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TWO 
 
 DISCOURSES 
 
 PREACHED 
 
 BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, 
 
 ON COMMENCEMENT SUNDAY, 
 
 July 1, 1810. 
 
 AND 
 
 A SERMON .. 
 
 PREACHED 
 
 BEFORE THE SOCIETY FOR MISSIONS TO AFRICA 
 AND THE EAST 5 
 
 AT THEIR TENTH ANNIVERSARY. 
 June 12, 1810. 
 
 TO WHICH ARE ADDED 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 Rev. CLAUDIUS BUCHANAN, D. D. 
 
 LATE VICE-PROVOST OF THE COLLEGE OF FORT-WILLIAM, 
 IN BENGAL. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed by G SIDNEY, Northumberland-street ; 
 
 FOR T. CADELL AND W. DA VIES, IN THE STRAND J 
 
 AND J. DEIGHTON, CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 1811. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SERMONS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Commencement Sermon, preached before the Univer- 
 sity of Cambridge, on Sunday Morning, July 1,1810, I 
 Commencement Sermon, in the Afternoon of the 
 
 same day . . . 29 
 
 Sermon before the Society for Missions to Africa and 
 the East 5 preached in London, June 12, 1810 . ?5 
 
 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 IN ASIA. 
 
 Introduction .. 1 
 
 The CHINESE V. 9 
 
 The HINDOOS 16 
 
 Juggernaut 17 
 
 Immolation of Females 35 
 
 Letters of King George I. and Archbishop Wake ... 42 
 
 Tranquebar 50 
 
 Tanjore 55 
 
 Tritchinopoly 64 
 
 Versions of the Scriptures for the Hindoos 67 
 
 The CiYLONBSE 7& 
 
 The MALAYS ..< , 78 
 
 The SYRIAN CHRISTIANS in India .,,...,... 83 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 The Malabar Bible 122 
 
 Syriac Bible 123 
 
 ROMISH CHRISTIANS in India 125 
 
 Inquisition at Goa 130 
 
 Translation of the Scriptures for the Romish 
 
 Christians 156 
 
 The PERSIANS 159 
 
 The ARABIANS 168 
 
 The Conversion of SABAT 179 
 
 The Arabic School for the Translation of the 
 
 Scriptures 185 
 
 The JEWS in Asia 191 
 
 Their MSS. of the Scriptures 207 
 
 The Ten Tribes 215 
 
 Restoration of the Jews 220 
 
 Versions of the Scriptures into the Eastern Languages 
 
 for the Jews 22? 
 
 Bibliotheca Biblica in Bengal 231 
 
 The ARMENIANS 237 
 
 Vestiges of the Doctrines of Revelation 243 
 
 Ecclesiastical Establishment for British India 251 
 
 Letter on this subject from Dr. Watson, bishop of 
 
 Llandaff; to the Author 257 
 
 Conclusion 27S 
 
 A- list of WORKS on the Civilization of the East ; 
 being the compositions which gained the Prizes, or 
 were presented to the Universities in competition 
 for the Prizes, instituted by Dr. Buchanan......... 279 
 
SERMON I. 
 
 (MORNING.) 
 GEN. I. 3. I<et there be LIGHT. 
 
 " JLN THE BEGINNING, GOD created the heavens 
 " and the earth. And the earth was without 
 " form and void, and darkness was upon the face 
 <e of the deep. And God said, Let there be 
 "Light': and there was Light." In these first 
 words of Revelation we read how God gave light 
 to the NATURAL world. But he is also the author 
 of spiritual light; and by the same almighty Fiat, 
 he dispelled the darkness of the MORAL world. 
 For, cc when the fulness of time was come, God 
 ci sent forth his son," who is "'the brightness of 
 " his glory, and the express image of his person ;" 
 and he said unto the Church, which was to be 
 illuminated by him, " Arise, shine, for thy Light 
 is come :" (Is. Ix. 1.) and the people which sat 
 in darkness and in the shadow of death, saw a 
 GREAT LIGHT. (Matt. iv. 16.) 
 
 B 
 
Clje etas of ttgl)t. 
 
 Now the Scriptures mark a certain analogy 
 between the creation of natural and of spiritual 
 light; and shew that both are produced by an 
 exertion of the same Almighty power. " For 
 ** God, who commanded the light to shine out of 
 t darkness, hath shined in our HEARTS, to give the 
 c light of the knowledge of the glory of God in 
 " the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. iv. 6. 
 
 Under the authority of this analogy we may 
 be permitted to inquire, which is the grandest 
 display of the Divine power, the creation of na- 
 tural or of spiritual light? The production of the 
 sun, which shines in the firmament, or spiritual 
 illumination by HIM, who is called " the Sun of 
 " Righteousness ;" connected as it is with those 
 stupendous events in heaven and earth, (< which 
 " angels desire to look into ;" the incarnation of 
 the Deity ; the passion, death, resurrection, and 
 ascension of the Mediator ; the coming of the 
 Holy Ghost ; the gift of Tongues ; the promul- 
 gation of the Gospel ; and the liberation of mil- 
 lions of souls from darkness to light, and from 
 the power of Satan unto God ? Doubtless, the 
 glory of the spiritual dispensation far transcends 
 that of the natural creation, both in the impor- 
 tance of its effects, and in the extent of its dura- 
 tion. 
 
 Let this, then, be our subject, to contemplate 
 
(Etas of *Ug!)t s 
 
 the spiritual illumination which comes by Jesus 
 Christ ; who, when the world was in darkness, 
 " brought life and immortality to light by the 
 " Gospel." Of the diffusion of this heavenly 
 Light, we shall notice three distinct Eras. 
 
 I. The first Era is that of the Promulgation 
 of the Gospel by CHRIST himself. 
 
 II. The second is the Era of the REFORMA- 
 TION; when, after that the Christian world had 
 again sunk into darkness, and passed a long night 
 of SUPERSTITION, the beams of truth broke forth 
 with renewed splendor. 
 
 III. A third Era of Light is the PRESENT 
 PERIOD. The Reformed Church, after preserv- 
 ing its purity as long, perhaps, as the primitive 
 Church, began to suffer a general declension, and 
 was in danger of being utterly overthrown by 
 INFIDELITY. A decorous external profession 
 was indeed observed ; and, in our own Church, 
 " the form of sound words " was retained ; but 
 the spirit and power of religion had very gene- 
 rally departed. By many persons the spiritual 
 influence of the Gospel was not even acknow- 
 ledged. The effusion of the Divine spirit was 
 not believed to exist in any measure or degree, 
 but was considered as something which was 
 confined to the first age of the Church. But 
 now the vital spirit of our religion hath revived, 
 
4 Ci)e eras of 
 
 and is producing the fruits* of the first century. 
 Christianity hath assumed its true character, as 
 c < the Light of the world." The Holy Scrip- 
 tures are multiplying without number. Trans- 
 lations are preparing in almost all languages ; 
 and Preachers are going forth into almost every 
 region, " to make the ways of God known upon 
 " earth, his saving health among all nations." 
 
 I. We are first to review that grand Era of 
 Light, when " the Sun of Righteousness"' him- 
 self appeared. 
 
 The period of this event has been observed 
 as an epoch of time by almost all the civilized 
 nations of the world ; and with good reason ; 
 for the world was in darkness till Christ came- 
 The Spirit of God, indeed, moved upon the face 
 of the earth ; and to the Patriarchs and Pro- 
 phets an intimation was given that a Light 
 WOULD come ; yet it was true that, with the 
 exception of the chosen people, who were them- 
 selves the harbingers of the Light, "darkness 
 " covered the earth, and gross darkness the peo- 
 " pie." This was the state of mankind even 
 in the brightest periods of Greece and Rome. 
 Those nations had made some progress in 
 natural science, and in human learning ; but 
 they were utterly ignorant of THAT science 
 which is chiefly worthy of an immortal crea- 
 
etas of 
 
 ture ; namely, the knowledge of their Creator, 
 and of their being's use arid end. 
 
 Such was the state of the moral world, when 
 HE came, who is called ' the DESIRE of ALL 
 Nations." (Haggai ii. 7-)^ was not unlike 
 the state of the natural world, at that period of 
 creation when " the earth was without form, 
 " and void; and darkness was upon the face of 
 " the deep." But while mankind were involved 
 in this spiritual obscurity, f{ The WORD was 
 " made flesh," That eternal Word, " by whom 
 " all things were made, and without whom was- 
 " not any thing made that was made," John i. 3.; 
 by whom " God made the worlds." Heb. i. . ; 
 that same Almighty word which spake at the 
 first creation, said a second time, " LET THERE 
 " BE LIGHT ?" and there was Light. " I am 
 " come," said our Saviour, "a LIGHT into the 
 " world, that whosoever believeth on me should 
 " not abide in darkness." (John xii. 46.) Christ 
 came to reveal " the MYSTERY which was kept 
 " secret since the world began, but now is 
 " made manifest; and by the Scriptures of the 
 " Prophets, according to the commandment of 
 " the Everlasting God, made known to all 
 " Nations." Rom. xvi. 25. What then was 
 this Mystery which Christ came to reveal ? 
 
 He revealed the LOVE of God the FATHEE 
 
6 ci)e eras of Ltgljt 
 
 " God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only 
 " begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on 
 " Him, should not perish, but have everlasting 
 " life." John iii. Id. 
 
 He revealed the ATONEMENT of God the SON, 
 in assuming the human nature, and offering 
 himself up a sacrifice for the sins of men. " My 
 " flesh," saith he, " I will give for the life of 
 " the world." John vi. 5 1 . i( A BODY hast 
 " thou prepared me. Lo, I come to do thy will, 
 O God." Heb. x. 5. 
 
 He revealed the INSPIRATION of God the 
 HOLY GHOST; which was now to descend from 
 heaven, and to " abide with men FOR EVER ;" 
 (John xiv. 16.) even the spirit of truth which 
 should " reprove THE WORLD of sin, and of righ- 
 ' teousness, and of judgment ;" John xvi. 8.; 
 the Holy Spirit, which should " be given by 
 " our heavenly Father to them that ASK HIM." 
 Luke xi. 11. These were the doctrines which 
 were to give LIGHT to the world. They arc 
 comprehended by the Apostle Peter in one sen- 
 tence. He addresses believers as being " elect, 
 " according to the foreknowledge of God the 
 <c FATHER, through sanctification of the SPIRIT 
 *' unto obedience; and sprinkling of the blood 
 ** of JESUS CHRIST. 1 Pet. i. 2. 
 
 These doctrines our Saviour embodied in a 
 
Clje eras of iigl)t 7 
 
 short Commission or Charge, which he delivered, 
 after his ascension into heaven, to one of his 
 Apostles. It was given to that Apostle, whom 
 our Lord called " the CHOSEN VESSEL, to 
 " bear his name to the Gentiles." Acts ix. 15. 
 For when Paul was proceeding on his way to 
 Damascus, " a light above the brightness of the 
 <c sun shone around him ; and our Saviour 
 spoke to him from heaven in the following 
 words : " I send thee to the Gentiles to open 
 ^ their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to 
 " light, and from the power of Satan unto 
 " God ; that they may receive forgiveness of 
 " sins, and inheritance among them which are 
 <f sanctified by faith, which is in me." Acts 
 " xxvi. 18. 
 
 This Charge our Lord delivered AFTER his 
 ascension into heaven, expressly for the instruc- 
 tion of l>is Ministers, in regard to the DOC- 
 TRINE they were to preach, and the EFFECTS 
 which should follow. It may therefore be con- 
 sidered as a summary of the doctrine of the 
 four Gospels; and every Minister of Christ 
 ought to engrave it on the tablet of his me- 
 mory, and comprehend it well; whether he 
 preach " to Greek or to barbarian, to learned or 
 " to unlearned, to bond or to free." 
 
 Here is first established that fundamental 
 
8 Cije (Eras; of JUgijt 
 
 truth, which ought ever to be present with us 
 in all our counsels concerning the promulgation 
 of the gospel, That the Gentiles are " under 
 " the power of Satan." " I send thee," saith 
 our Lord, " to the Gentiles, to turn them from 
 "the power of Satan unto God/' This is a 
 truth which the wisdom of this world "will not 
 " receive ;" and it is assaulted by a false phi- 
 losophy continually. But, like a rock assailed 
 by the restless waves, it will remain for ever 
 IMMOVEABLE. For what we call a revelation 
 from heaven, is properly a revelation of this, 
 That all men are by nature " in darkness, and 
 "under the power of Satan ;" and that Christ 
 hath come " to turn them from darkness to 
 " light, and from the power of Satan unto God." 
 The second part of our Saviour's Charge 
 declares the EFFECTS of preaching the Gospel, 
 namely, That the Gentiles should receive c for- 
 " giveness of sins by faith in Christ/' and that 
 " their eyes should be OPENED." These are the 
 effects in this world. 
 
 The third part declares the consequence in the 
 world to come ; that they should receive a glorious 
 " INHERITANCE among them which are sancti- 
 t fieri ;" that is, among them which are made 
 " MEET by the Holy Ghost" to become partakers 
 ''oftheinheritancepfthe saints in light." Col. i. 12. 
 
(Eras of 
 
 These were the doctrines of Light " which 
 c< were now made manifest, and, by the com- 
 " mandment of the everlasting God, were to 
 " be made known to all nations." And our 
 Saviour said unto his Disciples, " Go ye into 
 " all the world, and preach the Gospel unto 
 " every creature/' They accordingly went forth. 
 Though unlearned men, they went forth with 
 confidence, to CHANGE THE RELIGION OF THE 
 WORLD.- The darkness of paganism receded 
 before them ; and in process of time there was 
 a general illumination. 
 
 In the course of three hundred years, " THE 
 " EVERLASTING GOSPEL" was published gene- 
 rally throughout the habitable world : and a 
 great company were gathered out of many na- 
 tions, who became partakers of " the INHERI- 
 <( TANCE among them which are sanctified." 
 But, during that period " the children of light'* 
 had to maintain a fiery conflict with the powers 
 of darkness. For a new thing appeared upon 
 the earth. The pagan religions, though they 
 differed from each other in form, yet agreeing 
 in principle, had existed in amity together ; 
 because they were of the same kind, and mem- 
 bers of the same family. " The strong man, 
 ft armed, kept his palace, and his goods were in 
 f( peace," Luke xi. SI. But they no sooner 
 
10 cije ras of 
 
 beheld the religion FROM HEAVEN, than they 
 all united against it, and persecuted it. They 
 hated its purity, its humility, its spiritual wor- 
 ship, its renunciation of self- glory, and its con- 
 templation of eternal life. " The light shined 
 " in darkness, and the darkness comprehended 
 " it not." John i. 5. The heathen governments 
 devoted multitudes of their fellow-subjects to 
 death, not for crimes which they had done, but 
 " for righteousness sake; wonderingthemselves 
 at their own new and strange work, of which 
 there had been no example in the records of 
 nations. And these multitudes met death with 
 cheerful hope; because they knew that there 
 would be " a resurrection from the dead." At 
 length the great conflict was ended, and the 
 Christian faith obtained the dominion. 
 
 But, as Adam, the parent of the human race, 
 fell from his high estate by withdrawing from 
 communion with God ; so his descendants follow 
 his sin, in perverting the truth, and renouncing 
 the gift of heaven. As the chosen race who 
 had communion with God upon earth at Sinai, 
 turned away afterwards and sought salvation by 
 other gods : so that peculiar people, yet more 
 highly favoured, who had ' communion with 
 " the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," turned 
 away " from him who spake unto them from 
 
Clje Cras of ntjjltf, n 
 
 " heaven." Heb. xii. 25. No sooner had the 
 religion of Christ become the religion of the 
 world, and been invested with dignity and 
 power, than it began to be corrupted. Men 
 began " to hold the truth in unrighteousness ;" 
 and " Satan himself was transformed into an 
 Angel of Light," so as to deceive the nations. 
 They sunk gradually into the abyss of igno- 
 rance and superstition ; and c< darkness covered 
 " the earth, and gross darkness the people/' 
 What added to the horror of this darkness, the 
 Bible itself, the fountain of Light, was taken 
 away; and, for some ages, the Revelation of 
 God, which had been given by the hand of a 
 Mediator, and by the ministry of Patriarchs, 
 Prophets, and Apostles, was hid from the world. 
 Christianity hath two principal enemies to con- 
 tend with, SUPERSTITION and INFIDELITY. It 
 was Superstition which first shut the Bible. 
 The age of Infidelity had not yet come. 
 
 In that dark period of which we speak, even 
 the chief Seats of learning became fountains of 
 error to the world. From those very Seats it 
 was maintained, That Christianity was little 
 more than a moral code, and that the Faith by 
 which we should be saved, consisted principally 
 in " a mere historic belief." The doctrine 
 asserted, amounted in substance to this, that a 
 
12 Cfie ras of JLigljt. 
 
 man might almost, if not entirely, qualify and 
 entitle himself by certain good actions to receive 
 the grace of God ; and that thus he might pur- 
 chase heaven by his own merit. So thick a man- 
 tle of darkness had covered the minds of men ! 
 
 At length there appeared a dawn of light. 
 BRADWARDIXE of Oxford combated these errors 
 of doctrine with great energy and eloquence. 
 He was Archbishop of Canterbury, and the most 
 profound scholar of his age. And as he was 
 first in the Church in learning and in station, so 
 he was almost sole in his opinions. But he was 
 66 full of faith ;" and singly attempted, as he 
 expressed it, " to defend so GREAT A CAUSE."* 
 
 * " Behold/' said Archbishop BRADWARDINE, " I speak 
 "it with grief : as formerly four hundred and fifty prophets were 
 <( united against one prophet of the Lord j so at this day how 
 "many, O God, contend for Free-Will (human sufficiency 
 " and merit) against thy gratuitous Grace! How many indeed 
 e< in our times DESPISE thy saving Grace j or if they use the 
 " term Grace, how do they boast that they DESERVE it by the 
 " strength of their Free-Will. Almost the whole world is 
 "gone after PELAGIUS into error. Arise, O Lord, judge 
 " thine own cause ; sustain him who undertakes to defend 
 " thy truth. Protect, strengthen, and comfort me : for thou 
 <f knowest that, no where relying on my own strength, J 
 " attempt to maintain so GREAT A CAUSE." 
 
 Bradwardini Opera, Prefat. 
 
 The Theologians, whom Bradwardine opposed, correspond 
 
 nearly 
 
l)e etas of JUgljk is 
 
 But WICKLIFFE of the same university was 
 ordained to confirm more fully the evangelic 
 testimony. He was properly the first great light 
 in that dark age. He translated the Bible into 
 our own tongue ; and his own mind was illumined 
 by it. He then assailed with an intrepid spirit 
 the before-mentioned errors, and in particular, 
 the position (which is the fundamental principle 
 of a corrupt theology) " That a man becomes 
 " acceptable to God, and is finally saved, by his 
 " own works and merits." 
 
 " Human nature," pronounced WickliiFe from 
 the theological chair, " is wholly at enmity with 
 " God. Man is a sinner from the womb. He 
 "cannot think a good thought; he cannot per- 
 " form a good work, except he receive GRACE." 
 
 nearly with the great PELAGIAN body of the present day. 
 This body assumes not the ancient name, but exists under 
 different names, and is composed of different denominations. 
 But they all -agree in one distinguishing character, " That 
 "they despise the saving 'grace of God." They generally 
 profess, what they call, RATIONAL Christianity; by which they 
 mean that their religion is merely rational, and that it hath 
 nothing spiritual in it. They acknowledge no influence from , 
 above, nor any operation of divine grace. In this sense, it 
 is true that they profess a rational religion : but on the same 
 principle, it might be easy to prove that the religions of the 
 heathen world are ALL RATIONAL religions. It is surely 
 high time for Christians to take leave of the Pelagian philoso- 
 phy. 
 
14 Cfje eras of (gl)t. 
 
 And with respect to that Faith whereby we shall 
 be saved, he speaks in these terms. " The merit 
 " of Christ is sufficient of itself to redeem every 
 '' man from Hell. Faith in our Lord Jesus 
 t( Christ is sufficient for salvation. We are not 
 " to seek to be justified in any other way than by 
 si his justice. We BECOME righteous through the 
 <c participation of HIS righteousness. "*Wick- 
 liffe here speaks the sense of a Text, from which 
 every Theologian should learn to preach ; " To 
 " him that worketh NOT, but believeth on HIM 
 " that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted 
 " for righteousness." This text is found in the 
 fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and 
 at the fifth verse. But the unanswerable argu- 
 ment for the truth of this doctrine is derived from 
 the history of CORNELIUS, the Centurion. "His 
 " alms and prayers came up as a memorial before 
 " God." Acts x. 4.; but he became not THEREBY 
 an heir of salvation. He was directed to go to the 
 Apostle PETER, " who should tell him words 
 "WHEREBY he should be saved." Acts xi. 14. 
 Until Cornelius heard the words of the Gospel 
 from Peter, and thereupon " received the Holy 
 Ghost," he knew nothing of that Faith whereby 
 zlpne he could be saved. 
 
 * Dr. James's Apology for Wickliffe. 
 
Cije rag of JLtg&t. 15 
 
 But Wickliffe was only the forerunner. Like 
 John the Baptist, he prophesied of a Light that 
 should come; and almost in his words he said, 
 * c I am but a solitary evidence against a Host. I 
 " am but the voice of one crying in the wilder- 
 " ness." But his own light did not dispel the 
 gloom. Though it shone far into the vale of 
 night, it reached not to the Throne of darkness 
 at Rome. 
 
 II. The second Era of Light is the REFORMA- 
 TION. In the midst of this spiritual darkness, 
 while men were sitting a second time " in the 
 ' region and shadow of death," the "day-spring 
 " from on high visited them." This has been 
 accounted by some, an epoch in the Church, not 
 less remarkable than that of the first promul- 
 gation of the Gospel. And although it is now 
 much out of view in the minds of many; 
 although Infidelity would obscure its glory, and 
 " the withered hand hath been lifted up against 
 l HIM that healed it," the Reformation will ever 
 be considered as a great event in the divine dis- 
 pensation by all true members of the Church 
 of Christ, to the end of time. 
 
 As, in the first age, the preaching of the 
 Apostle PAUL was chiefly instrumental in the 
 conversion of men ; so, at this second Era, the 
 
16 Cfje ra0 of ligftt. 
 
 ministry of LUTHER was principally honoured o 
 God, for that purpose. Luther was ordainec 
 to be the great instrument of Light ; and he 
 like WICKLIFFE, gave the HOLY SCRIPTURE? 
 to his nation in their own tongue. 
 
 But, by what means was Light restored ai 
 the Reformation ? The CAUSE is to be found ir 
 the third part of our Saviour's doctrine befor< 
 mentioned, namely, the inspiration of the HOLY 
 GHOST, the spirit of Truth which should resisl 
 the spirit of Satan and of error, fl reprove the 
 " world of sin, and of righteousness, and oi 
 i judgment; and guide men into all truth."* 
 This was the efficient cause : but the means oi 
 instrument was the Bible. Light was restored 
 to the world by the BIBLE. 
 
 The writers of that day give an animating 
 account of the sensations of joy and exultation, 
 with which the people of our own country 
 received the "Word of God. A Copy of the 
 Bible was fixed by the Royal command to a 
 desk in the Churches : and the people assembled 
 in crowds to read it, or to hear it read. It 
 is recorded that many persons learned to read 
 in their old age, that they might be able to read 
 the Bible. A frequent Text of the Preachers 
 of that time was that which we have chosen, 
 5 C And God said, Let there be Light; and there 
 
Clje ras of JUjjljt 17 
 
 was Light." For the light of truth shone upon 
 them suddenly ; and every where illumined the 
 minds of men, almost at the same time. 
 
 The distinguishing doctrine of the Reforma* 
 tion was "Justification by Faith alone." "This," 
 said Luther, " is the ONLY SOLID ROCK." " This 
 Rock," continues he, " did Satan shake in Para- 
 dise, when, " he persuaded our first parents that 
 " by THEIR OWN wisdom and power they might 
 " become LIKE unto God ; and thereby induced 
 *' them to renounce their faith in God, who had 
 " given them life, and a promise of its continu- 
 tf ance." In the same manner do many at this 
 day renounce their faith in God, who hath pro- 
 mised LIFE by his Son; and they seek Life by 
 THEIR OWN wisdom and power. "The kingdom 
 4< of Satan," added Luther, " is to be resisted by 
 fc this heavenly and all-powerful doctrine. 
 " Whether we be rude or eloquent, whether we 
 be learned or unlearned, THIS ROCK must be 
 " defended; this doctrine must be published 
 <s abroad in animated strains."* 
 
 Pure religion being thus restored, the first 
 labour of our Church was TO DO HONOR to the 
 true and genuine doctrines of Christianity. And 
 this she did by exhibiting them* to the world " in 
 
 * Preface to the Commentary on the Galatians, 
 
 
is Cije rag of 
 
 e( a. form of sound words/' in the composition of 
 our LITURGY, ARTICLES, and HOMILIES ; which 
 we maintain to be the standard of sound doctrine 
 unto this day.* 
 
 But an affecting and awful scene was to follow 
 in England. The providence of God directed 
 that the truth and efficacy of THESE DOCTRINES 
 thus set forth, should be PROVED. In like man- 
 ner as at the first promulgation of the Gospel, 
 its divinity was displayed by the marvellous 
 constancy of the first MARTYRS ; so it was or- 
 dered that when the truth was published a 
 second time, it should undergo a similar trial. 
 Many persons, of every rank, age, and sex, suf- 
 fered death for the faith of Christ, c< not accept- 
 " ing deliverance, that they might obtain a 
 " better resurrection." Heb. xi. 35. And thus 
 there has been given to the Church, in these lat- 
 ter days, a recent and undeniable testimony of 
 the nature and divine power of the TRUE DOC- 
 TRINE. 
 
 From that time the light of truth continued 
 
 * And not we only ; for though certain churches differ from 
 us and from each other in form and discipline, they agree with 
 us in DOCTRINE. The doctrines of our Church are acknowledged 
 by the Protestant Churches on the CONTINENT, by the Esta- 
 blished Church of SCOTLAND, and by the great body of Dis- 
 senters in our own -Country. 
 
Cj)e Crag of tg$t 19 
 
 to shine in the Protestant Church for a long 
 period ; with some intermission indeed, and in 
 certain churches more intensely than in others. 
 But it shone in some places as brightly, and pro- 
 bably endured as long, as it ever did in any period 
 of the Primitive Church. At length, however, 
 by the combined operation of causes which are 
 well known,* a spirit of indifference to religious 
 truth began to manifest itself, not only in the 
 
 * By the association of SANCTITY with the spirit of repute 
 licanism and rebellion during the Usurpation of Cromwell, that 
 holiness of life which was enjoined by our Saviour, became a 
 subject of scorn or contempt. The people passed over from 
 one error to the contrary extreme. The bow was bent till the 
 string was broken, and it has never been rightly strung again. 
 The Nation being emancipated from a yoke which assumed 
 a religious name, considered religion as its enemy 3 and thus the 
 spiritual faith of Christ became identified with fanaticism or 
 enthusiasm ; and so it has remained in a great measure to this 
 day. Political dissension, the most powerful engine in a 
 free nation, has tended to keep this prejudice alive. As 
 might be expected, the charge of fanaticism is chiefly 
 imputed to Dissenters. And thus both parties have been 
 kept IN BONDAGE during a long period, dreading each other's 
 power, and doubting each other's purposes, and taking the 
 measure of each other's religion by their own fears and 
 the horrors of a former age. The Dissenter is a fana- 
 tic, and the Churchman is a bigot. And so absolute is this 
 alienation in the minds of some, that the idea of an UNION in 
 any religious purpose, is considered to be so unnatural as to be 
 displeasing to God himself. On this subject neither Church- 
 
 C 2 roan 
 
ao ct)e (Eras of JLtgltf. 
 
 established and national Churches, but among all 
 the other denominations of Christians. It is 
 difficult to say where there was most apathy and 
 languor. For though t( the form of sound words' 
 was still generally retained (in our own church 
 in a written form, in other churches in an extem- 
 pore form) and there were some eminent exam- 
 ples of piety and laudable zeal; yet it was most 
 evident that in many places religion was sinking 
 fast into a lifeless profession; and that in some 
 places it merely exhibited the body and exter-* 
 nal figure. Even among those denominations 
 of Christians^ who were once distinguished by 
 a name derived from PURITY, little fruit was to 
 be found. They were in the state in which the 
 Prophet describes the remnant in his day ; " as 
 1 the shaking of an olive tree, two or three ber- 
 " ries on the top of the uppermost bough." 
 (Isaiah xvii. 6.) And not only was the spirit 
 
 man nor Dissenter will ever find rest, until he shall have been 
 taught by the grace of God, the nature of that CHARITY which 
 our Saviour enjoined j " A new Commandment I give unto 
 " you, that ye LOVE one another ;" even that charity which 
 the Apostle Paul has so sublimely described in the thirteenth 
 chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians : ' ' Though I 
 " speak with thexaNGUE of men and angels, and have not cha- 
 " rity, I am nothing." And again -, " Though I have all FAITH, 
 " so that I could remove mountains, and have not Charity, I 
 " am nothing." Be a man a LEARNED Churchman or an 
 ORTHODOX Dissenter, " if he have not Charity, he is nothin." 
 
etaa of jUjfljt 21 
 
 of religion nearly extinguished, but men began 
 to be ASHAMED of their religion.* All this 
 while science and human learning were progres* 
 sive ; but the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures 
 was passing away.-f- As a proof of this decay in 
 sacred literature, we need only notice this fact. 
 The HEBREW language, which is the source of all 
 critical knowledge of the Bible (of the New 
 Testament as well as of the Old), became at 
 length, but little known even to learned men. 
 And though there ever have been illustrious ex- 
 
 * To this fact the chief Representative of the Church at that 
 time has recorded the following testimony : 
 
 " It is a reproach, I believe peculiar to the Christians of this 
 " age and nation, that many of them seem ASHAMED of their 
 " Christianity : and excuse their piety as others do their 
 ef vices." Seeker's Sermons, vol. I. 59. 
 
 The testimony of Bishop Butler, to the prevalence of infi- 
 delity, is very remarkable. " It is come," says he " I know 
 " not how, to be taken for granted, by many persons, that 
 " Christianity is not so much as a subject of inquiry : but 
 " that it is, now at length, discovered to be fictitious : and, 
 " accordingly, they treat it as if in the present age, this were 
 " an agreed point among ALL PEOPLE OF DISCERNMENT} and 
 " that nothing remained but to set it up as a principal subject of 
 tf mirth and ridicule $ as it were, by way of reprisals for its 
 " having so long interrupted the pleasures of the world." 
 
 Preface to the Analogy, 1736. 
 
 What must have been the state of the common people io 
 general, when it was taken for granted that such were the jentir 
 nients tf all people of discernment in the nation ? 
 f See Appendix. 
 
of 
 
 ceptions, it ceased at last,, to form a part of the 
 ordinary studies of youth at our seats of learn- 
 ing; even of those students, who were destined 
 for the sacred office. 
 
 Out of this state of things arose anew enemy 
 to the church; the enemy that might be ex- 
 pected, INFIDELITY; or the positive denial of 
 the truth of a revelation from God. We have 
 seen that it was Superstition which first shut the 
 Bible. The second attempt was made by Infide- 
 lity. But the further consideration of this 
 subject we must reserve for the afternoon ; when 
 we shall review the progress of Infidelity in 
 extending its darkness ; and the Era of Light 
 which followed. 
 
 But before I conclude this discourse, I would 
 beg leave to direct your attention to a subject 
 of no little consequence to the interests of reli- 
 gion, and to the character of our Universities 
 in the present circumstances of the church ; the 
 notice of which arises immediately from our 
 present discussion. I mean the importance of a 
 critical knowledge of the ORIGINAL languages of 
 the Holy Scriptures to the theological Student. 
 
 The original language of the New Testament 
 has been well cultivated; and one cause of this 
 has been its affinity to the GREEK CLASSICS. But 
 the acquisition of the language of the Old Testa- 
 
eras of JLigirt. 23 
 
 ment is equally necessary. It is indispensable 
 for those who would possess a critical knowledge 
 of the Bible; for the New Testament is written 
 in the idiom of the Old. It may be received as 
 an axiom, " that a knowledge of Hebrew learn- 
 " ing among the great body of the clergy, is the 
 " mark of a flourishing church ;" that is, of a 
 church which is ardent in maintaining the true 
 faith, and in expounding the pure word of God 
 to the people. Among the members of the Ro- 
 mish communion this species of learning is 
 almost entirely extinct. 
 
 Having thus asserted the importance of a 
 critical knowledge of the Bible, I think it fit, 
 nevertheless, to controvert the opinion, that 
 without such a knowledge individuals cannot 
 build the doctrines of Christianity, or Christia- 
 nity itself, upon a solid foundation. If this 
 were true, what must have been the state of our 
 own church in the absence of Hebrew learning ? 
 If sacred criticism be the sole foundation and 
 constitute the very grounds of our belief, upon 
 what has our belief hitherto been grounded ? 
 This opinion places the Christian Religion on 
 the footing of the superstitions of Mahomet and 
 Brahma; which is this, that if you commit to 
 memory a certain number of historic facts, and 
 can read certain languages, (all of which, both 
 
24 Clje eras of 
 
 facts and languages, may be obliterated from 
 your memory in less than twenty years) you are 
 a good Theologian; but with this advantage, 
 however, in favour of the Mahometan, in regard 
 to many Theologians of this day, that, whereas 
 he can read his Koran in the original Arabic, 
 they cannot read the Old Testament in the ori- 
 ginal Hebrew. My brethren, by this argument, 
 (which is the same in principle with those which, 
 as we have seen, were uttered in a dark age from 
 the chief seats of learning) the assisting Grace 
 of God, and all that is peculiar to the Christian 
 religion, seems to be very BOLDLY extinguished. 
 But perhaps the source of this misapprehen- 
 sion lies in confounding these two terms, a The- 
 ologian and a Christian. That which consti- 
 tutes a Christian is, Faith, Hope, and Charity, 
 these three. Much human learning is not essen- 
 tially necessary to constitute a Christian. Indeed, 
 a man MAY BE a profound Theologian and not be 
 a Christian at all. He may be learned in the 
 doctrines and history of Christianity, andyetbe a 
 stranger to the FRUTTS of Christianity. He may 
 be destitute of Faith, of Hope, and of Charity. 
 
