies of a second 
 edition of the New Testament, and of the 
 poetical books of scripture, from Job to 
 Canticles, and inan^' religious tracts, have 
 been distributed among the natives with- 
 out a single instance of disturbance, unless 
 
the abusive language of a few loose persons 
 may be so called. To this might be added, 
 the experience of the missionaries on the 
 coast, who have taught Christianity for a 
 hundred years, and reckon about forty 
 thousand persons to have embraced it. 
 Such long-continued exertions to spread the 
 gospel, carried on to such an extent, and 
 in such dilferent situations, without produc- 
 ing the smallest inconvenience, may, wo 
 presume, furnish a course of experience suf- 
 ficient to remove every suspicion of politi- 
 cal evil arising from the introduction of 
 
 O 
 
 Christianity," 
 
 “ The tongue of slander itself," says Mr 
 Marsiiman, “ has not been able to charge 
 us, nor any of the native converts, with the 
 least deviation from the laws and govern- 
 ment under which we live. How should it; 
 when Ave are devoted from our very hearts 
 to the British government; and this, not 
 from a blind partiality, but from a firm con- 
 viction of its being a blessing to the coun- 
 try ? Had we been sent hither for the sole 
 purpose of concdiating the natives to it. 
 
and of supporting it by every means in our 
 power, we could not have been more cor- 
 dially attached to it, nor have pursued a 
 line of conduct more adapted to the end. 
 Nothing will so effectually establish the 
 British dominion in India, as the introduc- 
 tion of Christianity, provided it be merely 
 by persuasion; and nothing is more safe^ 
 and under a divine blessing, more easy. 
 
 “ AVith regard to safety., there is nothing 
 to be feared from the attempt, d’hc Hin- 
 doos resemble an immense number of par- 
 ticles of sand, which arc incapable of form- 
 ino; a solid mass, d'here is no bond of 
 union among them, nor any principle capa- 
 ble of etfccting it. Their hierarchy has no 
 head, no influential bod}’, no subordinate 
 orders, d'he brahmans, as well as the na- 
 tion at large, are a vast number of discon- 
 nected atoms, totall}’^ incapable of cohesion. 
 In tliis country, sin seems to have given the 
 fullest sample of its disuniting debilitating 
 power. The children are opposed to the 
 parents, and the parents to the children ; 
 brother totally disregards brother; and a 
 
27 
 
 brahman will see another brahman perish 
 with -the greatest apathy. Yea, for the sake 
 of a little gain, a brahman will write against 
 his gods, satisfying himself with this, that 
 the sin belongs to his employer, and that 
 he only does something to support himself. 
 When to this are added, their natural im- 
 becility, and the enervating inriuencie of 
 climate, it will be evident that nothing is 
 less to be apprehended than a steady, con- 
 certed opposition to the spread of chris-* 
 tianity. Nothing will ever appear beyond 
 that individual contempt and hatred of the 
 gospel which are inseparable from the vi- 
 cious mind. 
 
 “ Instead of the introduction of Chris- 
 tianity endangering the safety of the state, 
 the danger arises from the other side. No one 
 unacquainted with the natives, can know 
 the heart of an idolater. We have about a 
 hundred servants in our different depart- 
 ments; and they have been treated with a 
 kindness which in England would have con- 
 ciliated affection, and created attad)ment. 
 But so far are these effects from being pro- 
 
 E 
 
28 
 
 duced ill them, that not an individual can 
 be found amongst them who would not 
 cheat us to anj extent; or who would not 
 plunder us of every thing we have, were it 
 in their power. How can it be otherwise? 
 
 Their religion frees them from every tie of j 
 justice. If their own benefit can be se- 
 cured by arty action, this renders it lawful, » 
 or at least venial, though it were fraud, 
 robbery, or even murder. Often have we 
 heard it athrmed, that a robber who should 
 spend the whole night in the most atrocious 
 deeds, and secure plunder to the amount ^ 
 of a hundred rupees, would wipe oft’ all the 
 stain in the morning by giving one of them 
 to a Brahman! Attachment to a master, a 
 family, or a government of a different reli- 
 gion, is that M’hich cannot be produced in ' 
 the mind of a Hindoo, while under the 
 power of his gooroo or his debta. But if 
 they lose cast, and embrace Christianity^ 
 not by force, but from pure conviction, they 
 become other men. Even those who, as it 
 may prove, have not embraced it cordially, 
 are considerably influenced by it. If once 
 they lose cast, the charm is broken, and 
 
29 
 
 they become capable of attachment to 
 government. 
 
 “ These remarks are abundantly proved 
 b}' what is seen in our native converts. We 
 have baptized above a hundred of them: 
 and Ave dare affirm that the British govern- 
 ment has not a hundred better 'subjects, 
 and more cordial friends, among the natives 
 of Hindostan. The gloomy and faithless 
 demon of superstition is dethroned in their 
 hearts. They cannot fear a brahman nor 
 a debta as heretofore. While they feel an 
 attachment to us, to which they had been 
 strangers, they are also cordially attached 
 to the governors Avho protect them in the 
 exercise of their religion, and whom they 
 consider as their friends and brethren. 
 
 “ Such is the ease with Avhich Christianity, 
 under the divine blessing, could be dissemi- 
 nated, that it may seem to some incredible. 
 No public acts of government are neces- 
 sary. It is not necessary 'that government 
 should appear in the business; and much 
 less that it should be at any expense what- 
 
30 
 
 ever. If it be only understood that no one 
 shall be forbidden to teach Christianity, and 
 no one but the evil doer receive interruption 
 from the magistrate, the work will go on in 
 the most gradual and yet effectual manner. 
 Cod is raising up native converts of charac- 
 ter and talents suited to it. It is possible for 
 ten of these brethren to enter a district, to go 
 unobserved through the principal towns, sit 
 down in a private circle, gently reason, con- 
 vey ideas of divine truth, and turn persons 
 from darkness to light, nearly unobserved. 
 Thus a town, a district, a country could be 
 leavened with the blessed gospel, almost 
 without the knowledge of the wealthy and 
 the great, even of their own countrymen. 
 
 “ i'he only thing necessary for European 
 missionaries is, that as long as they deserve 
 the confidenee of government, they be per- 
 mitted to fix their residence in those places 
 which will enable them to exercise a neces- 
 sary superintendence, and administer sup- 
 port to these native brethren; to visit the 
 societies which are formed; and as occasion 
 offers, dispense with prudence the word of 
 
31 
 
 life. It were the easiest thing imaginable 
 for government to obtain from European 
 missionaries the most ample pledges ot 
 good behaviour, and to Avithdraw its pro- 
 tection the moment they ceased to deserA^e 
 it. A good man Avould feel a pleasure in 
 giving such security; and Avhat is more, his 
 being a good man Avould itself be a security. 
 What security could have been exacted 
 from a ScliAvartz, equal to that Avhich his 
 OAvn Avise and benevolent heart afforded.^ 
 Nor is this peculiar to ScliAvartz; it is the 
 feeling of every real missionary. 
 
 ‘‘ A permission to itinerate and form 
 missionary stations in the country, so far 
 from being injurious to the British govern- 
 ment, AAmuld advance its essential interests. 
 In every missionary it Avould have a friend, 
 a friend whose influence and capacity of 
 rendering service Avould be constantly in- 
 creasing. What Avere the advantages 
 which the Enoflish derived from one 
 
 O 
 
 ScliAvartz in the Mysore country ? And Avhat 
 Avould be the effect of their having at this 
 moment a hundred Sclnvartz’s in India, 
 
32 
 
 each with his train of pious, peaceable, 
 loyal, and faithful disciples? These mes- 
 sengers of peace and love (and all others we 
 give up) would endear to the inhabitants 
 the very nation to which they belonged. 
 
 ‘ Who are these, they would ask, that so 
 manifestl}’' seek our good, and not their 
 own?" The answer, that they are English, 
 must exhibit an idea of the government 
 and nation which the natives can never 
 have displayed before their eyes too of- 
 ten. 
 
 “ But, if a missionary could so far forget 
 himself, and his object, as to cherish a spirit 
 inimical to government, still, one would 
 suppose, his own interest would correct 
 him. To Avhom are he and his friends in- * 
 
 debted for security? Without the protec- 
 tion of government, they would be contiim- 
 ally in danger of being plundered and mas- 
 sacred. If, however, the folly of any one 
 should render him insensible to these con- 
 siderations, he must abide the consequences. 
 
 Let him bear his own burden.” 
 
33 
 
 Sir, I cannot persuade myself that the 
 East India Company will adopt the prin- 
 ciples of Mr. Twinixg. They have too 
 much good sense to be alarmed at every 
 outcry; too much justice to ascribe danger 
 to causes from which it never arose; and 
 too much wisdom to banish men, who have 
 always approved themselves the faithful 
 friends of their government. AVhatever be 
 the mind of individuals, I trust that neither 
 they, nor the British government, as a 
 bod}'^, are prepared to prohibit the free cir- 
 culation of the scriptures, or the temperate 
 propagation of Christianity. 
 
 I am aware, indeed, that persecution has 
 of late made its appearance in our West 
 India Colonies; and if Mr. Twining, and 
 his party, could succeed, there is too much 
 reason to fear that we should see the same 
 thing in the East; but I am also aware, 
 that, in the hrst instance, it was disallowed 
 by His Majesty in Council; and 
 though it has been since revived on a nar- 
 rower scale, yet I trust it will not be per- 
 
34 
 
 mitted either in the West, or in the East, 
 to accomplish its end. 
 
 It is not difficult. Sir, to account for that 
 aversion to leligion whieh is so frec|uently 
 found in men who have left their country 
 at an early period, in pursuit of a fortune. 
 The}^ neither understood nor believed the 
 gospel when at home ; and on going abroad 
 took leave of Christian ordinances, and 
 of all respect for them. The}^ may wish, 
 indeed, for certain reasons, to retain the 
 name of Christians; but that is all: they 
 cannot bear the thing, nor that any about 
 them should be in earnest in the profession 
 of it. But whatever measures may be taken 
 by men, who have become aliens from that 
 which is the glory of their country, 1 trust 
 there will be found a sufficient number of 
 the rulers and inhabitants of this land to 
 counteract them. If not, let us talk as we 
 may against French atheism, we are fast 
 sinking into it. 
 
 If, Sir, there be a God that judgeth in 
 the earth, the danger lies in making Him 
 
55 
 
 our enemy. It is a principle which cannot 
 be disputed, however it may be disregarded, 
 
 THAT WHATEVER IS RIGHT, IS WISE; 
 AND WHATEVER IS WRONG, IS FOOLISH 
 AND DANGEROUS, ^ir, the tombs of na- 
 tions, successively buried in oblivion, have 
 this truth inscribed on every one of them: 
 It was by “ forbidding Christian ministers 
 to speak unto the gentiles that they might 
 be saved, that the most favoured nation 
 upon earth filled up the measure of its 
 sins, and drew upon it the wrath of heaven 
 to the uttermost!” 
 
 At a time. Sir, when many and great na- 
 tions are overthrown; nations which have 
 not possessed our privileges, and therefore 
 have not incurred our guilt; when we arc 
 engaged in the most tremendous struggle 
 that this country ever knew, a struggle for 
 our very existence; and when on certain 
 occasions we profess to fast, and to humble 
 ourselves before Almighty God; shall we 
 raise from its slumbers the wicked system 
 of PERSECUTION? “ Do we pi’ovoke the 
 
 F 
 
36 
 
 Lord to jealousy ? Are we stronger than 
 He 
 
 ]\lr. Twining may be disgusted at the 
 idea of the Eastern empire being given us 
 by providence, for the very purpose of ifi- 
 troducing the gospel ; (p. 25.) but if it be 
 so, it is no more than God’s having for- 
 merly, given it to C 3 U'us, for Jacob his ser- 
 vant's sake* Men may scorn to be sub- 
 servient to their Maker; but whether they 
 consent, or not, it will be so. The con- 
 quests of Rome made way for the- intro- 
 duction of Christianity into Britain; and 
 those of Britain may make way for its 
 general introduction in the E^jst. Should 
 Britain be friendly to this object, it may 
 be the lerigthening of her tranquility ; but, 
 as an eloquent writer-j- observes, “ If we 
 decline the illustrious appointment, God 
 
 * Isaiah xlv. 1 — 4. 
 
 t Mr. Wran6ham’s Sermon, Vn the Tianslafion of the 
 Scriptures into the Oriental Languages, preached before the 
 University of Cambridge, on iUay, 10, 1807. (p. H.) 
 
37 
 
 may devolve on some less refractory people 
 those high destinies wliich might have been 
 ours. Who knowctli Kheiher z&'e m e come to 
 the kmgdom J^or such u time as this? JJ we 
 altogether hold our peace at this time^ then 
 may there enlargement and deliverance arise 
 to them from another place, and we and our 
 father s house may be destroyed.” 
 
 I am, 
 
 Sir, 
 
 very respectfully, 
 
 Your’s, 
 
 ANDREW FULLER. 
 
j ifit jflftHi VH il- ws . >1 j '4ntn 
 
 • f >’^fni if‘;f{jin;*':)ni 
 
 v,i‘ v\t^n H) TjAVi^A 'Vn . uw\ o\VU- ’ ,^.iiX’!) 
 
 -;c \\ ‘.^ 't0Y‘li?t'>V‘'!pLr' ^ 
 
 ,#)5Vk I'-en r. 
 
 ?l^' IrOAjfM' V»i^ ■ Wt» ki\s^ .T I « . flin Tk V.- .' '% 
 
 r.^io U)ivv y.i i>uv> ,^f» >tVi|, ^'uVwi;\v n<uvt\ \.<, *A‘i %N^ 
 
 V,«KNt 
 
 ' yY*‘f '••'•• ■ ••• VW»-.. ;' 
 
 ■ ’.;. }-'v/ . .^ . C 
 
 vW# ■- 
 
 
 ■ ^ i!> -li 
 
 J I 
 
 " t 
 
 
 
STRICTURES 
 
 ON THE 
 
 PREFACE of a PAMPHLET, 
 
 ENTITLED, 
 
 “ Observations on the present state of the 
 East India Company.” 
 
 THIS performance, though anony- 
 mous, has been generally ascribed to 
 Major Scott Waring : and as I under- 
 stand that tliat gentleman has since pub- 
 licly avowed himself to be the author, I 
 shall consider him as such in the followin 
 remarks. 
 
 Mr. Twining^s performance had scarce- 
 ly any thing tangible about it. It was 
 chiefly made up of quotations, with here 
 and there a sentence distinguished by 
 
 bf) ' 
 
40 
 
 italics, or capitals of different sizes, accord- 
 ing, it should seem, to the different degrees 
 of suspicion and alarm which possessed 
 the mind of the author. But j\Iajor Scott 
 AVaring attempts to reason; and as he cer- 
 tainly has entered into the subject with all 
 his heart, we may hope from hence to as- 
 certain the real strength of our adver- 
 saries. 
 
 Having given his preface a cursory re- 
 view, I determined before I sat down to 
 answer it, to read through liis pamphlet; 
 and on looking it over, 1 found that though 
 the “ Observations” related chiefly to things 
 beside my province, yet they contained 
 passages worthy of attention ; especially 
 when compared with others, and with the 
 general design of his performance. A few 
 of these I shall take the liberty to tran- 
 scribe. 
 
 “ For man}" centuries, we believe, Chris- 
 tian missionaries have resided in India, 
 with the free consent of the native princes. 
 I’hese men were generally, if not univer- 
 
41 
 
 sally, pure in their morals, and inoffensive 
 in their conduet ; and many of tliem highly 
 respected by the princes of India, who 
 allowed them to preach the gospel, and to 
 make as many converts as they could to 
 the Christian religion/'’ p. 9- 
 
 “ Missionaries can do no mischief in 
 India, if they are treated as formerly; nei- 
 ther encouraged, nor oppressed ; but if men 
 paid by the British government are en- 
 couraged to make converts to clu’istianity, 
 our empire will be in danger.” p. 14. 
 
 “ The missionaries now in India, or 
 those who may go thither in future, should 
 be treated b}'^ our government as they for- 
 merly were bv the native princes. In that 
 case, they may be as zealous as possible 
 Avithout doing mischief. Mr. Buchanan 
 savs that the four gospels have been trans- 
 lated, and liberally distributed. If that 
 Avas done at the expense of the Bible So- 
 ciety in England, or of the other religious 
 societies in Eui’ope, the measure was lau- 
 dable ; but if at the expense of the Com- 
 
42 
 
 pany, and from their press, it was most 
 impolitic, and made use of no doubt, by 
 tlie sons of Tippoo Sultaun, to exite the 
 8 eapo 3 '^s to mutin}^ The true line for the 
 Ih itish government to pursue is obvious ; 
 let missionaries make as many converts as 
 they can, but give them no support on the 
 one hand, nor discouragement on the other. 
 Let us copy the example of the native 
 j)rinces in allowing the missionaries of this 
 da}^ to preach tlie gospel also, but there let 
 us stop.” pp. 22, 23. 
 
 “ No jealousy was ever entertained, 
 either by Mahomedan or Hindoo princes, 
 because missionaiies were settled in their 
 countries who now and then converted one 
 of their subjects to christiajiity. No jea- 
 lousv will now be entertained of their hav- 
 ing similar success while tlie British govern- 
 ment, which stands in possession of the 
 power Ibrmerly enjo^’ed bj^ the native 
 princes, is contented merely with follow- 
 ing their example.” p. 25 . 
 
43 
 
 As I liave no concern in any plan wliich 
 would be expensive to government, or 
 would require their interference in any 
 way beyond simple protection to the mis- 
 sionaries, and that no longer than their 
 conduct is found to be deserving of it, I 
 have no dispute with Major Scott Waring 
 on what he has here advanced. Jf he sus- 
 pects Mr. Carey to be paid by government, 
 or the translations in which he is engaged 
 to be printed or circulated at their expense^ 
 I can'assure him it is without foundation. 
 The salary which he receives is not as a 
 INIissionarv, but merely as a Professor of 
 the Shanscrit and Bengallee languages. 
 Government knows nothing of him, or his 
 colleagues, as missionaries, any farther than 
 when mentioning certain literary works, to 
 speak of those Avorks as undertaken by 
 “ the Protestant Missionaries at Seram- 
 pore.” Mr. Carey’s salary is the due re- 
 ward of his labours, as a literary man. It 
 is true, he disinterestedly devotes all his 
 savings to the work of spreading the gos- 
 pel ; but the same may be said of more 
 than one of his colleagues, who have no 
 
 G 
 
44 
 
 connexion with government, and whose 
 avocations are productive of little, if any 
 thing, less than his. And whatever has 
 been tlope l)y the missionaries in translat- 
 ing and circulating the scriptures, has 
 been done at the expense of societies and 
 individuals. Whether any translations have 
 been printed at the Company's press, I can- 
 not speaK with certainty. I think it is 
 highly probable they have not; of this 
 however 1 am certain, that those which 
 are enumerated by Mr. Carey, in p. 24 of 
 this pamphlet, were printed at Serampore. 
 When it was determined to translate the 
 scriptures into all the Eastern languages, 
 government permitted them to advertize 
 in their Gazette for subscriptions to the 
 work : but to argue from hence that they 
 had any })ccuniary concern in the under- 
 taking is absurd ; for if so, what need was 
 there to advertize for private subscrip- 
 tions ? 
 
 Upon the whole, it follows that what has 
 been done is, in Major Scott Waring's opi- 
 nion, “ laudable,” and was not made use 
 
45 
 
 ©f to excite the Scapoys to mutiiiV. And 
 here I might take leave of this gentleman, 
 were it not for his preface^ win the satis- 
 faction of oiir laboiiis having obtained his 
 approbation and appla <se. For as io what 
 he sa3^s of the hopelessness of attempting to 
 convert the Hindoos, tliat is to ourselves. 
 ^\'e derive h(>pe fro n a book with wtiich he 
 may be but little acquainted; and s.> long 
 as we do “ no mischief,” wh^' should we 
 be intei rupted ? 
 
 But when I look into the preface^ I find 
 a new and a contradictor}" publication. 
 Whether .he “ Observatio ns” were written 
 at so distant a period that he had forgotten 
 them, or whether the late “ intelligence 
 from Madras” proved so alarming to him 
 as to produce an entire change in his prin- 
 ciples ; whatever was the cause, there is 
 certainly a most violent opposition between 
 the one and the other. 
 
 Before we proceed to examine this extra- 
 ordinary preface, which is nearly as large 
 as the book itself, it may be proper to, re- 
 mark, that Major Scott Waring knows no- 
 
46 
 
 thing of the effects of Christian missions 
 in India of late years, but from the report 
 of their adversaries. 'I'lie reader will recob 
 lect what was quoted in the eighth page 
 of this pamphlet, from Mr. Carey’s letter 
 of Feb. 13. 1807, aud the intimation there 
 given, of a number of persons who were at that 
 time preparing to embark for Europe, zvith a 
 view to spread the alarm at home. These are 
 the men from whom the author derives 
 his intelligence. “ Various private accounts, 
 says he, from men of sense, observation and 
 character, mention &c.” (p. 1.) And again, 
 “ J am assured by gentlemen lately returned 
 from India, that &c.” (p. xlii.) These, or 
 some other gentlemen like-minded, have 
 been endeavouring by private letters, dur- 
 ing the whole of 1807, to excite suspicions 
 against us. But when told of these things, 
 our answer has been, ‘ Let us not be judged 
 by private letters: let our adversaries come 
 forward and accuse the missionaries ; or at 
 least, give proof of their labours having 
 been injurious.’* 
 
 ’ Private intclligciicf is proper on some occasions ; but in 
 cases of accusation, no man should be able to take away ano- 
 ther’s character without risking his own. 
 
47 
 
 1 know not who tliese gentlemen are, and 
 therefore can have no personal disrespect 
 to any of them: but whoever the}' be, I 
 have no scruple in saying, that their reports, 
 as given in the performance before me, arc 
 utterly unworthy of credit. Of this the rea- 
 der will be convinced, I presume, in the 
 course of these remarks. 
 
 Major Scott Waring, as if conscious that 
 private reports were of no use, unless to fill 
 up the deficiences of what is public and 
 authentic, begins with the proclamation 
 from the Madinas Government, on Dec. 3. 
 
 3 806; that is, about six months after the 
 mutiny at A^ellore. This proclamation 
 states, that in some late instances, an ex- 
 traordinary degree of agitation had pre- 
 vailed among several corps of the native 
 army of that coast — that on enquiry into 
 the cause, it appeared that many persons 
 of evil intention, had endeavoured for ma- 
 licious purposes, to impress upon the na- 
 tive troops a belief that it was the wish of 
 the British government to convert them 
 by forcible means to Christianity— that such 
 
48 
 
 malicious’ reports had been observed vdth 
 concern to be believed by many of the na- 
 tive troops — and that they were utterly 
 without foundation, pp. i— v. 
 
 Such is “ the alarming intelligence lately 
 received from Madras.” From hence Ma- 
 jor Scott Waring takes occasion “ humbly 
 to submit to the consideration of his 
 Majesty's Ministers, the East India Com- 
 pany, and the Legislature, a plan for re- 
 storing that confidence which the natives 
 formerly reposed in the justice and policy 
 of the British government, as to the se- 
 curity of their religion, laws, and local cus- 
 toms.” And what is it Nothing less 
 
 than “ THE IMMEDIATE RECALL OF 
 EVERY ENGLISH MISSIONARY, AND A 
 PROHIBITION TO ALL PERSONS DEPEN- 
 DANT ON THE COMPANY FROM GIVING 
 ASSISTANCE TO THE TRANSLATION OR 
 CIRCULATION OF OUR HOLY SCRIP- 
 TURES.” (p. xvii.) These the author thinks 
 “ the most, and indeed the only ethcacious, 
 measures.” That they would be efficacious^ 
 there can be no doubt; and such would 
 
49 
 
 be the application of a guillotine for the 
 cure of the head-ach ; but whether it be 
 just, or wise, is another question. 
 
 If I had written the “ Observations,” 
 and had been afterwards convinced that 
 the principles they contained were errone- 
 ous, 1 think I should not have sent out a 
 new edition of them : or, if justice had fail- 
 ed to influence me, a regard to consistency 
 would have prevented iny publishing them 
 and their refutation in the same pamphlet; 
 but to publish that refutation in the form 
 of a preface, is beyond every thing. To 
 preface his work by contradicting its lead- 
 ing principles, is advertizing his reader that 
 he has sold him a bad commodity. Should 
 His IMajesty’s Alinisiers, the East India 
 Company, or the Legislature, attend to 
 this gentlemarfs performance, in what part 
 are they to regard him? In the preface 
 they are advised “ immediately to recall 
 every English missionary;” but as they 
 read on, they are told, that “ the true line 
 for the British government to pursue is 
 obvious; let missionaries be as zealous as 
 
50 
 
 they may and make as many converts as 
 they can, provided they be neither en- 
 couraged on the one hand, nor discouraged 
 on the other, they can do no mischief.” 
 What then are they to do, unless it be to 
 disregard the whole as nugatory 
 
 And what have these English mission- 
 aries done, that they arc to be immedi- 
 ately recalled; and these holy scriptures, 
 that they are not to be translated or circu- 
 lated by any one dependant on the Com- 
 pany ? Nothing. As to the former, it is 
 not pretended that they had any hand in 
 the tragical event at Vellore. On the con- 
 trary, they are expressly accpiittcd of it. 
 ([). xi.) And as to the latter, no accusa- 
 tion has yet been brought against them. 
 Ibit evil-minded men, it seems, have taken 
 occasion from the encrease of the one, and 
 the gratuitous circulation of the other, to 
 misrepresent the designs of government ; 
 and therefore it is necessary to proceed to 
 this extremity. The author, it must be 
 acknowledged, has hit upon a haj)py ex- 
 pedient for suppressing the scriptures; 
 
51 
 
 for if he can once get the men who are 
 employed in translating, and circulating 
 them, recalled, there is no danger of their 
 doing any further mischief. So long as 
 they are locked up in an unknown lan- 
 guage, all Asia may continue from gene- 
 ration to generation under the dominion of 
 imposture. 
 
 But why must the missionaries be re- 
 called immediately? It was said by a wise 
 heathen, Ye ought to do nothing rashly. 
 Permit us, at least, to ask a question or 
 two before we are condemned. 
 