 Let us not then confound the FRUITS of 
 religion, namely, its influence on our moral con- 
 duct, its peace of mind, and hope of heaven, 
 with the CIRCUMSTANCES of religion. True 
 
Ci>e eras of 
 
 religion is that which its great Author himself 
 hath declared. It is a PRACTICAL knowledge 
 of the LOVE of God the FATHER, " who sent 
 " not his Son into the world, to condemn the 
 " world ; but that the world, through him, 
 " might be saved ;" of the ATONEMENT of God 
 the SON, by faith in whom we receive remis- 
 sion of our sins, and are justified in the sight of 
 the Father ; and of the SANCTIFICATION of 
 God the HOLY GHOST, by which we are made 
 MEET "to become partakers of the inheritance 
 " of the saints in light." The preacher who 
 can communicate THIS knowledge to his hearers 
 (and it is true, that if he possess a critical know- 
 ledge of the Bible, and of the history of Chris* 
 tianity, he will be likely to do it with the most 
 success), the same is " a workman that needeth 
 <( not to be ashamed, and a good minister of 
 
 Jesus Christ." 1 Tim. iv. 6. 
 
 *. 
 
 As an illustration of this truth, we may adduce 
 the influence of the Gospel on the ignorant minds 
 of persons born in the heathen world. 
 
 It has been maintained by some, that civi- 
 lization must always prepare the way for Chris- 
 tianity. But this position, like many others 
 allied to this subject, is completely at variance 
 with the fact. Civilization is a blessing of itself, 
 and ought to be given, as we have opportunity, 
 
26 Cfte eras of 
 
 to all nations: but it is not universally neces- 
 sary that it should precede the Gospel. The 
 fact is, that the religion of Christ has some- 
 times found more difficulty in conflicting with 
 a refined superstition, with what St. Paul calls 
 " the wisdom of men," than with the ignorance 
 of barbarism. It doth not appear that human 
 learning, in itself considered, though in many 
 ways an important instrument of good to man- 
 kind, predisposes the mind in any manner or degree 
 to receive the Grace of God, There is a sense in 
 which Learning, like Riches, may impede our 
 spiritual progress, for " Knowledge ptnTeth up," 
 (1 Cor. viii. 1.) though we are ever to dis- 
 tinguish between the use and the abuse of learn- 
 ing. On this subject we ought to keep in 
 remembrance our Saviour's words, " The poor 
 " have the Gospel preached to them :" in which 
 is implied, " That the poor would UNDER- 
 11 STAND the Gospel, and RECEIVE the Gospel ;" 
 and these words have been illustrated in every 
 age. The Apostle Paul had less success among 
 the learned at Athens, than among the bar- 
 barous people. And the same is sometimes the 
 experience of Preachers at this*day among the 
 Gentile nations. It so happens that the most 
 numerous conversions, during the last century, 
 have been among those nations which have least 
 
Cije eras of 
 
 civilization.* And this fact demonstrates the 
 
 PERMANENT CHARACTER and DIVINE NATUREof 
 
 the Christian dispensation. For, "Where is the 
 " wise?" saith the Apostle, in reference to this 
 subject : " Where is the Scribe ? Where is the 
 " disputer of this world ? Hath not God made 
 " foolish the wisdom of this world ? For ye see 
 " your calling, brethren ; how that not many 
 " wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, 
 " not many noble are called. But God hath 
 " chosen the foolish things of the world to 
 '* confound the wise : and God hath chosen the 
 " weak things of the world to confound the 
 " things that are mighty : That no flesh should 
 " glory IN HIS PRESENCE : But that, accord- 
 " ing as it is written, He that glorieth, let him 
 glory in the Lord." 1 Cor. i. 26. 
 
 * The ESQUIMAUX Indians of LABRADOR j the COLAREES of 
 the Decanin India ; the AFRICAN slaves of several islands in the 
 West Indies $ and the natives of Caffraria, and of the Great and 
 Little Namaquas, in the South of Africa. See the Reports of 
 the Moravian, Danish, and English Missions. 
 
SERMON II 
 
 (AFTERNOON.) 
 
 GEN. I. 3. Let there be LIGHT. 
 
 AMONG the many pieces of sublime and beau- 
 tiful composition with which the service of our 
 church abounds, there is a prayer which I have 
 always admired, and which will properly intro- 
 duce the ERA of Light that is to be the subject 
 of this discourse ; I mean that collect in which 
 we pray that our church may be " enlightened 
 " by the doctrine of the Evangelist Saint JOHN." 
 
 The doctrine of the Evangelist St. John ac- 
 cords with that of our Saviour before mentioned: 
 namely, 
 
 That God the father is LOVE. "God is LOVE. 
 tc Herein is Love, not that we loved God, but 
 " that He loved us, and sent his Son to be the 
 " propitiation for our sins." 1 John iv. 10. 
 
 Of God the SON he saith, that " Jesus Christ 
 
so dje eras of Itgfjt 
 
 "is come in the flesh: and that the blood of 
 " Jesus Christ his son cleanseth from all sin." 
 1 John i. 7. 
 
 Of God the KOLY GHOST he saith, " It is the 
 " Spirit that beareth witness (to the Son of God), 
 * f because the spirit is TRUTH ;" and of its ope- 
 ration on the hearts of believers he saith, that 
 " they have an UNCTION from the Holy one; and 
 61 that this unction ABIDETH in them ; that they 
 are thus BORN of God, and become the children 
 1 ' of God ;" and finally, that the evidence of their 
 being thus born again, is u the love of the bre- 
 " thren." " We know," saith he, " that we have 
 " passed from death to life, because we love the 
 brethren." 1 John iii. 14. 
 
 This is the doctrine of the blessed Apostle and 
 Evangelist St. John, as expressed in his Epis- 
 tles, and confirmed by his Gospel; and this is 
 the heavenly doctrine which our Church prays 
 for in the following words : 
 
 (l Merciful Lord, w r e beseech thee to cast thy 
 " BRIGHT BEAMS of light upon thy church, that 
 " it being enlightened by the doctrine of thy 
 t{ blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, 
 41 may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it 
 <: may at length attain to the light of everlast- 
 tc ing life ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 Tliis prayer was offered up continually during 
 
CJ)e eras of ntgt)t si 
 
 a, long season of darkness, and at length was 
 answered at the appointed time. 
 
 In our former discourse we stated that, while 
 the Protestant Churches were declining in piety, 
 a NEW ENEMY appeared. " While men slept, the 
 " Tares were sown." Matt. xiii. 25. It was 
 about the middle of the last century that INFI- 
 DELITY, which had appeared long before, first 
 began to shew itself in strong and general ope- 
 ration. It was at a time when the light of 
 Christianity was very feeble, and it was appre- 
 hended that this new adversary would totally 
 extinguish it. But behold the providence of 
 God ! At this very period, there was a revival 
 of religion in England, commencing in the 
 bosom of our own church. Distinguished 
 preachers arose in succession ; men possessing 
 the spirit and eloquence of the first Reformers, 
 and " the doctrine of the Blessed Apostle, and 
 " Evangelist St. John," was preached with great 
 energy and effect; multitudes of the people bear- 
 ing witness, by their repentance and conversion, 
 to its truth and heavenly power. And it was 
 soon found to be the pure and operative faith of 
 the Primitive Church, and of the Reformation; 
 differing as much from the mere profession of 
 Christianity, as the substance from the shadow; 
 and bearing the true character, which cannot be 
 
32 Cije etas of 
 
 feigned, namely, " righteousness in life, and 
 " peace in death." At the very time when the 
 spirit of Infidelity was fostering its strength, 
 under the name of philosophy, and preparing 
 for the awful revolutions which followed, the 
 spiritual religion of Christ began to revive, and 
 has since produced the most beneficial effects. 
 True Religion and Infidelity have shown their 
 proper fruits in our own time; and we can now 
 contrast them with advantage. Let us there- 
 fore look back, and examine what have been the 
 effects of each. 
 
 INFIDELITY first caused a whole nation to 
 renounce Christianity; and, by natural conse- 
 quence, destroyed religious hope and moral obli- 
 gation ; that nation, inflamed with cupidity and 
 lust of dominion, invaded other nations, de- 
 luged them with blood, and at last, having ac- 
 quired the temporal power, would, like Papal 
 Rome, enslave the'world, by its despotism. And 
 the principle of its despotism is the same ; 
 namely, " To keep the minds of men in the 
 CHAIN OF DARKNESS." Thus do Infidelity and 
 
 Superstition lead to the same point, by different 
 
 ways. 
 
 The Spiritual religion of Christ hath, during 
 
 the same period, produced very considerable 
 
 effects. 
 
of JUg!)t 
 
 1. It hath promoted a knowledge of the Holy 
 Scriptures (the same effect which was produced 
 at the Reformation), and hath thereby culti- 
 vated, to a great extent, the principles of the 
 Gospel. And, on this foundation hath been 
 built the practice of many excellent VIRTUES 
 (some of them very seasonable in this age of 
 revolution), such as subordination, quiet con- 
 duct, loyalty, and contentment. 
 
 2. It hath promoted the instruction of the 
 POOR. The number of those among the lower 
 classes, who can read the Scriptures for them- 
 selves, is supposed to have been more than 
 doubled, within the last thirty years. 
 
 3. It hath promoted a more general worship 
 of God. The volume of Praise and Thanks- 
 giving which rises to the Most High from 
 voices in this land, constitutes an ACCLAMATION, 
 compared to the feeble sound at a period not very 
 remote. 
 
 4. It hath cultivated very extensively a criti- 
 cal knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. A reve- 
 rence for HEBREW learning seems again to be 
 restored to the nation ; for persons, even in secu- 
 lar life, begin now to study the Bible in the 
 original Tongues ; as we know was the case in a 
 former age. 
 
 5. But this revival of religion has been pro- 
 
 p 
 
34 CJ)e eras of JLigtjt, 
 
 ductive of another good, new and extraordinary 
 in its nature; not confined to this country, nor 
 to the present time; but extending to remote 
 nations and distant ages. 
 
 Christianity hath again, after a lapse of many 
 ages, assumed its true character as " the LIGHT 
 " of the world." We now hehold it animated 
 by its original spirit, which was to extend its 
 blessings " to ALL NATIONS." The Scriptures 
 are preparing in almost every language, and 
 preachers are going forth into almost every 
 clime. Within the period of which we speak, 
 men have heard the Gospel " in their own tongue, 
 wherein they were born," in INDIA, throughout 
 many of its provinces; in different parts of 
 AFRICA; in the interior of ASIA; in the western 
 parts of AMERICA ; in NEW HOLLAND, and in 
 the isles of the PACIFIC SEA; in the WEST 
 INDIES, and in the northern regions of GREEN- 
 LAND and LABRADOR. MALAYS, CHINESE, 
 PERSIANS, and ARABIANS, begin now to hear, 
 or read, in " their own tongues the Wonderful 
 "works of God/' Acts ii. 11. 
 
 III. It is with propriety then that we dis- 
 tinguish the present period as a THIRD Era of 
 Light in the Christian Dispensation. Yes, it is 
 true, that while INFIDELITY, like the pillar of 
 the cloud hanging over the Egyptians, (Exod. 
 
Ctas of ntgfjt, 35 
 
 xiv. 20) is rising in awful form, threatening to 
 involve the earth in darkness ; the religion of 
 Christ, on the other side, like " a pillar of Fire," 
 is giving light to the world. While Infidelity 
 is prostrating thrones, and forging chains for 
 mankind, the religion of the Messiah is diffusing 
 its pure and free spirit, like a copious stream, 
 into the hearts of men ; constraining them not 
 only to cultivate its moral and benevolent prin-* 
 ciples in their own country (whereby they resist 
 Infidelity with the best weapons) but to com- 
 municate them to others; and to enrich, with 
 higher blessings than those of commerce, the 
 most distant climes and nations. 
 
 Is it asked why this spirit for diffusing reli* 
 gious knowledge did not sooner appear in this 
 nation ; for it seems scarcely to have been 
 thought of at the era of the Reformation ? The 
 desire was not given, because we had not the 
 MEANS. Our commerce had not extended to 
 the uttermost parts of the earth. We had no 
 Empire in the East Another reason was, The 
 Romish Church held the world in chains. Its 
 superstition had supplanted us in almost every 
 region. But by the revolution of events, this 
 obstacle is now nearly removed. 
 
 It was an opinion delivered by Sir Isaac New- 
 ton, after the study of the prophetical books, 
 
36 ct)e eras of 
 
 that the power of Superstition which had so 
 long enslaved the world, would at last be broken 
 by the strong arm of Infidelity. And we have 
 just seen this " strong arm" give the last blow 
 to the temporal power of Rome. This loosens 
 her hold upon remote nations. Now then the 
 fulness of time for enlightening the Gentiles 
 seems to be come, for the obstructions are 
 nearly removed, and the means are granted. 
 And no sooner are the means granted, than the 
 DESIRE is given; and thus, in every age, the 
 great designs of the Almighty are executed by 
 the Sons of men. 
 
 But let us now inquire by WHOM it is that 
 the Light of Christianity is diffused throughout 
 the heathen world? To whom has been assigned 
 the honor of leading the way in this under- 
 taking ? 
 
 Our own Church acknowledged the object a 
 hundred years ago, and LED THE WAY. Two 
 Societies were incorporated for the purpose by 
 the Royal sanction; and Letters were written 
 by the KIXG of Great Britain and by the Arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury to the humble Missiona- 
 ries in the East, to animate, strengthen, and 
 encourage them in their important work.* 
 
 * See Letters in Christian Researches. 
 
Cije eras of susltf, 37 
 
 These Societies still exist, and prosecute the 
 primary objects of their institution. A mission 
 in India has been supported by cc the Society for 
 " promoting Christian knowledge" with eminent 
 success; for it was under its patronage that the 
 apostolic SWAUTZ preached the Gospel to men 
 of " different tongues, kindreds, and nations." 
 
 But it is evident that, at the present time, 
 missions are conducted to a greater extent by 
 other societies than by our own. When the 
 Gospel was first preached to the heathen, our 
 Saviour gave the commission to INDIVIDUALS; 
 that is, they were not associated by any power 
 of temporal empire. And it would appear as if 
 it were to be promulgated to the Gentiles a 
 second time, by the same means. But this is a 
 subject which will occupy the serious attention 
 of our Church. 
 
 The Church of Rome certainly considered it 
 to be HER duty, as the Church of Christ, to 
 " teach all nations." Now it has been so ordered 
 that the Church of England should possess at 
 this time a greater facility of access to the re- 
 motest nations, than Rome ever had in the 
 plenitude of her power. While therefore we 
 contemplate with a benignant eye the laudable 
 exertions of the subordinate societies, it would 
 Well accord with the dignity and character of 
 
38 1)0 Cms of 
 
 the Church of England,' to RESUME the lead 
 in this work; and, standing as she does like a 
 Pharos among the nations, to be herself the 
 Great Instrument of Light to the world.* 
 
 Let this nation understand the voice of that 
 Providence \vhichhathexaltedhertosuchaheight 
 in the view of mankind. It saith in the words of 
 the text, "LET THERE BE LIGHT." But when we 
 speak of the nation, we mean the CHURCH ; and 
 the Voice of the Church is to be heard at the 
 UNIVERSITIES. Is not this the University that 
 gives the light of SCIENCE to the world ? Let it 
 also give the light of Religion. We are proud to 
 acknowledge that this Seat of Learning hath 
 already begun to diffuse the truth of Revelation 
 in the heathen world. Some of its members 
 have already gone forth to the East. Men of your 
 own body, who had acquired the very highest 
 honors in science, arenowin that country engaged 
 in translating the Scriptures into the Oriental 
 languages. And it would give new ardor to their 
 undertaking, to know that it meets with your 
 countenance and approbation. 
 
 But it will be proper to give some account 
 of the DARKNESS which exists in heathen lands, 
 
 * " Ye shine as Lights of the world, HOLDING FORTH the 
 word of Life." Phil. ii. 16, 
 
Clje tas of itjj&t* 39 
 
 that our nation may feel it her duty to send 
 forth the Light. For it has been asserted by 
 some that there is NO darkness ; at least among 
 the idolaters of India ; and passages are quoted 
 from their ancient poetry to prove that their 
 morals are sublime and pure. It would however 
 appear from passages in the Holy Scriptures, that 
 the nations addicted to Idolatry are not only 
 involved in darkness and error, but live in the 
 commission of turpitude and crime. In the Old 
 Testament it is stated, that u the dark places of 
 * c the earth are full of the habitations of 
 " cruelty;"* and that "even their sons and 
 " their daughters they burn in the fire to 
 " MOLOCH ;"t and it marks the prevailing cha- 
 racters of Idolatry to be these two, Cruelty and 
 Impurity. In the New Testament the same 
 characters are assigned to it ; and are exempli- 
 fied in the state both of the Greeks and Ro- 
 mans ; of the Greeks in the fourth chapter to 
 the Bphesjans;J and of the Romans in the first 
 
 * Psalm Ixxfr. 20. f Deut. xii. 31. 
 
 I St. Paul writes to the Greeks at Ephesus in these words : 
 " I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth 
 " walk not as OTHER Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their 
 " mind, having the understanding darkened : who being PAST 
 " FEELING, have given themselves over unto laciviousness^ to 
 " work alj uncleanness with greediness." Eph. iv. 19. 
 
40 Ci>e Crag of ttgljt 
 
 chapter of the Epistle 'which is addressed to 
 them ; and this too in the period of their learn- 
 ing and civilization. 
 
 If, then, turpitude and crime marked the ido- 
 latry of the enlightened states of GREECE and 
 ROME, how much more may we expect to find 
 them among the ignorant and idolatrous nations 
 of the present day? I resided many years in 
 the heathen world, and was satisfied, hy casual 
 observation, that the character of their idolatry 
 corresponded with that which is given in the 
 Scriptures. I resolved, however, to visit the 
 chief seat of the Hindoo religion, in order to 
 examine the nature of that Superstition which 
 held so many millions in its chain. For this 
 purpose I made a journey to the Great Temple 
 of JUGGERNAUT, in the province of Orissa, which 
 is to the Hindoos (what Mecca is to the Maho- 
 rnedans,) the strong hold and fountain-head of 
 their idolatry. I chose that season of the year 
 when there is the celebration of the great annual 
 festival called the RUTT JATTRA. 
 
 On our entering the province of Orissa, we 
 were joined by many thousands of pilgrims, 
 who were proceeding to the Festival. Some of 
 these come from remote regions, with their wives 
 and children, travelling slowly in the hottest 
 season of the year, and are sometimes upwards 
 
Clje ffiras of- Eigljt 41 
 
 of two months on their journey. Many of the 
 pilgrims die by the way ; and their bodies general- 
 ly remain unburied ; so that the road to Jug- 
 gernaut may be known for the last fifty miles, by 
 the human bones which are strewed in the way. 
 
 On the great day of the Festival, the Idol 
 was brought out amidst the acclamations of 
 hundreds of thousands of his worshippers. He 
 was seated on a lofty throne, and surrounded by 
 his Priests. After a short interval of silence, we 
 heard a murmur at a distance among the mul- 
 titude ; and behold a body of men, having green 
 branches and palms in their hands, advanced 
 with great speed. The people made way for 
 them, and when they had come up to the throne, 
 they fell down before the Idol that sat thereon 
 and worshipped ; and the multitude again sent 
 forth an acclamation " like the voice of a great 
 thunder." 
 
 Thus the worship of the Idol began. But 
 on this subject, we cannot recite particulars. 
 Suffice it to say, that this worship had the two 
 characters before mentioned. Men and women 
 devoted themselves to death before Moloch. I 
 myself beheld the libations of human blood. And 
 I merely give you this short record, because I 
 witnessed the fact. 
 
 I feel it my duty to state to you that these 
 
42 Ci)e Cras of Htgijt. 
 
 idolaters are, in general, our own subjects ; and 
 that every man, who can afford it, is obliged to 
 pay a tribute to the English Government for 
 leave to worship the Idol. This is called the 
 Revenue of the Temple ; and a civil officer, sup- 
 ported by a military force, is appointed to col- 
 lect the Tax. Other temples in Hindostan have 
 long been considered as a legitimate source of 
 a similar revenue.* The temple of Juggernaut 
 is now under our own immediate management 
 and controul. The law enacted for this purpose 
 is entitled " A Regulation for levying a tax from 
 " Pilgrims resorting to the Temple of Jugger- 
 " naut, and for the superintendence and manage - 
 " ment of the Temple ;" passed by the Bengal 
 Government, 3d April, 1806. It will give me 
 sincere pleasure, if the further investigation of 
 this subject shall tend, in any degree, to soften 
 the painful impression which the above state- 
 ment must make on the public mind, 
 
 There is another enormity of Hindoo super- 
 stition, which is well known to you, and which 
 I need not describe ; I mean the immolation of 
 female victims on the funeral pile. I shall only 
 observe, that the number of these unfortunate 
 persons who thus perish annually in our own 
 
 * See Christian Researches, 
 
Clje Cras; of nijftt 43 
 
 territories is so great, that it would appear incre- 
 dible to those who have not inquired into the 
 fact.* The scene is indeed remote ; but these 
 are our own subjects, and we have it in our 
 power to redress the evil. There is a time 
 appointed by the Divine providence (according 
 to the Prophetic record) to every nation, for 
 its melioration and felicity. Such a time came 
 to our nation, when the light of Christianity 
 visited it, for our altars were once polluted by 
 human sacrifices. The same happiness, we would 
 hope, is now come for India. If it should be 
 said that the sacrifice of women cannot be abo- 
 lished, it will be a sufficient answer to state, 
 that when the Mahomedans were in power, 
 they did abolish it in part ; and the Brahmins 
 themselves have suggested means to us by 
 which, in the course of time, it may be entirely 
 abolished. But the proper answer for the pre- 
 sent is to ask another question : Has the subject 
 ever been officially enquired into ? 
 
 For many years this nation was reproached 
 for tolerating the Slave Trade. Many books were 
 written on the subject * and the attention of the 
 Legislature was at length directed to it. Some 
 asserted that the abolition of it was impracticable, 
 
 * See Christian Researches. 
 
44 Clje cgras of tgt)t. 
 
 and some that it was 1 impolitic ; but it was 
 found on an investigation of the traffic, that it 
 was defended because it was lucrative : and a 
 humane nation abolished it. But let us ask, 
 What is there in buying and selling men com- 
 pared to our permitting thousands of women, our 
 own subjects, to be every year BURNED ALIVE, 
 without enquiring into the cause, and without 
 evidence of the necessity ? Or what CAN BE com- 
 pared to the disgrace of regulating by Christian 
 law the bloody and obscene rites of Juggernaut ? 
 
 The honour of our nation is certainly involved 
 in this matter. But there is no room for the 
 language of crimination or reproach ; for it is 
 the Sin of ignorance. These facts are not ge- 
 nerally known. And they are not known, be- 
 cause there has been no official inquiry. Could 
 the great Council of the nation witness the 
 darkness which I have seen, there would be no 
 dissentient voice as to the duty of giving light. 
 
 It is proper I should add, in justice to that 
 honorable body of men who administer our Em- 
 pire in the East, that they are not fully informed 
 as to these facts.* 
 
 But there is a two-fold darkness in the East 
 which it is proper to specify. There is the 
 
 * In regard to the Idol-Tax, the principles of the enormity, 
 
 it 
 
eras of tgl)k 45 
 
 darkness of Paganism ; and there is the darkness 
 of the ROMISH Superstition in Pagan lands. 
 
 Christianity, under almost any modification, is 
 certainly a benefit to mankind ; for it prevents 
 the perpetration of the bloody rites of Idolatry. 
 But the corrupted Christianity to which we 
 allude has established its Inquisition in the East, 
 and has itself shed blood. About the time when 
 the Protestant Bishops suffered in our own 
 country, the Bishops of the ancient Syrian 
 Church became martyrs to the same faith in 
 India. From that time to this the mournful 
 bell of the Inquisition has been heard in the 
 mountains of Hindostan. The inquisitions in 
 Europe have gradually lost their power by the 
 increase of civilization ; but this cause has not 
 operated equally in India, which is yet, in many 
 parts, in a state of barbarism. Though the 
 political power of the Romish Church has decli- 
 ned, its ecclesiastical power remains in India, and 
 
 it is said, has never been fully explained to the Government 
 at home. It was admitted by the Indian Government many 
 years ago without reference, I believe in the first instance, to 
 England j and possibly the reference may now appear in the 
 books under some specious or general name, which is not well 
 understood. The Honourable the Court of Directors will feel 
 as indignant, on a full developement of the fact, as any public 
 body in the nation. 
 
46 CJ)e (Eras of tflt)t 
 
 will probably endure for a long period to come.* 
 The Inquisition at Goa is still in operation, and 
 has captives in its dungeou.f 
 
 A Protestant Establishment is wanted in our 
 Empire in the East, not only to DO HONOUR to 
 Christianity (for in many places in Hindostan 
 the natives ask whether we have a God, and 
 whether we worship in a Temple), but to coun- 
 teract the influence of the ecclesiastical power 
 of ROME : for in some provinces of Asia, that 
 power is too strong for the religion of Protes- 
 tants, and for the unprotected and defenceless 
 missionaries.^ 
 
 But besides the tyranny of the Inquisition, 
 there is in some of the Romish provinces a cor- 
 
 * .Since the delivery of this Discourse I have with pleasure 
 observed, in the recent Treaty between his Majesty and the 
 Prince Regent of Portugal, an article, by which that Prince 
 engages that the Inquisition shall not hereafter be established in 
 his South American dominions. Does not this afford a reason- 
 able hope that we may ere long behold that engine of Super- 
 stition abolished in Portugal ? 
 
 f See Christian Researches. 
 
 } The influence of the Romish Church in India is far greater 
 than is generally imagined ; or than our Government has 
 hitherto had any means of ascertaining. Though the poli- 
 tical power is almost extinct, the religious remains in its form 
 vigour. And OB this fact is founded a strong argument for the 
 
 policy 
 
(Eras of mgl)t. 47 
 
 ruption of Christian doctrine which is scarcely 
 credible. In certain places the rites and cere- 
 monies of Moloch are blended with the worship 
 of Christ.* 
 
 It is surely our duty to use the means we 
 possess of introducing a purer Christianity into 
 
 m 
 
 policy of promoting the Christian Instruction of our native 
 subjects. " Although the Portuguese, for instance, possess 
 " but little territory in continental India, yet their hold on the, 
 " native affections is incalculably stronger than that of Britain, 
 " though in the zenith of her political power ; and were that 
 " power to be annihilated, as that of the Portuguese now is, it 
 " would scarcely be known, in respect of any hold which 
 " Britain has on the native mind, that she had ever set foot in 
 " India." 
 
 ft This impolicy astonishes those who have acted with 
 " success on the opposite system. A Roman Catholic, high in 
 " spiritual authority in India, expressed his utter amazement 
 " that the British Government should not act on a better 
 " policy : and declared that, in consequence of the hold which 
 " Christianity had obtained through the Roman Church on the 
 <e minds of the natives, there were SEVEN MILLIONS of British 
 ( ' subjects in India, with whose sentiments he had the meani 
 " of becoming perfectly acquainted, and over whose minds he 
 " could exercise a cmmandingcontroul." 
 
 See Tenth Annual Report of " Society for Missions to Africa 
 and the East/' just published ; containing the communications 
 of SIR ALEXANDER JQHNSTONE, Chief Justice of Ceylon, 
 p. /8. 
 
 * At Aughoor, near Trichinopoly, and in other places. 
 
48 e&e etas of 
 
 our Empire in the East.*- I shall mention one 
 circumstance which may well animate our ex- 
 ertions. A large province of Romish Christians 
 in the south of India, who are now our subjects, 
 are willing to receive the Bible; and this too, 
 under the countenance of the Romish bishop, an 
 Italian, and a man of liberal learning. And Pro- 
 vidence hath so ordered it, that a translation of 
 the Scriptures hath been just prepared for them. 
 This translation has been made by the Bishop of 
 the Syrian Church. Yes, my brethren, a Bishop 
 of the ancient Church of Christ in India, has 
 translated the Holy Scriptures into a new lan- 
 guage. That venerable man, who did not know, 
 till lately, that there was a pure church in the 
 Western world, is now pressing before many 
 learned men in the West, in promoting the 
 knowledge of the religion of Christ. | 
 
 We have now taken a review of three Eras 
 of Light in the Christian dispensation. Do you 
 require further evidence of this being a THIRD 
 Era? Behold societies forming in every principal 
 city of Great Britain for the purpose of giving 
 
 - * See Christian Researches. t Hem. 
 
CJje tas of JLioftt 49 
 
 the BIBLE to all nations ! Do you ask further 
 proof? Behold the Christian church beginning, 
 after a delay of eighteen centuries, to instruct the 
 JEWS, and to attempt the conversion of the an- 
 cient people of God. Why did not the Church 
 direct her attention sooner to this great under- 
 taking? It was because the Era of Light had 
 not arrived. 
 
 This learned body have it in their power greatly 
 to promote the extension of Christianity among 
 the Jews. Men have begun to preach the Gospel 
 to that people without giving them the Gospel 
 in their own language. A Translation of the New 
 Testament into the Hebrew tongue would be a 
 gift worthy of our University to present to them. 
 It must appear strange to us, on* a retro- 
 spect of the fact, that during so long a period, 
 Christians should have reproached the Jews 
 for not believing the New Testament, and yet 
 never have put that volume into their hands in 
 their own language, that they might know what 
 they were to believe!* This couduct of Chris- 
 
 * Translations of portions of the New Testament into diffe- 
 rent dialects of the Hebrew language have been made by dif- 
 ferent persons at different times; but these have been rather 
 intended as exercises for the scholar, or for the use of the 
 learned, than for the use of the Jews. The Romish Church 
 E 
 
so et)e Cras of 
 
 tians might be called a.n.*infatuation, were it not 
 prophesied that THUS it should be. They drd 
 not think of giving the Gospel to a people of 
 whom the Prophet had said, " that they should 
 " be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth 
 " for their HURT, to be a reproach, and a proverb, 
 " and a taunt, and a curse." Jer. xxiv. 9. But 
 we can now c< speak comfortably to Jerusalem, 
 " and cry unto her that her WARFARE is ACCOM- 
 <e PLISHED;" for it is prophesied again, "That 
 " blindness in part is happened to Israel, UNTIL 
 " the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." 
 Rom. xi. 25. By this prophecy we see that the 
 conversion of the Jews is connected with that of 
 
 printed a version of the Gospels in Hebrew, and the whole 
 Syriac New Testament in the Hebrew character ; but it would 
 not give the book to that people who could read it. In Spain 
 and Portugal they condemned the Jews to the flames, for pro- 
 fessing Judaism, - but they would not give them the New 
 Testament that they might learn Christianity. The English 
 Church, which has succeeded the Romish Church as first in 
 influence and dignity, has not, as yet, given the New Testa- 
 ment to the Jews. The Church of Scotland has not given it. 
 The chief praise is due to some of the Protestant divines in 
 Universities on the Continent, who published some parts of 
 the New Testament in what is called German Hebrew, and 
 dispersed copies among the Jews, as they had opportunity. It 
 is encouraging to know that even this partial attempt was not 
 without success. 
 
J)e eras of Htjgftt 51 
 
 the Gentiles: and is to be, if not contemporane- 
 us, at least, an immediate consequent. But the 
 conversion of the Gentiles has already commen- 
 ced; and commenced with most remarkable suc- 
 cess. And now behold the preparation for the 
 conversion of the Jews! Add to this, the Jews 
 themselves contemplate some change to be at 
 hand. It is certainly true that both among the 
 Jews in the East and in the West there is, at 
 this time, an expectation of great events in 
 regard to their own nation. It is not unlike 
 that EXPECTATION, which pervaded the Roman 
 Empire before the coming of the Messiah. 
 
 We are now to notice a remarkable peculia- 
 rity in all these three Eras of Light. 
 
 In the first Era, when our SAVIOUR preached 
 his own Gospel, and performed wonderful works, 
 there were some who denied that the work was 
 from God ; and he was said to be "beside himself;" 
 and to do these works by the power of the 
 " prince of darkness." But our Lord's answer 
 to them was in these words, <c The WORKS that I 
 " do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath 
 sent me." John v. 36. And when the apostle Paul 
 preached the Gospel of Christ, he was accounted 
 " a fool for Christ's sake : he was reviled, per- 
 '* secuted, and defamed." 1 Cor. iv. 10. But he 
 
 could appeal to the GREAT WORK which he 
 E 2 
 
52 Clje Cras of 
 
 formed, u the deliverance 'of the Gentiles from 
 " darkness to light." 
 
 In the second Era, at the Reformation, LU- 
 THER and those other great Teachers whom God 
 so highly honored, were also called Enthusiasts, 
 and were accused of a flagrant and misguided 
 zeal. But <c the works which they did " testified 
 that they were sent of God, as Ambassadors of 
 Christ, of which the conversion of our own nation 
 is an evidence to this day. 
 
 In the Third Era of Light, those eminent 
 persons who were chiefly instrumental in dif- 
 fusing it, were in like manner called Enthusiasts. 
 But " the WORKS which they did, testify that 
 u they were also Ambassadors of Christ," and 
 " able ministers of the New Testament," preach- 
 ing unto men the doctrine of life ; of which, 
 REMOTE nations as well as our own, will bear 
 witness at a future day. 
 