 In the first place: wiiex zeere these mis- 
 representations made? Is there any proof 
 of their having existed before the mutin}'', 
 so as to have had any influence in produc- 
 ing it? None at all. But we are told, that 
 “ It is impossible, impolitic as the measure 
 w'as, that the mere change in the dress of 
 the Sepoys, could have produced a gene- 
 ral belief, that the British governm’ent was 
 resolved to eompel them to embrace Chris- 
 tianity.” (p. 1.) I answer, there is ijo 
 
 H 
 
55 
 
 proof that such r general belief existed ; no 
 not six months afterwards, when the pro- 
 clamation Avas issued : for it Avas then al- 
 ledged to have extended only to “ several 
 coi'ps of the native army on the coast;” 
 and at the time of the mutiny, there is no 
 proof of any other belief, than Avhat arose 
 from the im})ositions. ^Vith Avhat colour 
 of evidence can this Avritcr pretend that 
 “ the increase of English missionaries 
 
 of late years, and the gratuitous distribu- 
 tion of our sacred scriptures throughout the 
 zc'hole country,” Avere connkcted Avith the 
 inipositions in dress, in the representations 
 made to the Sepoys, Avhen in the same 
 sentence he acknowledges those impositions 
 to have affected their religion? AlloAving 
 it^to be, Avhat he calls it, “ a religious mu- 
 tiny,” yet the impositions in dress Avere 
 competent to produce it. Had he not 
 been determined to bring in these mission- 
 aries, and these holy scriptures, at any 
 rate, h.e Avould hgve concluded, that the 
 other causes were “ sufficient to create the 
 alarm,” Avithout any thing else being con- 
 nected Avith them. Eut “ various private 
 accounts from men of sense, observatioa 
 
55 
 
 and character, mention, 'that the great 
 increase of missionaries, the profuse and 
 gratuitous circulation of the Scriptures, 
 added to the change of dress, were repre- 
 sented as proofs of our resolution ultimate- 
 ly to compel them to become Christians.” 
 (p. 1.) Ah that is it ! Major Scott 
 
 AVarino; knows of nothing antecedent to 
 the mutiny; the proclamation knows of 
 nothing; but “ private accounts from men 
 of sense, observation and character,” make 
 known every thing. And what have they 
 to sa}" on this subject ? They tell of the 
 great increase of English missionaries of late 
 years. It is possible there may be about 
 fifteen or sixteen : there are not more in 
 all llindostan; and nine of them, by ]\Ia- 
 jor Scott .Waring’s own reckoning, are in 
 Bengal, where no alarm worth mentioning 
 has existed, except in the minds of Euro-. 
 ])cans. — They also tell of “ the gratuitous 
 circulation of the scriptures, throughout 
 the whole country.” (pp. x, 1.) The truth 
 is 1 believe, that the gratuitous circula- 
 tion of the scriptures, ifas been hitherto 
 confined to Bengal. Thus much, at pre- 
 
54 
 
 sent, for the private accounts of these men 
 of sense, observation and character: but for 
 whose information, we could not have 
 known of any misrepresentations being 
 made to the Sepoj^s, yrior to the Vellore 
 mutiny. 
 
 We ask, secondly, who were the authors 
 of these misrepresentations ? The proclama- 
 tion does not inform us; and probably 
 government did not know, or they would 
 have punished the offenders. But whether 
 it be from the private accounts of these 
 men of sense, observation, and character, or 
 from some other source of information, 
 Major Scott Waring makes it out that they 
 were “disaffected natives, of the Carnatic 
 and the Mysore." (p. x.) This, if applied 
 to what took place subsequent to the mutiny, 
 may have some truth in it, or it may not. 
 The evil-minded persons referred to in the 
 proclamation, who appear to have availed 
 themselves of the mutiny to cncrease the 
 alarm, might be disaffected natives, or they 
 might be Europeans, who, from aversion to 
 Christianity, and a desire to get the scrip- 
 
55 
 
 tures suppressed, and tlie missionaries re- 
 called, suggested such things to the Seapovs 
 as might accomplish their end. It is re- 
 markable that, in the very passage in which 
 this writer speaks in so positive a strain, 
 of “ the disaffected men of the Carnatic, 
 and the ]\Iysore,'' having taken advantage 
 of our folly, and excited the troops to inu- 
 tin}', he exonerates the sons of Tippoo Sul- 
 taun, whom he had before with equal posi- 
 tivity condemned. “ Vfe know” he had 
 said in his Observations, “ that the mutin}* 
 w'as excited by the sons of Tippoo Sultaun, 
 whose emissaries insinuated that the chansie 
 which we wished to adopt in the dress of 
 the Sepoys, was onl}’^ a preparatory step 
 towards the accomplishment of our great 
 object, which was to compel them to em- 
 brace Christianity.” (p. 8.) But in preface, 
 (p. x.) he saj's, “ From later information I 
 have reason to believe, that the sons of 
 Tippoo Sultaun are innocent of the charge 
 preferred against them ; but the disaffected 
 men of the Carnatic and the Alysore did 
 take advantage of our follv; and that they 
 excited the troops to a religious muting is 
 
56 
 
 beyond a doubt.” If tliis gentleman’s 
 knowledge be thus unfounded, though so 
 very minute and particular that he 'would 
 almost seem to have been an ear-witness, 
 what is to be tliouglit of his conjectures ? 
 And 'what to make of this last account 
 more than conjecture, 1 cannot tell. His 
 eagerness to charge the disaffected natives 
 looks as if some other people were suspected. 
 Let us hear the other sitle. 
 
 Mr. Carey says, “ India swarms Avith 
 deists; and deists are, in my opinion, the 
 most intolerant of mankind. 'J’heir great 
 desire is to exterminate true religion from 
 the earth. I consider the alarms which have 
 been spread through India as the fabrications 
 of these men. d’he concurrence of two or 
 three circumstances, in point of time; 
 namely, the massacre at \'cllore, the re- 
 bellious disposition of the inhabitants in 
 some parts of JM 3 ^sore, and the public adver- 
 tisements for subscriptions to the Oriental 
 translations, have furnished them with oc- 
 casion to represent the introduction of 
 Christianity among tfic natives as danger- 
 
 yy 
 
 ous. 
 
57 
 
 Dr. KEr>,R''s Report, dated Madras, 
 July 23. 1807, twelve months after the mu- 
 tiny, confirms Mr. Carey’s statement. He 
 clearl}’- shews that in his opinion the evil- 
 minded persons, who industriously circu- 
 lated reports nearly allied to the above, 
 were not natives, but Europeans, hostile to 
 religion and its interests. “ V’arious reports,” 
 says he, “ have been industriously circu- 
 lated by^ evil-minded persons, hostile to 
 religion and its interests, that the natives 
 would be alarmed, were missionaries allow- 
 ed to come out to India; but 1 feel ni 3 ^self 
 authorized b^^ a near acquaintance with 
 many of the protestant missionaries now in 
 India, and a perfect knowledge of the 
 respect which is entertained' for them by 
 all decriptions of the natives, to repeat 
 what I have formerly stated to government, 
 that these men are, and always have been, 
 more beloved b^^ the natives than any other 
 class of Europeans ; ^nd it is to be ac- 
 counted for on the most rational <>:rounds — 
 that is, they learn their language intimate- 
 ly; tlicy associate with them in a peaceable 
 humble manner, and do them ever}' act of 
 
58 
 
 kindness in their power; while at the same 
 time the example of their Christian lives 
 produces the very highest respect amongst 
 heathens, unaccustomed to behold such ex- 
 cellence amongst each other. The lives 
 of such men in India have always been a 
 blessing to the country, and 1 heartily wish 
 that all such characters may be encouragetl > 
 to come amongst us.’" 
 
 The above statements from Mr. Carey, 
 and Dr. Kerr, I may venture to place 
 against the anonymous accounts of men of 
 sense, observation and character ; and if they 
 be true, tliej^ not only furnish an exposi- 
 tion to the labours of Messrs. Twining, 
 Scott Yv arinij and Co., but fully account 
 for those apprehensions which it is said 
 “ existed as late as March 1807, three 
 months after the date of the proclamation, 
 and which induced the British officers at- 
 tached to the native corps, constantly to 
 sleep with loaded pistols under their j)il- 
 lows.” (p. xi.) An event so tragical as that 
 at Vellore, would itself indeed suggest the 
 necessity of such a precaution, and that 
 
59 
 
 for a considerable time after it ; and still 
 more so, when the flame was fanned by 
 evil-minded persons. Yes, reader, if these 
 statements be true, it follows, that the ene- 
 mies of Christianity after having themselves 
 excited these alarms, are now actually at- 
 tempting to transfer the responsibility for 
 their consequences to the missionaries ! 
 
 We ask, lastly, let these misrepresentations 
 have been fabricated zehen, and by whom they 
 might, Is it JUST, or wise, to recall those 
 persons who are acknowledged' to have had no 
 concern in them, or to suppress the circulation 
 of the holy scriptures on that account ? 
 
 A great outrage lias certainly been C''m- 
 mitted. What was the cause? Accordins: 
 
 O 
 
 to Major Scott Waring, the Madras govern- 
 ment acted absurdly, first in changing so 
 suddenly a native to an English adminis- 
 tration, and then in imocsino; such altera- 
 tions in the dress of the Sepoys, as affected 
 their religion. And Avdien, in addition to 
 this, they were told by evil-minded persons 
 of the great increase of missionaries, and 
 
 I 
 
60 
 
 the gratuitous circulation of the scriptures 
 throughout the country, they believed go- 
 vernment intended to compel them to be- 
 come Christians; and thouo;h the thins was 
 not true, yet it was by no means irrational 
 for them to believe it. (pp. ix, x.) Supposing 
 this aecount to be correct, where is the justice 
 of punishing men for their numbers being 
 magnified, and their labours misrepresented 
 b}-^ others.^ If an atonement be necessary, 
 wh}' select them as victims ? If indeed the 
 evil-minded ineendiaries, who misrepresent- 
 ed their designs, and those of government, 
 could be detected, it might answer a good 
 end to punish them ; but if this cannot be 
 accomplished, let not the innocent suffer. 
 
 Major Scott Waring seems indeed to 
 give up t\\Q justice of the measure; but yet 
 contends for it as of “ absolute necessity^ see- 
 ing the proelamation had not lulled the 
 suspicions of the people.” (p. xi.) Such are 
 the Machiavelian politics of this gentleman. 
 Could we suppose him to be suffieiently 
 acquainted with the New Testament, we 
 might suspect that ho had taken up this 
 
6l 
 
 opinion from Caiphas, the Jewish high 
 priest, who advised the crucifixion of our 
 Lord, on the principle of its being “ expedient 
 that one man should die for the people, 
 and that the whole nation perish not/’ 
 
 “ It is necessary to convince the natives,” 
 says this wwiter, “ not only that we never 
 did entertain the Avild idea of compelling 
 ' them to embrace Christianity, but that Ave 
 haA'e not a wish to coiiA^ert them.” (p. vi.) 
 It cannot be necessary to convince the na- 
 ti'A'es that Major Scott Waring, and all avIio 
 are like-minded with him, have not a wish 
 to convert them; and as to others avIio 
 mav entertain the idea of converting them 
 without compulsion, it deserves to be con- 
 sidered Avhether the recalling of them Avould 
 not have a contrary effect to that Avhich is 
 pretended. The recall of the missionaries, 
 and the virtual suppression of the scrip- 
 tures, Avould furnish the natives Avith an 
 important subject of reflexion. It avouM 
 be a tacit acknoAvledgment on the part of 
 
 John xi. 49, 50, 
 
62 
 
 government, that, till instructed by the 
 Vellore mutiny, they had entertained “the 
 wild idea of compelling them to embrace 
 Christianity;” but that nort; they had be- 
 come sober, and relinquished it! Whether 
 such a measure would be attributed to 
 respect, or to /ear, and what effects it would 
 produce on the army and the country, let 
 common sense determine. 
 
 As the main design of this Preface was 
 to excite “ Iiis Majesty’s Ministers, the 
 East India Compan}^ and the Legislature,” 
 against the missionaries and their labours, 
 the author having improved the Vellore 
 mutiny as far as he is able, proceeds io 
 denounce these men, and all who have been 
 in any way abettors of their dangerous de- 
 signs. The Foreign and British Bible Society, 
 who have aided them as translators; Mr. 
 Biiown and Dr. Buchanan, who have 
 encouraged them; and Dr. Kerii, who is 
 engaged in the same cause with them, all 
 come in for a share of his censures. 
 
 “ Dr. Buchanan conceives,” says he, 
 that it is by no means submitted to our 
 
65 
 
 judgment^ or to our notions of policy, whe- 
 ther we shall embrace the n-eans of im- 
 parting ehristian knowledge to our subjeets, 
 or not.” (p. XXV.) The Major probably 
 thinks this a very Z!)ild opinion ; yet it only 
 amounts to this, that God is greater than 
 man, and that what respects the promotion 
 of his kingdom in the earth, must not be 
 rendered subservient to worldly interests. 
 But this, he tells us, “was precisely the 
 doctrine of the Spaniards and Portuguese, 
 when they discovered the new world ; and 
 they extirpated millions of unfortunate 
 men, in propagating their doctrines, by the 
 sword.” If there be any force in this re- 
 mark (which seems to be a favourite one) 
 it is because the persecuting conduct of 
 these nations was the legitimate and necessary 
 consequence of the doctrine in question. 
 But why might they not have considered 
 themselves as under indispensible obliga- 
 tion to impart the means of chiistian 
 knowledge, without being obliged to follow 
 it with persecution? Does it follow, be- 
 cause they were not obliged to extend their 
 religious principles by the sword, that we 
 
64 
 
 are not obliged to extend our s without the 
 sword ? 
 
 I 
 
 ]\Iany things are said on the impolicy of 
 Dr. Buchanan's visit to the Syrian Chris- 
 tians, and that of Dr. Kerr to the Malabar 
 coast. It seems to have given this writer 
 serious offence, that the Governor of Ma- 
 dras should have given the epithet “ im- 
 portant" to an inquiry relating to Chris- 
 tianity. (p. xxix.) He calls it “the most 
 trifling of all possible subjects connected 
 with the welfare of our oriental empire.” 
 (p. xxxiii.) lie speaks of this empire as being 
 “ conquered by British valour.” (p. xl.) 
 God and religion, therefore, it should seem, 
 can have nothing: to do with it. No, let 
 the missionaries go to Africa, to the South 
 Sea Islands, or to the wilds of America; 
 but let them not come hither! O thou seer, 
 go, fiee thee awenj into the land of Judah, 
 andthete eat bread, and prophesy there: but 
 prophesy not again any more in Bethel: for 
 it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s 
 co?irt.^ Yet this gentleman would be 
 
 • Amos vii. 12, 13. 
 
65 
 
 thought after all to be a Christian, and 
 “ trusts it will not be imputed to indif- 
 ference for the eternal welfare of the 
 people of India,” that he advises what he 
 does ! 
 
 But as Dr. Buchanan, and Dr. Kerr, if 
 they judge it necessary, are able to vindi- 
 cate themselves, 1 shall confine my replies 
 to those particulars Avhich more immediately 
 concern me. Many things are said against 
 
 the English, and especially the Baptist 
 missionaries.” Such indeed is the quantity 
 of misrepresentation contained in these few 
 pages, that to correct it, it is often neces- 
 sary to contradict cA Ciy sentence. On this 
 account the reader must frequently dis- 
 pense with the ordinary forms of quoting 
 and answering ; and consider those para- 
 graphs which are marked with reversed 
 commas as the words of INIaJor Scott Waring, 
 and those which are not as the answers to 
 them. I do not accuse my opponent of 
 wilful errors ; but if he be clear of them, 
 his information must be extremely in- 
 correct. 
 
66 
 
 - “ We have now a great number of Sec- 
 
 tarian missionaries spread over every part 
 of India/’ (p. xii.) Those whom Major 
 Scott Waring is pleased to honour with this 
 appellation, may amount to fifteen or six- 
 teen, the greater part of whom reside at 
 Serampore, near Calcutta, directly under 
 the eye of the supreme government. “ Mr. 
 Carey, the head of the baptist mission in 
 Bengal, and his assistant missionaries, have 
 been employed since the year 1804, in 
 translating the scriptures into the various 
 languages of India.” It may have been 
 from that period that the work of translat- 
 ing has been conducted on so extensive a 
 scale; but for many years before that time, 
 Mr. Carey was engaged in tlie same under- 
 taking. An edition of the New Testa- 
 , ment, in Bcngallee, was printed at Scram- 
 pore in 1801, a copy of which is now in 
 His Majesty’s library. “ Mr. Carey is em- 
 ployed in translating the scriptures into 
 the Chinese language.” (p. xv.) The Chinese 
 translation is not the work of Mr. Carey, 
 but of Mr. Johannes Lassar, a learned 
 Armenian Christian, with other assistants. 
 
 / 
 
ar 
 
 “ As tlie different parts are translated, tlicj 
 are printed, as I understand, at the Com- 
 pany a press, attached to the college at Cal- 
 cutta.” If this were true, while no man is 
 forced to read them, no danger could arisa 
 from it: but there is very little, if any, 
 truth in it. The translations of the mis- 
 sionaries have been printed at Serampore. 
 “ Specimens of these translations have been 
 sent home by the provost.” It seems then, 
 that they -were not engaged in any thing of 
 which they were ashamed. “ The natives 
 of India cannot be ignorant of these novel 
 and extraordinary proceedings:” — Espe- 
 cially while their most learned "Pundits 
 assist in the w^ork. “ They can form no 
 other conclusion than this, that if Ave can- 
 not persuade, Ave shall compel them to em- 
 brace Christianity.” So long as no com- 
 pulsion is used toAvards them, thej^ have 
 more sense than to draAv such conclusions, 
 or even to believe them Avhen draAvn for 
 them by others, AAdiom they consider as 
 men of no religion. 
 
 K 
 
68 
 
 “ In 1781, when it was the fixed prin- 
 ciple of the Legislature, that Ave ought 
 never to interfere with the religion, laws, 
 or native customs of the people of India, 
 a proposition lor free sckools and Christian 
 missionaries could not haA’e been listened 
 to.” (p. xiii.) There never Avas a period 
 since the British have had footing in In- 
 dia, in Aidiich either free schools, or Chris- 
 tian missionaries, Avere considered as an 
 interference' with the religious opinions of 
 'the natives. If they Avere, Avhy Avere 
 ScliAvartz and his contemporaries toler^ 
 ated.^ The truth is, the term “interfer- 
 ence” has been adopted in this contro- 
 versy to ansAver an end, and the idea Avhich 
 our adversaries endeavour to attach to it 
 is altogether novel. 
 
 “The late Bishop of St. Asaph, a sound 
 and orthodox divine, and one of the main 
 pillars of our good old Church of England, 
 deprecated all such interference.” He did 
 so; and Alajor Scott Waring Avith his 
 of sense, observation and eharacter, have 
 doubtless, in his Lordship's decease, lost 
 
69 
 
 an able advocate. “ The command of our 
 Saviour to his apostles, to preach the gos- 
 pel to all nations, did not, as he conceived, 
 apply to ns — and his opinion in 1781, was 
 universal.” Major Scott Waring may 
 know that this was the opinion of the late 
 Bishop of St. Asaph ; but he knows very 
 little indeed of what were the opinions of 
 the Christian world. “ Since that period 
 many very worthy and good men are of 
 opinion, that as chj'istians it is incumbent 
 upon us to spread the Christian religion, 
 as widely as we possibly can ; and highly 
 indeed do I applaud their zeal, when it is 
 exercised in countries where we have no 
 political power.” Whatever charges w^e 
 may exhibit against Major Scott Waring, 
 we cannot accuse him of not speaking 
 out. 
 
 “ I do not exactly know what are Bap- 
 tist missionaries. I believe they may be 
 classed with Calvinistic Methodists, to 
 distinguish them from the Arminian Me- 
 thodists.” ( p. XV. ) We can excuse the 
 author’s ignorance on this subject : but 
 
70 
 
 when he tells us in the same page, lhal 
 there are “ s])rcad over India, Baptist , 
 missionaries, Annin ian meiliodist, and 
 United brethren missionaries, 6cc. A'C.,"* 
 we see ionoranee combined with sometinns: 
 worse. The Arminian methodists have no 
 mission in India, and never had. Th« 
 United brethren have formerly had ono 
 at Seram pore ; but I believe at present 
 they have none. Before this gentleman 
 writes again, he would do well to consider 
 the justness of a remark made by himself, 
 and to apply it to other subjects, as well 
 as politics. “ In discussing political ques- 
 tions, a certain degree of acquaintance 
 with the subject is supposed to be requi- 
 site*” p. 38. 
 
 *M am assured by gentlemen lately re- 
 turned from India, that notwithstanding 
 the very great increase of missionaries of 
 late years, the case is not changed since 
 iny time ; that ihc}^ have not made a single 
 ?Tahomcdan convert, and that the few Hin- 
 doos who have Been converted, were men 
 •f the most despicable character, who had 
 
71 
 
 lost their casts, and took up a new reli- 
 gion, because they were excommunicated.” 
 
 ( p. xlii. ) I presume these gentlemen lately 
 returned from India, are the same persons 
 - Avhom this writer elsevrhere denominates, . 
 men of sense, observation, and character. The 
 reader will now be able to judge of the 
 value of these boasted authorities, every 
 
 PARTICULAR IN THIS PARAGRAPH IS 
 
 FALSE. There has been no such great 
 increase of missionaries of late years, as 
 is pretended. There are Mahometans, as 
 well as Hindoos, who have been baptized. 
 Out of more than eighty natives, who had 
 been baptized before May 25. 1806, only 
 ilu-ee had previously lost cast: eight of 
 them were brahmans, and seven mahome- 
 tans. The whole number which had been 
 excluded for immoral conduct, might a- 
 mount to eight or nine. As nearly as I 
 can make it out, the above is a true state- 
 ment. The reader may see a list of th^ 
 baptised, down to Nov. 1804, in No. xv. 
 Periodical Accounts, (pref. p. xiv.) I caa 
 assure him, that the, missionaries might 
 have had more proselytes than they have. 
 
72 
 
 if they would have received such charac- 
 ters, as these men report them to Ijave 
 received ; but their object is to make con- 
 verts to Christy and not proselytes to them- 
 selves. Indeed, so little are the assertions 
 of this writer to be regarded, with respect 
 to the character of tiie native converts, 
 that it would be the easiest thina; imaa’i- 
 
 O O 
 
 nable directly to confront them by the 
 testimony of competent witnesses. Mr. 
 John Fernandez, a gentleman who cam« 
 from India, early in iSOb, and who is now 
 with Dr. Ryland at Bristol, makes the 
 following declaration — “ There are several 
 Mahomedan converts ainono- the mission- 
 aries, and some very respectable Hindoos 
 Avho have embraced Christianity. To the 
 best of my recollection there arc but two 
 at Serampore Avho had previously lost cast: 
 these had been for a long time reckoned 
 B()rtu£:uese, and Avere not in Avorse circum- 
 stances than other- people. Some of the 
 liighcst class of bi’ahmans have, to my 
 knoAvledge, embraced tlie gospel, Avhom 
 the natives call Mookoorja, Chattiija, Bar- 
 ridja, SiC.” As to what is said of their non- 
 
73 
 
 success, either Major Scott VvViing’, or 
 the gentlemen lately returned from India, I 
 appeal to the common sense of mankind, 
 whether, if they themselves believed what 
 they sa}’’, they would raise such an oppo- 
 sition as they do. They tell us the natives 
 are alarmed; but the alarm is with them- 
 selves. It is somewhat remarkable that 
 Infidelity, which has of late years threaten- 
 ed to swallow up Christianity, should in 
 so short a time be alarmed for itself, and 
 for its Pao’an and Mahometan allies. A 
 small detachment from the Christian army, 
 clad in the armour of God, and operating 
 as in a way of diversion, has caused their 
 host to tremble, and to cry out to the civil 
 powers to assist them by recalling these 
 men! 
 
 This gentleman is sufficiently aware of 
 the prejudice which exists against Protestant 
 dissenters, and knows how' to avail himself 
 of it. He can condescend to call the mis- 
 sionaries sectaries and schismatics, (pp. xliii. 
 — xlv. And would he have liked tthein 
 better, if they had been churchmen ? Xo, 
 
74 
 
 for he speaks of certain gentlemen, as 
 “ classed under that description of our 
 clergy, who are teriued evangelical” and of 
 their being all for “ converting the Hindoos 
 to Christianity/’ (p. xv.) Clergymen of this 
 description, are, in his account, as bad as 
 sectaries and schismatics. The truth is, it 
 is firs Christians that we incur his displeasure, 
 only he judges it prudent to attack us 
 under other names. 
 
 But these missionaries are also repre- 
 sented as “ illiterate, ignorant, and as en- 
 thusiastic as the wildest devotees among 
 the Hindoos.” (p. xliv.) The following ex- 
 tract from the speech of Siu George 
 Barlow, published in a Calcutta Gazette 
 extraordinar\% on Saturday, March 8. 1806, 
 will prove that all men are not of IVIajor 
 Scott Waring’s opinion. “I have received 
 with great satisfaction, the information, that 
 tinder the patronage of the Asiatic Societij^ 
 the society of protestant missionaries at the 
 Danish settlement of Scrainpore, aided and 
 rvr5(’rintcnded by the abilities of Mr. Ca r e v, 
 I to/essor of the Shanscrit and Bengalee 
 
75 
 
 lauo'uiio-es, has un'lertakeii the translation 
 of some of the most ancient and authentic 
 Avorks of literature in the former of these 
 lan2:uaj!;es.” 
 
 O O 
 
 Of the missionaries sent out by the 
 London Society, I do npt believe there is 
 an individual who is either “ ignorant or 
 illiterate though doubtless, as in all other 
 bodies of men, there are diversities of talent 
 and learning. x\nd with respect to enthu- 
 siasm, after what lias been quoted from 
 ]\laj or Scott Waring, no Christian need be 
 offended at his calling him an enthu- 
 siast. 
 
 This gentleman has furnished himself 
 Avith various ’’eports from the Missionary 
 Societies. Among;st others, he has met 
 Avith a Sermon, preached in May last, before 
 The Society of Alissions to Africa and the 
 ]Cast, of which Society, Admiral Lord 
 Cambier is a Governor. It seems then, 
 that India is not altogether “ thrown into 
 the hands of schismatics.” But at the end 
 of this sermon is an account of a brahman, 
 
 L 
 
76 
 
 as given by ?>Ir. John Thomas, in tlie Baptist 
 Periodical Accounts. ( Vol. i. pp. 22 — 26. ) 
 Let any one tliat fears God read that ac- 
 count, and compare it witli these remarks 
 upon it. “I had the curiosity,” says he, “ to 
 enquire after IMr. Thomas, and his eonvert, 
 and I heard that they both died raving mad 
 in Bengal.” ( p. xlvi. ) We may suppose 
 this information, as well as the preceding, 
 was received from the gentlemen lately 
 returned from India. It is worthy of them. 
 Parbotee, however, is neither dead nor in- 
 sane. And Mr. Thomas, though his mind 
 was deranged for a month or two, at one 
 })eriod of his life, yet died sane and happy. 
 Mr. John Fernandez, the gentleman before 
 referred to, says, “ Mr. Thomas, was de- 
 ranged for a short time ; and after his 
 recovery, lived with my father at Dinage- 
 pore, for a considerable time before his 
 dissolution, when he died very happy. As 
 for Parbotee, I am ajmost certain that 
 he is still alive. lie was so, however, 
 when 1 left India in 1S06. I saw. him 
 myself.” 
 