 For let us dispassionately contemplate the 
 works that have followed the revival of Re- 
 ligion in this country. We now stand at some 
 distance, and can survey the object in all its 
 parts, and in its just proportion. We stated 
 these works to be, 
 
 1. An increased knowledge of the Holy 
 Scriptures ; producing 
 
 2. A.: cultivation of the principles of the 
 
eras of Higbt. 53 
 
 Gospel, and the practice of the virtues af sub- 
 ordination, loyalty, and contentment. 
 
 3. The almost universal Instruction of the 
 POOR : so that it may be truly said, " The poor 
 " have the Gospel preached to them." 
 
 4. The more general worship of God in our 
 land. 
 
 5. The publication of the Bible in new lan- 
 guages ; and, 
 
 6. The promulgation of Christianity among 
 all nations; to JEWS and to GENTILES. 
 
 Are these works of darkness ? Are they not 
 rather the works which are called in Scripture 
 " the fruits of the Spirit?" Let a man beware 
 how he arraigns or contemns those works which 
 he may not perfectly comprehend, lest perad ven- 
 ture he should speak a word against the operation 
 of God the Holy Ghost. There are many at 
 this day who say they believe in ONE God. 
 These may be Deists and others. There are 
 many who say they believe in God the SON, after 
 a certain manner. These may be Socinians, and 
 Pelagians, But the true criterion of the faith 
 of a Christian at this day, is to acknowledge 
 the continued influences of God the HOLY 
 GHOST. " By this shall ye know them," For 
 the Apostle Paul hath said, " That no man can 
 <c say that Jesus is the Lord but BY the Holy 
 
54 dLl)t (Eras of JLtjjljt 
 
 " Ghost." 1 Cor. xii. 3. And our Saviour hath 
 said that the Holy Ghost shall abide with his 
 Church tl FOR EVEI." John xiv. 16. 
 
 But those who deny the influence of the Holy 
 Spirit, will also deny the WORKS of the Spirit. 
 What more undeniable work of the Spirit can be 
 VISIBLE in the Church of Christ than the send- 
 ing forth preachers to preach the everlasting 
 Gospel to the heathen world? What nobler or 
 purer work of righteousness can be imagined 
 than the giving the HOLY BIBLE to all nations ? 
 And yet there are many who behold both under- 
 takings with indifference, or even hostility. 
 Others there are who, professing a purer theo- 
 logy, cannot deny the truth and justice of the 
 principle, but they argue against THE WAY : they 
 contend for the old way ; as if a man should 
 think to evangelize the world after the fashion 
 of his own parish. They say they would con- 
 duct these new and grand designs after the old 
 precedent ; when the truth is, there has been no 
 precedent for what is now doing, in its present 
 extent, for nearly eighteen centuries past. 
 CHRIST and his Apostles established the first 
 and great PRECEDENT. 
 
 It may be expected that those who deny the 
 continued influences of the Holy Spirit in the 
 Church, will dtny that the present is an Era of 
 
!je Cras of 
 
 Light. When Christ came, who was " the Light 
 " of the world," there were many who denied that 
 any Light had come. When the truth shone a 
 second time at the Reformation, there were many 
 who perceived it not. And though the BRIGHT 
 BEAMS of Light at the present period far transcend 
 those of the Reformation, there are many who 
 behold them not. They wonder indeed to see 
 various Societies, which have no connection with 
 each other, engaged in pursuing the same object. 
 They behold men of different nations and of 
 different languages, animated by the same spirit, 
 promoting the same design, encountering the 
 same difficulties, persevering with the same 
 ardour, giving and not receiving, expending 
 money, time, and labour, in an undertaking in 
 which there is no SELF-INTEREST ; and all 
 agreeing in one common voice, LET THERE BE 
 LIGHT. All this they behold, and they won- 
 der : but they do not believe. And thus it is 
 written ; " Behold ye despisers, and wonder, 
 " and perish ; for I work a work in your days, 
 " a work which ye shall in no wise believe, 
 " though a man declare it unto you.'' Acts 
 xiii. 41. 
 
 A violent but ineffectual attempt was made 
 some time ago to impede the progress of this 
 work. But the current was strong and deep, and k 
 
66 Cfje ras of 
 
 these momentary obstructions served merely to 
 increase its force. "There is a river, the streams 
 "whereof shall make glad the city of God." 
 Psalm xlvi. 4. No human power can stop its 
 course. Many who are yet hostile to this under- 
 taking will shortly join in it. We believe that 
 the strength of the nation will soon be with it : 
 and that all hope of resisting it, entertained by 
 unbelieving men, will be disappointed. For the 
 prophecy hath gone forth, " He that sitteth in 
 " the heavens shall laugh ; the Lord shall have 
 " them in derision. I will declare the DECREE : 
 " Thou art my Son, I shall give thee the 
 " heathen for thine INHERITANCE, and the utter- 
 " most parts of the earth for thy POSSESSION." 
 Psalm ii. 8. 
 
 It is of vast consequence to the purity and 
 perpetuity of our Church that those Students 
 who are preparing to enter it, should have just 
 views on this subject. There is one fact which 
 ought frequently to be illustrated to them, as 
 being the foundation, on which they are to 
 form a judgement on this and other parts of the 
 divine dispensation. It is the following. 
 
 It is an undeniable truth, constantly asserted 
 by scripture, and demonstrated by experience, 
 that there have ever been TWO descriptions of 
 persons in the Church, They are denominated 
 
Ctje eras; of ligltf. .57 
 
 by our Saviour, " the children of light and the 
 " children of this world ;" and again, " the child- 
 " ren of the wicked one, and the children of the 
 " kingdom." Matt. xiii. 38. These different 
 terms originate entirely from our receiving or 
 not receiving that illumination of understanding 
 which God, who cannot lie, hath promised to 
 give to them that ask him. For if a man sup- 
 plicate the Father of Lights for his " good and 
 perfect Gift," with a humble and believing 
 spirit, he will soon be sensible of the effect in his 
 own mind. He will begin to behold many things 
 in a view very different from what he did before ; 
 he will devote himself to the duties of his pro- 
 fession with alacrity and zeal, as to " a labour of 
 " love;" and his moral conduct will be exemplary 
 and pure, adorning that Gospel which he is now 
 desirous to preach. Another consequence will 
 be this. He will learn, for the first time, what is 
 meant by the reproach of the world. For men in 
 general will not approve of the piety and purity 
 of his life; and they will distinguish it by some 
 term of disparagement or contempt. 
 
 I arn aware that many who have supplicated 
 the Father of Lights for " the good and perfect 
 " gift," and who see, by the light that is in 
 them, " a world lying in wickedness," (1 John 
 v. 19.) are yet induced to conceal their senti- 
 
58 Cije eras of mc$t 
 
 ments in religion, or at least, are prevented 
 from assuming a decided character in the pro- 
 fession of it, from the dread of REPROACH. 
 But they ought to remember that a term of 
 reproach has become now so general, and at- 
 taches to so slight a degree, not only of religious 
 zeal, but of moral propriety, that no man who 
 desires to maintain a pure character in his holy 
 office needs to be ashamed of it.* 
 
 * It is worthy of remark, that the names of reproach which 
 men of the world have given to religious men, have been gene- 
 rally derived from something highly virtuous or laudable. 
 
 Believers were first called CHRISTIANS^ a term of reproach, 
 after the name of Christ. They have been since called Pietists, 
 from their PIETY, Puritans from their PURITY, and Saints from 
 their HOLINESS. In the present day, their ministers are called 
 EVANGELICAL, from their desire to " do the work of an Evan- 
 gelist." See 2 Tim. iv. 5. Thus, the evil spirit in the damsel 
 who followed Paul, cried out, by an impulse which he could 
 not resist, " These men are the servants of the most high God, 
 <f which shew unto us the way of salvation." Acts xvi. 17. 
 The most opprobrious epithet which the Jews thought they 
 could give our Saviour, was to call him a Samaritan. " Thou 
 " art a Samaritan, and hast a devil." John viii. 48. But 
 our Saviour has given a permanent honour to the name, by his 
 parable of " the GOOD Samaritan." 
 
 The usual name of religious reproach at this day is ME- 
 THODIST j a term first used at Oxford, and derived from the 
 METHOD, which some religious Students observed in the em- 
 ployment of their TI M E. So far it is an honourable appellation , 
 
Clje eras Of JLiSftt 69 
 
 But there is another consideration for those 
 who are ordained to be ministers of Christ, viz, 
 that this reproach seems to be ordained as a 
 necessary evidence in an evil world that their 
 doctrine is true. For the offence of the Cross 
 will never cease. The Apostle Paul was accused 
 of being " beside himself;" but his only answer 
 was this; "Whether we be beside ourselves, it is 
 " to God; or whether we be sober, it is for your 
 " cause.*' (2 Cor. v. 13.) And let this be your 
 answer also. If the minister of Christ give no 
 offence to " the children of this world," he has 
 reason to suspect the purity either of his doctrine 
 or of his practice. 
 
 On the other hand, a corrupt theology has no 
 offence and no reproach. You have heard of a 
 two^fold darkness in the East. There is also a 
 
 It is now applied to any man of pure and unaffected piety, 
 and is, in short, another term for a Christian. Of the Methodists 
 Paley says, in his Evidences of Christianity, that in regard to 
 piety to God, and purity of life, they may be compared to " the 
 " primitive Christians." The name Methodist in England was 
 for a time, as disreputable as Royalist in France. And indeed 
 there is an analogy in the character ; for Methodism implies 
 Loyalty to " the King of kings." And I am happy to add, 
 (in regard to that numerous body of our fellow-subjects who 
 are called by that name) that it also implies, after an expe- 
 rience of half a century, PURE IOYALTY to an EARTHLY 
 SOVEREIGN 
 
60 i;e eras of 
 
 two-fold darkness in the West. There is the 
 darkness of Infidelity, and the darkness of a cor- 
 rupt Theology. Infidelity has slain its thousands: 
 but a corrupt Theology has slain its ten thou- 
 sands. 
 
 Let every student of Theology inquire whether 
 the religion he professes bear the true character. 
 Instead of shunning the reproach of Christ, his 
 anxiety ought to be, how he may prepare him- 
 self for that high and sacred office which he is 
 about to enter. Let him examine himself whether 
 his views correspond, in any degree, with the 
 character of the ministers of Christ, as recorded 
 in the New Testament. "Woe is unto me, if I 
 " preach not the Gospel." 1 Cor. ix. 16. Even 
 the Old Testament arrests the progress of the 
 unqualified and worldly-minded teacher. It is 
 recorded that when Dathan and Abiram invaded 
 the priest's office, with a secular spirit, " the 
 <c earth opened her mouth and swallowed them 
 " up," in the presence of Israel. This was writ- 
 " ten for our admonition," that no man should 
 attempt to minister in holy things until he has 
 cleansed his heart from the impurities of life; and 
 is able to publish the glad tidings of salvation 
 with unpolluted lips. 
 
 If the Student desire that God would honour 
 his future ministry, and make him an instrument 
 
Ci;e eras of JLijjl)t 6i 
 
 for preserving the UNITY of the Church, instead 
 of his being an instrument of SECESSION from it, 
 lie will seek to understand that pure doctrine of 
 which our Lord speaks, when he saith, " He 
 " that will do the will of God shall know of the 
 " doctrine whether it he of God." This is 
 an Era of Light in the Church. Men are 
 ardent to hear the word of God. And if a 
 thousand churches were added to the present 
 number, and u enlightened by the doctrine of 
 the Evangelist John," they would all be rilled. 
 Those who preach that doctrine are the true 
 DEFENDERS of the Faith and the legitimate SUP- 
 PORTERS of the Church of England. If these 
 increase, the Church will increase. If these in- 
 crease in succeeding years in the same proportion 
 as they have hitherto done, it is the surest pledge 
 that the Church is to flourish for centuries to 
 come, as she has flourished for centuries past. 
 And there is nothing which forbids the hope 
 that she will be PERPETUAL; if she be the 
 ordained instrument of giving light to the 
 world. 
 
 I shall now conclude this discourse with de- 
 livering my testimony concerning the spiritual 
 religion of Christ. I have passed through a 
 great part of the world, and have seen Chris- 
 tianity, Judaism, Mahomedanism, and Paganism 
 m almost all their forms ; and I can truly declare, 
 
62 e&e ras of 
 
 that almost every step of my progress afforded 
 new proof not only of the general truth of the 
 religion of Christ, but of the truth of that change 
 of heart in true believers which our Lord describes 
 in these words, " Born of the Spirit; and which 
 the Evangelist John calls, " Receiving an unction 
 " from the Holy One." For even the heathens 
 shew in their traditions and religious ceremonies, 
 vestiges of this doctrine.* Every thing else that 
 is called religion, in Pagan or Christian lands, is 
 a COUNTERFEIT of this. This change of heart ever 
 carries with it its own witness ; and it alone ex- 
 hibits the SAME character among men of every 
 language and of every clime. It bears the fruit 
 of righteousness; it aifords the highest enjoy- 
 ment of life which was intended by God, or is 
 attainable by man ; it inspires the soul with a 
 sense of pardon and of acceptance through a 
 Redeemer : it gives peace in death ; and " a sure 
 " and certain hope of the resurrection unto eter- 
 nal life." 
 
 Let every man then, who hath any doubt in his 
 mind as to this change in the state of the soul 
 in this life, apply himself to the consideration 
 of the subject. FOR IF THERE BE ANY TRUTH IN 
 
 * See The Star in the East-. 
 
eras of 
 
 va.r t ' 
 
 REVELATION, THIS is TRUE. "What shall it pro- . 
 " fit a man, if he gain the whole world and lose 
 " his own soul ?" What avails it that all the trea- 
 sures of science and literature are poured at our 
 feet, if we are ignorant of ourselves, of Christ, 
 and holiness? The period is hastening which will 
 put an end to this world and all its distinctions; 
 which, like a flood, will sweep away its applause 
 and its frown, its learning and its ignorance. The 
 awful glories of the last judgment will, ere long 
 appear; when the humble and penitent inquirer, 
 who has received by faith that stupendous grace 
 which the doctrine of Christ reveals, shall be 
 eternally saved; while the merely speculative 
 student, whose secret love of sin led to the re- 
 jection of that doctrine, shall, notwithstanding 
 his presumption of final impunity, be, for ever, 
 undone. 
 
 I cannot permit myself to conclude} without 
 expressing my thanks for the very candid at- 
 tention with which you have been pleased to 
 honour these discourses. I trust that every word 
 hath been spoken with a just deference for the 
 learned assembly before whom I preach : for I 
 greatly covet your approbation, and I hope that 
 I shall obtain it. But I have a solemn account 
 to render; for I have had many opportunities* 
 
64 Clje eras of JLiffjjt 
 
 and I desire to say that, now, which my consci- 
 ence shall approve, at that hour when I shall be 
 called to give an account of my stewardship. 
 
 I pray that " the Spirit of truth/' which our 
 Saviour promised should abide with his people 
 for ever, may manifest his power amongst us, 
 dispel the darkness of ignorance and error, and 
 " guide our minds into all Truth." John xvi. 13. 
 
 To this Holy Spirit, who, together with the 
 Father and the Son, is One God, be ascribed all 
 honour and glory, power, might, majesty, and 
 dominion, now and evermore. Amen. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 PREPARATORY STUDIES 
 
 FOR THE 
 
 CHURCH. 
 
 [The knowledge of the Holy Scriptures was passing away.] 
 
 MORNING SERMON, page 21. 
 
 NOT only was Hebrew literature neglected at the Uni- 
 versities, but theological learning in general had de- 
 clined ; and it was, for the most part, left to the student 
 to chuse, whether he would qualify himself or not for 
 the sacred function. And, as the candidates for holy 
 orders were not required to study WHAT was to be 
 preached, so they were not instructed HOW they were to 
 preach. There were no lectures in public speaking; 
 no exercises in recitation or in sacred composition. Or, 
 if some lectures and exercises still existed under that 
 name, they had become of little practical use. 
 
 In the torpid state, jn which all the other religious 
 denominations then were, in common with the Esta- 
 blished Church, she would not suffer much, in the way 
 of secession, by this decay in theological learning. 
 But the case is widely different, now that there has been 
 a revival of religion in the nation ; and we cannot won- 
 der that, under circumstances so unfavourable to the 
 acquirement of the faculty of preaching, there should 
 have been so great a separation from the Church of late 
 years. 
 
66 
 
 Some, indeed, think it improper, that eloquence should 
 be displayed in a Church, as at the Bar, or in the Senate, 
 and would be disposed to call it " Rhapsody," or " Rant;" 
 for that is the name frequently given to " eloquence on a 
 sacred subject." Bu L , in the judgment of Fenelon and 
 Quiutiliian, it would be called true and legitimate ora- 
 tory, " the power of persuading men by the fittest 
 means." This was that kind of pulpit address which 
 prevailed in our own Church in her better days, 
 from the time of the Reformation to the reign of 
 the First Charles ; and which filled the churches at the 
 Universities with willing auditors. And, when a corrupt 
 taste was at length introduced, and preachers began to 
 read their sermons, the innovation was checked, for a 
 time, by the following mandate of King Charles the 
 Second. 
 
 " VICE CHANCELLOR AND GENTLEMEN, 
 
 " Whereas his Majesty is informed, that the prac- 
 " tice of reading sermons is generally taken up by the 
 cs preachers before the University, and, therefore, some- 
 " times continued even before himself: his Majesty hath 
 " commanded me to signify to you his pleasure, that the 
 " said practice, which took its beginning from the dis- 
 " orders of the late times, be 'wholly laid aside ; and 
 cc that the said preachers deliver their sermons, both in 
 (t Latin and English, by memory, without book : as being 
 " a way of preaching which his Majesty judgeth most 
 " agreeable to the use of all foreign churches, to the custom 
 " of the University heretofore, and to the nature and inten- 
 te tion of that holy exercise. And, that his Majesty's com- 
 " mands, in these premises, may be duly regarded and 
 " observed, his further pleasure is, that the names of all 
 " such ecclesiastical persons as shall continue the present 
 " supine and slothful way of preaching, be, from time to 
 
67 
 
 " time, signified to me, by the Vice-Chancellor, for the 
 " time being, on pain of his Majesty's displeasure. 
 
 " MONMOUTH."* 
 
 It is evident that no man can speak with propriety 
 from the pulpit, any more than at the bar, without some 
 eduction for that purpose. Would it be impracticable 
 for our Church to retrace her steps, in regard to prepa- 
 ration for the Sacerdotal office, and see what can be 
 done towards attaching the people to her communion, 
 by restoring the primitive means ? If she is to be 
 saved from the evils that threaten her, she will be saved, 
 under God, by PREACHING; not by acts of legislation, 
 nor by volumes from the press in her defence, but by the 
 means which God hath been pleased to honor in every 
 age, and which are called in Scripture, " the foolish- 
 ness- of preaching." 1 Cor. i. 21. By which expres- 
 sion is intended, that the means are so simple, that they 
 appear as " foolishness" to some. And if any one 
 should doubt that this ordinance of God is so honoured 
 in our time, he has only to look around, and behold its 
 JPOWER. 
 
 Would it be impossible then to restore theological 
 learning to more respect ? I mean not what is called 
 the learning of the schools, but legitimate theology, 
 the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and of History 
 and Chronology, as the handmaids of revelation. 
 
 It is generally taken for granted that the student is 
 acquainted with the Holy Scriptures before he comes to 
 College. But this is by no means generally the case ; he 
 may be acquainted with Horace and Virgil ; but he often 
 knows little of the Scriptures. That which would give 
 immediate life and interest to the department of theology 
 
 * Extracted from the Statute-book of the University of Cambridge, 
 page 301, Car. U. Rex. 
 
68 
 
 at the University, would be the institution of some plan, 
 for the advancement of biblical learning. The Scriptures 
 are the foundation of moral philosophy as well as of 
 theology. To study any system of morals, or of divi- 
 nity, or even the articles of our Church, without having 
 previously deduced their principles from Revelation, is 
 like studying the higher parts of mathematics withou 
 having learned the elements of Euclid. 
 
 It is chiefly in the power of masters of colleges 
 to establish a scheme for clerical instruction, adapted 
 to the circumstances of their respective societies. It 
 would not be proper to abate the ardour of mathe- 
 matical study at Cambridge -, for it is better that an 
 University should maintain her pre-eminence, (when 
 she has attained it) in one particular science, than, by 
 relaxing, to run the hazard of preserving but a medio- 
 crity in all. But the pursuit of mathematical science 
 is perfectly compatible with the study of the Scriptures, 
 and with exercises in sacred composition, from the first 
 to the last year of the student's residence at the uni- 
 versity. 
 
 I have no pleasure in adverting to the necessity of 
 some improvement in our system of preparatory study, 
 for the sacred office. But the principles of truth on 
 which this necessity is founded, are so undeniable ; they 
 are so generally acknowledged throughout the nation, 
 and so perfectly evident both at home and abroad, par- 
 ticularly to those who have had an opportunity of view- 
 ing the church at a distance, as well as near at hand, 
 that I feel it would betray a culpable indifference to the 
 interests of religion, were I to be deterred by a false 
 delicacy from noticing it. It must be evident to every 
 man who is acquainted with the history of Christianity 
 from the first ages, that in the present circum- 
 
69 
 
 stances of our church, and in the warfare in which she 
 is engaged, it is not eminent advances in science OP 
 classics, that are chiefly required, but advances in the 
 knowledge of Christian doctrine, and in the ability of 
 communicating it to the people. It must be equally 
 evident, that whatever plan of study will bring the bible 
 most into view, will be the most conducive for this pur- 
 pose. The State may have the defence of the sword, 
 and the shield of the law, against its assailants ; but 
 the Church has no defence, in this Era of Light, but 
 the BIBLE. 
 
 The power of reviving Hebrew learning in the 
 Church lies principally with the Bishops. It is pre- 
 sumed that the object might be effected by the following 
 means, viz. by requiring that candidates for Deacon's orders 
 should be able to construe the Hebrew Pentateuch ; 
 and that those who offer themselves for Priests orders, 
 should be competent to read the whole of the Old 
 Testament, ad aperturam libri ; and by refusing ordina-^ 
 tion to candidates coming from the universities, who 
 should continue, after due notice (for which three years 
 would suffice) to neglect to acquire this qualification. 
 By this simple regulation it is probable that Hebrew 
 literature would be restored very generally to the Church, 
 in a few years. 
 
 But other advantages would result from this measure. 
 It is hardly possible to suppose that the student who 
 has read the whole of the Old Testament in the original 
 tongue, with the attention which such a course requires, 
 should be a contemptible divine. For in the course of 
 his study, he will be necessarily led into various useful 
 and important investigations, which otherwise he would 
 never have thought of. Another benefit would accrue. 
 It will be a salutary exercise to his own heart. The 
 
70 
 
 assiduous study of the sacred volume for one year, 
 will, if any thing can, call his thoughts from the vain 
 pursuits of the world, and fix them on the solemn 
 duties of the profession on which he is about to enter. 
 Before he has gone through the Old Testament, he will 
 find it to be truly what the Poet calls nHFH 
 PEOTSA riEiGOYS, " a fountain pouring forth per- 
 suasives" to seek heavenly knowledge and purity of 
 life. 
 
 It may be added that, to read the Old Testament in 
 the original language, is the way to understand the New. 
 The Student who has made himself acquainted with the 
 treasures of revealed truth under the first dispensation, 
 will not stop there ; but will proceed with impatience 
 to a still nobler theme in the inspired strains of the 
 New Testament, which are written, for the most part, 
 in the idiom of the old. And here, he will have the 
 advantage of that rich and precious mine for the theo- 
 logian, the Syriac New Testament; for he who can 
 read the Old Testament in Hebrew will soon be able to 
 read the New in Syriac. t I call it a " rich and precious 
 mine;" for Syriac is the language which our blessed 
 Lord himself spoke in the land of Judea : and it is 
 probable that EVERY PARABLE AND EVERY SPEECH 
 
 IN THE FOUR GOSPELS IS RECORDED NEARLY IN THE 
 VERY WORDS WHICH PROCEEDED FROM HIS LIPS. Every 
 
 scholar then who thirsts for (( the words of life," and 
 would become " an able minister of the New Testa- 
 ment," ought to draw from this pure fountain. What 
 a proof of the decline of sacred literature among us, that 
 this volume (the Syriac Version,) is scarcely known ! 
 
 But it will perhaps be said, " Is not the prescribed 
 study of the whole of the Scriptures a work of too much 
 labour for the student?" I think not, particularly w 
 
71 
 
 no other labour is prescribed. If there were indeed any- 
 other indispensable syllabus of theology proposed by 
 the church or university, which would of itself occupy 
 much time, it might be less necessary to insist upon 
 this specific study. But if in the present circumstances 
 we cannot readily establish a more efficient course, it 
 seems expedient to begin with this simple and intelligible 
 plan. For even supposing that the imposition of such 
 a study would prove to some individuals a severe or un- 
 grateful task, what is this to be accounted of, in the con- 
 templation of the advantage to the Church ! The 
 wound of our Church must be healed; and we are 
 persuaded that if a convocation were held at this day it 
 would readily adopt, in the prospect of such a benefit, 
 even a painful remedy. And yet the remedy proposed 
 would be only painful for a moment; for it is most cer- 
 tain that the student himself would afterwards reflect on 
 the benefit derived to him from such a course of study, 
 with fervent gratitude, to the end of his life.* 
 
 Young divines ought not to complain of the labor of 
 learning Hebrew when even their own country -women 
 can attain it with facility. There are now several ladies 
 who can read the Old Testament in the original tongue ; 
 but they are ashamed to confess it, when they see that 
 some of the Cfergy are ignorant of the language. It 
 was death alone which brought to light the Hebrew 
 learning of Miss Elizabeth Smith. 
 
 * The Church of England will, I doubt not, gratefully acknowledge 
 hereafter the advantages for the study of the Hebrew language, which 
 have been afforded by the zealous exertions of Dr. BURGESS, Bishop of 
 St. David's. It is pleasing to behold a man of his learning and statioa 
 condescending to smooth the path to beginners, and to offer facilitie 
 for the acquirement of the sacred language These are the labour* 
 which in their nature and issue are tiuly immortal : '* To instruct the 
 w ignorant, to invite to useful knowledge, to point tc heaven and to lead 
 " the way ; these are the labours which will enable a man to say at the 
 " close of life, By the Grace of God I have not lived in vain," 
 
72 
 
 I think it not foreign to the general subject of these 
 pages to observe here, that an increased cultivation of 
 the female mind is a characteristic of the present era of 
 Clirisdan knowledge : and is a sure prognostic of a yet 
 brighter period. Custom and use will sway the majority, 
 and even prejudice men of learning and intelligence on 
 this subject ; but there seems to me to be little doubt of 
 the truth of the following position ; Young women ought 
 to possess the same advantages of education which are given 
 to young men in general useful learning, until the age of 
 fifteen. I apprehend that the difference which now exists is 
 the effect of barbarism, and is, in no respect, accordant with 
 reason or Christianity. To THIS DAY, WOMEN HAVE NOT 
 
 ENJOYED THE FULL PRIVILEGES OF THE CHRISTIAN DIS- 
 PENSATION. It is in the New Testament alone we see the 
 female character exalted to its just place. The age of 
 chivalry rather disgraced the female mind than did it 
 honour. In the present circumstances of the world, 
 a due cultivation of the female mind would do more 
 for the interests of religion and virtue, than is gene- 
 rally imagined. Whenever knowledge shall become 
 universal, we may be sure that women will be principal 
 instruments in communicating it; for there is one bene- 
 fit to be derived from instructing the female 
 sex, which will be acknowledged by all. It enables 
 mothers to teach their oicn children. There must cer- 
 tainly be something very defective in the education of 
 that woman, who cannot instruct her own son (according 
 to the rank in society in which she herself has lived) to 
 the twelfth year of his age. To afford a mother such a 
 qualification, and such an advantage, and such a plea- 
 sure, is a plain dictate of Christianity. 
 
 Printed by G. Sidney, 
 Northumberland Street, Suand, 
 
A 
 
 SERMON, 
 
 PREACHED AT 
 
 Parish Church of St. Anne, Blackfriars, Lcmdon, 
 
 ON 
 
 TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1810, 
 
 BEFORE 
 
 THE SOCIETY 
 
 FOR 
 
 MISSIONS TO AFRICA AND THE EAST, 
 
 INSTITUTED BY 
 
 MEMBERS OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH, 
 
 BEING THEIR 
 
 TENTH ANNirERSART. 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. CLAUDIUS BUCHANAN, D.D. 
 
 ATE VICE-PROVOST OF THE COLLEGE OF FORT-WILLIAM IN 
 BENGAL. 
 
 THIRD EDITION, REVISED. 
 
SERMON III. 
 
 MATT. V. 14. Ye are the Light of the World. 
 
 " IN THE BEGINNING was the WORD, and the 
 *' Word was with God, and the Word was God." 
 John i. 1. " And the Word was made FLESH, 
 " and dwelt among us ; and we beheld his Glory, 
 " the glory as of the only-begotten of the 
 " Father, full of grace and truth." John i. 14. 
 And the Word, being " manifest in the flesh, 
 tf was justified in the Spirit, seen of angels" in 
 this humble state, " preached unto the Gentiles, 
 " believed on in the world, received up into 
 
 This, my Brethren, is the sum of that Divine 
 Record, which is to give light to the world. 
 
 CHRIST is the fountain of light. " I am the 
 " light of the world," saith the Eternal Word. 
 When therefore he saith, <f Ye are the light of 
 " the world," he means not that ye are that 
 
 G2 
 
76 c&e iitgljt of fye 
 
 light, but are to <c bear witness of that Light." 
 John i. 18. Ye are merely INSTRUMENTS of the 
 light (like the greater and lesser lights in the 
 firmament of heaven) to reflect and diffuse it 
 throughout the world. 
 
 CHRIST is the Fountain of Light; that is, of 
 spiritual light. For, as the light of REASON was 
 conferred on the first man Adam, and is natural 
 to all men ; so the Light of LIFE cometh by 
 the Second Adam, who is " a quickening spirit, 
 " the Lord from heaven." " He that followeth 
 " me," saith Christ, " shall have the light of 
 " LIFE;" John viii. 12. 
 
 That you may have clear conceptions on this 
 subject, we shall, in our introduction, discuss 
 this doctrine of our Saviour concerning " the 
 Light of LIFE," even that spiritual light by 
 which, saith the Apostle, " the eyes of our under- 
 standing are enlightened" (Eph. i. 18.); for I 
 fear that many discourses have been pronounced 
 in this nation without any allusion to it. And, 
 first, let us inquire who those persons were whom 
 our Lord called " the light of the world." This 
 appellation was not given to the Jewish nation 
 in general, but to a few individuals, whom the 
 great body of the Jews supposed to be in the 
 darkness of error; but who, in reality, saw the 
 
Clje lUflljt af tlje CKlarlD, 77 
 
 true ligfit, while " the darkness comprehended 
 " it not." 
 
 As it was in tlie days of Christ, so it is in our 
 time : the spiritual light is not poured upon a 
 whole nation, or upon a whole community of 
 men by any system of education, but it is given 
 to individuals; even to such individuals as 
 earnestly pray for it. " He, that folio weth me/' 
 saith Christ, " shall not walk in darkness, but 
 " shall have the light of life ;" for " every one, 
 " that asketh, receiveth : he, that seeketh, 
 " findeth: and to him, that knocketh, it shall 
 be opened." Matt, vii* 8. And this is ex- 
 pressly spoken in reference to the gift of the 
 Holy Spirit. A whole nation may enjoy the 
 external light, and may exhibit the civilizing 
 power of Christianity, and yet be involved in 
 spiritual darkness. And this is " the hard say- 
 " ing" which " the world cannot receive. 5 ' 
 " The words of Scripture,' 1 say they, " are 
 " sufficient of themselves to illuminate the 
 " mind, without the light from heaven." The 
 dead letter hath light enough for them. Whereas 
 the Apostle saith, " God hath made us able 
 * ministers of the New Testament: not of the 
 " letter, but of the spirit : for the letter killeth, 
 but the spirit giveth life." 2 Cor. iii. 6. But 
 the world in general will not receive this truth. 
 
rs Cf>eiUg!)t0f flje 
 
 f< And this is the condemnation," saith our Lord, 
 u that light is come into the world, and men 
 love darkness rather than light." Thus St. 
 Paul himself disbelieved once, and proceeded 
 to Damascus, having his heart filled with enmity 
 against this heavenly doctrine. But behold, 
 " he saw in the way a light from heaven, above 
 fe the brightness of the sun, shining round about 
 "him:" yet this external light was but a faint 
 emblem of that ILLUMINATION, which was 
 imparted to his soul, and which our Saviour 
 calleth the Light of Life." 
 
 My Brethren, unless a man have the Light 
 of Life, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 
 For, though there be no external miracle, like 
 that in the case of the Apostle, to accompany 
 it; yet the INTERNAL miracle subsists, in all its 
 truth and reality ; and is manifested at this day 
 in the same kind of vigour and efficacy, as 
 in the first days of tte Gospel. For, as the 
 first Christians and the Christians of this age 
 are to be partakers of the same glory in heaven, 
 so it is necessary that they acquire the same 
 MEETNESS for that inheritance, and become 
 subjects of the same conversion of heart here 
 on earth. 
 
 I would record this doctrine of the Divine 
 Illumination in the very threshold of our dis- 
 
C!je JUjjIjt of tfje aziorltr* 79 
 
 course ; for it is of importance that its truth be 
 made manifest to ourselves, before it be preached 
 to the heathen world. But it will be useful to 
 prosecute the argument further. 
 