77 
 
 It is remarkable that this gentleman is 
 lor tolerating the Roman Catholic mission- 
 aries, and all others indeed, except “ those 
 who possess this new niania for conversion, so 
 unaccountabiy taken up/’ (p. xlix.) We 
 perfectly comprehend him; and, i hope, 
 shall profit tlie hint, It signifies but 
 little witli him how many missionaries there 
 are, nor %vhat names they go bjg so that 
 they are not in earnest for tlie salvation of 
 men. We will follow his example: — while 
 v/e adhere to that denomination which ap- 
 pears to us to approach nearest to the 
 scriptures, we will recognize the Christian, 
 in whatever communion 'We may find him. 
 We will rejoice in the good' which is done 
 by the Society for promoting Christian Know- 
 ledge, even though they are offended with 
 their missionaries for nothing that we can 
 conceive, but their exercising the common 
 duties of hospitality to ours.* 
 
 * See the last Report of the Committee of this Society, 
 No, IV. p. 163. 'I'hey acknowledae the documents they possess 
 to be (juile insufficient to enable them to fonu a judgment of tha 
 true ground of certain disorders; but “missionaries from an 
 
78 
 
 Major Scott Waring, among other mis- 
 sionary Reports, has procured No. xvi. of 
 the Baptist Periodir.al Accounts^ and pro- 
 poses giving 113 some “extracts” from it. 
 Before he does this, however, he presents 
 us with a few particulars by way of intro- 
 duction; but all, as the reader would sup- 
 pose, gathered from this said No. xvi. 
 First, he informs us that “M//e English 
 missionaries are employed by this society 
 in Bengal alone” (p. liii.) W hat a number 
 then must they emplo}^ the reader would 
 sujipose, in all the other provinces of 
 India! It happens, however, that in no 
 other province of Ilindostan have they ever 
 employed a single missionary. Whether 
 the gentlemen latehi returned from India in- 
 formed the author of the great numbers 
 of these missionaries scattered all over the 
 countr}^ or however he came by the idea, 
 his mind is certainly full of it, and it has 
 
 Anabaptist society, and from that called the London missionary 
 societv,” base called upon them, and it seems received some 
 countenance from them ; aiid therefore this committee thinks 
 proper to tliiow out a suspicion, that thty may have been the 
 tecasion of these evils ! 
 
19 
 
 led him into a curious train of reasoning. 
 “ The jealous}’’ and the alarm/' he says, 
 “ which has pervaded the Vv hole of the Car- 
 natic and Mysore, has been but partially 
 felt in Bengal, because [there] the efforts of 
 the English missionaries have hitherto not 
 extended beyond a few inconsiderable vil- 
 lages, and the populous city of Dacca.” 
 (p. li.) They have been more extensive 
 then, it should seem, in the Carnatic and 
 ]\Iysore ! The truth is, I believe, that not 
 
 AX ENGLISH MISSIONARY HAS ENTERED 
 EITHER OF THESE COUNTRIES. Kcai’ly 
 
 the vrhole of what has been hitherto done 
 is confined to Bengal; for though the 
 London Society has Jive or six missionaries 
 in other provinces, some of which may be 
 near to the Carnatic, yet the time is so 
 short, that they have scarcely been able at 
 present to acquire the languages. But in 
 Bengal the Baptist mission has existed for 
 a number of years, and the labours of the 
 missionaries have been much more exten- 
 sive than our author would seem in tins 
 instance to apprehend : yet there tiiese 
 “ alarms have been but partially felt!” 
 
80 
 
 Who does not perceive the consequence? 
 
 THESE ALARMS ARE NOT THE EFFECT OF 
 MISSIONARY EXERTIONS. 
 
 Major Scott Waring goes on to inform 
 his reader of a number of particulars, in‘ a 
 manner as though he had collected them 
 from our own Report. Among other things, 
 he speaks of Mr. Carey as “ having apart- 
 ments in the college for the reception of his 
 brother missionaries, when they visit Calcutta,” 
 and repeats the story of “ Mr. Thomas 
 and his convert Parbotee, dying mad in 
 Bengal.” (p. liii.) Did he learn these par- 
 ticulars from No. xvi., or from the gen- 
 tlemen lately returned from India? It were 
 singular indeed if a professor in a college 
 had no apartments in it, and were not at 
 liberty to receive aii3" person who may call 
 upon him. 
 
 “ In the Company's list of college officers 
 he is styled Mr. William Care^^ : but the 
 Bible Society have given him the dignified 
 title of Reverend” (p. liii.) He might be 
 called Doctor Care^g or Professor Carey. 
 
<51 
 
 Whether either of these titles would be less 
 displeasing to this gentleman, I cannot 
 tell. If not, whenever he has occasion to 
 correspond with him, he maj lay aside all 
 titles, and call him, as I do, Mr. Carey. I 
 can answer for it that it will give him no 
 offence. 
 
 As to the attempts to prove from the 
 missionaries’ own accounts, that they have 
 “ caused considerable uneasiness among the 
 people of the villages,” Major Scott Waring 
 may make what he can of them. If he had 
 given extracts, as he proposed, and referred 
 to the pages, it would have appeared that 
 no such sensation was ever produced with 
 respect to government. It was confined, as 
 Mr. Carey says, “ to abusive language 
 from a few loose persons or, at most, to 
 ill treatment of the native converts, and 
 which in every instance they have borne 
 with Christian meekness and patience. No 
 such thing as a disturbance, endangering 
 the peace of society, has occurred- The 
 “ alarm” which the appearance of a Euro- 
 pean is allowed to exite, ( p. Iviii. ) respects 
 
82 
 
 him not as a ]\Iissionary, but as a Europea?} ; 
 and it is for the purpose of avoiding this 
 as much as possible, that the labours of the 
 native converts are encouraged. This Avriter 
 seems to think it sufficient to discredit all 
 inissionarv attempts, that he can prove 
 from our own accounts that we have strong' 
 prejudices to encounter, and judge it ex- 
 pedient, instead of violently attacking them, 
 to proceed in as still and silent a Avay as 
 possible. 
 
 A very lieavy charge is preferred against 
 one of the missionaries, as Imving perverted 
 the words of our Lord : Think you that I am 
 come to send peace on the earth ? I tell you 
 nay. Yet nothing is alledged to prove it a 
 perversion, except that the gospel incul- 
 cates the mild doctrine of peace on earth, 
 and good zoill to men. ( p. lix.) The direct 
 inffiience of the gospel is, no doubt, what 
 he says of it; but what if, owing to the 
 depravit3^ of men, it should in man}’ in- 
 stances occasion the most bit ter enmity and 
 oppositi{>n ? Is the gospel accountable for 
 this ? Christian compassion has been known 
 
83 
 
 to excite the foulest resentment in some 
 men. What tlien ? Is Christian compassion 
 ever the worse ? 
 
 The remarks on the journey to Dacca, 
 (pp. liv. Iv.) shew what ?vIajor Scott Waring 
 wishes to prdve ; but that is all. If what 
 he calls “ the proper line for the British 
 government to pursue," had been pursued 
 on that occasion, the young men had not 
 been interrupted. I say the young men; for 
 it was not Mr. Carey, but Mr. William 
 Care}", his second son, who accompanied 
 Mr. Moore. ‘‘ They distinguished, we are 
 told, between the brahmans, and the people 
 at large." Yes, they had reason to do so; 
 for the people were eager to receive the 
 tracts, but some of the brahmans were 
 offended ; and this is common on almost 
 all other occasions. “ Should we be mad 
 enough to make the same distinction, our 
 destruction is inevitable” One would think 
 then, the destruction of the missionaries * 
 themselves Avould not only be inevitable, 
 but immediate. As the brahmans are dis- 
 pleased with none but them and the native . 
 
 M 
 
converts, if thcij escape, there is no cause 
 for others to fear. The truth is, the com- 
 mon people arc not so under the influericc 
 of the brahmans as to be disjdeased with 
 hearing them publicly confuted. On tlie 
 contrary, they will often express their plea- 
 sure at it ; and when the latter remain 
 silent, will call out, ‘ Why do you not 
 answer him r’ But “ Lord Clive and Mr. 
 Verelst, in the 3'car 1766, were not so mad 
 as to advise a poor creature who had lost 
 cast to abandon his ridiculous and idola- 
 trous prejudices, and to embrace the true* 
 religion.'' ( p. Ivi. ) If I were to say, they 
 were not so wdsc and so good as to do so, 
 
 I should be as near the truth ; and my 
 saying Avould bear rctlection in a dying 
 hour quite as much as that of Major Scott 
 M aring. 
 
 “ ^Ve may conceive the narrow bigotry 
 bv which tl'.ese men are actuated, b}" the 
 conduct of Mr. ( V/m. ) Carc}' and Mr. 
 i\loore to some native cliristian Catholics, 
 whom they met with in a village, when 
 tliey were diiven from Dacca by the Ma- 
 
85 
 
 gistrate and Collector.” And wliat was 
 it? AMij, “to these poor Catholics, they 
 pointed out the errors of popery^ and warn- 
 ed the m of the danger of worshipping and 
 trusting ro idols” (p. lx.) And this is bi- 
 gotry ! Such bigots they certainly were and 
 are. 
 
 To p-{’ove the absolute Inutility of the 
 dispersion of one edition ol the New Testa- 
 ment, and of twenty thousand religious 
 tracts, a letter from Mr. Carey is cited, 
 which* speaks of there being “but few 
 montlis in which some were not baptized; 
 of three natives having joined them the 
 last month, and two the month before; but 
 of their being under the necessity of ex- 
 cluding several for evil conduct. (p. lx.) 
 If Major Scott Yfaring be not more suc- 
 cessful in his opposition than he is in his 
 proof, Christianity may still go qn and pros- 
 per in India. I suspect it was from a; 
 conscious want of this important article, 
 that he -was obliged to fill up his pages 
 Vvith such terms as “ bigots,” “ madmen,” 
 “ mischievous madmen,” (See. See. There 
 
86 
 
 is nothing so provoking to a man who is 
 xlesirous of proving a point, as the want 
 of evidence. 
 
 “ In the course of several years, ther 
 have made about eighty converts, all 
 from the lowest of the people, most of 
 them beggars by profession, and others 
 who had lost their casts. The whole of 
 them were rescued from poverty, and pro- 
 cured a comfortable rubsistence by their 
 conversion.” (p. xli.) That is, reader, 
 thus say ihe gentlemen latelij returned from 
 India, (p. xlii.) I need not repeat the 
 refutation of these falsehoods. Before, 
 they were said all to have previously lost 
 cast: but now it seems to be only some of 
 them. Judge, reader, do these men be- 
 lieve Avhat they say.^ But “the whole of 
 them v. ere rescued from poverty', and pro- 
 cured a comfortable subsistence by their 
 conversion.” A considerable number of 
 the Christian natives live many miles from 
 Seram pore, and subsist in the same man- 
 ner as they did before their baptism, and 
 without any aid from the missionaries, 
 
87 
 
 The subsistence of others who reside in the 
 neighbourhood of Serampore, is from tlie 
 same employment as it was before they 
 became Christians; and those M’ho receive 
 pay from the missionaries, are such as are 
 employed by them. Mr. John Fernandez 
 says, “ 1 have been present almost every 
 time when the converts have proiessed 
 their faith before the brethren, and ha\e 
 repeatedly heard the missionaries tell then), 
 that unless tiiey worked with their own 
 hands, they woidd receive no lielp from 
 them. Enquirers were always kept for 
 some time on probation.” Some of them 
 were Byraggees, a sort of religious beg- 
 gars: but they arc no longer so when they 
 become Christians. No one is supported 
 in idleness. If any are bettered in their 
 circumstances, it is by being taught to be 
 industrious and frugal. But many of those 
 whom our author calls “ beggars b}’- pro- 
 fession,” lived in much greater fulness by 
 that way of life, tlian they do now by la- 
 bour; and it is not very likely that they 
 should have relinquished the one, and 
 chosen the other, from interested motives. 
 
88 
 
 ^Vhat is it that kindles the wrath of this 
 man? If a word be spoken against the 
 character of these people wliilc thet^ con- 
 tinue Heathens, he is all indignant: but 
 if they become Christians, the ibulest re- 
 proaches are heaped upon them. Is it 
 because these bc2:2:ars are become indus- 
 trious, and cease to live upon .the super- 
 stitious credulity of tlicir neighbours, that 
 he is so offended ? Docs he think the 
 British Government Avoukl be overturned, 
 if all the rest of the beggars were to follow 
 their example? 
 
 / 
 
 But “ one of the missionaries writes to 
 England, that a hundred rupees a month 
 would support ten native converts with their 
 families, and a still greater number of single 
 brethren; which, he says, is undoubtedly 
 true, because the wages of our common 
 servants are but three, four, and five ru- 
 pees a month.” (p. Ixi, Ixii.) Why does 
 not our author refer to the pages from 
 w’hcncc he takes his extracts? As this 
 passage stands in his j)amphlct, it conveys 
 •the idea that ceery native convert zvith a Ja~ 
 
89 
 
 mil)) costs the society ten rupees a month : 
 hut if the reader look into No. xvi. p. 17I, 
 from Avlience llie extract is taken, he ■will 
 find, that it is of native preachers that 
 Mr. IMarshman writes ; who observes, that 
 “ while they arc thus employed in dissemi- 
 nating the good seed, they cannot be as 
 homo supporting their families.” It is one 
 thing, surely, to pay a man ten rupees for 
 the support of his family, and his own tra- 
 velling expences ; and another, to give him 
 the same sum as a common labourer at 
 home. 
 
 Major Scott Waring may give us many 
 extracts from our publications as he please ; 
 but he should not pervert the meaning, 
 lie may think us wild and foolisli to lay out - 
 money in such undertakings ; he may call 
 it “ ridiculous to talk of the perishing mil- 
 lions of India ( p. Ixii. ) he may reckon 
 coin passion to a great city, wholly given 
 to idolatry, a proof of the want of common 
 sense ; ( p. Ixv. ) but let him do us the jus- 
 tice of allowing us to think otherwise. 
 We are not surprised at his having no 
 
90 
 
 compassion for perishing idolaters, nor in- 
 deed at any thing else, unless it be his pre- 
 tending 'after all to be a Christian ; but let 
 him not represent us, as employed in brib- 
 ing bad men to become hypocrites. 
 
 “ Some of these converts have been 
 expelled for gross immoralit3^” True, and 
 Avhat then ? “ Such I am confident would 
 
 be the fate of the remainder, were not the 
 missionaries afraid of being laughed at." 
 But why should he imagine this.^ Does 
 he think the Hindoos all bad men ; or do 
 they , become such when they embrace 
 Christianity ? And why should the mis- 
 sionaries be supposed to retain bad men 
 in their soc'icty for fear of being laughed 
 at ? Had they feared this, the}' had never 
 engaged in tlie work. Did they fear this, 
 they v,'ould not exclude so many as they 
 do; or at least would not report it in their 
 letters. I may add, it is not long since 
 they had a fair opportunity to have en- 
 tirely desisted from their v.'ork; and that 
 in a vv'ay that v/oiild not have incurred the 
 laughter, but possibly the commendation 
 
91 
 
 of these men. They might also from that 
 time have gone on to accumulate tortunes, 
 instead of sacrificing every thing in a cause 
 which they knew, it seems, at the same 
 time to be hopeless. Surely these mission- 
 aries must be worse than madmen ; and the 
 o-overnment at Calcutta, and the Asiatic 
 Societ}^ cannot be much better, to think of 
 employing them in translating works of 
 literature. 
 
 Once more, “ The new orders of mis- 
 sionaries, are the most ignorant, and the 
 most bigoted of men. Their compositions 
 are in fact nothing but puritanical rant, 
 of the most vulgar kind; Avorse than that 
 so much in fashion in Great Britain, dur- 
 ing the days of Oliver CroinAvell.’" We 
 hope the author Avill furnish us with a 
 
 specimen. Yes, here it is “ When 
 
 Mr. (Win.) Carey, and Mr. Moore Avere 
 at Dacca, they Avrite on the Lord^s day 
 as folloAvs — What an awful sight have we 
 witnessed this day! A large and populous 
 city wholly given to idolatry , and not an 
 individual to warn them to flee from the 
 
 N 
 
93 
 
 wrath to come. As soon as we rose in the 
 7norning, our attention was unavoidably ex- 
 cited by scenes the most absurd, disgusting, 
 and de^radiiw to human nature T Judne, 
 Christian reader, what a state of mind that 
 man must possess, who can call this lan- 
 guage vulgar rant, and adduce it as a proof 
 of ignorance and bigotry! “ Could men 
 possessing common sense,” he adds, “ have 
 written such nonsense as this is, unless 
 blinded by enthusiasm? Had they dis-s 
 covered, that a single Englishman was a 
 convert to the Hindoo, or the Mahometan 
 religion, they would have been justified in 
 giving their sentiments to km, as to his 
 apostacy from the true, to a false and 
 idolatrous religion; but to pour out such 
 unmeanino; and useless abuse on an im- 
 mense population, which merely obseiwed 
 those forir^ and ceremonies, which had 
 been used throughout Hindostan, for above 
 two thousand years, is folly and arrogance 
 in the extreme.” (p. Ixv.) I wonder 
 whether this writer ever read a book, called 
 the Bible, or heard of any of its language, 
 excepting a few passages held up, per- 
 
93 
 
 chance, to ridicule, in some history of the 
 times of Oliver Cromwell ! I presume the 
 reader has had enough : and as all that fol- 
 lows is little else than a repetition of what 
 has already been answered, interlarded with 
 the usual quantity of low abuse, I shall pass 
 it over unnoticed. I have seldom seen a per- 
 formance, by a writer calling himself a 
 Christian, so full of bare-faced infidelity. 
 May God give him repentance to the ac- 
 knowledging of the truth ! 
 
 As Major Scott Waring has “ humbly 
 submitted his plan to the consideration of 
 his Majesty^s Ministers, the East India 
 Company, and the Legislature,^’ I also pre- 
 sume on behalf of the missionaries, humbly 
 to submit to the consideration of the same 
 high characters, some authorities in favour 
 of a different line of conduct. 
 
' ^ ' 
 
 pf r» oJ a,. ’t 
 
 arfjyiau^V'i i 
 
 4ot laffy ‘ ‘ :■''[ '■ 
 
 ifiA v trsiih ■ ■ 
 
 ilJiv/ habisii •) )rti ^t^^'icsvanf: 
 
 il^GCJ fMrfa t ■• !■ '/I ti) V J i ’ : . 
 
 -i: i a n;i *o u •>! ’V/^ i .i> J'J i 
 
 41 ih>«iiir! ~a-i j‘ "• . 
 
 ,viii ,lM;n; li'i'iai-.f’ ifi ;to U|i ' or^mr'.«^*irfb 
 
 <y> fjrlj OJ 03^tr,f loft« Of<‘- ‘ 
 
 ,, '" ♦ di'ni od/V> 1 ''' A 
 
 ■' ' ' ' . •.. V ' ' 
 
 YlHjM./ff ** snd priin''/ y ^ . 
 
 *to A'-. !- ;»> t:id'! 
 
 /lifiUL 0;lt ^ - ;•«! 
 
 -w| O'^^J I hr>ji • 
 
 y 1 injrfif ,^J<jr-:if^>^s^ii.'^ "i»!Ho »•■ 
 
 aidni:^ lo Hoii;:ribi'^d‘» > '* • 
 
 nvothi ru iHftnoftJJ;;: -it.?' , ^> 
 
 .vyntjR'rj t ’ : ■ 1 34 »^'k»! •^* , 
 
 . T-n 
 
 . I ' 
 
 
 
 • ' \ 
 J?' 
 
 
APPENDIX, 
 
 Containing Authorities, principally taken from 
 the Reports of the Society for promoting 
 Christian Knowledge. 
 
 It is recorded of the great and excellent Robert: 
 Boyle, that Having been for many years a Director 
 of the East India Company, and very useful in this 
 capacity to that great Body, more especially in pro- 
 curing their Charter, the only return he expected for 
 his labour in this respect was, the engaging the Com- 
 pany to come to some resolution in favour of the propa- 
 gation of the gospel, by means of their flourishing fac- 
 tories in that part of the world. And as a proof of his 
 own inclination to contribute, as far as in him lay for 
 that purpose, he caused five hundred copies of the 
 Gospels and Acts of the apostles in the Malayan tongue 
 to be printed at Oxford, and sent abroad at his own 
 expence, as appears from the dedication prefixed by 
 his friend. Dr. Thomas Hyde, to that translation, which 
 was published under his direction.” 
 
 Jifog. Brit. Art. Boyle. 
 
 '' He was resolved to have carried on the impression 
 of the New Testament in the Turkish language, but th« 
 
 [A] 
 
11 
 
 Company thought it became them to be the doers of it, 
 and so suffered him only to give a large share towards 
 it. He was at 700/. charge in the edition of the 
 Irish Bible, which he ordered to be distributed in Ire- 
 land ; and he contributed largely to the impression 
 of the Welch Bible. He gave 300/. to advance the de- 
 sign of propagating the Christian religion in America; 
 and as soon as he heard that the East India Company 
 were entertaining propositions for the like design in the 
 East, he sent 100/. for a beginning, as an example; but 
 intended to carry it much farther when it should be 
 set on foot to purpose. 
 
 V E/icyc. Brit. Art. Boyle. 
 
 A Letter from Mr. Swartz to the Secretary of the 
 Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, published 
 by that Society, in their Report for 1795. 
 
 In the year ]?93, w'hen the bill was depending for 
 the renewal of the Company’s charier, certain clauses 
 were pioposed in favour of free schools and Christian 
 missionaries. In the newspaper, called the Courier, of 
 Friday evening, May 24. of that year, the following 
 paragraph was inserted : 
 
 “ Mr. Montgomery Campbell gave his decided vote 
 against the clause, and reprobated the idea of converting 
 the Gentoos. It is true, missionaries have made prose- 
 
Ill 
 
 lyles of the Parj 'iars, but they were the lozcesf order of 
 people, and had even degraded the religion they pro- 
 fessed to embrace. INIr. Swartz, whose character was 
 held so deservedly high, could not have any reason to 
 boast of the purity of his followers; they were pro- 
 verbial for their profligacy. An instance occurred to 
 his recollection, perfectly in point; he had been preach- 
 ing for many hours to this cast of proselytes on the 
 heinousness of theft, and in the heat of his discourse, 
 taken off his stock, when that and his gold buckle were 
 stolen by one of his virtuous and enlightened congre- 
 gation. In such a description of natives, did the doc- 
 trine of the missionaries operate : men of high cast 
 
 would spurn at the idea of changing the religion of their 
 ancestors.” 
 
 This newspaper reached India, and was put into the 
 bands of Mr. Swartz. An answer w'as drawn up by* 
 that distinguished missionary, and sent in a letter, ad- 
 dressed to the Secretary of the Society for promoting 
 Christian Knowledge. The Society’ judging it to be 
 particularly interesting,” gave it at full length in their 
 Report of 1795, prefixing to it their own testimony, 
 and that of Marquis Cornwallis, to Mr. Swartz’s 
 character. 
 
 ” As the Society, (they say,) after forty years ex- 
 perience, have had constant reason to approve of Mr. 
 Swartz’s integrity and veracity as a correspondent, his 
 zeal as a promoter of Christian knowledge, and his 
 labours as a missionary, they take this opportunity of 
 
IV 
 
 acknowledging his faithful services, and recommending 
 his letter to the consideration of the public, as con- 
 taining a just statement of facts relating to the mission, 
 .believing that Mr. Szc'artzh incapable of departing from 
 the truth in the minutest particular.” 
 
 Copy of a Letter from Marquis Cornwallis to the Lord 
 Bishop of Litchfeld and Coventry. 
 
 “ Dear Brother, Lower Grosvenor Street, Feb. 10. 179.o. 
 
 I have received the letter which was inclosed to 
 me from Dr. Vincent, requesting, at the desire of the 
 Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, ray tes- 
 timony of Mr. Swartz’s veracity and integrity. From 
 the personal knowledge which I had of Mr. Swartz, and 
 what I heard of him whilst in India, I have every 
 reason to believe him to be a man of very respectable 
 character. 
 
 I am, your most affectionate brother, 
 
 CORNWALLIS.” 
 
 Hon. end Kight liev. 
 
 Bishop of Litchfield, <^-c. 
 
 Then follows the letter itself. 
 
 “ Reverend and dear Sir, Tanjore, Feb. 13. 1794. 
 
 “As his Majesty’s seventy-fourth regiment is partly 
 stationed at Tanjore, and partly at Vallarn, six English 
 miles distant from Tanjore, we commonly go once in a 
 week to T allam, to perform divine service to four com- 
 panies of that regiment. When I lately went to that 
 
V 
 
 place the 210th number of a newspaper^ called the 
 Courier, Friday evening, May 24. 1793, v/as commu- 
 nicated to me. In that paper I found a paragraph, 
 delivered by Mr. Montgomerie Campbell, (who canine 
 out to India with Sir Archibald Campbell, in the station 
 of a private secretary) wherein my name was men- 
 tioned.” Here Mr. Swartz recites the paragraph; and 
 then adds as follows. — 
 
 “ As this paragraph is found in a public paper, I 
 ' thought it would not displease the Honourable Society 
 
 to make a few observations on it; not to boast, (which 
 I detest) but to declare the plain truth, and to defend 
 my brethren and myself. 
 
 “ About seventeen years ago, when I resided at 
 Tiruchinapalhj , I visited the congregation at Tanjore. 
 In my road I arrived very early at a village which is 
 inhabited by Collaries, (a set of people who are in- 
 famous for stealing ;) even the name of a Coilary, (or 
 better Kaller) signifyeth a thief. These Collaries make 
 nightly^ excursions in order to rob. They drive away 
 bullocks and sheep, and whatever they can find ; for 
 which outrage they annually pay 1500 chakr, or 750 
 pagodas to the Rajah. Of this cast of people many live 
 in the Tanjore country, still more in Tondiman’s coun- 
 try, and likewise in the Nabob’s country. 
 
 Wiien I arrived at one of those villages, called 
 Piidaloor, I took off my stock, putting it upon a sand- 
 bank. Advancing a little to look out for the man who 
 
VI 
 
 carried ray linen cloths, I was regardless of the stock, 
 at which time some thievish boys took it away. Not 
 one grown person was present. When tlie inliabitants 
 heard of the theft, they desired me to confine all those 
 boys, and to punish them as severely as I pleased. 
 But I refused to do that, not thinking that the trifle 
 which I had lost was worth so much trouble. 
 
 That such boys, whose fathers are professed 
 thieves, should commit a theft can be no matter of won- 
 der. All the inhabitants of that village were heathens; 
 not one Christian family was found therein. Many of 
 our gentlemen travelling through that village, have 
 been robbed. The trifle of a buckle I did therefore not 
 lose by a Christian, as Mr. Montgomerie Campbell will 
 have it, but by lieathen boys. Neither did I preach at 
 that time. Mr. Campbell says that I preached two 
 hours. I did not so much as converse with any man. 
 
 “ This poor story, totally misrepresented, is alleged 
 by Mr. M. Campbell to prove the profligacy of Chris- 
 tians, whom he called with a sneer, virtuous and enligh- 
 tened people. If Mr. M. Campbell has no better proof, 
 his conclusion is built upon a bad foundation, and I 
 shall not admire his logic: truth is against Irirn. 
 
 “ Neither is it true, that the best part of those peo- 
 ple who have been instructed are Parriars. Had j\lr. 
 M. Campbell visited even once, our church, he would 
 have observed that more than two thirds were oj the higher 
 cast; and so it is at Tranquebar and VepeiT. 
 
Vll 
 
 Our intention is not to boast; but this I may safely 
 say, that many of those people who have been instruct- 
 ed, have left this world with comfort, and with a well- 
 grounded hope of everlasting life. That some of those 
 who have been instructed and baptized, have abused the 
 benefit of instruction, is certain. But all sincere ser- 
 vants of God, nay even the apostles, have experienced 
 this grief. 
 