 It is common to arraign that ancient peo- 
 ple, the Jews, for their unbelief: and we are 
 wont to view their hardness of heart with a 
 kind of horror. But, in regard to the doctrine 
 alluded to, Jews and nominal Christians are in 
 the same condemnation. The Jews received the 
 words of Scripture as we do ; but they re- 
 jected the spiritual light. " When they read 
 " the Old Testament," saith the Apostle* " the 
 " veil is upon their hearts unto this day ;" they 
 perceived not the spiritual kingdom of the pro- 
 mised Messiah. In like manner, when no- 
 minal Christians read the New Testament, the 
 veil is upon their hearts, and they perceive not 
 the promise of the Holy Spirit. For, as the 
 Messiah, God the SON, was the one great 
 object presented to view in the promises and 
 prophecies of the Old Testament so the sub- 
 ject of the Grand Promise in the New Tes- 
 tament is, God the HOLY GHOST. The 
 Holy Spirit is the very life and essence, and, in 
 regard to actual operation on the hearts of men, 
 "the Alpha and Omega of the New Dispensation, 
 which is emphatically called " the Ministration 
 
so ci;e tigltf of tlje 
 
 " of the SPIRIT/' 2 Cor. iii. 8. This was that 
 " promise of the Father," of which our Saviour 
 spake with such earnestness and exultation to 
 his disciples; an J which he said would "abide 
 " in the world for ever." John xiv. 16. The Day 
 of Pentecost was properly the first day of the 
 Christian Dispensation; for, on that day, the 
 fountains of divine influence were opened for 
 the Universal Church ; never to be closed again 
 to the end of time. Unless this light of the 
 Spirit had been shed forth, the Apostles them- 
 selves could not have fully understood the Gos- 
 pel, even after hearing the words of Christ from 
 the beginning of his ministry to the hour of his 
 ascension. And, without this light, the New 
 Testament, in regard to its spiritual meaning, 
 must be as " a sealed book" to every man, at 
 this day. 
 
 Men of the world acknowledge, indeed, that 
 there is a promise of divine light under the New 
 Dispensation ; but they allege that it was in- 
 tended for OTHERS, and not for them. They say 
 that the light shone a little while at the begin- 
 ning of the Christian Religion, but was soon 
 extinguished, and that the world was left again 
 in darkness ! They do not understand, they say r 
 that there is any difference between the dispen- 
 sation of Moses and the dispensation of Christ, 
 
Clje JUjjijt of tfje anotlD* si 
 
 except merely in the publication of an INSPIRED 
 BOOK throughout the world ! What further evi- 
 dence can we require of the existence of a king- 
 dom in this world, which is under the dominion 
 of that spirit, who is called by our Saviour, 
 " the Prince of DARKNESS;" and by St. Paul, 
 " the god of THIS WORLD," who "hath blinded 
 " the minds of them that believe not, lest the 
 "light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is 
 " the image of God, should shine unto them." 
 2 Cor. iv. 4. 
 
 In the foregoing argument, we have not spoken 
 of that extraordinary light, which imparted to 
 men the gift of prophecy and of tongues ; but of 
 that ordinary light, which sheweth to the sinner, 
 " the glorious Gospel of Christ ;" as above ex- 
 pressed; and which inspired him with love to 
 God and with faith in his Redeemer: which 
 mortifieth evil affections, purifieth the heart, 
 giveth to the soul a peace which passeth all un- 
 derstanding, and a sure and certain hope of the 
 resurrection unto eternal life. We speak of that 
 light, whatever it may be, which is necessary, 
 " to open the understanding, that we may under- 
 " stand the Scriptures.'' Luke xxiv. 45. 
 
 We before asserted, that the spiritual light rs 
 not given to a nation or community of men by 
 any system of education; but to individuals : evcia 
 
82 Clje 3JLtgl)t of tlje (KHorlfi. 
 
 to those, who obey the divine admonition, and 
 supplicate " the Father of Lights," for the GOOD 
 and PERFECT gift" Let us now proceed to en- 
 quire what was the CHARACTER of those persons 
 whom our Saviour addressed as " the Light of 
 " the World." For if men say, " We cannot see 
 " this spiritual light : to us it is invisible :" we 
 must lead their attention to that which is obvious 
 and visible ; namely, the MORAL character of 
 " the children of Light." 
 
 The character of those who are called the 
 Light of the World, is recorded by our Lord 
 himself in his Sermon from the Mount ; for they 
 are the persons whose virtues are the subject 
 of his BEATITUDES. It was on that occasion, 
 when he had finished the enumeration of their 
 peculiar dispositions, that he said, " Ye are the 
 " Light of the World." 
 
 I know not any mistake so general at this 
 day as that which regards our Lord's Ser- 
 mon from the Mount. The general impres- 
 sion seems to be that these precepts may be 
 obeyed by a heathen as well as by a Chris- 
 tian, if you merely propose them to him, with- 
 out the aid of any spiritual influence from 
 above. But, my brethren, no man can observe 
 these precepts, or even have a just concep- 
 tion of the meaning of these Beatitudes, unless 
 
C&f ti$)t of tf)e (HJ0tHu 85 
 
 he have the " the light of life." For how can 
 we understand what it is to be " poor in spirit;" 
 " to hunger and thirst after righteousness :" or 
 " to rejoice and be exceeding glad when we 
 " are persecuted for righteousness sake ;" or 
 " to pray for them who speak all manner of 
 " evil against us falsely for Christ's sake," unless 
 the " eyes of our understanding be opened ?" 
 Eph. i. 18. 
 
 In these Beatitudes, our Saviour exhibits to 
 the world the character of HIS disciples. He 
 declares the heavenly temper and consequent 
 blessedness of those persons, who should be sub- 
 jects of his spiritual kingdom, which had now 
 commenced. For, when he saith, "Blessed are the 
 " poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of 
 " heaven;" he saith, in effect, " Blessed are ye, 
 " my disciples, for ye are poor in spirit :" and 
 so of all the other dispositions there described ; 
 " Blessed are the meek :" " Blessed are the 
 " merciful:" " Blessed are the peace makers :" 
 " Blessed are the pure in heart :" " Blessed are 
 " they which hunger and thirst after righteous- 
 " ness." All these inestimable qualities of mind 
 belong to the disciples of Christ : not one of 
 them, but ALL. They all flow from " the self- 
 *' same Spirit ;" like sweet waters from the same 
 fountain. They are the characters of that great 
 
84 etje Lijjljt of tip 
 
 MORAL CHANGE, which our Saviour foretold 
 would be a frequent event under the New Dis- 
 pensation. 
 
 When our Lord had given this record of the 
 pure and heavenly dispositions of his disciples, 
 he said unto them, " Ye are the light of the 
 " world/' 
 
 . At that time there were many illustrious cha- 
 racters in the world : men of great eminence, 
 who flourished in Greece and Rome, and enlight- 
 ened mankind by their science and learning; 
 whose names are renowned at this day. But our 
 Lord said to his unlettered disciples, " YE are the 
 light of the world." 
 
 At that time, too, there were many in Judea, 
 who had the revelation of God in their hands ; 
 " to whom were committed the oracles of God," 
 and who conceived themselves to be the church 
 and people of God. Yet, when our Saviour 
 came, he did not find one fit instrument for his 
 ministry among the priesthood of the Jewish 
 Church. And he turned to his disciples, and 
 said, "YE are the light of the world." 
 
 We have introduced this doctrine of the Divine 
 Illumination into the exordium of the Discourse, 
 that it may guide us in our way through the dif- 
 ficult subject which lies before us. You will be 
 now prepared to consider the following proposi- 
 tions : 
 
of ti>e saioris, 35 
 
 . 1 . If you would be " The light of the world," 
 you will draw your light from Christ, and send 
 forth preachers bearing the CHARACTER which 
 HE hath delineated. 
 
 2. If you be instruments of " the true light," 
 you will be zealous in adopting the most effec- 
 tual MEANS of diffusing it. And it will pro- 
 bably appear to you, that you ought to adopt 
 more efficient measures for this purpose, than 
 have hitherto been employed. For it is mani- 
 fest, that a new era in the Church hath arrived ; 
 which authorises you to use new means. 
 
 I. IF you WOULD APPROPRIATE THE APPEL- 
 LATION OF OUR SAVIOUR, AND BE " THE 
 
 " LIGHT OF THE WORLD," YOU WILL DRAW 
 
 YOUR LIGHT FROM CHRIST, AND SEND FORTH 
 
 PREACHERS BEARING THE CHARACTER WHICH 
 HE HATH DELINEATED. 
 
 They must be men into whose hearts " the 
 " true light hath shined ;" such preachers as our 
 own Church approves ; who " trust that they 
 " are moved to the work by the Holy Ghost.'* 
 And, with regard to their outward deportment, 
 they must be men whose dispositions accord 
 with those which are described in the Sermon 
 on the Mount; such as the Hindoo Christians 
 call " Men of the Beatitudes :" That is their 
 proper character; and there are more persons 
 
86 CDe JUfiljt of ti)e fcuotttr, 
 
 of that character in Great Britain at this day, 
 than there were in Judea, in the time of our 
 Saviour. This is sufficiently evident from the 
 Evangelic History. You ought to be at no loss, 
 then, to find fit instruments of the Light. 
 
 But, in regard to such instruments, there are 
 two important subjects of inquiry at this period 
 of the Church : first, what degree of Learn- 
 ing they ought to possess ; and, secondly, whe- 
 ther they ought to be invested with the Sacred 
 Character before they proceed on their mission. 
 
 1. Our first inquiry respects the DEGREE OF 
 LEARNING, which Christian Missionaries ought 
 to possess. 
 
 The preachers, whom our Saviour sent forth, 
 were men of humble condition, and destitute of 
 human learning. This was ordained, that the 
 divine power of his Gospel might be made 
 manifest, by the apparently inadequate means 
 employed in its promulgation. All learning, 
 however, of whatever kind, which was neces- 
 sary for their ministry, was imparted to them 
 supernaturally. 
 
 But the Apostle PAUL the " chosen vessel" 
 who was ordained to preach to the Gentiles, 
 was not destitute of human learning, naturally 
 acquired. And we are taught by his Epistles, 
 that we may avail ourselves of every human 
 
Cfte lList)t of fye 
 
 aid to dispense the blessings of the Gospel ; such 
 as rank, wealth, eloquence and learning. For 
 all these are blessings of God ; and are means 
 of persuading men, as much as speech itself. 
 Has it ever been imagined, that a man could 
 preach the Gospel without the gift of speech, 
 by signs alone ? All these human aids, I say, 
 are valuable gifts of God ; and only cease to be 
 blessings by the abuse of them. It is true, that 
 the Gospel may be preached with great energy 
 by Ministers possessing inconsiderable attain- 
 ments in literature. It sometimes happens, 
 that the most successful ministrations are con- 
 ducted by men of very moderate acquirements. 
 And, indeed, the character of the Gospel seems 
 to require, that, in most cases (where the true 
 doctrine is preached) it should give more honour 
 to zeal and diligence, than to genius and learn- 
 ing. But it is also true, that God is pleased 
 to make himself known by the use of MEANS. 
 And, when these means are used in subordina- 
 tion to his grace, he will HONOUR the means. 
 This has been the experience of every eminent 
 preacher of the Gospel, in the history of Chris- 
 tianity, from the time of the Apostle Paul, 
 down to your late pious, eloquent, and honoured 
 Pastor, who so long and so successfully minis- 
 tered in this church.* 
 
 * The Rev. William Roroaine. 
 
88 ci)e tg!)t of tfje 
 
 It is expedient, then, that those who go forth 
 as preachers to the Gentiles at this day, should, 
 like the FIRST GREAT IPREACHER, have a com- 
 petent degree of knowledge ; that they may be 
 able to meet the arguments of the more learned 
 among the Heathen. 
 
 I have sometimes been ashamed to see the 
 Christian Missionary put to silence by the intel- 
 ligent Brahmin, in some point relating to the 
 history of Eastern nations, or to the present 
 state of mankind. I have felt anxious for the 
 credit of Christianity, if I may so speak, on 
 such occasions: for the argument from fact, 
 and from the existing state of the world, is 
 strong ground, both for the Christian and his 
 adversary, in all discussions relating to a reve- 
 lation from God. This is well illustrated in 
 the history of St. Paul, who disputed with 
 the learned at Athens on their own princi- 
 ples ; and quoted their poets in defence of the 
 Gospel. 
 
 Let us then honour human learning. Every 
 branch of knowledge which a good man pos- 
 sesses, he may apply to some good purpose. 
 If he possessed the knowledge of an archangel, 
 he might employ it all to the advantage of 
 men, and the glory of God. 
 
 Some portion of learning is, therefore, indis- 
 pensable to insure even a tolerable degree of 
 
Cfje JUgljt of tlje etariO, sg 
 
 success, in preaching to the Heathen World. 
 But let us rightly understand what the nature 
 of this learning is. It" is not an acquaintance 
 with mathematical or classical literature that is 
 chiefly required. The chief use of natural 
 science to a preacher, is to illustrate moral and 
 spiritual subjects: but if other men be not ac- 
 quainted with the scientific facts which he ad- 
 duces, these facts no longer serve as illustrations 
 to them. Neither is a knowledge of the classics 
 requisite. For those Missionaries, indeed, who 
 are to translate the Scriptures, a knowledge of 
 the original languages is indispensable; but for 
 Missionaries in general, who preach to unci- 
 vilized nations, classical erudition is not ne- 
 cessary. 
 
 The proper learning of the Christian Preacher, 
 who goes forth to the Gentiles, is an accurate 
 knowledge of the BIBLE, and a general know- 
 ledge of the HISTORY of the world. It was re- 
 ported to me, as a saying of the venerable 
 SWARTZ, that the foundation of extensive use- 
 fulness among the Heathen is " a knowledge 
 " of the Scriptures in the vernacular language, 
 " and an acquaintance with the history of 
 " nations in any language." This seems to be 
 the testimony of truth. The History of the 
 World illustrates the Word of God; and the 
 
 H 
 
90 . Clje jii$l)t of tije 
 
 Book of Providence, when devoutly studied, 
 becomes a commentary on the Book of Revela- 
 tion. But if the preacher be ignorant of the 
 great events of the world, " the word of pro- 
 phecy" is in a manner lost in his ministry ; 
 particularly in relation to the revolutions in 
 Eastern Nations: for, in this respect, the East has 
 an importance greater than that of the West; 
 for the East is the country of the first genera- 
 tions of men. 
 
 To conclude this part of our subject. The 
 Missionaries of this day find by experience the 
 importance of human learning in the present cir- 
 cumstances of the world ; and some of them, by 
 painful study in their old age, have acquired a 
 competent degree of knowledge while resident 
 in a foreign land. 
 
 2. We now come to the second point of 
 enquiry : Whether the Christian Missionary 
 ought to be invested with the SACRED CHA- 
 RACTER, before he leaves our own shores. 
 
 To preach the glad tidings of salvation to a 
 lost ivorld, is the most honourable office that can 
 be assigned to man. The office of Kings and 
 Legislators is not so exalted. Angels alone, we 
 should naturally think, are qualified to do justice 
 to the heavenly theme ; and to appear before 
 
of tlje (HHflra. 91 
 
 men as " the ambassadors of Christ." Let 
 those, therefore, who undertake this embassy 
 be satisfied that they are called to it of God. 
 
 We have already seen the importance of hu- 
 man learning for the preacher of the Gospel. 
 It is no less necessary that he should appear 
 before the nations of the East in a characer of 
 sanctity : for they expect that the man who 
 ministers among them in holy things, should be 
 recognized by his own countrymen as bearing 
 a holy character. 
 
 It is proper, then, that every preacher who 
 obtains from our own Church official sanction 
 to " go and baptize the nations," should be set 
 apart to the Holy Office, and ordained according 
 to the Order of the Church. You may observe, 
 that almost all societies of Christians have some 
 form of Ordination ; and, so far, they recog- 
 nize the Office of the Ministry as sacred. 
 Nay more, they confine their Missionaries to 
 their own ritual or creed ; and will patronize 
 them no longer than they conform to it. This 
 is not, indeed, the Catholic Charity of the Gos- 
 pel. This is not the character of the true light 
 which shineth on all. But this partiality ap- 
 pears to be inseparable from the very con- 
 stitution of religious bodies, differing in form 
 from one another. It may 
 
 H 
 
92 Clje %itf)t of tije uoriD. 
 
 of the Visible Church of Christ; which is imper- 
 fect and militant here on earth. This advantage, 
 however, results from such partiality, that more 
 interest is created and more energy excited, when 
 the attention is confined to the operation of a 
 single body of men. At this very time, some 
 societies are so intent on their own work, that 
 they do not well know what the rest are doing. 
 
 But the Church of England ought to shine 
 upon ALL. Like a venerable Nursing-Mother 
 of the Church of Christ, she ought to contem- 
 plate with candour and benignity the useful ex- 
 ertions of the several Societies not subject to 
 her jurisdiction, notwithstanding their differing 
 from her, and from one another, in matters not 
 
 essential to salvation. 
 
 
 
 But, in the great work of converting the 
 Heathen World, men of different stations and 
 offices are required. At the first promulgation 
 of the Gospel, there were, saith the Apostle, 
 " some Evangelists; and some, Pastors and 
 " Teachers." There were also what he deno- 
 minates " Helps for the work of the Ministry." 
 In like manner, we may now employ, " some/' 
 Evangelists and Pastors invested with the sacred 
 character; and some Teachers and Catechists, 
 with such " Helps" of a secular kind as may be 
 useful. Such subordinate instructors may be 
 
Ci)e fj$t of tfje COatttr, 93 
 
 sent forth to commence the work ; and, in pro- 
 cess of time, those of them may return as candi- 
 dates for ordination, who shall have acquired a 
 knowledge of the foreign language, and a com- 
 petent degree of learning for the sacred office ; 
 and who shall have obtained a good report for 
 piety, zeal, diligence, and fidelity. 
 
 To this object we would now particularly 
 direct your attention. I can report to you from 
 my own observation, that the most useful and 
 necessary labours among the Heathen, during the 
 first years of Christian Instruction, are those of 
 the humble Teacher and Catechist. Whenever 
 then, you find a man well qualified by knowledge 
 and piety for this subordinate office, you may 
 send him forth with confidence, in his secular 
 character, as a fit instrument of light in a dark 
 region. 
 
 If you look around, you may observe that few 
 of the RICH or LEARNED of any society of Chris- 
 tians, however small, and however zealous to 
 diffuse Christianity, are disposed to go forth as 
 Missionaries. And it is true, that, if the rich 
 and learned did go, they could not assimilate 
 with the poor and ignorant among the Heathen, 
 so easily as their brethren of inferior station. They 
 could not so easily associate with their poverty, 
 or tolerate their ignorance. 
 
94 l)e !ltgf)t of tlje 
 
 If then you cannot find rich men of your own 
 body to go forth to enlighten the world, you must 
 send men of humble condition ; and if you 
 cannot engage learned men, you must send men 
 of inferior attainments: for the Gospel must be 
 " preached to all nations :" some men must go 
 forth to be " the Light of the World." Only 
 let it be your care that the men whom you do 
 send, possess the dispositions which our Lord 
 hath enjoined. Let them be " Men of the 
 BEATITUDES." In regard to learning they will 
 acquire some portion of it in a foreign land. It 
 is proper to observe, that a Missionary is not made 
 a Missionary wholly in his own country ; but in 
 the country of his labours. Learning is eventually 
 necessary for him : it is indispensable to great 
 success : but it is not so requisite at his first 
 entrance on his employments. The primary qua- 
 lifications are evangelic fortitude, zeal, humility, 
 self-denial, prudence, temperance; to which must 
 be added, assiduity in learning a new language 
 with the docility of a child. And, in the period 
 of eight or ten years, whilst that language is 
 acquiring, some other branches of useful learning 
 may be successfully cultivated. 
 
 This opinion on the means of forming a Mis- 
 sionary, I deliver in perfect confidence : not only 
 
Clje tfffi)t of tye aatorttr. 95 
 
 as the result of my own observation and enquiry ; 
 but as being sanctioned by the most eminent and 
 useful preachers in the East, during the last 
 century.* 
 
 II. We now proceed to consider our Second 
 Proposition : that, IF YOU BE INSTRUMENTS of 
 
 THE TRUE LlGHT, YOU WILL BE ZEALOUS tN 
 ADOPTING THE MOST EFFECTUAL MEANS OF 
 DIFFUSING IT. 
 
 But, perhaps, it may be expected, that, to 
 stimulate your exertions, I should give some 
 account of the Darkness which exists in the 
 Heathen World. 
 
 I have, indeed, seen that Darkness ; but it is 
 not easy to describe it. No man can know what 
 it is, who has not seen it. It is no less dreadful, 
 than when the Israelites beheld, at a distance, the 
 thick darkness of Egypt from their dwellings " in 
 " Gosheri, where there was Light." I have been 
 in what the Scripture calls " the Chambers of 
 Imagery;*' Ezekiel viii. 12, and have witnessed 
 the enormity of the Pagan Idolatry in all its 
 turpitude and blood. I can now better understand 
 those words of the Scriptures, " The dark places 
 " of the earth are full of thehabitations of cruelty :' 
 Psalm Ixxiv. 20. I have seen the libations of 
 human blood, offered to the Moloch of the Eastern 
 
 * iegeubalg, Shultz, Swartz, and Gerick6. 
 
96 Cjje tigljt 
 
 World ; and an assembly, not of two thousand 
 only, which may constitute your number, but of 
 two hundred thousand, falling prostrate at the 
 sight before the Idol, and raising acclamations 
 to his name. 
 
 But the particulars of these scenes cannot be 
 rehearsed before a Christian Assembly ; as indeed 
 the Scriptures themselves intimate : Eph. v. 12. 
 It may suffice to observe, that the two prominent 
 characters of idolatry are the same which the 
 Scriptures describe ; Cruelty and Lacivious- 
 ness; Blood and Impurity. It is already known 
 to you that the fountain-head of this supersti- 
 tion in India, is the temple of Juggernaut ; and it 
 will give you satisfaction to hear that the Gos- 
 pels have been recently translated into the lan- 
 guage of Juggernaut. The Christian World is 
 indebted to the labours of the Missionaries of the 
 Baptist Society in India, for this important ser- 
 vice. 
 
 But there is a moral darkness iri the East of a 
 different character from that of Paganism, I mean 
 the darkness of the ROMISH Superstition in Pagan 
 Lands. Upwards of two centuries ago, Papal 
 Rome established her Inquisition in India, and it 
 is still in operation. By this tribunal, the power 
 of the Romish Church was consolidated in that 
 hemisphere. From Goa, as a centre, issue the 
 orders of the Santa Casa, or Holy Office, to almost 
 
Clje !Ugf)t of tye a^crllr. 97 
 
 every nation of the East ; to the western coast 
 of Africa, where there arc many Romish 
 churches ; and thence to their settlements along 
 the shores of the continent of Asia, as far as 
 China and the Philippine Isles. SHIPS of war 
 and ships of commerce have ever been under its 
 command ; for the Vice-Roy of Goa himself is 
 subject to its jurisdiction : and these ships 
 afford the means of transmitting orders to all 
 countries, of sending forth priests, and some- 
 times of bringing back victims. 
 
 Besides the spiritual tyranny of the Inquisition, 
 there exists, in certain provinces, a corruption of 
 Christian Doctrine moreheinous than can easily be 
 credited. In some places, the Ceremonies and 
 ,Rites of Moloch are blended with the Worship of 
 Christ ! This spectacle I myself have witnessed at 
 Aughoor, near Madura, in the south of India. The 
 chief source of the enormity is this : The In- 
 quisition would not give the BIBLE to the peo- 
 ple. In some provinces I found that the Scrip- 
 tures were not known to the common people, 
 even by name; and some of the priests themselves 
 assured me that they had never seen them. 
 
 But the era of light seems to have arrived, even 
 to this dark region ; for a translation of the Scrip- 
 tures has been prepared for it. This version has 
 been recently made by the Bishop of the ancient 
 
ss Clje ItffDt of t!)e 
 
 Syrian Christians ; and I have the satisfaction to 
 announce to you that a part of it hath been al- 
 ready published. It has been printed at Bombay, 
 by the aid of the funds, to the augmentation of 
 which this Society has recently contributed. 
 
 This translation is in the Malayalim Tongue, 
 sometimes called the Malabar : which is spoken, 
 not only by the Hindoos of Malabar, Travancore, 
 and Cochin ; but by upwards of three hundred 
 thousand Christians in these provinces : some of 
 them belonging to the ancient Syrian Church, 
 and some of them to the Romish Church ; and 
 who will all, as we have been informed, gladly 
 receive the Word of God, both priests and 
 people. 
 
 Another remarkable event hath concurred to 
 favour the design. The Italian Bishop of chief 
 eminence in those parts, who presides over the 
 college of Verapoli, which has been established 
 for the Students of the Romish Church, has 
 denied the authority of the Inquisition; and has 
 acceded to the design of giving the Holy Scrip- 
 tures to the people. I myself received from him 
 the assurance of his determination to this effect, 
 in the presence of the British Resident in Tra- 
 vancore. So that the version executed by the 
 Syrian Bishop, whom Rome has ever accounted 
 her enemy in the East, will be given to the 
 
cije iugt)t of fye a&attfc, 99 
 
 Romish Church. Thus, after a strife of three 
 hundred years, doth " the Wolf lie down with the 
 Lamb ;" and the Lion, changing his nature, 
 begins to " eat straw like the Ox." Isaiah, xi. 7. 
 And it is for the support of this work, in par- 
 ticular, that we would solicit your liberality on 
 this day. It is for the translation of the Bible 
 into a new language, which is not only verna- 
 cular to Hindoos and Mahomedans, but is the 
 language of a nation of Christians, who never 
 saw the Bible; and whose minds are already dis- 
 posed to read the book which gives an account 
 of their own religion. 
 
 Thus much of the Darkness which pervades 
 Heathen Lands. We shall now advert to the 
 MEANS of imparting light to them. 
 
 The time seems to have arrived, when more 
 effectual measures ought to be adopted for the 
 promulgation of Christianity, than have hitherto 
 been employed. It is now expedient to open a 
 more direct and regular communication with our 
 Missionaries in foreign countries. It is not enough 
 that there be ample contributions at home, and 
 that we meet in large assemblies to hear and to ap- 
 prove; but there must be greater personal activity, 
 and a more frequent intercourse with the scen6 
 abroad. 
 
 LET SHIPS BE PREPARED TO CARRY THE GLAD 
 
 TIDINGS of the GOSPEL TO REMOTE NATIONS, 
 
ioo Clje iltfiJjt of flje 
 
 The auspicious circumstances of the present 
 time, and the blessing that hath hitherto evi- 
 dently attended the labours of the general body 
 of Missionaries, seem to justify the adoption of 
 these means. There is nothing new in the pro- 
 posal, if it be not, that it is new to us. You have 
 seen with what facility theRomish Church can open 
 a communication with distant nations, by ships 
 of war and commerce. You see with what fa- 
 cility commercial men at home can open a com- 
 munication with remote regions, at a very small 
 expense, sometimes merely on speculation ; and, 
 if they do not succeed in one country, they go to 
 another. " The children of this world are wiser 
 " in their generation than the children of light." 
 Let us follow their example in conducting the 
 commerce of knowledge. Let societies, let in- 
 dividuals, according to their ability, charter 
 ships for this very purpose. Much of the ex- 
 pense may be defrayed by judicious plans of 
 commerce. But let the chief and avowed 
 object be, " THE MERCHANDISE OF THE Gos- 
 
 PEL.' 
 
 In support of the perfect expedience of this 
 measure, we shall submit to you the following 
 considerations: 
 
 1. A chief obstacle to persons proceeding as 
 Missionaries to remote regions, is the want of 
 
Clje iLtgljt of tlje ffitwrio. 101 
 
 conveyance. Were a facility afforded in this 
 respect, many individuals and families would offer 
 themselves for the work, who would not other- 
 wise ever think seriously on the subject. Experi- 
 ence has shewn how difficult it is to procure a 
 passage, in a commercial ship, for a religious 
 family of humble condition. Nor is it proper 
 that a family of pure manners, who never heard 
 the holy name of God profaned in their own 
 houses, should be exposed, during some months, 
 to the contaminating influence of that offensive 
 Language, which is too often permitted on 
 board ships of war and commerce belonging to 
 the English Nation. 
 
 2. The success of a Mission abroad depends 
 much on frequent CORRESPONDENCE with the 
 patrons at home. By this communication the 
 interest and reputation of the Missionaries are 
 better supported, at their respective places of 
 residence. And they always need this support; 
 for, in every place, they are exposed to some 
 degree of persecution. 
 
 3. The Missionaries need regular SUPPLIES, for 
 their comfortable subsistence, and for the prosecu- 
 tion of their work. The want of subsistence is 
 more frequent in certain climates, than is generally 
 supposed. And the regular transmission of such 
 supplies as are connected with the prosecution 
 
102 Clje iLiffltf of tlje 
 
 of their proper work is indispensable. The object 
 of the Missionaries, in the East in particular, 
 is to PRINT and PUBLISH the Holy Scriptures; 
 and a fresh supply of the several materials, 
 essential to the prosecution of this purpose, is 
 required every year. 
 
 In the first promulgation of the Gospel, the 
 preachers were endowed with " the Gift of 
 TONGUES; and thus they may be said to have 
 carried about with them the instruments of 
 conversion. In its present promulgation, the 
 Providence of God hath ordained the Gift of 
 the SCRIPTURES: and the materials for print- 
 ing these Scriptures must be sent out to the 
 preachers. There is likewise this further 
 preparation by the same Providence ; that 
 most of the languages of the East have be- 
 come, in the course of ages, written lan- 
 guages. As the art of printing extended the 
 knowledge of the Gospel to our own country, 
 at the Reformation ; so the art of printing 
 must now convey it to the other nations of the 
 world. 
 
 It may be also observed, that, if the means 
 of conveyance were at our command, many 
 works in the Eastern Languages, might be 
 printed with more expedition, and at less 
 expense, at home, than abroad. 
 
CJje tgj)t of flje ftBorltt* 103 
 
 4. A further and a very important consideration 
 is this. It is proper that a Missionary should 
 have an opportunity of RETURNING to his 
 native country, when ill health or the affairs 
 of his family may require it. When he goes 
 out as a Missionary, we are not to understand 
 that he goes necessarily into a state of banish- 
 ment. It is proper indeed that he should go 
 forth with the spirit of one, who "hath left father 
 and mother for the Gospel's sake ;" but men in 
 general have duties to discharge to their 
 parents, to their children, and to their relations 
 of consanguinity ; duties sometimes of a spiri- 
 tual nature. We do not read that St. Paul went 
 forth to his work as an exile. On the contrary, 
 we know that he returned home, at least for a 
 time, and kept up a personal correspondence 
 with Jerusalem. In like manner, many of the 
 preachers who are now abroad, suffering in 
 health, and sinking under the pressure of an 
 enervating climate, if they had the means of 
 conveyance, would be glad to visit their Jeru- 
 salem ; that they might return again to their 
 labours with renewed strength and spirits. 
 
 It may be further observed, that the communi- 
 cations of such persons would be very valuable 
 to the Church at home. This may be exemplified 
 in the instance of the worthy clergyman of New 
 
104 
 
 South Wales; who lately -visited England :* and 
 whose communications were not only serviceable 
 to the general interests of religion ; but were, 
 in many respects, very acceptable to the British 
 government. 
 
 5. The last advantage which we shall mention, 
 is that of VISITATION, by men of learning, pru- 
 dence, and piety: who would make a voyage with 
 no intention of remaining ; but, induced partly by 
 considerations of health, and partly by motives of 
 public service to the Church, would visit their 
 brethren in distant lands, to inform themselves 
 fully of their state and progress, to animate and 
 exhort them, and to report to their respective 
 societies concerning new plans of usefulness. As 
 there ought to be no jealousy among men promot- 
 ing the same object, the same ship might, in her 
 voyage, visit all the stations in her way, render 
 everygrateful service, communicate with all, afford 
 supplies to all. There are, at this time, upwards 
 of thirty different places where Missionaries are 
 preaching in foreign lands. If but a single ship 
 were employed for the general use of all socie- 
 ties, it might be an auspicious beginning. 
 
 In adopting means for regular communication 
 with our Missionaries, we have the example of 
 
 * The Rev. Mr. Marsden. 
 
Clje lUffljt of tlje flfttorttu 105 
 
 two of the oldest societies : the "Society for 
 " promoting Christian Knowledge," and the So- 
 ciety of the " United Brethren." The former 
 sends out an investment to their Missionaries in 
 India, regularly every year ; and has so done for 
 a century past. These supplies consist not only 
 of books, stationary, and materials for printing; 
 but they include articles of household economy, 
 and for female use, which are forwarded, under 
 the name of presents, to the families of the Mis- 
 sionaries. 
 
 The Reverend Mr. Kohloff, the worthy suc- 
 cessor of Swartz, assured me, that he considered 
 the well-being of that Mission, during so long 
 a period, to have been much promoted by this 
 parental and affectionate intercourse. The " So- 
 " ciety for promoting Christian Knowledge," have 
 no ship of their own ; but they are favoured with 
 the necessary freight every year in fhe ships of the 
 East-India Company. Let us then imitate the 
 example of this Venerable Society, which, in regard 
 to the support of Missions, and the translation of 
 the Scriptures, is " the mother of us all." 
 
 But the strongest recommendation of the mea- 
 sure which I propose to you, is the successful 
 example of the " United Brethren." That Episco- 
 pal Body has had a ship during a period of more 
 than fifty years, chartered for the sole purpose of 
 carryingthe Gospel to Labrador, and other foreign 
 
106 Cije igi)t of tt)e 
 
 lands. The ships Harmony and Resolution have 
 been employed in this important service ; a service 
 far more honourable than any that has ever been 
 achieved by any ship of war, commerce, or dis- 
 covery. 
 