 It is asserted, that a missionary is a disgrace to 
 any country. Lord Macartney, and the late General 
 'Coote, would have entertained a very different opinion. 
 They, and many other gentlemen, know and acknovt- 
 ledge that the missionaries have been beneficial to 
 Government, and a comfort to the country. This I am 
 able to prove in the strongest manner. Many gentle- 
 men who live now in England, and in this country, 
 would corroborate my assertion. 
 
 “ That the Rev. Mr. Geriche has been of eminent 
 service to Cuddalore, every gentleman who Vas at 
 Cuddalore at the time when the war broke out, knows. 
 He was the instrument in the hands of providence, by 
 which Cuddalore was saved from plunder and bloodshed. 
 He saved many gentlemen from becoming prisoners to 
 Hi/der, which Lord Macartney kindly acknowledged. 
 
 “ When Nagapatnam^ that rich and populous city, 
 fell into the deepest poverty, by the unavoidable conse- 
 quences of vvar, Mr. Gericke behaved like a father to 
 the distressed people of that city. He forgot that he 
 
viii 
 
 had a family to provide for. Many impoverished fa- 
 milies were supported by him; so that when [, a few 
 months ago, preached, and administered the sacrament 
 in that p-ace, T saw many who owed their and their 
 children’s lives to his disinterested care. Surely this, 
 my friend, could not be called a disgrace to that place. 
 When the Honourable Society ordered him to attend 
 the Congregation at Madras, all lamented his departure. 
 And at Madras he is esteemed by the Govenor, and 
 many other gentlemen to this day. 
 
 “ It is a most disagreable task to speak of one’s self. 
 However, I hope that the Honourable Society will not 
 look upon some observations which I am to make, as a 
 vain and sinful boasting, but rather as a necessary self- 
 defence. Neither the missionaries, nor any of the Chris- 
 tians have hurt the welfare of the country. 
 
 “ In the time of war, the Fort of Tavjore was in a 
 distressed condition. A powerful enemy was near; the 
 people in the fort numerous; and not provision even 
 for the garrison. There was grain enough in the coun- 
 tiy, but we had no bullocks to bring it into the fort. 
 When the country people formerly brought paddy into 
 the fort, the rapacious Dubashes deprived them of their 
 due pay. Hence all confidence was lost; so that the 
 inhabitants drove away their cattle, refusing to assist 
 the fort. The late Rajah ordered, nay in treated the 
 peo[)le, by his managers, to come and help us ; but all 
 was in vain. 
 
IX 
 
 At last the Rajah said to one of our principal 
 gentlemen. We all, 7/011 and I, have lost our credit : let vs 
 try whether the inhabitants will trust Mr. Swartz. Ac- 
 cordingly he sent me a blank paper, empouei ing me to 
 make a proper agreement with the people. Here was 
 no time for hesitation. The Senpoys fell down as dead 
 people, being emaciated with hunger. Our streets were 
 lined with dead corpses every morning. Our condition 
 was deplorable. I sent, therefore, letters every where 
 round about, promising to pay any one, witli my own 
 hands; and to pay them for any bullock which might 
 be taken by the enemy. In one or two days I got 
 above a thousand bullocks, and sent one of our cate- 
 chists, and other Christians, into the country. They 
 went at the risk of their lives, made all possible haste, 
 and brought into the fort, in a very short time, 80,000 
 Kalams. By this means the fort was saved. When all 
 was over, 1 paid the people, (even with some money 
 which Ijelonged to others) made them a small present, 
 and sent them home. 
 
 “ The next year when Col. Braithzcaite, with his 
 whole detachment, was taken prisoner. Major Jlcock 
 commanded this fort, and behaved very kindly to the 
 poor starving people. We were then the second time 
 in the same miserable condition. The enemy always 
 invaded the country when the harvest was nigh at 
 hand. I was again desired to try my former expedient, 
 and succeeded. The people knew that they were not to 
 be deprived of their pay ; they therefore came with their 
 
 [<^1 
 
X 
 
 cattle. But now the danger was greaterj as the enemy 
 was very near. The Christians conducted the inhabi- 
 tants to proper places^ surely with no small danger of 
 losing their lives. Accordingly they wept, and went, 
 and supplied the fort with grain. When the inhabi- 
 tants were paid, I strictly enquired whether any of the 
 Christians bad taken from them a present, j They all 
 said, “ No, no ; as we were so regularly paid, we oflfered 
 to your catechist a cloth of small value, but he absolute- 
 ly refused it.” 
 
 “ But Mr. il/. CamphcH says, that the Christians 
 are profligate to a proverb. If Mr. ill. Campbell was 
 near me, I would explain to him, who are the profli- 
 gate people who drain the country. WMien a Dubash 
 in the space of ten or fifteen years, scrapes together 
 two, three, or four lacks of pagodas, is not this extor- 
 tion a high degree of profligacy? Nay, Government 
 was obliged to send an order that three of those Gentoo 
 Dubashes should quit the Tanjore country. The enor- 
 mous crimes committed by them, filled the country 
 with complaints; but 1 have no mind to enumerate 
 them. 
 
 “ It is asserted that the inhabitants of the country 
 would suffer by missionaries. If the missionaries are 
 sincere Christians, it is im])ossible that the inhabitants 
 should suffer any damage by them : if they are not what 
 they profess to be, they ought to be dismissed. 
 
XI 
 
 “ When Sir Archibald Ca^npbdl was Govenor, and 
 Mr. M. Campbell his private Secretary, the inhabitants 
 of the Tanjore country were so miserably oppressed by 
 the Manager, and the Madras Dnbashes, that they quit- 
 ed the country. Of course all cultivation ceased. In 
 the month of June the cultivation should commence, 
 but nothing was done, even at the beginning of Sep- 
 tember. Every one dreaded the calamity of a famine. 
 I intreated the Rajah to remove that shameful oppres- 
 sion, and to recall the inhabitants. He sent them word 
 that justice should be done to them, but they disbelieved 
 his promises. He then desired rne to write to them, and 
 to assure them that he at my intercession would shew 
 kindness to them. 1 did so. All immediately returned ; 
 and first of all the Kaller^ or as they are commonly cal- 
 led Collaries, believed my word, so that 7000 men came 
 back on one day. The rest of the inhabitants followed 
 their example. When I exhorted them to exert them- 
 selves to the utmost, because the time for cultivation 
 was almost lost, they replied in the following manner: 
 As you have shewed kindness to us, you shall not have rea- 
 son to repent of it : we intend io work night and day to 
 shew our regard for you, — Sir Archibald Campbell was 
 happy when he heard it; and we had the satisfaction of 
 having a belter crop than the preceding year. 
 
 “ As there was hardly any adsninistration of justice> 
 1 begged and intreated the Rajah to establish justice in 
 his country. Well, said he, let me kmow rehe rein my people 
 aue oppressed. 1 did so. He immediately «onsenled t® 
 
 1 
 
XU 
 
 mv proposal, and told his Manager that he should feel 
 hu indignaliuij, if the ojjpressioii did not cease immedi- 
 aleiv. But as he soon died, he did not see the exe- 
 cution. 
 
 Wlien the present Rajah began his rdign, I put 
 Sir Archibald Cuiiipbell in mind of that necessary point. 
 He desiied me to make a plan for a court of Justice, 
 wliich I did; but it was soon neglected by the servants 
 of the Rajah, who commonly sold justice to the best 
 bidder. 
 
 “ When the Honourable Company look possession 
 of the country, during the war, the plan for introducing 
 justice was re-assumed ; by which many people were 
 made happy. But when the country was restored to 
 the Rajah, the former irregularities took place. 
 
 “ During the Assumption, Government desired me 
 to assist the gentlemen Collectors. The district towards 
 the west of Tanjore had been very much neglected, so 
 that the water-courses liad not been cleansed for the last 
 fifteen years, I proposed that the collector should ad- 
 vance .500 pagodas to cleanse those water-courses. The 
 gentleman consented, if I would inspect the business. 
 The work was begun and finished, being inspected by 
 Christians. All that part of the country rejoiced in get- 
 ting 100,000 collums more than before. The inhabi- 
 tants confessed, that instead of one cullum, they now 
 reaped four. 
 
No inhabitant has suffered by Christians; none 
 has complained of it. On the contrary, one of the 
 richest inhabitants said to me. Sir, if yvu said a person 
 to us, send us one who has learned all your ten com- 
 mandments. For he and many hundred inliabilants had 
 been present wlien I explained the Christian doctrine to 
 heathens and Christians. 
 
 “ The inliabitants dread the conduct of a Madras 
 Duhash. These people lend money to the Rajah at an 
 exorbitant interest, and then are permitted to collect 
 their money and interest in an appointed district. It is 
 needless to mention the consequences. 
 
 When the CoUaries committed great outrages in 
 their plundering expeditions, Seapoys were sent out to 
 adjust matters: but it had no effect. Government de- 
 sired me to inquire into that thievish business. I there- 
 fore sent letters to the head CoUaries. They appeared. 
 We found out in some degree, how much the Tanjore 
 and Tondamans, and the Nabob’s CoUaries had stolen ; 
 and vve insisted upon restoration, which was done ac- 
 cordingly. At last, all gave it in writing that they 
 would steal no more. Tliis promise they kept very well 
 lor eight months, and then they began their old work ; 
 however, not as before. Had that inspection over 
 their conduct been continued, they might have been 
 made ^uselul people. 1 insisted upon cultivating their 
 fields, wliich they really did. But if the demands be- 
 come exorbitant, they have no resource, as they think, 
 but that of plundering. 
 
XIV 
 
 “ At hst some r,t’ those thievish Collaries desired to 
 be instructed. I seid, I am obliged to instruct you, but 
 I am alVaid that you will become very bad Christians. 
 Tlifir promises were feir. 1 instructed them, and when 
 they had a tolerable hriovvledge, I baptized them. 
 Having baptized them, i exhorted them to steal no 
 more, hut to work industriouslv. After that I visited 
 them, and having examined their knowledge, I desired 
 to see their work. 1 observed with pleasure that their 
 fields were excellently cultivated. ~Now, said I, one 
 thing remains to be done : you must pay your tribute 
 rea'diiy, and not u'ait till it is exacted by militai'y force, 
 which otherwise is their custom. Soon after that I 
 found that they had paid off their tribute e.xactly. The 
 only complaint against those chrisltan Collaries was, that 
 they refused to go upon plundering cxpcelitious, as they 
 had done before. 
 
 “ Now I am well aware that some will accuse me of 
 having boasted. I confess the charge willingly, but lay 
 all the blame upon those who have constrained me to 
 commit that folly. I might have enlarged my account, 
 but fearing that some characters would have suffered by 
 it, I slop here. One thing however I affirm before God 
 and man, that if Christianity, in its plain, and 
 undisguised FoirM was properly promoted, the 
 
 COUNTRY WOULD NOT SUFFER, BUT EE BENEFITED 
 BY IT. 
 
 “ If Christians were employed in some important 
 offices^ they should, if they misbehaved, be doubly 
 
punished : but to reject them entirely is not right, and 
 discourageth. 
 
 “ The slorious God and our blessed Redeemer bar 
 commanded his apostles to preach the gospel to all na- 
 tions. The knowledge of God, of his divine perfections, 
 and of his mercy to matikind, may be abused ; but there 
 is no other method of reclaiming mankind than by in- 
 structing them well. To hope that the heathens will 
 live a good life without the knowledge of God, is a 
 chimera. 
 
 “ The praise bestowed on the heathens of this coun- 
 try by many of our historians is refuted by a close (I 
 might almost say superficial) inspection of their lives. 
 Many historical works are more like a romance than 
 history. Many gentlemen here are astonished how 
 some historians have prostituted their talents by writing 
 fables. • 
 
 “ I am now at the brink of eternity; Int to this 
 .moment 1 declare, that I do not repent of having spent 
 forty-three years in the service of my divine INIaster. 
 Who knows but God may remove some of the great ob- 
 stacles to the propagation of the gospel. Should a re- 
 formation lake place amongst ti)e Europeans, it would, 
 no doubt, be the greatest blessing to the country, 
 
 “ These observations 1 beg leave to lay before the 
 Honourable Society, with my humble thanks for all 
 their benefits bestowed on this work, and sincere wishes 
 
XVI 
 
 that their pious and generous endeavours to disseminate 
 the knowledge of God, and Jesus Christ, juay be bene- 
 ficial to many thousands. 
 
 “ I am, sincerely, 
 
 “ Rev. and dear Sir, 
 
 “ Your affectionate brother, 
 
 and humble servaut, 
 
 “ C. F. SWARTZ.” 
 
 The reader needs not be told, who are the Montso- 
 mtry Campbells of the present day ; every one must see 
 that the representations are the same, and that the same 
 regard to truth characterizes the one as the other. 
 
 Extract of a Letter from a respectable Gentleman in 
 India, to the Rev. Dr. Vincent, published in the Re- 
 port of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge^ 
 of 1800 . 
 