 Nor ought we to omit, on this occasion, to 
 make honourable mention of the liberal plans of 
 the " London Missionary Society." The first 
 operation of that body, in sending forth, at once, 
 a " great company of preachers," displayed a noble 
 spirit of Zealand unanimity; and manifested a lau- 
 dable and well-grounded confidence in the ul timate 
 success of the great design. The merits of that 
 Christian Expedition have not, perhaps, been suffi- 
 ciently acknowledged at home. But the sending 
 forth a ship to the Pacific ocean at that day was a 
 great event in the history of the Gospel; and will 
 no doubt be recorded in the books of the Heathen 
 World in age* to come.* 
 
 * Our approbation here refers not to the place selected for 
 the first mission, but to the spirit which sent it forth. Those, 
 who now blame the choice of the place, did not themselves, 
 perhaps, anticipate the difficulties. A country which is pro- 
 tected by a regular government, is indeed the most suitable. 
 But a regular government will not always receive a mission, of 
 which we have several examples. Besides, the Gospel is to be 
 preached to Barbarians as well as to Greeks j and Savages have 
 become obedient to the Gospel in every age. 
 
Clje Hfs!)t of tfte amotttn 107 
 
 That I may lead your thoughts to the serious 
 contemplation of the measure which I have pro- 
 posed, I shall now recite to you a prediction of the 
 prophet Isaiah, and the interpretation of it by the 
 Jews of the East. 
 
 The prophecy to which I allude is in the xviiith 
 chapter of Isaiah. It begins in our Translation 
 with these words : " Woe to the land ;" but it 
 ought to be translated " O land !" being an address 
 of affection and respect. " O land ! shadowing 
 " with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethio- 
 " pia ; that sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even 
 " in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, 
 " Go,ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and 
 " peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning 
 " hitherto :"and concludes with these words : " In 
 " that time shall the present be brought unto the 
 " Lords of Hosts of a people scattered and peeled 
 " to the place of the name of the Lord of Hosts, 
 " the Mount Zion." 
 
 This prophecy, which had been considered by 
 some of the learned in this country, and first, 
 I believe, by the late Bishop Horsley, as referring 
 to these times, I proposed to the Jews in the East ; 
 who, after some deliberation, gave me the follow- 
 ing explanation : 
 , c * The prophecy in this chapter relates to the 
 
108 cije Higljt of tlje 
 
 " restoration of the Jews to their own country. 
 " The nation here addressed by a kind compella- 
 " tion, ' O thou land,' was to send a message to 
 " the Jewish people ; and this was to be a message 
 5* of kindness." 
 
 I then desired they would describe the character 
 of the nation, which was to send a message of kind- 
 ness to the Jewish People, according to the pro- 
 phecy. They stated these four particulars con- 
 cerning it. 
 
 1. That the place of the nation was beyond the 
 rivers of CUSH, that is, to the west of the Nile ; for 
 the prophet was on the east of the Nile when he 
 delivered his prophecy. 
 
 2. That it was a land " shadowing with wings ;'* 
 which signifies that it should be of great extent 
 and power, and capable of giving protection. 
 
 3. That it was a Maritime Nation "sending 
 " ambassadors- by sea in vessels of bulrushes :" 
 a figure for light ships, not burdened with com- 
 merce, but light for dispatch ; carrying merely the 
 TIDINGS OF GLADNESS : and that the ambassadors 
 sent in them were messengers of peace. When 
 I expressed some doubt as to the character of these 
 Ambassadors, we referred to the old Arabic Trans- 
 lation of Isaiah, which happened to be at hand : 
 where the word for Ambassadors is rendered 
 Prophets or Preachers. 
 
of tl)e anorift, 109 
 
 4. That the issue of this embassy would be the 
 restoration of " the people scattered and peeled 
 ** to the Lord of Hosts in Zion :" and that, at 
 the period when this should take place, there 
 would be a shaking of the nations; for it is said, 
 in the third verse, that God *' would lift up his 
 " ensign on the mountains, that all might see : 
 " and blow his trumpet, that all the inhabitants 
 '* of the earth might hear." 
 
 When I endeavoured to shew that all these 
 characters centered in Great Britain, and that she 
 was actually sending forth messengers at this 
 time to all nations, the Jews were alarmed at 
 their own interpretation, and began to qualify 
 some parts of it. I then demanded what they 
 really believed to be intended by the mission of 
 these " ambassadors." They answered, that they 
 understood the embassy in a political sense only ; 
 and that the nation spoken of was merely to 
 afford its aid to restore them to their temporal 
 kingdom. 
 
 .But, whether the prophecy have a temporal or 
 a spiritual sense, I submit to your judgment, and 
 not to that of the Jews in the East. 
 
 Let us then, my Brethren, obey the prophetic 
 mandate, and " send forth ambassadors in light 
 " ships ; saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a 
 " nation scattered and peeled," dispersed in all 
 
1 10 cije lUsfrt of ti>e 
 
 lands: " to a people terrible from their beginning 
 " hitherto." For from the time since they came 
 forth from Egypt, accompanied by signs and 
 wonders, they have been a terror and a wonder 
 to all. Send ye ambassadors " to a nation ex- 
 " pecting and looking out " for the Messiah, who 
 is also the desire of other nations; and announce 
 ye to all, That the " Desire of ALL nations is 
 " come." Hag. ii. 7. " Lift ye up the ensign 
 <c upon the mountains, that all the inhabitants 
 " of the world may see ; and blow ye the trumpet," 
 the Great Trumpet of the World's Jubilee, " that 
 " all the dwellers on the earth may hear." 
 
 " Ye are the light of the world." Let not 
 your light be confined to this spot, in a northern 
 region. Put away the reproach, that ye are 
 known out of your country, merely as a Com- 
 mercial People. Even as a Commercial People, 
 you are, at this moment, shut out of the coun- 
 tries of Europe. Obey then the present pro- 
 vidence, and resort to the ports of distant 
 lands ; carrying the message of kindness to a 
 people who " stretch forth their hands," and 
 will receive your commerce, and the Gospel 
 together. 
 
 It is not your duty to wait till the nation send 
 forth messengers at the public expence. Perhaps 
 that period may never come. It may be, that our 
 
i)e ILiffijt of tlje aajarttu 1 1 1 
 
 Church knoweth not how to promote such an 
 object, but by the instrumentality of subordinate 
 societies : even as the state sometimes adminis- 
 ters the government of a remote branch of the 
 empire by the same means. Two societies were 
 instituted about a hundred years ago ; but the 
 period for great and successful exertion was evi- 
 dently not then come. You are a Third Society 
 established in more auspicious times ; and others 
 may follow. 
 
 It is not your duty, I say, to wait till the 
 Nation, in its public capacity, begin to send forth 
 preachers to the Gentiles. If that -event should 
 ever arrive, you prepare the way. If Individuals 
 did not begin, the Universal Church would not 
 follow. What measure of great public utility was 
 ever executed by Church or State, which was not 
 first proposed by Individuals? which was not 
 first resisted by the greater body ; and, perhaps, 
 defeated fora time? 
 
 Consider, finally, the example of the Great 
 Author of our Religion. Draw your light from 
 Christ. At the first promulgation of his Gospel 
 to the Heathen World, he gave his commission to 
 individuals. During three hundred years, the 
 Ministry of the Gospel was committed to indi- 
 viduals ; I mean they were not associated by any 
 authority of temporal empire: and by them the 
 
ii2 eijelUffltfof t&e 
 
 conversion of the nations was effected, under the 
 direction of their respective Churches in Rome, 
 Corinth, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. It 
 may be the Divine will that the promulgation 
 of the Gospel at this time should be effected 
 partly -by the same means. 
 
 Your object and that of the Bible Society is 
 the same. It is to give the Bible to the World. 
 But, as that Sacred Volume cannot be given to 
 men of different nations until it be translated 
 into their respective languages, it is the province 
 of your Institution to send forth proper instru- 
 ments for this purpose. Your Society is con- 
 fined to Members of the Established Church. 
 You do not interfere with the " society for the 
 " Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts," 
 nor with that " for Promoting Christian Know- 
 " ledge :" for neither of these professes the pre- 
 cise objects to which you would confine your- 
 selves. It does not seem to be possible to frame 
 an objection to your establishment. When the 
 design and the proceedings of your institution 
 shall have been fully made known, you may ex- 
 pect the support of the Episcopal Body, of the 
 two Universities, and of every zealous Member 
 of the Church of England. 
 
 It has been objected to that Noble Institution 
 to which wehavealluded, the British and Foreign 
 
C&e i#l)t of tlje (GHorHu 1 1 s 
 
 Bible Society, that it is in its character universal; 
 that it emb races all, and acknowledges no cast'm 
 the Christian Religion; and it has been insinuated, 
 that we ought not to be zealous evenforthe exten- 
 sion of Christ's Kingdom, if we must associate, 
 in any degree, with men of all denominations. 
 But, surely, there is an error in this judgment. 
 We seek the aid of all descriptions of men in 
 defending our country against the enemy. We 
 love to see men of all descriptions shewing their 
 allegiance to the King. Was it ever said to a 
 poor man " You are not qualified to shew your 
 " allegiance to the King? You must not cast 
 your mite into the treasury of your King?" 
 My Brethren, let every man, who opposes these 
 Institutions, examine his own heart whether he 
 " be true in his allegiance to the King of kings." 
 For myself, I hail the present unanimity of 
 hitherto discordant bands, as a great event in 
 the Church ; and as marking a grand character 
 of Christ's promised kingdom ; when " the 
 " leopard shall lie down with the kid ; and the 
 "calf, and the young lion, and the'fatling to- 
 gether, and a little child shall lead them.'' Isaiah 
 xi. 6. I consider the extension and unity of 
 the Bible Society as the best pledge of the 
 continuance of the Divine mercy to this 
 land ; and I doubt not, the time will come when 
 
114 i)e Hlffljt Of tt)t 8210116. 
 
 the nation will reckon , that Society a great- 
 er honour to her, as a Christian People, than 
 any other institution of which she can 
 boast. 
 
 We shall now conclude this discourse with 
 stating to you the cause why so few compara- 
 tively co-operate in these sacred designs. Many, 
 it is probable, are ignorant of their existence : 
 some may be supposed, wifliout any culpable 
 motives, to question their expediency: but 
 die greater part, it is feared, are restrained by a 
 state of mind, which we cannot sufficiently con- 
 demn and deplore. It is not because they do not 
 believe in Christianity, generally ; but because 
 they are strangers to Christ's spiritual religion. 
 They have seen the light of civilization, but 
 they have not seen the " Light of Life;" and 
 this is the great and important distinction on 
 which the happiness of the soul depends. This 
 was the great distinction in the time of the 
 Apostle Paul; for even in the day of HIS mi- 
 nistration, the Gospel was hid from some. 
 " If our Gospel be HIP," saith he, "it is 
 " hid to them that are lost." 2 Cor. iv. 3. If 
 then the light was hid from some when he 
 preached, with a divine energy, and with the 
 demonstration of miracles, shall we wonder that 
 it is hid from some in our day ? 
 
 There is nothing, my Brethren, worth living 
 
&|)e *Ltjj!)t of tl)e motto. 1 is 
 
 for, of equal importance with the diffusion of this 
 light. We must all meet again at a future day, 
 in a larger Assembly than the present, when we 
 shall behold HIM who has said, " I am the Light 
 '' of the world/' Let every one of us, then, "BEAR 
 c; WITNESS to the light;" by contributing, accord- 
 ing to his ability, to its extension throughout the 
 world: If the Christian Revelation be from God, 
 to give that Revelation to the heathen world is 
 the first duty of a Christian nation. If there be 
 a majority of our nation who do not acknowledge 
 this duty, the case is not different from what it 
 ever hath been. When the Apostle Paul went 
 forth to evangelize the world, men accounted 
 him to be " beside himself." Now we have 
 stronger encouragement to attempt the conver- 
 sion of the heathen world at this day, than the 
 Apostle had, in the first age ; for we have seen 
 that their conversion is PRACTICABLE. We only 
 meditate to do that a second time which hath 
 been once done already. And we know that the 
 same Divine Spirit which was with him, " will 
 abide in the world forever." Men were not 
 converted then, merely by the sight of a, miracle: 
 but by the Grace of God. And the same Grace 
 is promised to us. 
 
 But there is another consideration. Do we not 
 hear the command of Christ ? " Go ye and tea,ch 
 
of tf)e 
 
 " all nations." If we arejsure that this is Christ 
 who speaketh to us, let us not " confer with 
 " flesh and blood." If there be any man who is 
 swayed by the opinion of the multitude, he (t is 
 " not worthy" of Christ. " He that taketh not 
 <c his cross and followeth after me, saith our Lord, 
 " is not worthy of me: and he that loveth father 
 " or mother more than me is not worthy of me." 
 No man can follow Christ in the sense here 
 intended, who cannot follow the example of 
 Enoch and Noah, and believe God and not man. 
 Let us therefore press forward in faith, and 
 " serve God in our generation," contented to do 
 a little, where much cannot be done. Some of 
 the disciples of our Lord whom he addressed as 
 " the Light of the World," left the world very 
 shortly afterwards :* but, like John the Baptist, 
 whose race was also short, they shone as "burning 
 lights" during their appointed season. So let us 
 shine. 
 
 Yet a little while and " the Son of Man shall 
 " come in his glory, and all the holy angels with 
 ? c him ; and before him shall be gathered all 
 "nations." Then shall the adversaries of the truth 
 be abashed and confounded, when they shall hear 
 him say to "the Redeemed out of every kindred, 
 
 * Stephen and James. 
 
Cije JLf $)t of tl)e aaiorlfl. 1 1 7 
 
 u and tongue, and people, and nation," (some of 
 whom they had said could never believe in Christ) 
 COME, YE BLESSED ! Then shall they strike 
 their breasts and say, * Destroyers of our own 
 
 * souls ! we could not believe the word of God. 
 ' But our doom is just. We believed Satan 
 ' and promoted his designs, and laboured for his 
 6 glory : and we opposed the work of God, and 
 ' obstructed the Gospel of Christ, and ruined the 
 c souls of men. Our condemnation is just ; and 
 ' now we must go with the " Prince of Dark- 
 
 * ness" whom we served upon earth : and now we 
 ' must hear the terrible sentence, " Depart ye 
 " cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the 
 " Devil and his angels." Matt. xxv. 41. 
 
 My Brethren, " Heaven and Earth shall pass 
 " away ; but the words of Christ shall not pass 
 " away." Matt. xxiv. 35. 
 
 Let us then, with true affection for the souls 
 of our brethren, earnestly supplicate a merciful 
 God who willeth not the death of a sinner, that 
 he would send forth his Light and his Truth to 
 convert their hearts and enlighten their under- 
 standings, in this their day of life and hope; 
 that so they may unite with his people, in endea- 
 vouring to do his will on earth, as it is in hea- 
 " ven ; teaching all nations to observe all things 
 " whatsoever Christ hath commanded us." 
 Matth. xxviii. 20. 
 
1 1 8 c&e ligftt of tlje 
 
 And now, with one voice, and with true 
 faith, let us ascribe to God the FATHER who 
 loved us before the world was : and to God the 
 Son who redeemed us by his blood ; and to God 
 the Holy GHOST, who hath sanctified us and 
 " made us meet to be partakers of the inheri- 
 " tance of the saints in light," all blessing, and 
 honour, and glory, and power, for ever and 
 ever. Amen. 
 
 THE END. 
 
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES 
 
 IN 
 
 ASIA. 
 
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES, 
 
 IN his late Discourses before the University of 
 Cambridge, the Author noticed incidentally some 
 general circumstances of the darkness of Pagan- 
 ism, and of the means which are now employed to 
 diffuse the light of Christianity in the East. This 
 awakened a desire in some Members of that learned 
 Body to know the particulars; for if there were a 
 just expectation of success, and if the design were 
 conducted in consonance with the principles and 
 order of the Church of England, it might be a 
 proper subject for their countenance and co-ope- 
 ration. A more detailed account, therefore, will 
 probably be read with interest. Many, doubtless, 
 will rejoice to see the stream of Divine knowledge 
 and civilization flowing to the utmost ends of the 
 earth. And even those who have hitherto heard 
 of the progress of Christianity with little con- 
 cern, may be induced to regard it with a humane 
 solicitude. 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 In the College of Fort- William in Bengal, there 
 was a department for translating the Scriptures 
 into the Oriental languages ; and, so early as 1805, 
 (the fifth year of its institution) a commencement 
 had been made in five languages. The first version 
 of any of the Gospels in the Persian and Hindos- 
 tame languages which were printed in India, 
 issued from the Press of the College of Fort- 
 William. The Persian was superintended by 
 Lieut-Colonel Colebrooke, and the Hindostanee 
 by William Hunter, esq. The Gospels were trans- 
 lated into the Western Malay by Thomas Jarrett, 
 esq. of the Civil Service ; into the Orissa lan- 
 guage by Pooroosh Ram, the Orissa Pundit; and, 
 into the Mahratta language by Vydyunath, the 
 Mahratta Pundit; the two latter versions being 
 under the superintendance of Dr. William Carey.* 
 
 The principal Oriental translator, in the Per- 
 sian department, was Mirza Fitrut, a native 
 of the dominions of the Great MOGHUL .; and 
 the head translator, in the Hindu department, 
 was Meer Buhador Ulee, a Hindu. 
 
 The College was founded on the 4th of May, 
 I 800. After it had flourished for almost seven 
 years, during which period it produced nearly 
 
 * See " First Four Years of the College of Fort- William :" 
 p. 230. Caddl and Davies. 
 
one hundred volumes in Oriental literature,* the 
 Court of Directors resolved on reducing the 
 establishment within narrower limits, on the 1st 
 of January, 1807. In consequence of this mea- 
 sure, the translations of the Scriptures and some 
 other literary works were suspended. 
 
 As this event had been long expected, the 
 Superintendants of the College, who were sensible 
 of the importance of restoring Sacred learning 
 to the East, had begun, some time before, to consi- 
 der of the means, by which that benefit might yet 
 be secured. Much expense had already been incur- 
 red. Many learned natives had come from remote 
 regions to Calcutta, whose services could not be 
 easily replaced ; and who never could have been 
 assembled, but by the influence of the supreme 
 government, as exerted by the Marquis Wellesley. 
 The Court of Directors were probably not fully 
 aware of the importance of the works then carry- 
 ing on, (although, indeed, their objection was not 
 so much to the utility, as to the expense of the 
 institution) and it was believed that a time would 
 come, when they would be happy to think that 
 these works had not been permitted to fall to 
 the ground. It was not, however, their causing 
 the expense to cease which was the chief source 
 
4 
 
 of regret; but that the unity of the undertak- 
 ing was now destroyed. The College of Fort- 
 William had been identified with the Church 
 of England ; and, under that character, had 
 extended a liberal patronage to all learned men 
 who could promote the translation of the Scrip- 
 tures. But now these translations being no 
 longer subject to its revision, its responsibility 
 would also cease.* 
 
 * It will be gratifying to the public to learn that the College 
 of Fort-William is now in a flourishing state, and has received 
 the final sanction and patronage of the East-India Company. 
 It owes much to the cultivated mind and liberal spirit of Lord 
 MINTO, the present Governor-General of India. His Lordship 
 had not been many months in that country, before he perceived 
 its importance to the interests of the British Empire in the 
 East ; and his annual Speeches at the public Disputations, 
 shew that he thinks the College of Fort-William deserves as 
 much of his attention and support as any department under his 
 Government. It will be yet more gratifying to many to hear 
 that the College of Fort- William is likely to become once more 
 a fountain of translation for the Sacred Scriptures. Dr. LEYDEN, 
 Professor of the Hindostanee Language, has come forward 
 (March 1810) with a proposal to superintend the transla- 
 tion of the Scriptures into seven languages, hitherto little 
 cultivated in India. This subject will be noticed here- 
 after. 
 
 It was expected that the East-India College at Hertford 
 would eventually supersede the College in Bengal ; but it is 
 obvious, that in order to give any efficiency to the purposes of 
 a College at home, there must be also a college abroad. Little 
 
^ntrolmctftnu 5 
 
 Under these circumstances the Superintendants 
 of the College resolved to encourage individuals to 
 proceed with their versions by such means as they 
 could command; and to trust to the contributions 
 of the public, and to the future sanction of the 
 Government, for the perpetuity of the design. 
 They purposed at the same time, not to confine the 
 undertaking to Bengal alone, or to the territories 
 of the Company ; but to extend it to every part of 
 the East, where fit instruments for translation 
 could be found. With this view, they aided the 
 designs of theBaptistMissionaries in Bengal,of the 
 
 more than the elements of the Oriental Languages can be con- 
 veniently learnt in England. But this elementary labour at 
 home is doubtless so much time saved in India. And thus far 
 the institution at Hertford, independently of iis other objects, 
 is highly useful, in subserviency to the College of Fort- 
 William. The two Institutions combine the primary idea of 
 Marquis Wellesley ; and the expense is not less than that States- 
 man had originally intended. There is this difference in the 
 execution, that there are now two institutions instead of one. 
 His Lordship proposed that the two institutions should be in 
 India combined in one ; and his reasons were, that the organs 
 of speech in youth are more flexible at an early age for learn- 
 ing a new language : and that the constitution of young persons 
 assimilates more easily to a strange climate. There are various 
 advantages however in having the elementary Institution at home, 
 which may counterbalance these reasons; and if it continue to 
 be conducted with the same spirit and effect which have hitherto 
 distinguished it, I think that the present plan is preferable. 
 
Lutheran Missionaries in Coromandel belonging 
 to " the Society for promoting Christian Know- 
 ledge," and of the other Missionaries in the East 
 connec t ed withSocieties in England andScotland : 
 and also patronised those Roman Catholic Mis- 
 sionaries in the South of India whom they found 
 qualified for conducting useful works. About 
 the same period they exerted themselves in cir- 
 culating proposals for the translation of the Scrip- 
 tures into the Oriental Languages, by the Baptist 
 Missionaries in Bengal, and in promoting sub- 
 scriptions for that object by all the means in their 
 power; and when it was proposed to the Gover- 
 nor-General (Lord Minto, then just arrived) to 
 suppress this Mission, a memorial was addressed 
 to the Government in its behalf. 
 
 In order to obtain a distinct view of the state 
 of Christianity and of Superstition in Asia, the 
 Superintendants of the College had, before this 
 period entered into correspondence with in- 
 telligent persons in different countries ; and 
 from every quarter, (even from the confines of 
 China) they received encouragement to proceed. 
 But, as contradictory accounts were given by 
 different writers concerning the real state of the 
 numerous tribes in India, both of Christians and 
 Natives, the Author conceived the design of 
 devoting the last year or two of his residence in 
 
the East, to purposes of local examination and 
 inquiry. With this view, he travelled through 
 the Peninsula of India by land, from Calcutta 
 to Cape Comorin, a continent extending through 
 fourteen degrees of latitude, and visited Ceylon 
 thrice. And he soon discovered that a person 
 may reside all his life in Bengal, and yet know 
 almost as little of other countries in India, for 
 instance, of Travancore, Ceylon, Goa, or Madura, 
 of their manners, customs, habits and religion, 
 as if he had never left England.* The principal 
 objects of this tour, were to investigate the state 
 of Superstition at the most celebrated Temples of 
 the Hindoos ; to examine the Churches and li- 
 braries of the Romish, Syrian, and Protestant 
 Christians , to ascertain the present state and 
 recent history of the Eastern Jews; and to discover 
 what persons might be fit instruments for the 
 promotion oflearningin their respective coun tries, 
 and for maintaining a future correspondence on 
 the subject of disseminating the Scriptures in 
 India. In pursuance of these objects the Author 
 visited Cuttack, Ganjam, Visagapatam, Samul- 
 
 * Of the Books published in Britain on the discussion 
 relating to Missions and the state of India, the most sensible 
 and authentic are, in general, those written by learned men 
 of the Universities who have never been in the East, 
 
8 ntrotmcttoiu 
 
 cotta, Rajamundry, Ellore, Ongole, Nellore, 
 Madras, Mailapoor, Pondicherry,Cudalore, Tran- 
 quebar, Tanjore,Tritchinopoly,Aughoor, Madura, 
 Palamcotta, Ramnad, Jaffna-patam, Columbo, 
 Manaar, Tutecorin, Augengo, Quilon, Cochin, 
 Cranganor, Verapoli, Calicut, Tellicherry, Goa, 
 and other places between Cape Comorin and 
 Bombay ; the interior of Travancore and the 
 interior of Malabar ; also seven principal Temples 
 of the Hindoos, viz. Seemachalum in the Telinga 
 country, Chillumbrum, Seringham, Madura, 
 Ramisseram, Elephanta, and Juggernaut. 
 
 After this tour, the Author returned to Cal- 
 cutta, where he remained about three quarters of 
 a year longer : and then visited the Jews and 
 the Syrian Christians in Malabar and Travan- 
 core a second time before his return to England. 
 
 Those nations or communities for whom 
 translations of the Scriptures have been com- 
 menced under the patronage or direction already 
 alluded to, are the following : the Chinese, the 
 Hindoos, the Cingalese or Ceylonese, the Malays, 
 the Syrian Christians, the Romish Christians, 
 the Persians, the Arabians, and the Jews. Of 
 these it is proposed to give some account in 
 their order. 
 

 THE CHINESE. 
 
 IN the discussions concerning the promulgation 
 of Christianity, some writers have confined their 
 views intirely to India, merely, it is supposed, 
 because India is connected, by political relation 
 with Great Britain. India however contains but 
 a small part of the nations which seek the Re- 
 velation of God. The Malayan Archipelago 
 includes more territory and a larger population 
 than the continent of India. China is a more 
 extensive field than either ; and is, in some 
 respects, far more important. The Romish 
 Church has maintained a long and ineffectual 
 contest with that empire ; because it would never 
 give the people, " the good and perfect gift," the 
 Bible. It further degraded the doctrine of the 
 Cross by blending it with Pagan rites. 
 
 The means of obtaining a version of the 
 Scriptures in the Chinese language, occupied the 
 minds of the superintendants of the College of 
 Fort- William, at an early period. It appeared 
 an object of the utmost importance to procure 
 an erudite Professor, who should undertake such 
 
10 Christian Klesearcjjes 
 
 a work ; for, if but a single copy of the Scrip- 
 tures could be introduced into China, they might 
 be transcribed in almost every part of that im- 
 mense Empire. Another object in view was to 
 introduce some knowlege of the Chinese Lan- 
 guage among ourselves ; for although the Chinese 
 Forts on the Tibet frontier overlook the Com- 
 pany's territories in Bengal, there was not 
 a person, it was said, in the Company's service 
 in India, who could read a common Chinese 
 letter. 
 
 After a long inquiry they succeeded in pro- 
 curing Mr. Joannes Lassar, an Armenian Chris- 
 tian, a native of China and a proficient in the 
 Chinese Language, who had been employed by 
 the Portuguese at Macao, in conducting their 
 official correspondence with the Court of Pekin. 
 He was willing to relinquish his commercial 
 pursuits and to attach himself to the college, for 
 a salary of ^g 450 a year. But as the order for 
 reducing the establishment of the College was 
 daily expected, this salary could not be given 
 him. The object however was so important, and 
 Mr. Lassar appeared to be so well qualified to 
 execute it, that they thought fit to retain him 
 at the above stipend in a private character. He 
 entered immediately on the translation of the 
 Scriptures into the Chinese Language, and this 
 
respecting fye Chinese. 1 1 
 
 work he has continued to carry on to the pre- 
 sent time. But, as his services might be made 
 otherwise useful, they resolved to establish a 
 class of youths under his tuition ; and as they 
 could not obtain the young civil servants of the 
 Company for this purpose, they proposed to the 
 Baptist Missionaries that Mr. Lassar should reside 
 at Serampore, which is near Calcutta, on the fol- 
 lowing condition : that one of their elder Missi- 
 onaries, and three at least of their youths, should 
 immediately engage in the study of the Chinese 
 Language. Dr. Carey declined the offer, but 
 Mr. Marshman accepted it, and was joined by 
 two sons of his own, and a son of Dr. Carey ; and 
 they have prosecuted their studies with uu- 
 remitted attention for about five years. 
 
 In the year 1 807, a copy of the Gospel of 
 St. Matthew in the Chinese Language, translated 
 by Mr. Lassar, and beautifully written by him- 
 self, was transmitted to his Grace the Archbishop 
 of Canterbury for the Lambeth Library. Since 
 that period a considerable portion of the New 
 Testament has been printed off from blocks, 
 after the Chinese manner. 
 
 The proficiency of the Chinese pupils has 
 far surpassed the most sanguine hopes which 
 were previously entertained, and has been already 
 publicly noticed. His Excellency Lord Minttf, 
 
12 Cljrtetian Hesearrfjes 
 
 Governor-General of Indui, in his first annual 
 Speech to the College of Fort-William, has re- 
 corded the following testimony to their progress 
 in the language, and to the importance of their 
 attainments. 
 
 fe If I have not passed beyond the legitimate 
 " bounds of this discourse, in ranging to the extremity 
 a of those countries, and to the furthest island of that 
 " vast Archipelago in which the Malay Language pre- 
 (e vails, I shall scarcely seem to transgress them, by 
 " the short and easy transition thence to the language 
 " of CHINA. I am, in truth, strongly inclined, wh'ether 
 66 regularly or not, to deal one encouraging word to the 
 " meritorious, and, I hope, not unsuccessful effort, 
 " making, I may say, at the door of our College, though 
 " not admitted to its portico, to force that hitherto 
 " impregnable fortress, the Chinese Language. Three 
 " young men, I ought indeed to say, boys, have not 
 " only acquired a ready use of the Chinese Language, 
 " for the purpose of oral communication (which I under- 
 " stand is neither difficult nor rare amongst Europeans 
 ({ connected with China) but they have achieved, in 
 " a degree worthy of admiration, that which has been 
 " deemed scarcely within the reach of European faculties 
 " or industry; I mean a very extensive and correct 
 " acquaintance with the written Language of China. 
 " I will not detail the particulars of the Examination 
 " which took place on the 10th of this month 
 " (February 1808,) at Serampore, in the Chinese Lan- 
 
respecting ti>e Chinese. i s 
 
 " guage, the report of which I have read, however, 
 " with great interest, and recommended to the liberal 
 " notice of those whom I have the honour to address. 
 ce It is enough for my present purpose to say that these 
 " young pupils read Chinese books and translate them ; 
 (e and they write compositions of their own in the 
 " Chinese Language and character. A Chinese PRESS 
 " too is established, and in actual use. In a word, if 
 <( the founders and supporters of this little College have 
 " not yet dispelled, they have at least sent and ad- 
 " mitted a dawn of day through that thick impenetrable 
 " cloud : they have passed that Oceanum dissodalilem, 
 ff which for so many ages has insulated that vast 
 " Empire from the rest of mankind. 
 
 " I must not omit to commend the zealous and 
 " persevering labours of Mr. LASSAR, and of those 
 " learned and pious persons associated with him, who 
 " have accomplished, for the future benefit, we may 
 " hope, of that immense and populous region^ CHINESE 
 " VERSIONS in the Chinese Character, of the Gos- 
 " PELS of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, throwing open 
 " that precious mine, with all its religious and moral 
 fe treasure, to the largest associated population in the 
 world."* 
 
 When this Chinese class was first estahlished, 
 it was directed that there should be regular pub- 
 lic Examinations and Disputations, as at the 
 
 See College Report for 1808. 
 
14 Christian 
 
 College of Fort-William. The Examination in 
 September, 1 808, (a few months after the above 
 Speech of Lord Minto was pronounced) was 
 held in the presence of J. H. Harrington, esq. 
 Vice-President of the Asiatic Society, Dr. John 
 Leyden, and other Oriental scholars; when the 
 three youths, mentioned above, maintained a 
 Disputation in the Chinese Language. On this 
 occasion, the Respondent defended the follow- 
 ing position : " To commit to memory the Chi- 
 " nese Classics is the best mode of acquiring 
 " the Chinese Language." 
 
 One most valuable effect of these measures 
 is a work just published by Mr. Joshua Marsh- 
 man, the elder pupil of Mr.Lassar. It is the first 
 volume of " the Works of Confucius, containing 
 " the Original Text, with a translation ; to 
 " which is prefixed a Dissertation on the 
 " Chinese Language, pp. 877, 4to." to be follow- 
 ed by four volumes more. This translation will 
 be received with gratitude by the learned, and 
 will be considered as a singular monument of 
 the indefatigable labour of an English Mission- 
 ary in the acquisition of a new language. 
 
 While treating of the cultivation of the 
 Chinese Language, it will be proper to notice 
 the endeavours of the London Missionary Society 
 in the same department. While Mr. Lassar and 
 
respecting t&e clnnese. 15 
 
 Mr. Marshman are translating the Scriptures at 
 Calcutta, Mr. Morrison is prosecuting a similar 
 work at Canton in China, with the aid of able 
 native scholars. It is stated in the report of their 
 Society, that the principal difficulties have been 
 surmounted, and that the period of his acquir- 
 ing a complete knowledge of the language is by 
 no means so distant as what he once expected. 
 " It has proved of great advantage to him that 
 " he copied and carried out with him the Chi- 
 " nese, translation of the Gospels preserved in 
 " the British Museum, which he now finds, 
 " from his own increasing acquaintance with 
 " the language, and the opinion of the Chinese 
 " assistants, to be exceedingly valuable, and 
 " which must, from the excellency of the style, 
 " have been produced by Chinese natives." He 
 adds, that the manuscript of the New Testa- 
 ment is fit to be printed ; and that he proposes 
 to publish also a Dictionary and a Grammar of 
 the language, the last of which is already " pre- 
 pared for the press."* The expense to the Lon- 
 don Missionary Society for the current year, in 
 the Chinese department alone, is stated to be 
 
 * Report of London Missionary Society for 1810, p. 22. 
 
16 Christian 
 
 The foregoing notices of the progress of Chi- 
 nese literature will, I doubt not, be acceptable 
 to many ; for the cultivation of the Chinese 
 language, considered merely in a political point 
 of view, must prove of the utmost advantage 
 to this country, in her further transactions 
 with that ancient and ingenious, but jealous, 
 incommunicative, and partially civilized nation. 
 
 THE HINDOOS. 
 