 With regard to the question which has been agi- 
 tated at home, on the expediency of sending missionaries, 
 (a question highly disgraceful to its opposers) it may be 
 sufficient to know that the native protestant converts 
 are, when compared with alike mimber of other natives, 
 the most orderly and respectable class in the country. 
 Their number is very considerable; I should think 
 about three thousand. That they consist of the lower 
 
xvn 
 
 or Pariar cast, is a vulgar error; and instead of being, 
 as is often asserted, despised and conleniptuousiy treated 
 by their fellow natives, they are universally respected. 
 By the latter term, 1 would be understood to say, that 
 on account of their general good behaviour in society, 
 they are esteemed to possess more ])robity and better 
 dispositions tow'ards social kindness, than any other na- 
 tives. I was surprised to see a man of the late Dr^ Ro- 
 bertson’s learning and research introduce into his 
 ‘•Ancient India’ a stigma on the native Christians, from 
 a book called, I think, ‘ Sketches of the Hindoos.’ 
 One reflection, however, naturally arises on this error of 
 the learned historian — Why are not such accounts pub- 
 lished, of the state of Christianity in India, as would 
 have shewn the truths Such accounts could only come 
 from residents in India acquainted with the language of 
 the country, and who had paid some attention to the 
 subject, with a view' to publication. The annual pro- 
 ceedings of the Society at home shew by the corres- 
 pondence of the missionaries, the present state of the 
 mission : but I do not find any where a collected state- 
 ment of the numbers, &c. of the native Christians 
 actually in India. These proceedings are Utile, if at alf 
 read by European gcn’lemen in /his country ; and when 1 
 have shewn ray copy of the book to some, who ought to 
 have been better informed, I found them unacrjuainted 
 zcith it. I speak particularly of the volume which con- 
 tains a Letter from the late iMr. Swartz to your Secre- 
 tary, in reply to Observations said to have been made 
 by the late Mr. Mont. Campbell, on the subject of 
 
 [c] 
 
xvm 
 
 sending out miisionaries, and tlie present state of native 
 Christians. 
 
 “ You may ask five gentlemen out of six, who return 
 from India, their opinion of the state of the native 
 Christians; their reply will probably be, that they see 
 no use in the endeavours to propagate Christianity here; 
 and this will be followed by a repetition of tlie common- 
 place idea, transferred from one to another w’ithout 
 examination, ‘ Wliat can a black fellow know about 
 Christianity ?’ I have heard one gentleman, acquainted 
 with the Malabar (Tamiilian) turn into ridicule the 
 Malabar questions and answers of the catechism, &c., 
 and assert that no native knew any thing more than the 
 mere routine of answering by rote, like a parrot. Now 
 I am perfectly certain, that this gentleman spoke en- 
 tirely a! random, and that he never had taken the 
 trouble, though he so well possessed the means from bis 
 knowledge of Malabar, to examine the subject: ano- 
 ther thing is, that he himself knows less- of Christianity 
 than the very people whom he ridiculed. It is from 
 this sort of caul and jargon of ignorance and indif- 
 ference, that false ideas respecting the native converts 
 liave been instilled into the minds of many at home : 
 they also confound as one and the same thing, Pro- 
 teslant and Roman Catholic converts. Another gentle- 
 man of very respectable character and great philan- 
 thropy, holding a high station in the Company’s civil 
 service, observed to me that the missionaries would be of 
 (great service in promoting among the Company’s servants 
 a knowledge of the country languages; but, what is th« 
 
XIX 
 
 nse of making converfs?' The people do just as well ia 
 their present state. At this you will be but little asto- 
 nished when I tell you that gentleman’s religious creed ; 
 which is, that our Satioiir, as well as Mahomet, was a 
 prophet, or person professing that character ; that as ha 
 led an exemplar}’ life, and propagated his doctrine by 
 persuasion, not by force, lie was entitled to the higlieit 
 respect; whefeas Mahomet was a blood- thirsty enthu 
 siast, and deserved abhorrence; but as to any portion of 
 divinity attaching to our Saviour’s character, he could 
 not conceive it. 
 
 “ This I assure you, my dear Sir, is a true represen- 
 tation of that gentleman’s religions tenets; and let me 
 add, that we find here but few who give themselves the 
 trouble of going into the subject of Christianity. What 
 they possess, in general arises from good impressions 
 given them before they arrive in India, by their parents 
 or schoolmasters; but, as before the age of sixteen 
 years those impressions can rarely be founded on a due 
 examination into the subject and its proofs, such im- 
 pressions, losing the support of those wlio first gave 
 them, and receiving no aid from an effectual study of 
 proper authorities, gradually waver and falL 
 
 In such a state of society, (I would be understood 
 to speak generally) can it be expected that much im- 
 portance should be attached to the propagation of 
 Christianity ? 
 
XX 
 
 As to the question, however, let me take it in » 
 point of view abstracted from religious motives. Is it 
 
 OF NO IMPORTANCE THAT THE VILE PREJUDICES 
 ARISING FROM SUPERSTITION, AND WHICH PROPA- 
 GATES DISEASE AND DEATH, SHOULD BE ERADICATED? 
 
 The prejudices against inoculation for the small pox is 
 of this description. Thousands perish annually by that 
 disorder unskilfully treated. 
 
 “ Look at the lower classes of the natives here. 
 Great numbers cannot marry, because the expense of 
 the ceremony is beyond their power to bear. If they 
 can borrow money for the purpose, they entail upon 
 themselves the ruin of usurious interest, &c. It is an 
 undeniable fact, that many thousands are prevented 
 from marrying, by the want of mone}'. Among the 
 Christians no marriage fees, or any other charge what- 
 ever, are incurred. The consequences are obvious. 
 
 The stale of moralil}’ among the natives is very, 
 low indeed. I have had transactions with many of 
 those who have the character of most respectable men, 
 rich, and of good credit: I declare to you, I never met 
 with o)ie who had any idea of the obligation of an oath, 
 or who would not break it without seruple, provided 
 the crime could be effected without discovery and 
 punishment, and produce to them a pecuniary profit. 
 There may be natives of a dilferent character : all I can 
 say is, that I never met with one. 1 am speaking of 
 those who are not Christians. Now I am clear that no 
 man in the course of his dealings in England, with 
 
XXI 
 
 various characters for somp years, could truly make a 
 similar assertion. 
 
 “ If my statement be really applicable to the general 
 character of the natives, high and low, a change can 
 only be effected gradually : but if any thing is done, it 
 must be by means of introducing among the natives, 
 men who possess an intimate knowledge of their lan- 
 guages, who show examples in their own persons, of 
 religion, virtue, contempt of riches, (such and such only 
 ought the missionaries to be) patience and conciliatory 
 manners. Would the establishment of many such men 
 have no beneficial effect on the morality of the natives? 
 Surely it would. 
 
 “ Such was the respect of the natives for the late 
 Mr. Swartz, that I am sure any set of natives in the 
 Tanjore country would gladly have submitted their 
 cause to his decisions ; I mean, provided the cause 
 were reputable. 1 mention this to shew how greatly 
 character sways the opinion of the natives. 
 
 “ If superstitions, inimical to the well-being of man- 
 kind, fade in proportion as true knowdedge and science 
 advance, of which none can doubt; is it of no benefit 
 to distribute in these countries, men who can, or even 
 who may advance them to the best effect? Will the 
 Brambi have the same degree of power over the minds 
 of the people when he is met upon his own ground 
 by any European possessing^ as complete a knowledge 
 of the Samcritj &c. as he himself does, and accom- 
 
XX 11 
 
 plished in scientific knowledge? Have the studies of 
 the late Sir Wil/iam Jones had no beneficial effect in 
 a moral view, on the minds of those natives with whom 
 he held an intercourse in Bengalis 
 
 “ Government, 1 am sure, ought to promote, instead 
 of opposing, the establishment of missionaries such as 
 I have described ; for through them ultimately. Govern- 
 ment will have better subjects to rule, and would kno\f 
 better the real state ot those subjects. 
 
 “ The intercourse in general held by us with th« 
 body of the natives is slight: interest and business is 
 the only spur towards this intercourse, and we draw our 
 information not from the fountain-head, but through the 
 interpreters anc| commentators, that interest and business 
 introduce. Tliere is nothing of familiarity or society, 
 or tendency to social habits between us, except with a 
 ievf principal monied men. And how should there be? 
 
 I 
 
 Without an intimate acquaintance with the language, 
 such society must be irksome. 
 
 What are we to think of the debates at the India 
 House> relative to missionaries, as published by Mr. 
 Woodfall in the year 1793? In them we perceive one 
 of the idle wandering stories of India taken up as a 
 matter of fact, and argued upon by a Proprietor as such, 
 in a serious question in thte court. I saw a letter from 
 that Proprietor to Mr. Sw'artz, written soon after he saw 
 Mr. Swartz’s letter to your Secretary, above alluded to, 
 and apologizes to him ; excusing himself by asserting, 
 
XXlll 
 
 that his speech had been erroneously reported in the 
 newspapers. What then are we to think? Can we trust 
 to what we see given as the speeches in the India House 
 on the clause relative to missionaries? If we can, I fear 
 that upon examination we should find some of the 
 speakers had been at as little pains to obtain correct in- 
 telligence of the situation of tlie Protestant converts, as 
 one Proprietor was regarding the story of the stock- 
 buckle. 
 
 I perfectly agree with most of the speakers in 
 that debate, that missionaries should not be sent out 
 at the expense of the Company. It seems to me clearly 
 that the speakers were extremely afraid of Mr. Wilba-- 
 force’s clauses of the bill, charging them with a great 
 and permanent expense; and that under the impression 
 of this fear, they had brought forward hastily argu- 
 ments that are frivolous, and principles that could not 
 bear the test of fair reasoning and experience. And 
 not one Proprietor was found who could offer any tiling 
 in favour of the principle of establishing missionaries, 
 derived from his own experience and personal know- 
 ledge. 
 
 “ No Proprietor of that Court, who has*''been in 
 India, will be a very strenuous ad\o ale, 1 presume, for 
 upholding a religion which annually causes excessive 
 tumult, and much blood-shed and murder. Let anv one 
 of them recollect -what annually passes between the 
 immense multitudes of llie right-hand and ieft-hand 
 casts, as they are called. Such outrages are exhibited 
 
XXIV 
 
 every year in Madras itself, in spite of (the) military 
 drawn out to oppose it. What state of society, let me 
 ask, is this ? Can it be called civilization ; or does it 
 partake of the private war of the barbarous and feudal 
 ages ? > 
 
 What are we to think of human sacrifices? A few 
 years since, the Bramiiis of a certain pagoda in the 
 Tanjore country, murdered for sacrifice a boy of eleven 
 years of age. Having killed him, they took out a par- 
 ticular part near the vertebrae of the neck, and offered 
 it to the idol. The affair was fully examined and 
 proved, and the punishment decreed was banishment 
 beyond the Coloroons ; the exiles accordingly went 
 beyond that river, and returned again in two or three 
 days ! 
 
 Turn from the enlightened and polished Bramin 
 to the wild Collery, particularly to the Colleries of the 
 Mellore, near Madura. I have been much among them, 
 and know their dispositions well : the civilization of 
 these appears hopeless, but 1 know that they would 
 gladly receive among them native schoolmasters to 
 teach their children to read and write. This su rely 
 should be put in practice. To this probably it may be 
 objected, the country belongs to the Nabob, and we 
 must not irilcrfere. However, the Nabob would. I’ll 
 answer for it, gladly adopt so beneficial a system. 
 
 “It will hardly be believed, but it is not the less 
 true, that within these two years there was a disturbance 
 
XXV 
 
 ia the Nabob’s district of Woniapallani ; some liun» 
 dreds of his Higiioess’s rabble, under the name of 
 troops, having assembled separate])- from a party of the 
 Company’s troops, who were to assist in reducing the 
 district, marched into tlie different villages, which were 
 all abandoned, except by a few miserable weavers who 
 remained in their houses. The enemy against whom 
 these military operations pointed, were poligars; but 
 they had neither plundered nor set fire to the Nabob’s 
 villages; the Nabob’s commander, however, did both; 
 and I have seen part of that commander’s journal, in 
 which he enumerates the peisons hanged by him daily, 
 and the men so hanged were not belonging to the 
 enemy, but peaceable merchants and weavers, left here 
 and there in llie villages. The journal sums up the 
 daily items of death in one column, like so many 
 shillings, and at the bottom exhibits a total of thirty- 
 two persons hanged in about fourteen days ! 
 
 Independent of the commander’s own testimony, 
 I know the truth of the matter from respectable British 
 officers, who were on the detachment, and whom I saw 
 immediately after the service ended. 
 
 " The state of the country, and of the minds of the 
 people in which these scenes were acted, is truly de^ 
 plorable. Shall we excuse ourselves, and say, this is 
 the Nabob’s country ? We ought to hope for some end 
 to sucii a state of the human mind in liiese countries. 
 Let us ask, what exertions have been made during the 
 
XK\ 1 
 
 last thirty years to promote civilization; and let those 
 who can^ give the answer. 
 
 “ I am afraid we have never said to ourselves. Let 
 us shew what these people will be twenty, or ten years 
 hence. Such a question ought to be asked at this 
 moment, for additional millions of subjects have, by 
 the late conquest, fallen under our dominion or con- 
 troul.” 
 
 Though the name of the writer of this letter is not 
 given by the Society', yet it contains intrinsic proof of 
 its having been written by no mean man. But if his 
 representations, and those of Mr. Swartz, be true, 
 what must we think of those statements which hold up 
 the character of the Hindoos as needing no change? 
 
 EIIUATUM. 
 
 Pa;:e 49, li. 14, for “ lead” read leading. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
1 
 
 Speedily wSl he published, 
 
 *Y THE SAME AUTHOR, 
 
 K, jE M A ]R IK. S 
 
 ON 
 
 MAJOR SCOTT WARING’s LETTER to th« 
 Rev. Mr. OWEN A VINDICATION of the Cha- 
 
 racter of the HINDOOS, by a BENGAL OFFICER— 
 —A LETTER to the PRESIDENT of the BOARD of 
 CONTROL L, on the Propagation of Christianity in 
 
 India and, on the IMPROPRIETY of confining 
 
 Missionary Undertakings to the ESTABLISHED 
 CHURCH, in Reply to Dr. BARROW. 
 
 ALSO, 
 
 A PAMPHLET 
 
 On the same subject, 
 
 By the Rev. ROBERT HALL, A. M. 
 
 Printed by J. W. Morris, Dunstable, Beds. 
 
I