 IT is admitted by all writers that the civili- 
 zation of the Hindoos will be promoted by 
 intercourse with the English. But this only 
 applies to that small portion of the natives, who 
 live in the vicinity of Europeans, and mix with 
 them. As for the bulk of the population, they 
 scarcely ever see an Englishman. It becomes 
 then of importance " to ascertain what have 
 " been the actual effects of Christianity in 
 " those interior provinces of Hindostan, where 
 " it has been introduced by the Christian Mis- 
 sionaries ; and to compare them with such 
 of their countrymen as remain in their pristine 
 idolatry. It was a chief object of the Author's 
 tour through India, to mark the relative 
 
respecting tjje ^fn&oos,, 1 7 
 
 influence of Paganism and Christianity. In order 
 then that the English nation may Be able to form 
 a judgment on this subject, he will proceed to give 
 some account of the Hindoos of Juggernaut, and 
 of the native Christians in Tan gore. The Hindoos 
 of Juggernaut have as yet had no advantages of 
 Christian instruction : and continue to worship 
 the Idol called Juggernaut. The native Christians 
 of Tanjore, until the light of Revelation visited 
 them, worshipped an idol also, called the great 
 Black Bull of Tanjore. And, as in this brief work 
 the Author proposes to state merely what he 
 himself has seen, with little comment, or obser- 
 vation, it will suffice to give a few extracts from 
 the Journal of his tour through these Provinces. 
 
 EXTRACTS from the AUTHOR'S JOURNAL in his 
 Tour to the Temple of Juggernaut in Orissa, 
 in the year 1806. 
 
 ' Buddruck in Orissa, May 30th, 1806. 
 * We know that we are approaching Juggernaut (and 
 yet we are more than fifty miles from it) by the human 
 bones which we have seen for some days strewed by the 
 way. At this place we have been joined by several 
 large bodies of pilgrims, perhaps 2000 in number, who 
 have come from various parts of Northern India. Some 
 of them, with whom I have conversed, say that they 
 
 c 
 
is Christian 
 
 have been two months on their march, travelling slowly 
 n the hottest season of the year, with their wives and 
 children. Some old persons are among them who wish 
 to die at Juggernaut. Numbers of pilgrims die on the 
 road ; and their bodies generally remain unburied. On 
 a plain by the river, near the pilgrim's Caravansera at 
 this place, there are more than a hundred skulls. The 
 dogs, jackals, and vultures seem to live here on human 
 prey. The vultures exhibit a shocking tameness. The 
 obscene animals will not leave the body sometimes till 
 we come close to them. This Buddruck is a horrid 
 place. Wherever I turn my eyes, I meet death in 
 some shape or other. Surely Juggernaut cannot be 
 worse than Buddruck/ 
 
 6 In sight of Juggernaut, 1 2th June. 
 
 Many thousands of pilgrims have accompanied us 
 
 for some days past. They cover the road before and 
 behind as far as the eye can reach. At nine o'clock 
 this morning, the temple of Juggernaut appeared in 
 view at a great distance. When the multitude first saw- 
 it, they gave a shout, and fell to the ground and wor- 
 shipped. I have heard nothing to-day but shouts and 
 acclamations by the successive bodies of pilgrims. 
 From the place where I now stand I have a view of a 
 host of people like an army, encamped at the outer gate 
 of the town of Juggernaut : where a guard of soldiers is 
 posted to prevent their entering the town, until they 
 have paid the pilgrim's tax. I passed a devotee to day 
 
respecting tfte Jptnlioa& 19 
 
 who laid himself down at every step, measuring the 
 road to Juggernaut, by the length of his body, as a pe- 
 nance of merit to please the God/ 
 
 ' Outer Gate of Juggernaut y \2thJune. 
 
 * A disaster has just occurred. As I approached 
 
 the gate, the pilgrims crowded from all quarters around 
 me, and shouted, as they usually did when I passed 
 them on the road, an expression of welcome and 
 respect. I was a little alarmed at their number, and 
 looked round for my guard. A guard of soldiers had 
 accompanied me from Cuttack, the last military sta- 
 tion ; but they were now about a quarter of a mile 
 behind, with my servants and the baggage. The 
 pilgrims cried out that they were entitled to some in- 
 dulgence, that they were poor, they could not pay 
 the tax 5 but I was not aware of their design. At this 
 moment, when I was within a few yards of the gate, au 
 old Sanyassee (or holy man) who had travelled some 
 days by the side of my horse, came up and said, c Sir, 
 you are in danger ; the people are going to rush through 
 the gate when it is opened for you.' I immediately 
 dismounted, and endeavoured to escape to one side; 
 but it was too late. The mob was now in motion, and 
 with a tumultuous shout pressed violently towards the 
 gate. The guard within seeing my danger opened it, 
 and the multitude rushing through, carried me forward 
 in the torrent a considerable space : so that I was 
 literally borne into Juggernaut by the Hindoos them- 
 
 c 2 
 
so Christian Keseatcljes 
 
 selves. A distressing scene followed. As the number 
 and strength of the mob increased, the narrow way was 
 choaked up by the mass of people ; and I apprehended 
 that many of them would have been suffocated, or 
 bruised to death. My horse was yet among them. But 
 suddenly one of the side posts of the gate, which was of 
 wood, gave way and fell to the ground.. And perhaps 
 this circumstance alone prevented the loss of lives. 
 Notice of the event was immediately communicated to 
 Mr. Hunter, the superintendant of the temple, who re- 
 paired to the spot, and sent an additional guard to the 
 inner gate, lest the people should force that also ; for 
 there is an outer and an inner gate to the town of 
 Juggernaut; but both of them are slightly con 
 structed. Mr. Hunter told me that similar accidents 
 sometimes occur, and that many have been crushed to 
 death by the pressure of the mob. He added, that 
 sometimes a body of pilgrims, (consisting chiefly of 
 women and children and old men) trusting to the 
 physical weight of their mass, will make, what he called, 
 a charge on the armed guards, and overwhelm them ; 
 the guards not being willing in such circumstances, t 
 oppose their bayonets." 
 
respecting tl)e ^fatow 
 
 ' Juggernaut, \4thJune. 
 
 ' 1 have seen Juggernaut. The scene at Budclruck 
 
 is but the vestibule to Juggernaut. No record of ancient 
 or modern history can give, I think, an adequate idea of 
 this valley of death ; it may be truly compared with the 
 ' valley of Hinnom/ The idol called Juggernaut, has 
 been considered as the Moloch of the present age ; and 
 he is justly so named, for the sacrifices offered up to 
 him by self-devotement, are not less criminal, perhaps 
 not less numerous, than those recorded of the Moloch 
 of Canaan. Two other idols accompany Juggernaut, 
 namely, Boloram and Shubudra, his brother and sister : 
 for there are three Deities worshipped here. They re- 
 ceive equal adoration, and sit on thrones of nearly equal 
 height/ 
 
 ' This morning I viewed the Temple ; a stupendous 
 
 fabric, and truly commensurate with the extensive sway 
 of ( the horrid king/ As other temples are usually 
 adorned with figures emblematical of their religion, so 
 Juggernaut has representations (numerous and various) 
 of that vice, which cons' *+utes the essence of his 'wot* 
 ship. The walls and ge *. covered with indecent 
 
 emblems, in massive and 'Ipture. I have also 
 
 visited the sand plains by ti ^laces whitened 
 
 with the bones of the pilgrim,. aer place a little 
 
 way out of the town, called by the English, the Golgo- 
 
22 ct)ttettan 
 
 tha, where the dead bodies are usually cast forth ; an 
 where dogs and vultures are ever seen.'* 
 
 s The grand Hindoo festival of the Rutt Jattra, 
 takes place on the 18th inst. when the idol is to be 
 brought forth to the people. I reside during my 
 stay here at the house of James Hunter, esq. the 
 Company's collector of the tax on pilgrims, and super- 
 intendant of the temple, formerly a student in the 
 College of Fort- William ; by whom I am hospitably 
 entertained, and also by Captain Patton, and Lieut. 
 Woodcock, commanding the military force. Mr. 
 Hunter distinguished himself at the College by his 
 proficiency in the Oriental Language. He is a 
 gentleman of polished manners and of classical taste. 
 The agreeable society of these gentlemen is very 
 refreshing to my spirits in the midst of the present 
 scenes. I was surprised to see how little they seemed 
 to be moved by the scenes of Juggernaut. They said 
 they were now so accustomed to them, they thought 
 
 * The vultures generally find out the prey first: and begin 
 with the intestines j for the flesh of the body is too firm for 
 their beaks immediately after death. But the dogs soon 
 receive notice of the circvmistance, generally from seeing 
 the Hurries, or corpse-carriers, returning from the place. On 
 the approach of the dogs, the vultures retire a few yards, 
 and wait till the body be sufficiently torn for easy deglutition. 
 The vultures and dogs often feed together ; and sometime 
 begin their attack before the pilgrim be quite dead. There 
 are four animals which are sometimes seen about a carcase, 
 the dog, the jackal, the vulture, and the Hurgeela, or Adju- 
 tant, called by Pennant, the Gigantic Crane. 
 
respecting tlje $fn&00& 2 3 
 
 little of them. They had almost forgot their first im- 
 pressions. Their houses are on the sea shore, about a 
 mile or more from the temple. They cannot live 
 nearer, on account of the offensive effluvia of the 
 town. For independently of the enormity of the 
 superstition, there are other circumstances which ren- 
 der Juggernaut noisome in an extreme degree. The 
 senses are assailed by the squalid and ghastly appear- 
 ance of the famished pilgrims ; many of whom die 
 in the streets of want or of disease; while the 
 devotees with clotted hair and painted flesh, are seen 
 practising their various austerities, and modes of self- 
 torture. Persons of both sexes, with little regard to 
 concealment, sit down on the sands close to the town, 
 in public view; and the SACRED BULLS walk about 
 among them and eat the ordure.'* 
 
 ' The vicinity of Juggernaut to the sea probably 
 prevents the contagion, which otherwise would be pro- 
 duced by the putrefactions of the place. There is 
 scarcely any verdure to refresh the sight near Juggernaut ; 
 the temple and town being nearly encompassed by hills 
 of sand, which has been cast up in the lapse of ages 
 by the surge of the ocean. All is barren and desolate 
 to the eye ; and in the ear there is the never-intermitting 
 sound of the roaring sea.' 
 
 * This singular fact was pointed out to me by the gentle- 
 men here. There is no vegetation for the sacred Bulls on the 
 sand plains. They are fed generally with vegetables from 
 the hands of the pilgrims. 
 
124 Christian 
 
 ' Juggernaut, ISth of June. 
 
 e 1 have returned home from witnessing a scene 
 
 which I shall never forget. At twelve o'clock of this 
 day, being the great day of the f ast, the Moloch of 
 Hindoostan was brought out of his temple amidst 
 the acclamations of hundreds of thousands of his 
 worshippers. When the idol was placed on his throne, 
 a shout was raised, by the multitude, such as I had 
 never heard before. It continued equable for a few 
 minutes, and then gradually died away. After a short 
 interval of silence, a murmur was heard at a distance ; 
 all eyes were turned towards the place, and, behold, a 
 grove advanc-ng. A body of men, having green branches, 
 or palms, in their hands, approached with great celerity. 
 The people opened a way for them ; and when they had 
 come up to the throne, they fell down before him that sat 
 thereon, and worshipped. And the multitude again sent 
 forth a voice ' like the sound of a great thunder.' But 
 the voices I now heard, were not those of melody 
 or of joyful acclamation ; for there is no harmony 
 in the praise of Moloch's worshippers. Their number 
 indeed brought to my mind the countless multitude of 
 the Revelations , but their voices gave no tuneful 
 Hosanna or Hallelujah; but rather a yell of appro- 
 bation, united with a kind ot hissing applause.* 
 
 * See Milton's Pandemonium, Book X. 
 
respecting tlje ]j)tn&a0& 25 
 
 I was at a loss how to account for this latter noise, 
 until I was directed to notice the women; who 
 emitted a sound like that of whistling, with the lips cir- 
 cular and the tongue vibrating : as if a serpent would, 
 speak by their organs, uttering human sounds/ 
 
 ( The throne of the idol was placed on a stupendous 
 car or tower about sixty feet in height, resting on 
 wheels which indented the ground deeply, as they 
 turned slowly under the ponderous machine. Attached 
 to it were six cables, of the size and length of a ship's 
 cable, by which the people drew it along. Upon 
 the tower were the priests and satellites of the idol, 
 surrounding his throne. The idol is a block of wood, 
 having a frightful visage painted black, with a dis- 
 tended mouth of a bloody colour. His arms are of gold, 
 and he is dressed in gorgeous apparel. The other two 
 idols are of a white and yellow colour. Five elephants 
 preceded the three towers, bearing towering flags, 
 dressed in crimson caparisons, and having bells hang- 
 ing to their caparisons, which sounded musically as 
 they moved.' 
 
 ' I went on in the procession, close by the 
 tower of Moloch ; which, as it was drawn with 
 difficulty, " grated on its many wheels harsh thun- 
 der.* After a few minutes it stopped; and now 
 
 * Two of the military gentlemen had mounted my elephant 
 that they might witness the spectacle, and had brought him 
 close to the tower ; but the moment it began to move, the 
 animal, alarmed at the unusual noise, took fright and ran 
 off through the crowd till he was stopt by a wall. The natural 
 
26 Christian JSesearrfjes 
 
 the worship of the God began. A high priest 
 mounted the car in front of the idol, and pronounced 
 his obscene stanzas in the ears of the people; who 
 responded at intervals in the same strain. * These 
 ' songs,' said he, < are the delight of the God. His 
 6 car can only move when he is pleased with the 
 4 song.' The car moved on a little way and then 
 stopped. A boy of about twelve years was then 
 brought forth to attempt something yet more las- 
 civious, if peradventure the God would move. The 
 ' child perfected the praise' of his idol with such 
 ardent expression and gesture, that the God was 
 pleased, and the multitude, emitting a sensual yell 
 of delight, urged the car along. After a few mi- 
 nutes it stopped again. An aged minister of the idol 
 then stood up, and with a long rod in his hand, 
 which he moved with indecent action, completed the 
 variety of this disgusting exhibition. I felt a con- 
 sciousness of doing wrong in witnessing it. 
 
 fear of the elephant, lest he should injure human life, was 
 remarkably exemplified on this occasion. Though the crowd 
 was very closely set, he endeavoured, in the midst of his own 
 terror, to throw the people off, on both sides, with his feet, 
 and it was found that he had only trod upon one person. It 
 was with great concern I afterwards learnt, that this was a poor 
 woman, and that the fleshy part of her leg had been torn off. 
 There being no medical person here, Lieut. Woodcock, with 
 great humanity, endeavoured to dress the wound, and attended 
 her daily ; and Mr. Hunter ordered her to be supplied with 
 every thing that might conduce to her recovery. 
 
respecting tlje IDmtroos, 27 
 
 I was also somewhat appalled at the magnitude and 
 horror of the spectacle; I felt like a guilty person, 
 on whom all eyes were fixed, and I was about 
 to withdraw. But a scene of a different kind was 
 now to be presented. The characteristics of Mo- 
 loch's worship are obscenity and blood. We have 
 seen the former. Now comes the blood/ 
 
 6 After the tower had proceeded some way, a pilgrim 
 announced that he was ready to offer himself a sacri- 
 fice to the idol. He laid himself down in the road 
 before the tower as it was moving along, lying on 
 his face, with his arms stretched forwards. The 
 multitude passed round him, leaving the space clear, 
 and he was crushed to death by the wheels of the 
 tower. A shout of joy was raised to the God. He 
 is said to smile when the libation of the blood is 
 made. The People threw cowries, or small money, 
 on the body of the victim, in approbation of the 
 deed. He was left to view a considerable time, and 
 was then carried by the Hurries to the Golgotha, 
 where I have just been viewing his remains. How 
 much I wished that the Proprietors of India Stock 
 could have attended the wheels of Juggernaut, and 
 seen this peculiar source of their revenue/ 
 
28 Christian Heseatrijes 
 
 * Juggernaut, 20th June. 
 
 < Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood 
 
 " Of human sacrifice, and parents' tears.'' MILTON. 
 
 e .The horrid solemnities still continue. Yesterday 
 
 a woman devoted herself to the idol. She laid 
 herself down on the road in an oblique direction so 
 that the wheel did not kill her instantaneously, as is 
 generally the case ; but she died in a few hours. 
 This morning as I passed the Place of Skulls, nothing 
 remained of her but her bones/ 
 
 ( And this, thought I, is the worship of the 
 Brahmins of Hindoostan ! And their worship in its 
 sublimest degree ! What then shall we think of their 
 private manners, and their moral principles ! For 
 it is equally tine of India as of Europe. If you 
 would know the state of the people, look at the state 
 of the Temple/ 
 
 ( I was surprised to see the Brahmins with their 
 heads uncovered in the open plain falling down in 
 the midst of the Sooders before 'the horrid shape/ 
 and mingling so complacently with ( that polluted 
 cast/ But this proved what I had before heard, that 
 so great a God is this, that the dignity of high cast 
 disappears before him. This great king recognises 
 no distinction of rank among his subjects, all men are 
 equal in his presence/ 
 
respecting tlje iptnaoos, 
 
 6 Juggernaut, 2lst June. 
 
 * The idolatrous processions continue for some days 
 longer, but my spirits are so exhausted by the constant 
 view of these enormities, that I mean to hasten away 
 from this place sooner than I at first intended. I beheld 
 another distressing scene this morning at the Place of 
 Skulls ; a poor woman lying dead, or nearly dead, and 
 her two children by her, looking at the dogs and vultures 
 which were near. The people passed by without notic- 
 ing the children. I asked them where was their home. 
 They said, ' they had no home but where their mother 
 was/ O, there is no pity at Juggernaut ! no mercy, no 
 tenderness of heart in Moloch's kingdom ! Those who 
 support his kingdom, err, I trust, from ignorance. 
 ' They know not what they do. 
 
 ( As to the number of worshippers assembled here at 
 this time, no accurate calculation can be made. The 
 natives themselves, when speaking of the numbers at 
 particular festivals, usually say that a lack of people 
 (100,000) would not be missed. I asked a Brahmin how 
 many he supposed were present at the most numerous 
 festival he had ever witnessed. < How can I tell,' said 
 he, f how many grains there are in a handful of sand?' 
 
 ' The languages spoken here are various, as there are 
 Hindoos from every country in India : but the two chief 
 
30 Christian Eesearrfjes 
 
 languages in use by those who are resident, are the 
 Orissa and the Telinga. The border of the Telinga 
 Country is only a few miles distant from the Tower of 
 Juggernaut/ 
 
 ' Chilka Lake, 24th June. 
 
 f 1 felt my mind relieved and happy when I had 
 
 passed beyond the confines of Juggernaut. I certainly 
 was not prepared for the scene. But no one can know 
 what it is who has not seen it. From an eminence* on 
 the pleasant banks of the Chilka Lake (where no human 
 bones are seen,) I had a view of the lofty tower of 
 Juggernaut far remote ; and while I viewed it, its abo- 
 minations came to mind. It was on the morning 
 of the Sabbath. Ruminating long on the wide and ex- 
 tended empire of Moloch in the heathen world, I che- 
 rished in my thoughts the design of some e Christian 
 Institution/ which, being fostered by Britain, my Chris- 
 tian country, might gradually undermine this baleful 
 idolatry, and put out the memory of it for ever/ 
 
 * Manickpatam. 
 
respecting flje i|)f n&oos. 3 1 
 
 Annual Expenses of the Idol JUGGERNAUT, 
 presented to the English Government. 
 
 [Extracted from the Official Accounts.] 
 
 Rupees. . Sterling. 
 
 1. Expenses attending the table of the idol 36, 115 or 4,514 
 
 2. Ditto of his dress or wearing apparel - 2,712 339 
 
 3. Ditto of the wages of his servants - - 10,057 1*259 
 
 4. Ditto of contingent expenses at the dif- 
 
 ferent seasons of pilgrimage - - 
 
 5. Ditto of his elephants and horses - - 
 (5. Ditto of his rutt or annual state carriage 
 
 Rupees 69,616 8,702 
 
 ' In Item third, e wages of his servants,' are included 
 the wages of the courtesans, who are kept for the service 
 of the temple. 
 
 e Item sixth. What is here called in the official 
 account ( the state carriage,' is the same as the car or 
 tower. Mr. Hunter informed me that the three ( state 
 carriages' were decorated this year (in June 1806) with 
 upwards of 2001. sterling worth of English broad 
 doth. 
 
 f Of the rites celebrated in the interior of Juggernaut 
 called the Daily Service, I can say nothing of my own 
 knowledge, not having been within the Temple/'* 
 
 * The Temple of Juggernaut is under the immediate controul 
 of the English Government, who levy a tax on pilgrims as a 
 
 source 
 
32 Clwsttan 
 
 JUGGERNAUT IN BENGAL. 
 
 Lest it should be supposed that the rites of 
 Juggernaut are confined to the Temple in Orissa, 
 
 source of revenue. See 'A Regulation (by the Bengal Go- 
 vernment) for levying a Tax from Pilgrims resorting to the 
 Temple of Juggernaut, and for the Superintendance and 
 Management of the Temple. Passed April 3, 1806.' 
 
 The province of Orissa first became subject to the British 
 Empire under the administration of the Marquis Wellesley, who 
 permitted the pilgrims at first to visit Juggernaut without pay- 
 ing tribute. It was proposed to his Lordship, soon after, to pass 
 the above regulation for the management of the Temple, and 
 levying the tax ; but he did not approve of it, and actually left 
 the Government without giving his sanction to the opprobrious 
 law. When the measure was discussed by the succeeding 
 Government, it was resisted by George Udny, esq. one of the 
 Members of the Supreme Council, who recorded his solemn 
 dissent on the proceedings of Government, for transmission to 
 England. The other members considered Juggernaut to be 
 a legitimate source of revenue, on the principle, I believe, that 
 money from other temples in Hindoostan had long been brought 
 into the treasury. It is just that I should state that these 
 gentlemen (though their opinion on this subject will differ so 
 much from that of their countrymen at home) are men of the 
 most honourable principles and of unimpeached integrity. Nor 
 would any one of them, I believe (for I have the honour to 
 know them) do any thing which he thought injurious to the 
 honour or religion of his country. But the truth is this, that 
 those persons who go to India in early youth, and witness the 
 Hindoo customs all their life, seeing little at the same time of 
 the Christian Religion to counteract the effect, are disposed to 
 view them with complacency, and are sometimes in danger of 
 at length considering them even as proper or necessary. 
 
respecting tije &uttoo& 33 
 
 or that the Hindoos there practice a more crimi- 
 nal superstition than they do in other places, 
 it may be proper to notice the effects of the 
 same idolatry in Bengal. The English nation 
 will not expect to hear that the blood of Jug- 
 gernaut is known at Calcutta: but, alas, it is 
 shed at the very doors of the English, almost' 
 under the eye of the Supreme Government. 
 Moloch has many a tower in the province of 
 Bengal : that fair and fertile province which 
 has been called " The Garden of Nations." 
 Close to Ishera, a beautiful villa on the river's 
 side, about eight miles from Calcutta, once 
 the residence of Governor Hastings, and within 
 view of the present Governor-General's country- 
 house, there is a temple of this idol which is 
 often stained with human blood. At the festi- 
 val of the Rutt Jattra, in May, 1807, the Author 
 visited it, on his return from the South of 
 India, having heard that its rites were similar 
 to those of Juggernaut. 
 
 6 Juggernaut's Temple, near Isliera, on the Ganges: 
 < RuttJuttra, May, 1807. 
 
 c The tower here is drawn along, like that at Jugger- 
 naut, by cables. The number of worshippers at this 
 festival is computed to be about a hundred thousand. 
 The tower is covered with indecent emblems, which 
 
 D 
 
34 Christian 
 
 were freshly painted for the occasion, and were the 
 objects of sensual gaze by both sexes. One of the vic- 
 tims of this year was a well-made young man, of healthy 
 appearance and comely aspect. He had a garland of 
 
 flowers round his neck, and his long black hair was 
 dishevelled. He danced for a while before the idol, 
 
 singing in an enthusiastic strain, and then rushing sud- 
 denly to the wheels, he shed his blood under the tower 
 of obscenity. I was not at the spot at the time, my 
 attention having been engaged by a more pleasing 
 scene. 
 
 6 On the other side, on a rising ground by the side 
 of a Tank, stood the Christian Missionaries, and around 
 them a crowd of people listening to their preaching. 
 The town of Serampore, where the Protestant Mission- 
 aries reside, is only about a mile and a half from this 
 Temple of Juggernaut. As I passed through the multi- 
 tude, I met several persons having the printed papers of 
 the Missionaries in their hands. Some of them were 
 reading them very gravely ; others were laughing with 
 each other at the contents, and saying, e What do these 
 words mean ?' 
 
 ' I sat down on an elevated spot to contemplate this 
 scene, the tower of blood and impurity on the one 
 hand, and the Christian Preachers on the other. I 
 thought on the commandment of our Saviour, ( Go ye, 
 teach all nations/ I said to myself, ( How great and 
 glorious a ministry are these humble persons now exer- 
 cising in the presence of God !' How is it applauded 
 by the holy Angels, who ( have joy in heaven over one 
 sinner that repenteth ;' and how far does it transcend 
 
respecting tlje $fnQ0o& 35 
 
 the work of the Warrior or Statesman, in charity, utility 
 and lasting fame ! And I could not help wishing that 
 the Representatives of the Church of Christ in my own 
 country had been present to witness this scene, that they 
 might have seen how practicable it is to offer Christian 
 instruction to our Hindoo subjects/ 
 
 IMMOLATION OF FEMALES. 
 
 Before the Author proceeds to shew the happy 
 effects of Christianity in those provinces of India 
 where it has been introduced, it may be proper 
 to notice in this place that other sanguinary rite 
 of the Hindoo superstition, the FEMALE SACRI- 
 FICE. The report of the number of women 
 burned within the period of six months near 
 Calcutta, will give the reader some idea of the 
 multitude who perish annually in India. 
 
 c REPORT of the Number of Women who were Burned 
 ( Alive on the Funeral Pile of their Husbands, within 
 ' thirty miles round Calcutta, from the beginning of 
 'Bysakh (15th April) to the end of Aswin (15th 
 October) 1804/ 
 
 From 
 
36 Christian Eeseatrfjes 
 
 Women burned 
 alive. 
 
 From Gurria to Bar rypore j at eleven d ifFerent places* 1 8 
 From Tolly's Nulla mouth to Gurria; at seventeen 
 
 different places 36 
 
 From Barrypore to Buhipore ; at seven places . . 11 
 
 From Seebpore to Baleeaj at five places 1O 
 
 From Balee to Bydyabattee ; at three places 3 
 
 From Bydyabattee to Bassbareea -, at five places. . 10 
 From Calcutta to Burahnugur (or Barnagore ;) at 
 
 four places , 6 
 
 From Burahnugur to Chanok (or Barrackpore;) at 
 
 six places 1 3 
 
 From Chanok to Kachrapara ; at four places 8 
 
 Total of women burned alive in six months, 
 
 near Calcutta 115 
 
 6 The above Report was made by persons of the 
 Hindoo cast, deputed for that purpose, under the su- 
 perintendance of the Professor of the Shanscrit and 
 Bengalee languages in the College of Fort- William. 
 They were ten in number, and were stationed at different 
 places during the whole period- of six months. They 
 gave in their account monthly, specifying the particu- 
 lars of each immolation, so that every iridividval in- 
 stance was subject to investigation immediately after its 
 occurrence. 
 
 * See the names of the places and other particulars ia 
 Memoir of the Expediency of an Ecclesiastical Establishment in 
 British India, p. 102. 
 
respecting tf)e $fn&00& 37 
 
 * By an account taken in 1803, the number of women 
 sacrificed, during that year, within thirty miles round 
 Calcutta, was two hundred and seventy-five. 
 
 ' In the foregoing Report of six months, in 1804, it 
 will be perceived that no account was taken of burnings 
 in a district to the west of Calcutta, nor further than 
 twenty miles in some other directions; so that the 
 whole number of burnings within thirty miles round 
 Calcutta must have been considerably greater than is 
 here stated/ 
 
 The following account will give the reader 
 some idea of the flagitious circumstance which 
 sometimes attend these sacrifices. 
 
 SACRIFICE OF THE KOOLIN BRAHMIN's 
 THREE WIVES. 
 
 6 Calcutta, 30th $ept. 1807. 
 
 A horrid tragedy was acted, on the 12th instant, near 
 Barnagore (a place about three miles above Calcutta.) 
 A Koolin Brahmin of Cammar-hattie, by name Kristo 
 Deb Mookerjee, died at the advanced age of ninety- 
 two. He had twelve wives j* and three of them were 
 
 * The Koolin Brahmin is the purest of all Brahmins, and is 
 privileged to marry as many wives as he pleases. The Hindoo 
 families account it an honour to unite their daughters with a 
 Koolin Brahmin. " The Ghautics or Registrars of the Koolin 
 cast state that 'Rajeb Bonnerjee, now of Calcutta, has forty 
 
 wives j 
 
38 Christian Kesearcljes 
 
 burned alive with his dead body. Of these three, 
 one was a venerable lady, having white locks, who had 
 been long known in the neighbourhood. Not being 
 able to walk, she was carried in a palanquin to 
 the place of burning ; and was then placed by the 
 Brahmins on the funeral pile. The two other 
 ladies were younger ; one of them of a very pleasing and 
 interesting countenance. The old lady was placed on 
 one side of the dead husband, and the two other wives 
 laid themselves down on the other side ; and then an 
 old Brahmin, the eldest son of the deceased, applied his 
 torch to the pile, with unaverted face. The pile sud- 
 denly blazed for it was covered with combustibles ; 
 and this human sacrifice was completed amidst the din 
 of drums and cymbals, and the shouts of Brahmins. A 
 person present observed, < Surely if Lord Minto were 
 here, who is just come from England, and is not used 
 to see women burned alive, he would have saved these 
 three ladies/ The Mahomedan Governors saved whom 
 they pleased, and suffered no deluded female to commit 
 suicide, without previous investigation of the circum- 
 stances, and official permission 
 
 wives; and that Raj-chunder Bonnerjee, also of Calcutta, 
 has forty-two wives j and intends to marry more : that 
 Ramraja Bonnerjee, of Bicrampore, aged thiny years, and 
 Pooran Bonnerjee, Rajkissore Chutterjee, and Roopram 
 Mookerjee, have each upwards of forty wives, and intend to 
 marry more j that Birjoo Mookerjee, of Bicrampore, who 
 died about five years ago, had ninety wives." This account 
 was authenticated at Calcutta in the year 1804. See further 
 particulars in " Memoir' before quoled, p. 111. 
 
respecting t!)e Q>fttto0&. 39 
 
 In a discussion which this event has produced in 
 Calcutta, the following question has been asked, WHO 
 
 WAS GUILTY OF THE BLOOD OF THE OLD LADY ? 
 
 ior it was manifest that she could not destroy herself ? 
 She was carried to be burned. It was also alleged that 
 the Brahmin who fired the pile was not guilty, because 
 he was never informed by the English government, that 
 there was any immorality in the action. On the con- 
 trary, he might argue that the English, witnessing this 
 scene daily, as they do, without remonstrance, acquiesced 
 in its propriety. The Government in India was excul- 
 pated, on the ground that the Government at home 
 never sent any instructions on the subject ; and the 
 Court of Directors were exculpated, because they were 
 the agents of others. It remained that the Proprietors 
 of India Stock, who originate and sanction all proceed 
 ings of the Court of Directors, WERE REMOTELY AC- 
 CESSARY TO THE DEED.' 
 
 The best vindication of the great body of 
 Proprietors, is this, that some of themn^ver heard 
 of the Female Sacrifice at all ; and that few of 
 them are acquainted with the full extent and 
 frequency of the crime. Besides, in the above 
 discussion, it was taken for granted that the 
 Court of Directors have done nothing towards 
 the suppression of this enormity ; and that the 
 Court of Proprietors have looked on, without con- 
 cern, at this omission of duty. But this, perhaps, 
 
40 Christian Eeseavctjes 
 
 may not be the case. The question then remains 
 to be asked. Have the Court of Directors at any 
 time sent instructions to their Government in 
 India, to report on the means by which the fre- 
 quency of the female sacrifice might be dimi- 
 nished, and the practice itself eventually abo- 
 lished ? Or have the Proprietors of India Stock 
 at any time instructed the Court of Directors to 
 attend to a point of so much consequence to the 
 character of the Company * and the honour of 
 the nation ? 
 
 That the abolition is practicable has been 
 demonstrated : and that too by the most ra- 
 tional and lenient measures ; and these means 
 have been pointed out by the Brahmins them- 
 selves.* 
 
 Had Marquis Wellesley remained in India, 
 and been permitted tocomplete his salutary plans 
 for the improvement of that distant Empire (for 
 he did not finish one half of the civil and political 
 regulations which he had in view, and had actually 
 commenced) the Female Sacrifice would probably 
 have been by this time nearly abolished. f The 
 humanity and intrepid spirit of that nobleman 
 abolished a yet more criminal practice which was 
 
 * See them detailed in Memoir, p. 49. 
 t Ibid. p. 47. 
 
respecting fye piflwoa. 4 1 
 
 considered by the Hindoos as a religious rite, 
 and consecrated by custom, I mean the SACRIFICE 
 of CHILDREN". His Lordship had been informed 
 that it had been a custom of the Hindoos to 
 sacrifice children in consequence of vows, by 
 drowning them, or exposing ihem to Sharks and 
 Crocodiles ; and that twenty-three persons had 
 perished at Saugor in one month (January 180 1 ,) 
 many of whom where sacrificed in this manner. 
 He immediately instituted an inquiry into the 
 principle of this ancient atrocity, heard what 
 Natives and Europeans had to say on the subject; 
 and then passed a law, " declaring the practice 
 " to be murder punishable by death." The law 
 is entitled " A Regulation for preventing the 
 " Sacrifice of Children at Saugor and other 
 "places; passed by the Governor-General in 
 " Council on the 20th of August, 1802." The 
 purpose of this regulation was completely effected. 
 Not a murmur was heard on the subject : nor has 
 any attempt of the kind come to our knowledge 
 since. It is impossible to calculate the number 
 of human lives that have been saved, during the 
 last eight years, by this humane law of Marquis 
 Wellesley. Now it is well known that it is as 
 easy to prevent the sacrifice of women as the 
 sacrifice of children. Has this fact ever been 
 denied by any man who is competent to fier 
 
42 e&tfett'an Heseatcfjes 
 
 a judgment on the subject ? Until the supreme 
 Government in Bengal shall declare that it is 
 utterly impracticable to lessen the frequency of* 
 the Immolation of Females by any means, THE 
 
 AUTHOR WILL NOT CEASE TO CALL THE ATTEN- 
 TENTION OF THE ENGLISH NATION TO THIS 
 SUBJECT. 
 
 T A N J O R E. 
 
 THE Letters of KING GEORGE the FIRST to 
 the Missionaries in India, will form a proper 
 introduction to the account which it is now 
 intended to give of the Christian Hindoos of 
 Tanjore. The first Protestant Mission in India 
 was founded by Bartholomew Ziegenbalg, a man 
 of erudition and piety, educated at the University 
 of Halle, in Germany. He was ordained by the 
 learned Burmannus, bishop of Zealand, in his 
 twenty-third year, and sailed for India in 1705. 
 In the second year of his ministry he founded 
 a Christian Church among the Hindoos, which 
 has been extending its limits to the present time. 
 In 1714, he returned to Europe for a short time, 
 and on that occasion was honoured with an 
 audience by His Majesty George the First, who 
 took much interest in the success of the Mission. 
 
respecting fye l)inlJ00L 43 
 
 He was also patronized by " the Society for 
 " promoting Christian Knowledge," which was 
 superintended by men of distinguished learning 
 and piety. The King and the Society, encouraged 
 the Oriental Missionary to proceed in his trans- 
 lation of the Scriptures into the Tamul tongue 
 which they designated " the grand work." This 
 was indeed THE GRAND WORK ; for wherever the 
 Scriptures are translated into the vernacular 
 tongue, and are open and common to all, inviting 
 inquiry and causing discussion, they cannot 
 remain "a dead letter." When the Scriptures 
 speak to a heathen in his own tongue, his con- 
 science responds, " This is the word of God." 
 How little is the importance of a version of the 
 Bible in a new language understood by some. 
 The man who produces a translation of the Lible 
 into a new language, (like Wickliffe, and Luther, 
 and Ziegenbalg, and Carey) is a greater benefac- 
 tor to mankind than the Prince who founds an 
 Empire. For the " incorruptible seed of the word 
 "of God*' can never die. After ages have re- 
 volved, it is still producing new accessions to 
 truth and human happiness. 
 
 In the year 1719, Ziegenbalg finished the 
 Bible in the Tamul tongue, having devoted 
 fourteen years to the work. The peculiar in- 
 terest taken by the King in this primary endea- 
 
44 Christian 
 
 vour to evangelize the Hindoos, will appear from 
 the following letters, addressed to the Mission 
 aries by his Majesty. 
 
 <c GEORGE, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, 
 " France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. to the 
 " Reverend and Learned Bartholomew Ziegenbalgius 
 a and John Earnest Grtmdlerus, Missionaries at Trail - 
 <f quebar, in the East Indies. 
 
 " Reverend and Beloved, 
 
 " Your letters dated the 20th of January of the present 
 " year, were most welcome to us ; not only because the 
 f( work undertaken by you of converting the heathen to 
 <e the Christian faith, doth, by the grace f God, prosper, 
 <( but also because that, in this our kingdom, such a lau- 
 (( dable zeal for the promotion of the gospel prevails. 
 
 " We pray you may be endued with health and 
 ce strength of body, that you may long continue to fulfil 
 your ministry with good success ; of which, as we shall 
 be rejoiced to hear, so you will always find us ready to 
 cc succour you in whatever may tend to promote your 
 " work, and to excite your zeal. We assure you of the 
 " continuance of our royal favour. 
 
 GEORGE R. 
 
 ff Given at our Palace of Hampton 
 " Court, the 23d of August, 
 " A. D. 1717, in the 4th year 
 ff of our reign." 
 
respecting tlje Fpinfloos, 45 
 
 The King continued to cherish, with much 
 solicitude, the interests of the mission, after the 
 death of Ziegenbalgius ; and in ten years from 
 the date of the foregoing letter, a second was 
 addressed to the members of the mission, by his 
 Majesty. 
 
 " Reverend and beloved, 
 
 "From your letters dated Tranquebar, the 12th of 
 " September, 1725, which some time since came to hand, 
 " we received much pleasure ; since by the r we are inform- 
 " ed, not only of your zealous exertions in the prosecu- 
 (( tion of the work committed to you, but also of the happy 
 " success which hath hitherto attended it, and which hath 
 ""been graciously given of God. 
 
 " We return you thanks for these accounts, and it will 
 tf be acceptable to us, if you continue to communicate 
 " whatever shall occur in the progress of your mission. 
 
 (i In the mean time, we pray you may enjoy strength 
 * f , of body and mind for the long continuance of your 
 " labours in this good work, to the glory of God, and the 
 " promotion of Christianity among the heathens ; that its 
 t( perpetuity may not fail in generations to come.* 
 
 " GEORGE R. 
 
 " Given at our Palace at St. James's, 
 " the 23d of February, 1727, in 
 " the 13th year of our Keigu." 
 
 * Niecampius, Hut.'Mks. 
 
46 Christian 
 
 But these Royal Epistles are not the only 
 evangelic documents, of high authority, in the 
 hands of the Hindoos. They are in possession 
 of letters written by the Archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, of the same reign ;* who supported the 
 interests of the mission with unexampled libera- 
 lity, affection, and zeal. These letters, which are 
 many in number, are all written in the Latin lan- 
 guage. The following is a translation of his 
 Grace's first letter; which appears to have been 
 written by him as President of the " Society for 
 " promoting Christian Knowledge." 
 
 tf To Bartholomew Ziegenbalgius, and John Earnest 
 " Grundlerus, Preachers of the Christian faith, on the 
 " Coast of Coromandel. 
 
 " As often as I behold your letters, Reverend Brethren, 
 " addressed to the venerable Society instituted for the 
 " promotion of the gospel, whose chief honour and 
 " ornament ye are ; and as often as I contemplate the 
 " light of the Gospel, either now first rising on the 
 (( Indian nations, or after the intermission of some ages 
 " again revived, and as it were restored to its inheri- 
 <f tance ; I am constrained to magnify that singular 
 " goodness of God in visiting nations so remote ; 
 " and to account you, my Brethren, highly honoured, 
 whose ministry it hath plea ed him to employ in 
 
 . * Archbishop Wake. 
 
respecting tlje ipm&oog, 47 
 
 * this pious work, to the glory of his name, and the 
 " salvation of so many millions of souls. 
 
 " Let others indulge in a ministry, if not idle, 
 " certainly less laborious, among Christians at home* 
 " Let them enjoy in the hosom of the Church, titles 
 " and honours obtained, without labour and without 
 " danger. Your praise it will be (a praise of endless 
 * duration on earth, and followed by a just recompense 
 " in heaven) to have laboured in the vineyard which 
 v yourselves have planted ; to have declared the name 
 " of Christ, where it was not known before : and through 
 " much peril and difficulty to have converted to the 
 " faith those among whom ye afterwards fulfilled your 
 " ministry. Your province, therefore, Brethren, your 
 t( office, I place before all dignities in the Church. 
 " Let others be Pontiffs, Patriarchs, or Popes ; let them 
 " glitter in purple, in scarlet, or in gold ; let them seek 
 * ( the admiration of the wondering multitude, and receive 
 i( obeisance on the bended knee. Ye have acquired a 
 " better name than they, and a more sacred fame. And 
 " when that day shall arrive when the chief Shepherd 
 
 (utAJf 
 
 fe shall give towtty man ace >rding to his work, a. reater 
 " reward shall be adjudged to you. Admitted into 
 " the glorious society of the Prophets, Evangelists, and 
 " Apostles, ye, with them shall shine, like the sun 
 " among the lesser stars, in the kingdom of your Father, 
 " for ever* 
 
 " Since then so great honour is now given unto 
 f( you by all competent judges on earth, and since 
 "so great reward is laid up for you in heaven; go 
 
48 Christian Eesearrl/es 
 
 " forth with alacrity to that work, to the which the Holy 
 <( Ghost hath called you. God hath already given to 
 " you an illustrious pledge of his favour, an increase not 
 " to be expected without the aid of his grace. Ye have 
 (e begun happily, proceed with spirit. He, who hath 
 " carried you safely through the dangers of the seas 
 (i to such a remote country, and who hath given you 
 " favour in the eyes of those whose countenance ye most 
 " desired ; he who hath so liberally and unexpectedly 
 " ministered unto your wants, and who doth now daily 
 " add members to your Church ; he will continue to 
 " prosper your endeavours, and will subdue unto himself, 
 " by your means, the whole Continent of Oriental India. 
 
 " O happy men ! who, standing before the tribunal 
 (e of Christ, shall exhibit so many nations converted 
 <c to his faith by your preaching ; happy men ! to 
 " whom it shall be given to say before the assembly of 
 " the whole human race, ' Behold us, O Lord, and the 
 " children whom thou hast given us ;' happy men ! who 
 a being justified by the Saviour, shall receive in that 
 (c day the reward of your labours, and also shall hear 
 " that glorious encomium ; Well done, good and 
 " faithful servants, enter ye into the joy of your 
 " Lord/ 
 
 " May Almighty God graciously favour you and 
 " your labours in all things. May he send to your aid 
 (e fellow-labourers, such and as many as ye wish. May 
 "-he increase the bounds of your Churches. May he 
 st * open the hearts of those ta whom ye preach the 
 
respecting tl)e $fn&oo* 49 
 
 " Gospel of Christ, that hearing you, they may receive 
 " life-giving faith. May he protect you and yours from 
 " all evils and dangers. And when ye arrive (may it 
 " be late) at the end of your course, may the same 
 " God, who hath called you to this work of the Gospel, 
 " and hath preserved you in it, grant to you the re- 
 "ward of your labour, an incorruptible crown of 
 " glory. 
 
 " These are the fervent wishes and prayers of, 
 (( venerable Brethren, 
 
 " Your most faithful 
 
 " fellow-servant in Christ, 
 GULIELMUS CANT. 
 
 11 From our Palace at Lambeth, 
 January 7, A. D. 1719." 
 
 Providence hath been pleased to grant the 
 prayer of the King, " that the work might not 
 fail in generations to come ; and the prophecy 
 of his Archbishop is likely to be fulfilled, that 
 it should extend " over the whole Continent of 
 " Oriental India." After the first Missionary, 
 Ziegenbalg had finished his course, he was fol- 
 lowed by other learned and zealous men, upwards 
 of fifty in number, in the period of a hundred years, 
 among whom were Schultz, lasnicke, Gericke, 
 and Swartz, whose ministry has been continued 
 in succession in different provinces, unto this 
 time. The present state of the Mission will 
 
 E 
 
50 Christian 
 
 appear by the folio wing extract from the Journal 
 of the Author's Tour through these provinces. 
 
 c Tranquebar, 2oth August, 1806. 
 
 e Tranquebar was the first scene of the Protestant 
 Mission in India. There are at present three 
 Missionaries here, superintending the Hindoo con- 
 gregations. Yesterday I visited the Church built by 
 ZIEGENBALG. His body lies on one side of the 
 altar, and that of his fellow Missionary GRUNDLER 
 on the other. Above are the epitaphs of both, written 
 in Latin, and engraved on plates of brass. The 
 Church was consecrated in 1718, and Ziegenbalg, and 
 his companion, died in two years after. They laid the 
 foundation for evangelizing India, and then departed, 
 * having finished the work, which was given them to 
 do.* I saw also the dwelling-house of Ziegenbalg, 
 in the lower apartment of which the registers of the 
 Church are still kept. In these I found the name 
 of the first heathen baptized by him, and recorded 
 in his own hand-writing in the year 1707. la 
 Ziegenbalg's Church, and from the pulpit where he 
 stood, I first heard the Gospel preached to a con- 
 gregation of Hindoos, in their own tongue. The 
 Missionaries told me that religion had suffered much 
 in Tranquebar, of late years, from European Infidelity. 
 French principles had corrupted the Danes, and 
 rendered them indifferent to their own religion, and 
 
respecting tlje $fnboa& 5 1 
 
 therefore hostile to the conversion of the Hindoos. 
 ( Religion/ said they, ( flourishes more among the 
 natives of Tanjore and in other provinces where 
 there are few Europeans, than here or at Madras ; 
 for we find that European example in the large towns, 
 is the bane of Christian instruction. One instance 
 of hostility to the Mission they mentioned, as having 
 occurred only a few weeks before my arrival. On the 
 9th of July, 1756, the native Christians at Tranquebar 
 celebrated a JUBILEE, in commemoration of the 
 fiftieth year since the Christian ministers brought the 
 Bible from Europe. The present year 1806, being 
 the second 50th, preparations were made at Tranque- 
 bar for the second Jubilee, on the 9th of last month ; 
 but the French principles preponderating in the 
 Government, they would not give it any pub- 
 lic support; in consequence of which it was not 
 observed with that solemnity which was intended. 
 But in other places, where there were few Europeans, 
 it was celebrated by the native Christians with en- 
 thusiasm and every demonstration of joy. When 
 I expressed my astonishment at this hostility, the 
 aged Missionary, Dr. John, said, ( I have always re- 
 marked that the disciples of Voltaire are the true 
 enemies of Missions, and that the enemies of Missions 
 are, in general, the disciples of Voltaire/ 
 
 E 
 
CIjtfettau Beseatrfjes 
 
 * Tanjore, 30th August, 1806. 
 
 < On my entering this Province, I stopped an hour 
 at a village near the road ; and there I first heard the 
 name of SWARTZ pronounced by a Hindoo. When 
 I arrived at the capital, I waited on Major Blackburne, 
 the British resident at the Court of Tanjore, who 
 informed me that the Rajah had appointed the next 
 day at 12 o'clock to receive my visit. On the same 
 day I went to Swartz's garden close to the Christian 
 village, where the Rev. Mr. Kohloff resides. Mr. 
 Kohloff is the worthy successor of Mr. Swartz ; and 
 with him I found the Rev. Dr. John, and Mr. Horst, 
 two other Missionaries who were on a visit to 
 Mr. Kohloff. 
 
 Next day I visited the Rajah of Tanjore, in com- 
 pany with Major Blackburne. When the first 
 ceremonial was over, the Rajah conducted us to the 
 grand saloon, which was adorned by the portraits of 
 his ancestors ; and immediately led me up to the 
 portrait of Mr. Swartz. He then discoursed for 
 a considerable time concerning ( that good man' 
 whom he ever revered as ' his father and guardian.' 
 The Rajah speaks and writes English very in- 
 telligibly. I smiled to see Swartz's picture amongst 
 these Hindoo kings, and thought with myself that 
 there are many who would think such a combination 
 scarcely possible. I then addressed the Rajah, and 
 
respecting tfje ^tntraos, 53 
 
 thanked him, in the name of the Church of England, 
 for his kindness to the late Mr. Swartz, and to his 
 successors, and particularly for his recent acts of 
 benevolence to the Christians residing within his 
 provinces. The Missionaries had just informed me 
 that the Rajah had erected e a College for Hindoos, 
 Mahometans, and Christians ; ' in which provision 
 was made for the instruction of 'fifty Christian child- 
 ren.' His Highness is very desirous that I should 
 visit this College, which is only about sixteen miles 
 from the capital. Having heard of the fame of the 
 ancient Shanscrit, and Mahratta Library of the king's 
 of Tanjore, I requested his Highness would present 
 a catalogue of its volumes to the College of Fort- 
 William ; which he was pleased to do. It is vo- 
 luminous, and written in the Mahratta character; 
 for that is the proper language of the Tanjore 
 Court. 
 
 'In the evening I dined with the Resident, and 
 the Rajah sent his band of music, consisting of eight 
 or more Vinas with other instruments. The Vina or 
 Been, is the ancient instrument which Sir William 
 Jones has described in his interesting descant on 
 the musical science of the Hindoos, in the Asiatic 
 Researches, and the sight of which, he says, he found 
 it so difficult to obtain in northern India. The band 
 played the English air of ' God save the King/ set to 
 Mahratta words, and applied to the Maha Rajah, 
 or Great King of Tanjore. Two of the Missionaries 
 dined at the Resident's house, together with some 
 English officers, ^Mr. Kohloff informed me that 
 
54 Cijrfettau 
 
 Major Blackburne has promoted the interests of the 
 Missions by every means in his power. Major 
 Blackburne is a man of superior attainments, 
 amiable manners, and a hospitable disposition ; and 
 is well qualified for the important station he has 
 long held, as English Resident at this Court. 
 
 6 On the day following, I went to view the Hindoo 
 Temples, and saw the great BLACK BULL of Tanjore. 
 It is said to be of one stone, hewn out of a rock of 
 granite ; and so large that the Temple was built 
 around it. While I surveyed it, I reflected on the 
 multitudes of natives, who during the last hundred 
 years, had turned away their eyes from this Idol. 
 When I returned, I sat some hours with the 
 Missionaries, conversing on the general state of 
 Christianity in the provinces of Tanjore, Tritchinopoly, 
 Madura, and Palamcottah. They want help. Their 
 vineyard is increased, and their labourers are decreased. 
 They have had no supply from Gemany in the room of 
 Swartz, laenicke, and Gericke ; and they have no 
 prospect of further supply, except from 'the Society 
 * for promoting Christian Knowledge ; who they 
 hope, will be able to send out English Preachers to 
 perpetuate the Mission.' 
 
respecting tfje tyftOvoos. 55 
 
 < Tanjvre, Sept. 2, 1806. 
 
 f Last Sunday and Monday were interesting days to 
 me, at Tanjore. It being rumoured that a friend of the 
 late Mr. Swartz had arrived, the people assembled from 
 all quarters. On Sunday three Sermons were preached 
 in three different languages. At eight o'clock we pro- 
 ceeded to the Church built by Mr. Swartz within the 
 Fort. From Mr. Swartz's pulpit I preached in English 
 from Mark xiii. 10. ( And the Gospel must first be 
 published among all nations/ The English gentlemen 
 here attended, civil and military, with the Missionaries, 
 Catechists, and British soldiers. After this service was 
 ended, the congregation of Hindoos assembled in the 
 same Church, and filled the aisles and porches. The 
 Tamul service commenced with some forms of prayer, 
 in which all the congregation joined with loud fervour. 
 A chapter of the Bible was then read, and a hymn of 
 Luther's sung. After a short extempore prayer, during 
 which the whole congregation knelt on the floor, the 
 Rev. Dr. John delivered an animated Discourse in the 
 Tamul tongue, from these words, ( Jesus stood and 
 cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come to me and 
 drink/ As Mi% Whitfield, on his first going to Scot- 
 loud, was surprised at the rustling of the leaves of the 
 Bible, which took place immediately on his pronouncing 
 his text (so different from any thing he hafL^een in his 
 
56 C&rfettan Hesearcljes 
 
 own country) so I was surprised here at the sound of the 
 iron pen engraving the Palmyra leaf. Many persons 
 had then* Ollas in their hands writing the sermon in 
 Tamul short-hand. Mr. Kohloff assured me that some 
 of the elder Students and Catechists will not lose a word 
 of the preacher if he speak deliberately.* This, thought 
 I, is more than some of the Students at our English 
 Universities can do. This aptitude of the people to 
 record the words of the preacher, renders it peculiarly 
 necessary ' that the priest's lips should keep knowledge/ 
 An old rule of the Mission is that the sermon of the 
 morning should be read to the Schools in the evening, 
 by the Catechist, from his Palmyra leaf. 
 
 * Another custom obtains among them which pleased 
 me much. In the midst of the discourse the preacher 
 sometimes puts a question to the congregation ; who 
 answers it without hesitation, in one voice. The object 
 is to keep their attention awake, and the minister gene- 
 rally prompts the answer himself. Thus suppose that 
 he is saying, ' My dear Brethren, it is true that your 
 profession of the faith of Christ is attended with some 
 reproach, and that you have lost your cast with the 
 Brahmins. But your case is not peculiar. The man of 
 the world is the man of cast in Europe ; and he despises 
 the humble and devout disciple of Christ, even as your 
 Brahmin contemns the Sooder. But, thus it hath been 
 
 *It is well known that natives of Tanjore and Travancore 
 can write fluently what is spoken deliberately. They do not 
 Jouk much at their olias while writing. The fibre of the leaf 
 guides the t en. 
 
respecting tDe j&faaoos. 57 
 
 from the "beginning. Every faithful Christian must lose 
 cast for the Gospel ; even as Christ himself, the Fore- 
 runner, made himself of no reputation, and was despised 
 and rejected of men. In like manner, you will be 
 despised; but be of good cheer, and say, Though we 
 have lost our cast and inheritance amongst men, we 
 shall receive in heaven a new name and a better inheri- 
 tance, through Jesus Christ our Lord/ He then adds, 
 t What, my beloved Brethren, shall you obtain in heaven ?' 
 They answer, * A new name arid a better inheritance, 
 through Jesus Christ our Lord/ It is impossible for a 
 stranger not to be affected with this scene. This custom 
 is deduced from Ziegenbalg, who proved its use by long 
 experience. 
 
 ( After the Sermon was ended, I returned with the 
 Missionaries into the vestry or library of the Church. 
 Here I was introduced to the Elders and Catechists of 
 the congregation. Among others came SATTIANADEN, 
 the Hindoo preacher, one of whose Sermons was pub- 
 lished in England some years ago, by the Society for 
 promoting Christian Knowledge. He is now advanced 
 in years, and his black locks have grown gray. As 
 I returned from the Church, I saw the Christian families 
 going back in crowds to the country, and the boys look- 
 ing at their ollas. What a contrast, thought I, is this to 
 the scene at Juggernaut ! Here there is becoming dress, 
 humane affections, and rational discourse. I see here no 
 skulls, no self-torture, no self-murder, no dogs and 
 vultures tearing human flesh ! Here the Christian virtues 
 are found in exercise by the feeble-minded Hindoo, in 
 a vigour and purity which will surprise those who 
 
58 
 
 have never known the native character but under 
 the greatest disadvantages, as in Bengal. It cer- 
 tainly surprised myself; and when I reflected on the 
 moral conduct, upright dealing, and decorous manners 
 of the native Christians of Tanjore, I found in my 
 breast a new evidence of the peculiar excellence and 
 benign influence of the Christian Faith. 
 
 6 At four o'clock in the afternoon, we attend Divine 
 Service at the Chapel in the Mission Garden out of the 
 Fort. The Rev. Mr. Horst preached in the Portuguese 
 Language. The organ here accompanied the voice in 
 singing. I sat on a granite stone which covered the 
 grave of Swartz. The epitaph is in English verse, 
 written by the present Rajah, and signed by him, 
 ( Serfogee.' In the evening Mr. Kohloff presided at 
 the exercise in the schools : on which occasion the 
 Tamul Sermon was repeated ; and the boys' ollas ex- 
 amined. 
 
 ' In consequence of my having expressed a wish to 
 hear Sattianaden preach, Mr. Kohloff had given notice 
 that there would be divine service next day, Monday. 
 Accordingly the chapel in Swartz 's garden was crowded 
 at an early hour. Sattianaden delivered his Discourse 
 in the Tamul language, with much natural eloquence, 
 and with visible effect. His subject was the ( Mar- 
 vellous Light/ He first described the pagan darkness, 
 then the light of Ziegenbalg, then the light of Swartz, 
 and then the heavenly light, ' when there shall be no 
 more need of the light 9f the sun, or of the moon/ In 
 quoting a passage from Scripture, he desired a lower 
 minister to read it, listening to it as to a record j and 
 
respecting fye l^n&aofc 59 
 
 then proceeded to the illustration. The responses by 
 the audience were more frequently called for than in 
 the former Sermon. He concluded with praying fer- 
 vently for the glory and prosperity of the Church of 
 England. After the Sermon, 1 went up to Sattianaden, 
 and the old Christians who had known Swartz came 
 around us. They were anxious to hear something of 
 the progress of Christianity in the North of India. 
 They said they had heard good news from Bengal. I told 
 them that the news were good, but that Bengal was 
 exactly a hundred years behind Tanjore. 
 
 ' 1 have had long conversations with the Missionaries 
 relating to the present circumstances of the Tanjore 
 Mission. It is in a languishing state at this moment, 
 in consequence of the war on the Continent of Europe. 
 Two of its sources have dried up, the Royal College at 
 Copenhagen, and the Orphan-house at Halle, in Ger- 
 many. Their remaining resource from Europe is the 
 stipend of * The Society for promoting Christian Know- 
 ledge;' whom they never mention but with emotions 
 of gratitude and affection. But this supply is by no 
 means commensurate with the increasing number of 
 their Churches and Schools. The chief support of the 
 Mission is derived from itself. Mr. Swartz had in his 
 life time acquired a considerable property, through the 
 kindness of the English Government and of the Native 
 Princes. When he was dying, he said, Let the c cause 
 of Christ be my heir/ When his colleague, the pious 
 Gericke, was departing, he also bequeathed his property 
 to the Mission. And now Mr. Kohloff gives from his 
 private funds an annual sum; not that he can well 
 
60 Christian Besearrijes 
 
 afford it $ but the Mission is so extended, that he gives 
 it, he told me, to preserve the new and remote congre- 
 gations in existence. He stated that there were upwards 
 of ten thousand Protestant Christians belonging to the 
 Tanjore and Tinavelly districts alone, who had not 
 among them one complete copy of the Bible ; and that 
 not one Christian perhaps in a hundred, had a New 
 Testament ; and yet there are some copies of the Tamul 
 Scriptures still to be sold at Tranquebar : but the poor 
 natives cannot afford to purchase them. When 
 I mentioned the designs of the Bible Society in 
 England, they received the tidings with very sensible 
 emotions of thankfulness. Mr. Horst said, If 
 only every tenth person were to obtain a copy 
 of the Scriptures, it would be an event long to be re- 
 membered in Tanjore. They lamented much that they 
 were destitute of the aid of a printing-press, and repre- 
 sented to me that the progress of Christianity had been 
 materially retarded of late years by the want of that 
 important auxiliary. They have petitioned the Society 
 for promoting Christian Knowledge to send them one. 
 They justly observed, If you can no longer send us 
 Missionaries to preach the Gospel, send us the means 
 of printing the Gospel.* The Tranquebar Mission and 
 
 * The Brahmins in Tanjore have procured a press, " which 
 they dedicate (say the Missionaries in their last letter) to the 
 glory of their gods :" but their Missionaries, who first intro- 
 duced the civilization of Christianity at the Tanjore capital, are 
 still without one. Printing is certainly the legitimate instru- 
 ment of the Christian for the promulgation of Christianity. We 
 
 Fro- 
 
respecting tlje Jptn&oos. 6\ 
 
 the Madras mission have both possessed printing-presses 
 for a long period ; by the means of which they have 
 been extensively useful in distributing the scriptures and 
 religious publications in several languages. The Mis- 
 sion Press at Tranquebar may be said to have been the 
 fountain of all the good that was done in India during 
 the last century. It was established by Ziegenbalg. 
 From this press, in conjunction with that at Halle, in 
 Germany, have proceeded volumes in Arabic, Syriac, 
 Hindoostanee, Tamul, Telinga, Portuguese, Danish, and 
 English. I have in my possession the Psalms of David 
 in the Hindoostanee Language, printed in the Arabic cha- 
 racter; and the History of Christ in Syriac, intended 
 probably for the Syro-Romish Christians on the sea-coast 
 of Travancore, whom a Danish missionary once visited, 
 both of which volumes were edited by the Missionaries 
 of Tranquebar. There is also in Swartz's Library at 
 Tanjore a grammar of the Hindoostanee Language in 
 quarto, published at the same press ; an important fact 
 which was not known at the College of Fort- William, 
 when Professor Gilchrist commenced his useful labours 
 in that language," 
 
 Protestants have put it into the hands of the Brahmins, and we 
 ought to see to it that the teachers of our own religion are 
 possessed of an equal advantage. 
 
62 Christian 
 
 < Tanj&re, Sept. 3, 180G. 
 
 c Before I left the capital of Tanjore, the Rajah was 
 pleased to honour me with a second audience. On this 
 occasion he presented to me a portrait of himself, a very 
 striking likeness, painted by a Hindoo artist at the 
 Tanjore Court.* The Missionary, Dr. John, accom- 
 panied me to the palace. The Rajah received him with 
 much kindness, and presented to him a piece of gold 
 cloth. Of the resident Missionary Mr. Kohloff, whom 
 the Rajah sees frequently, he spoke to me in terms of 
 high approbation. This cannot be very agreeable to 
 the Brahmins ; but the Rajah, though he yet professes 
 the Brahminical religion, is no longer obedient to the 
 dictate of the Brahmins, and they are compelled to 
 admit his superior attainments in knowledge. I passed 
 the chief part of this morning in looking over Mr. 
 Swartz's manuscripts and books : and when I was com- 
 ing away Mr. Kohloff presented to me a Hebrew 
 Psalter, which had been Mr. Swartz's companion for 
 fifty years ; also a brass lamp which he had got first 
 when a Student at the College of Halle, and had used 
 in his lucubrations to the time of his death ; for 
 Mr. Swartz seldom preached to the natives without pre- , 
 study. I thought I saw the image of Swartz in 
 
 * It is now placed in the Public Library of the University of 
 Cambridge. 
 
respecting tlje gnufcoosu GS 
 
 his successor. Mr. Kohloff is a man of great simplicity 
 of manners, of meek deportment, and of ardent zeal in 
 the cause of revealed Religion, and of humanity. 
 He walked with me through the Christian village close 
 to his house -, and I was much pleased to see the affec- 
 tionate respect of the people towards him ; the young 
 people of both sexes coming forward from the doors on 
 both sides, to salute him and receive his benediction/* 
 
 * That I may give to those who are interested in the promo- 
 tion of Christianity in the East, a more just view of the cha- 
 racter of Swartz's successor, the Rev. Mr. Kohloff, I shall sub- 
 join an Extract of a Letter which I have since received from 
 the Rev. Mr. Horst. 
 
 " Tanjore, Sept. 24, 1807. 
 
 " The Rev. Mr. Kohloff is sometimes rather weak, on ac- 
 count of so many and various cares that assail him without 
 ceasing. He provides for the wants of this and the Southern 
 Missions (Tritchinopoly excepted) by disbursing annually 
 upwards of one thousand pagodas (about 250/. sterling) out 
 of his private purse, partly to make up the difference between 
 the income and expenditure of this and the Southern Mission 
 (of which I annex an abstract) and the rest in assisting the 
 deserving poor, without regard to religion ; and for various 
 pious uses. To him as Arbitrator and Father, apply all 
 Christians that are at variance, disturbed frorn without or 
 from within, out of service or distressed j for most of our 
 Christians will do any thing rather than go to law. 
 
 " All these heterogeneous, but, to a Missionary at Tanjore, 
 unavoidable avocations, joined to the ordinary duties of his 
 station, exercise his mind early and late j and if he be not of 
 a robust constitution, will undermine his health at last. 
 Happily, several neighbouring Churches and new congrega- 
 
64 Christian Eesearrfjes 
 
 < September 4th, 1SOG. 
 
 ' Leaving Tanjcre, I passed through the woods in- 
 habited by the Collaries (or thieves) now humanized 
 by Christianity. When they understood who I was, 
 they followed me on the road, stating their destitute 
 condition, in regard to religious instruction. They 
 were clamorous for Bibles. They supplicated for 
 teachers. c We don't want bread or money from you, 
 said they ; but we want the word of God/ Now, 
 thought I, whose duty is it to attend to the moral 
 wants of this people ? Is it that of the English nation, 
 or of some other nation ?" 
 
 ' Tritchinopoly, September 5th. 
 
 ' The first Church built by Swartz is at this place. 
 It is called Christ's Church, and is a large building, 
 
 tions, belonging to the Mission of Tanjore, afford Mr. KohlofF 
 frequent opportunities to relax his mind, and to recruit his 
 health and spirits, by making occasional short excursions to 
 see these new Christians, who were professed thieves only a few 
 years ago, and many of them are now an honour to the Christian 
 profession, and industrious peasants. It is pleasing to behold 
 the anxiety with which a great number of our Christian chil- 
 dren inquire at such times when their father will return ; and 
 how they run several miles to meet him with shouts and 
 clapping of hands, and hymns of thanks to God, as soon as 
 they discern his palankeen at a distance." 
 
respecting tfje Jputooos. 65 
 
 capable of containing perhaps two thousand people. 
 The aged Missionary, the Rev. Mr. Pohle, presides 
 over this Church, and over the native congregations at 
 this place. Christianity flourishes ; but I found that 
 here, as at other places, there is a e famine of Bibles.' 
 The Jubilee was celebrated on the 19th of July, being 
 the hundredth year from the arrival of the messengers of 
 the Gospel. On this occasion their venerable Pastor 
 preached from Matth. xxviii. 19. ' Go ye therefore, 
 and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name 
 of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost/ At this station, there are about a thousand 
 English troops. Mr. Pohle being a German, does not 
 speak English very well; but he is reverenced for 
 his piety by the English ; and both officers and 
 men are glad to hear the religion of their country 
 preached in any way.- On the Sunday morning, 
 I preached in Christ's Church to a full assembly, 
 from these words, ' For we have seen his Star in the 
 East, and are come to worship him/ Indeed, what 
 I had seen in these provinces rendered this tent the 
 most appropriate I could select. Next day some 
 of the English soldiers came to me, desiring to know 
 how they might procure Bibles. ( It is a delightful 
 thing,' said one of them, ' to hear our own religion 
 preached by our own countryman/ I am informed 
 that there are at this time above twenty English 
 regiments in India, and that not one of them has 
 a chaplain. The men live without religion, and 
 then they bury each other. O England, England, it 
 
66 eijrtsttan 
 
 is not for thine own goodness that Providence givetk 
 thee the treasures of India ! 
 
 e I proceed hence to visit the Christian Churches in 
 the provinces of Madura, and Tinnavelly/ 
 
 The friends of Christianity in India have had 
 it in their power to afford some aid to the Chris- 
 tian Churches in Tanjore On the 1st of Janu- 
 ary of the present year (1810,) the Rev. Mr. 
 Brown preached a Sermon at Calcutta, in which 
 he represented the petition of the Hindoos for 
 Bibles. A plain statement of the fact was suf- 
 ficient to open the hearts of the public. A 
 subscription was immediately set on foot, and 
 Lieut-General Hewitt, Commander-in-Chief^ 
 then Deputy Governor in Bengal, subscribed 
 250/. The chief officers of government, and 
 the principal inhabitants of Calcutta, raised the 
 subscription, in a few days, to the sum of 1000/. 
 sterling. Instructions were sent to Mr. Kolhoff 
 to buy up all the copies of the Tamul Scrip- 
 tures, to distribute them at a small price 
 amongst the natives, and order a new edition to 
 be printed off without loss of time.* 
 
 * The chief names in this subscription, besides that of 
 General Hewitt, were Sir John Royds, Sir W. Burroughs, 
 John Lumsden, esq., George Udney, esq., J. H. Harrington, 
 
respecting tf)e &ftti>0a& 67 
 
 VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES 
 FOR THE HINDOOS. 
 
 HAVING now seen what the Hindoos are in 
 their state of idolatry, as at Juggernaut, and in 
 Bengal ; and what they may become under the 
 influence of Christianity, as at Tranquebar. 
 Tritchinopoly, and Tanjore , it remains, to give 
 some account of the translation of the Scriptures 
 into the languages of the Hindoos. 
 
 There are five principal languages spoken by 
 Hindoos in countries subject to the British Em- 
 pire. These are, the Hindoostanee, which pervades 
 Hindoostan generally ; and the four languages 
 of the four great provinces, viz. the Bengalee) 
 for the province of Bengal ; the Tetinga, for the 
 
 esq. Sir John D'Oyley, Colonel Carey, John ThornhilJ, esq., 
 R. C. Plowden, esq. Thos. Hayes, esq., W. Egerton, esq., 
 &c. &c. 
 
 Thus, while we are disputing in England whether the 
 Bible ought to be given to the Hindoos, the Deputy Governor 
 in Bengal, the Members of the Supreme Council, and of the 
 Supreme Court of Judicature, and the chief officers of the 
 Government, after perusing the information concerning the 
 state of India sent from this country, are satisfied that it is an 
 important duty, and a Christian obligation. 
 
68 Cijttsttan 
 
 Northern Sircars ; the Tamul, for Coromandel, 
 and the Carnatic ; and the Malay alim or Malabar, 
 for the coast of Malabar and Travancore. 
 
 Of these five languages, there are two into 
 which the Scriptures are already translated ; the 
 Tamul, by the Danish Missionaries in the last 
 century ; and the Bengalee, by the Baptist Mis- 
 sionaries from England. The remaining three 
 languages are in progress of translation ; the Hin- 
 doos fanee, by the Rev. Henry Marty n, B. D. Chap- 
 lain in Bengal ; the Malabar, by Mar Dionysius, 
 Bishop of the Syrian Christians in Travancore ; 
 both of which translations will be noticed more 
 particularly hereafter ; and the Telinga, by 
 Ananda Rayer, a Telinga Brahmin, by birth a 
 Mahratta, under the superintendance of Mr. 
 Augustus Desgranges, at Vizagapatam, a Mis- 
 sionary belonging to the London Society.* 
 
 Ananda Rayer, a Brahmin of high cast, was 
 lately converted to the Christian faith, and has 
 given undoubted proofs of the serious impression 
 
 * The Christian church has now to lament the loss of two 
 of the Translators of the Holy Scriptures, mentioned in this page, 
 riz. the venerable bishop of the Syrian church, and the young 
 missionary, Mr. Augustus Desgranges. Their WORKS do fol- 
 low them. Rev. xiii. 14- " Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the 
 " HARVEST that he would send forth more labourers into his 
 " Harvest." Luke x. 2. Second Edition. 
 
respecting tjje $ftffloa& 69 
 
 *f its principles on his heart.* It is remarkable 
 that versions of the scriptures should be now 
 
 * The account of Ananda Rayer's conversion is given by 
 the Rev. Dr. John, the aged Missionary at Tranquebar, in 
 a letter to Mr. Desgranges. This Brahman applied, (as many 
 Brahmins and other Hindoos constantly do) to an older Brah- 
 min of some fame for sanctity, to know, " what he should do 
 " that he might be saved ?" The old Brahmin told him, that 
 " he must repeat a certain prayer four lack of times :" that is, 
 400,000 times. This he performed in a Pagoda, in six months ; 
 and added many painful ceremonies. But finding no comforter 
 peace from these external rites, he went to a Romish Priest, 
 and asked him if he knew what was the true religion ? The 
 Priest gave him some Christian books in the Telinga language, 
 and, after along investigation of Christianity, the inquiring Hin- 
 doo had no doubt remaining on his mind, that " Christ was the 
 tf Saviour of the world." But he was not satisfied with the 
 Romish worship in many points : he disliked the adoration of 
 images, and other superstitions ,- and having heard from the 
 Priests themselves, that the Protestant Christians at Tanjore 
 and Tranquebar, professed to have a purer faith, and had got 
 the Bible translated, and worshipped no images; he visited 
 Dr. John, and the other Missionaries at Tranquebar, where he 
 remained four months, conversing, says Dr. John, " almost 
 " every day with me," and examining the Holy Scriptures. 
 He soon acquired the Tamul language (which has affinity 
 with the Telinga) that he might read the Tamul translation j 
 and he finally became a member of the Protestant Church. 
 
 The Missionaries at Vizagapatam being in want of a learned 
 Telinga scholar to assist them in a translation of the Scriptures 
 into the Telinga language, Dr. John recommended Ananda 
 Rayer 3 " for he was averse," says he, " to undertake any worldly 
 
70 Cljrtetian Heseatcijes 
 
 preparing for the Mahomedans and Hindoos, by 
 their own converted countrymen; namely, the 
 Persian and Arabic versions, by SABAT the 
 Arabian ; and the Telinga version by Ax AN DA 
 RAYER, the Telinga Brahmin. The latter has 
 translated the four Gospels, and the Acts of the 
 Apostles. The progress of Sabat in his trans- 
 lations will be noticed hereafter. 
 
 THE CEYLONESE. 
 
 IN the island of Ceylon, the population under 
 the British Government amounts, according to 
 the best authorities, to upwards of a million and 
 a half ; and one third is supposed to profess 
 Christianity. This population was divided by 
 the Dutch, while they had possession of the 
 island, into 240 church-ships, and three native 
 
 " employment, and had a great desire to be useful to his 
 " brethren of the Telinga nation." The reverend Missionary 
 concludes thus : " What Jesus Christ hath required of his 
 " followers, this man hath literally done j he hath left father, 
 "mother, sisters, and brothers, and houses, and lands, for the 
 " Gospel's sake." 
 
 See Dr. John's Letter, dated 2Qth January, 1808, com- 
 municated to the Bible Society, by the Rev. Mr. Brown. 
 
respecting fye ceglouese* 7 1 
 
 schoolmasters were appointed to each church- 
 ship. The Dutch government never gave an 
 official appointment to any native who was 
 not a Christian ; a distinction which was ever 
 considered by them as a wise policy, as well as a 
 Christian duty, and which is continued by his 
 Majesty's Government in Ceylon. Perhaps it is 
 not generally known in England that our Ben- 
 gal and Madras Governments do not patronise 
 the native Christians. They give official ap- 
 pointments to Mahomedans and Hindoos gene- 
 rally in preference to natives professing Chris- 
 tianity, The chief argument for the retention 
 of this system is precedent. It was the practice 
 of the first settlers. But it has been often ob- 
 served that what might be proper or necessary 
 in a factory, may not be tolerable in a great 
 Empire. It is certain that this system confirms 
 prejudice, exposes our religion to contempt 
 in the eyes of the natives, and precludes every 
 ray of hope of the future prevalence of Chris- 
 tianity at the seats of government. 
 
 4 Jaffna-patam, in Ceykn, Sept. 2?, 1806. 
 * From the Hindoo Temple of Ramisseram, I crossed 
 
72 cijtastian 
 
 over to Ceylon, keeping close to Adam's bridge. 
 I was surprized to find, that all the boatmen were 
 Christians of Ceylon. I asked the helmsman what reli- 
 gion the English professed who now governed the island. 
 He said he could not tell, only that they were not of the 
 Portuguese or Dutch religion. I was not so much sur- 
 prized at his ignorance afterwards, as I was at the time. 
 
 I have had the pleasure to meet here with Alexander 
 Johnstone, Esq.* of the Supreme Court of Judicature, 
 who is on the circuit ; a man of large and liberal views, 
 the friend of learning, and of Christianity. He is well 
 acquainted with the language of the country, and with 
 the history of the island ; and his professional pursuits 
 afford him a particular knowledge of its present state ; 
 so that his communications are truly valuable- It will 
 be scarcely believed in England, that there are here 
 Protestant Churches under the King's government, 
 which are without ministers. In the time of BALD .BUS, 
 the Dutch preacher and historian, there were thirty - 
 two Christian Churches in the province of Jaffna alone. 
 At this time there is not one Protestant European 
 Minister in the whole province. I ought to except 
 Mr. Palm, a solitary Missionary, who has been sent 
 out by the London Society, and receives some stipend 
 from the British government. I visited Mr. Palm, at 
 his residence a few miles from the town of Jaffna. He 
 is prosecuting the study '"of the Tamil language ; for 
 that is the language of this part of Ceylon, from its 
 
 * Now Sir Alexander Johnstone, Chief- Justice of Ceylon. 
 
respecting tije ceplouese* rs 
 
 proximity to the Tamul continent. Mrs. Palm has 
 made as great progress in the language as her husband, 
 and is extremely active in the instruction of the native 
 women and children. I asked her if she had no wish to 
 return to Europe, after living so long among the un- 
 civilized Cingalese. No, she said ; she was ' all the 
 day long happy in the communication of knowledge/ 
 Mr. Palm has taken possession of the old Protestant 
 Church of Tilly-Pally. By reference to the history, 
 I found it was the church in which Baldaeus himself 
 preached (as he himself mentions) to a congregation of 
 two thousand natives ; for a view of the Church is given 
 in his work. Most of those handsome Churches, of 
 which views are given in the plates of Baldaeus's history, 
 are now in ruins. Even in the town and fort of Jaffna, 
 where there is a spacious edifice for Divine Worship, 
 and respectable society of English and Dutch inhabi- 
 tants, no Clergyman has been yet appointed. The only 
 Protestant preacher in the town of Jaffna is Christian 
 David, a Hindoo Catechist sent over by the Mission of 
 Tranquebar. His chief ministrations are in the Tamul 
 Tongue ; but he sometimes preaches in the English 
 Language, which he speaks with tolerable propriety: 
 and the Dutch and English resort to hear him. I went 
 with the rest to his Church ; when he delivered extem- 
 pore a very excellent Discourse, which his present 
 Majesty George the Third would not have disdained to 
 hear. And this Hindoo supports the interests of the 
 English Church in the province of Jaffna. The Dutch 
 Ministers who formerly officiated here, have gone to 
 Batavia or to Europe, The whole district is now in 
 
74 Christian 
 
 the hands of the Romish priests from the College of 
 Goa; who perceiving the indifference of the English 
 nation to their own religion, have assumed quiet and 
 undisturbed possession of the land. And the English 
 Government justly preferring the Romish superstition 
 to the worship of the idol Boodha, thinks it right to 
 countenance the Catholic Religion in Ceylon. But 
 whenever our Church shall direct her attention to the 
 promotion of Christianity in the East, I know of no 
 place which is more worthy of her labour,, than the old 
 Protestant Vineyard of Jaffna Patam. The Scriptures 
 are already prepared in the Tamul Language. The 
 language of the rest of Ceylon is the Cingalese, or 
 Ceylonese* 
 
 < Columbo, in Ceylon, 10th March, 1808. 
 
 < I find that the South part of the island is in much 
 the same state as the north, in regard to Christian 
 instruction. There are but two English Clergymen in 
 the whole island. f What wonder' (said a Romish priest 
 to me) ' that your nation should be so little interested 
 about the conversion of the Pagans to Christianity, 
 when it does not even give teachers to its own subjects 
 who are already Christians ? I was not surprised to 
 hear that great numbers of the Protestants every year 
 go back to idolatry. Being destitute of a Head to take 
 cognizance of their state, they apostatise to Boodho, 
 as the Israelites turned to Baal and Ashteroih. It is 
 perhaps true that the religion of Christ has never beer- 
 
respecting tije cepiauese. 79 
 
 so disgraced in any age of the Church, as it has been 
 lately, by our official neglect of the Protestant Church 
 in Ceylon. 
 
 f I passed the day at Mount Lavinia, the country 
 residence of General Maitland, the Governor of Ceylon ; 
 and had some conversation with his Excellency 
 on the religious state of the country. He desired 
 I would commit to writing and leave with him a me- 
 morandum of inquiries which I wished should be made 
 on subjects relating to the former prevalence of the 
 Protestant Religion in the island, and the means of 
 reviving and establishing it once more. His Excellency 
 expressed his conviction that some Ecclesiastical Esta- 
 blishment ought to be given to Ceylon; as had been 
 given to other Colonies of His Majesty in America 
 and the West Indies. He asked what was the cause of 
 the delay in giving an Ecclesiastical Establishment to 
 the Continent of India. I told him I supposed the 
 chief cause was the mixed government of our Indian 
 Empire. It was said to be a question at home, who 
 ought to originate it. Had there been no revolution 
 in Europe to distract the attention of the nation, and 
 had Mr. Pitt lived, many things of a grand and arduous 
 character would have been done which are yet left un- 
 done. There are now three missionaries of the London 
 Society established in three different parts of the 
 island. It gave me great pleasure to find that General 
 Maitland, and the senior Chaplain at Columbo, the 
 Honourable Mr. Twisleton, had afforded their patronage 
 in the most liberal manner to these useful teachers. 
 Government has allowed to each of them an annual 
 
76 CJjtfett'an 
 
 stipend. In returning from the country I passed 
 through the groves of CINNAMON, which extend nearly 
 a mile in length. Ceylon is believed by some of the 
 Easterns, both Mahomedans and Hindoos, to have been 
 the residence of the first man (for the Hindoos have 
 a First Man, and a Garden of Eden, as well as the 
 Christians) : because it abounds in fi Trees pleasant to 
 the eyes, and good for food f and is famous for its rare 
 metals and precious stones. c There is gold, bdellium, 
 and the onyx-stone.' The rocky ridge which connects 
 this happy island with the main land, is called Adam's 
 Bridge ; the lofty mountain in the middle of the island 
 every where visible, is called Adam's Peak : and there is 
 a sepulchre of immense length, which they call Abel's 
 Tomb. All these names were given many ages before 
 the introduction of Christianity from Europe: The 
 Cinnamon trees love a sandy soil. The surface of the 
 ground appeared to be entirely sand. I thought it won- 
 derful that the most valuable of all trees should grow in 
 luxuriance in such an arid soil without human culture. 
 I compared them in my mind to the Ceylon Christians 
 in their present state, who are left to flourish by them- 
 selves under the blessing of heaven, without those exter- 
 nal and rational aids which have been divinely appointed 
 to nourish the Church of Christ/ 
 
 < Columbo, llth March) 1808. 
 
 c I have conversed with intelligent persons on the 
 means of translating the Scriptures into the Cingalese 
 
respecting tfje ceplonese. 77 
 
 Language. The whole of the New Testament has 
 been translated, but only three books of the Old 
 Testament. But even this portion has been translated 
 almost in vain : for there is no supply of books for 
 the use of the people. I reflected with astonishment 
 on the fact, that there are by computation 500,000 
 natives in Ceylon professirig Christianity, and that 
 there should not be one complete copy of the Holy 
 Scriptures in the vernacular tongue. Samuel Tolfry, 
 Esq. head of a civil department in Columbo, is a good 
 Cingalese scholar, and is now engaged in compiling 
 a Cingalese dictionary. I proposed to him to under- 
 take the completion of the Cingalese Version j which 
 is easily practicable, as there are many learned 
 Cingalese Christians in Columbo. He professed 
 himself ready to engage in the work, provided he 
 should receive the sanction of the government. 
 I mentioned to him what had passed in my con- 
 versation with General Maitland, and his Excellency's 
 favourable sentiments on the subject ; and added that 
 a correspondence would be immediately commenced 
 with him from Calcutta, concerning the work, and 
 funds apportioned for the execution of it. Alexander 
 Johnstone, esq. who is now in Columbo, has furnished 
 me with his sentiments on the best means of reviving 
 and maintaining the Protestant interest in Ceylon. 
 Did his professional avocations permit, Mr. Johnstone 
 is himself the fit person to superintend the translation 
 and printing of the Scriptures. It is a proof of the 
 interest which this gentleman takes in the progress of 
 Christian knowledge, that he hath caused Bishop 
 
78 Christian 
 
 Porteus's Evidences of Christianity to be translated 
 into the Cingalese tongue, for distribution among the 
 natives/ 
 
 THE MALAYS. 
 
 A NEW empire has been added to Great 
 Britain in the East, which may be called her 
 Malay Empire. The ex tensive dominion of the 
 Dutch in the Indian Ocean, is devolving upon 
 the English ; and it may be expected that Britain 
 will soon be mistress of the whole of the MA- 
 LAYAN ARCHIPELAGO. But as we increase 
 our territories, we increase our obligations. 
 Our duties to our Hindoo Empire have been 
 long enough the subject of discussion : let 
 us now turn our attention to the obligations 
 which we owe to our Malay Empire. We are 
 now about to take possession of islands, peo- 
 pled by numbers of Protestant Christians. 
 For in every island where the Dutch esta- 
 blished their government, they endeavoured 
 to convert the natives to Christianity, and they 
 were successful. Those amongst us who would 
 recommend that the evangelization of barbarous 
 nations should bedeferred "'till amore convenient 
 *' season/'will have no opportunity of offering the 
 advice in regard to some of the islands : foi\ 
 
rejecting tlje Jfflala^. 75 
 
 behold, the natives are Christians already. They 
 profess the religion of the Bible. Let it be our 
 endeavour then to do more justice to these our 
 newProtestant subjects than we have done to the 
 Christians of Ceylon. We have less excuse in 
 the present in&tance, for the Malay Scriptures are 
 already translated to our hands. What a noble 
 field here opens to the view of the " Society for 
 " promoting Christian Knowledge," and of the 
 Bible Society ! Here there is ample room for 
 a praise- worthy emulation, and for the utmost 
 exercise of their benevolent exertions. One 
 hundred thousand Malay Bibles will not suffice 
 to supply the Malay Christians. 
 
 "The Sacred Scriptures were translated by the 
 Dutch into the Eastern Malay ;* for that is 
 the general language of their ex tensive dominions 
 in the Indian Sea. But the Eastern Malay is 
 different from the Western Malay, or that of 
 Sumatra. In the College of Fort-William, 
 Thomas Jarret, esq. of the Honourable Com- 
 pany's Civil Service, was preparing a version 
 of the Scriptures in the Western Malay ; for 
 
 * A complete version of the Malay Bible was published 
 in the Arabic character at Batavia, in 5 vols. 8vo. in 1/58, 
 under the direction of Jacob Mossel, Governor- General of the 
 Dutch possessions in the East Indies. 
 
so 
 
 which undertaking he was well qualified, 
 having resided twelve years in Sumatra. 
 When the progress of the Biblical translations 
 was interrupted in the College, Mr. Jarrett pro- 
 secuted the work, after his return to Madras. 
 He has had, as an assistant in the design, 
 a learned Malay of the rank of Rajah in his 
 own country, who came from Sumatra for the 
 purpose. Mr. Jarrett has also made consider- 
 able progress in compiling a copious Malay 
 Dictionary, which he commenced before he 
 left the island. His labour, it is to be hoped, 
 will not be lost to the public ; for the Malay 
 language is daily increasing in its importance 
 to the British nation. 
 
 Prince of Wales's Island, or, as it is called by 
 the natives, Penang, or Pulo Penang, that is, the 
 Island Penang, is the capital of our Malay terri- 
 tories, and is the proper place for the cultivation 
 of the Malay language, being situated close to 
 the main land of Malacca. As there is a College 
 in Bengal for instructing the English in the 
 languages of the continent of Hindoostan, it is 
 equally expedient that there should be an Insti- 
 tution in Penang for the cultivation of the Malay 
 tongue, and of the various dialects of our insular 
 possessions. The Dutch attended to this object 
 in the very infancy of their empire. Besides, 
 
respecting tlje jalaps. si 
 
 it is probable that Penang will, in the progress 
 of Eastern civilization, become the great empo- 
 rium of Asiatic Commerce. Its sudden elevation, 
 is a prognostic of its future celebrity. It is 
 situated on what may be called, " the high way," 
 in which ships sail from either hemisphere; and 
 is the very centre of British navigation in the 
 East. The Author resided on this island for 
 about a month, and was greatly surprised at 
 the variety of languages which are spoken, and 
 at the different races of men who present 
 themselves to view in this infant settlement. 
 The Merchants are chiefly of the Malay, and 
 Indo-Chinese nations. John Shaw, esq. was 
 prosecuting the study of the Eastern Malay 
 Language, when the Author visited the island, 
 and has since published a considerable portion 
 of a Malay Grammar. 
 
 The author who chiefly claims ouf notice in 
 regard to the Malay regions is J. C. Ley den, 
 M.D. Professor of Hindoos tanee in the College of 
 Fort-William. To him the learned world is 
 indebted for " a Dissertation on the Languages, 
 " and Literature of the Indo-Chinese nations,'* 
 just published in the'Asiatic Researches, in which 
 he illuminates a very dark subject, and opens 
 a new view to Great Britain of her insular 
 possessions in Asia. Dr. Ley den takes the lead 
 
 6 
 
82 Christian 
 
 in this most useful science, in the East, being 
 possessed of very rare talents for general Philo- 
 logy, which he has applied almost suddenly, and 
 with admirable effect, to theOrientalLanguages. If 
 this erudite scholar should prosecutehisresearches 
 for some years to come, with equal assiduity and 
 success, he will promote, in the most effectual 
 manner, the general civilization of the East, by 
 opening the way for the future exertions of 
 Christian teachers, and preparing them for the 
 study of languages, the names of which are 
 not yet known in Europe. 
 
 Penang, and the neighbouring settlement of 
 Malacca, are most favourable stations for the 
 study of the various dialects of the Malay and 
 Chinese Languages ; and for pouring forth from 
 the press useful works for the civilization of 
 maritime and Austral Asia. Every week, boats 
 of different nations are ready to carry off every 
 thing that is printed to their respective regions. 
 The Author found here a general spirit of in- 
 quiry, a communicative disposition, and an un- 
 usual thirst for knowledge ; for the civilities 
 of commerce have a tendency to weaken 
 prejudice and superstition among barbarous 
 tribes. 
 
 Although the Dutch introduced Christianity on 
 every island where they established a Government 
 
respecting t!)e jflaiaps, 83 
 
 yet the greater part of the Malay islands are 
 involved in darkness. The natives are of three 
 general casts, Pagans, Mahomed an s, and Chi- 
 nese. The Mahomedans chiefly inhabit the 
 shores, and the Pagans the interior parts of 
 the islands. The barbarism of the interior 
 .ftSnfcats in Sumatra, Borneo, and other islands, 
 almost exceeds belief. Marsden, in his 
 history of Sumatra, had informed us that 
 it was usual with the natives of the interior, 
 called the Batta tribes, to kill and eat their 
 criminals, and prisoners of war ; but the re- 
 searches of Dr. Leyden have led to the discovery 
 that they sometimes sacrifice their own relations. 
 " They themselves declare," (says he,) "that they 
 " frequently eat their own relations when aged 
 " and infirm : and that not so much to gratify their 
 " appetite, as to perform a pious ceremony. Thus, 
 " when a man becomes infirm and weary of the 
 " world, he is said to invite his own children to 
 " eat him in the season when salt and limes 
 *' are cheapest. He then ascends a tree, round 
 " which his friends and offspring assemble, and 
 w as they shake the tree, join in a funeral 
 " dirge, the import of which is, ' The season 
 " is come, the fruit is ripe, and it must de* 
 " scend.' The victim descends, and those thafc 
 " are nearest and dearest to him deprive him 
 
84 Christian Eesearcljes 
 
 " of life and devour his remains in a solemn 
 " banquet."* 
 
 These cannibals inhabit the interior of the 
 island of Sumatra, on the shore of which is 
 the English settlement, Bencoolen, or Fort- 
 Malborough. We have been settled there for 
 a long period, and trade with the inhabitants for 
 their spices. In return for the pepper which the 
 natives give us, it would well become our charac- 
 ter as a Christian nation, were we now at length, 
 to offer them the New Testament. 
 
 Another description of barbarians in the 
 Eastern Isles, are the Haraforas^ called by the 
 Dutch, the Alfoers. They are to be found in 
 almost all the larger islands. " In their man- 
 " ners," says Dr. Leyden, " the most singular 
 " feature is the necessity imposed on every per- 
 " son of, sometime in his life, imbruing 
 " his hands in human blood : and in general, 
 " among all their tribes, no person is per- 
 ":mitted to marry, 'till he can shew the 
 " skull of a man whom he has slaughtered. 
 " They eat the flesh of their enemies like 
 " the Battas, and drink out of their skulls ; and 
 the ornaments of their houses are human skulls 
 " and teeth/-)- When the Author was at Pulo 
 
 * Asiatic Researches, Vol. X.p, 203. 
 f Ibid, p, 217. 
 
respecting tlje jMalaps. 35 
 
 Penang, he himself saw a Chief of the Malay 
 tribe who had a staff, on the head of which was 
 a bushy lock of human hair ; which he said he 
 had cut from the head of his enemy, whom he 
 had killed. 
 
 The Author has mentioned the foregoing cir- 
 cumstances to shew what Paganism is in its na- 
 tural state, and to awaken some desire of civilizing 
 a people, who are now so accessible to us. Some 
 Philosophers of the school of Voltaire and Gib- 
 bon, have been extravagant in their eulogium of 
 man in a state of nature, or in some other state 
 DEVOID of Christianity ; and it is to be lamented 
 that some Christian writers have tried of late to 
 draw the same picture. But Paganism in its best 
 estate, is well described by one line of the Poet : 
 
 Monstrum, horrendum, informe, ingens cni LUMEN ad 
 emptum. VIRG. 
 
 No quarter of the globe promises to be more 
 auspicious toChristian Missions than the Malayan 
 Archipelago. In regard to the probable success 
 of our endeavours, the Dutch have already shewn 
 what is practicable. The natives are of different 
 casts, and are a divided people. The .communi- 
 cation is easy from island to island ; our own ships 
 are continually plying on their shores. The 
 
86 Christian Keseattljes 
 
 China fleet pass through twice or oftener every 
 year; and with most of the islands we have 
 intercourse by what is called in India, the coun- 
 try trade. And now there will be, of course, an 
 English Government established in each of the 
 conquered islands in lieu of the Dutch. 
 
 The Mahomedans found it easy to translate 
 the Koran into the languages of Java, and of 
 the Celebes; but the Sacred Scriptures are not 
 yet translated into either of these languages. The 
 proper language of Java is different from the 
 Malay of the city of Batavia. The language 
 of the Celebes is called the Bugis, or Bouguese.* 
 The natives of Celebes are distinguished for their 
 vigour of mind and strength of body ; and are 
 acknowledged to be the first of the Orang Timor. 
 or Eastern men. Literature was formerly cultivated 
 among them. Dr. Leyden enumerates fifty-three 
 different volumes. "Their songs," says he, "and 
 " romances, are famous among all the islands of 
 " the East." Their language extends to other 
 islands, for they formerly carried their conquests 
 beyond the Moluccas. The man who shall first 
 
 * Lord Minto notices in his Speech to the College of Fort 
 William, that Thos. Raffles, Esq. Secretary to the Government 
 in Prince of Wales's Island, is employed in compiling a code of 
 Malay laws, in the Malay and Bougeuse Languages. 
 
respecting tlje jalaps* s; 
 
 translate the Bible in to the language of the Celebes, 
 will probably be read by as many islanders as have 
 read the translation of Wickliffe. Let us consi- 
 der how long these nations have waited for 
 Christian instruction, and con template the words 
 of the prophecy, " The isles shall wait for HIS 
 " Law." Is. xliii. 4. 
 
 The facilities for civilizing the Malayan isles 
 are certainly very great; and these facilities are 
 our strongest encouragement to make the attempt. 
 Both in our translation of the Scriptures and in 
 missions to the heathen, we should avoid as much 
 as possible what may be called enterprise. Let 
 us follow the path that is easy and secure, and 
 make use of those means which are already af- 
 forded to us by Providence. Thus the most va- 
 luable and important translation of the Scrip- 
 tures in the present circumstances, will be that 
 for which a people are already prepared, such as 
 the Malayalim, the Cingalese, and Malay. And 
 the most judiciously planned Missions will be 
 those where there is a prospect of personal secu- 
 rity to the teachers ; and where there are, judging 
 from human probabilities, the greatest facilities 
 for the conversion of the people. 
 
88 Christian Eesearcljes 
 
 THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN INDIA. 
 
 THE Syrian Christians inhabit the interior of 
 Travancore and Malabar, in the South of India ; 
 and have been settled there from the early ages 
 of Christianity. The first notices of this an-' 
 cient people in recent times are to be found in 
 the Portuguese histories. When Vasco de Gama 
 arrived at Cochin on the coast of Malabar, in the 
 year 1503, he saw the sceptre of the Christian 
 King ; for the Syrian Christians had formerly 
 regal power in Malay-Ala.* The name or title of 
 their last King was Beliarte; and he dying with- 
 out issue, the dominion devolved on the King of 
 Cochin and Diamper. 
 
 When the Portuguese arrived, they were agree- 
 ably surprised to find upwards of a hundred 
 Christian Churches on the coast of Malabar. But 
 when they became acquainted with the purity and 
 simplicity of their worship, they were offended. 
 
 * Malay-ala is the proper name for the whole country of Tra- 
 vancore and Malabar, comprehending the territory between the 
 mountains and the sea, from Cape Cormorin to Cape Illi or 
 Dilly. The language of these extensive regions is called Malay- 
 alim, and sometimes Malabar. We shall use the word Malabar 
 as being of easier pronunciation. 
 
respecting ti>e g>prtan& 89 
 
 ''These Churches/' said the Portuguese, "belong 
 " to the Pope/ "Who is the Pope," said the 
 natives, " we never heard of him." The Euro- 
 pean priests were yet more alarmed, when they 
 found that these Hindoo Christians maintained 
 the order and discipline of a regular Church un- 
 der Episcopal Jurisdiction : and that, for 1300 
 years past, they had enjoyed a succession of Bi- 
 shops appointed by the Patriarch of Antioch. 
 " We/' said they, are of the true faith, whatever 
 "you from the West may be ; for we come from 
 the place where the followers of Christ were first 
 called Christians." 
 
 When the power of the Portuguese became 
 sufficient for their purpose, they invaded these 
 tranquil Churches, seized some of the Clergy, and 
 devoted them to the death of heretics. Then 
 the inhabitants heard for the first time that 
 there was a place called the Inquisition ; and that 
 its fires had been lately lighted at Goa, near their 
 own land. But the Portuguese, finding that the 
 people were resolute in defending their ancient 
 faith, began to try more conciliatory measures. 
 They seized the Syrian Bishop, Mar Joseph, and 
 gent him prisoner to Lisbon, and then convened 
 a Synod at one of the Syrian Churches called 
 Diamper, near Cochin, at which theRomishArch- 
 bishop Menezes presided. At this compulsory 
 
90 Christian fteseatrijes 
 
 Synod, 150 of the Syrian Clergy appeared. 
 They were accused of the following practices 
 and opinions, "That they had married wives; that 
 they owned but two Sacraments, Baptism and 
 the Lord's Supper; that they neither invoked 
 " Saints, nor worshipped Images, nor believed 
 t( in Purgatory : and that they had no other 
 " orders or names of dignity in the Church, 
 " than Bishop, Priest, and Deacon.'' These 
 tenets they were called on to abjure, or to suffer 
 suspension from all Church benefices. It was 
 also decreed that all the Syrian books on Eccle- 
 siastical subjects that could be found, should be 
 burned ; " in order," said the Inquisitors, " that 
 no pretended apostolical monuments may re- 
 
 main." 
 
 The Churches on the sea-coast were thus 
 compelled to acknowledge the supremacy of 
 the Pope : but they refused to pray in Latin, and 
 insisted on retaining their own language and Li- 
 turgy. This point they said they would only 
 give up with their lives. The Pope compro- 
 mised with them : Menezes purged their Litur- 
 gy of its errors : and they retain their Syriac 
 Language, and have a Syriac College unto this 
 day. These are called the Syro-Roman Churches, 
 and are principally situated on the sea-coast 
 
 The Churches in the interior would not yield 
 to Rome. After a show of submission for a little 
 
respecttng tlje Brians. 9 1 
 
 while, they proclaimed eternal war against the 
 Inquisition ; they hid their books, fled occa- 
 sionally to the mountains, and sought the pro- 
 tection of the Native Princes, who had always 
 been proud of their alliance. 
 
 Two centuries had elapsed without any parti- 
 cular information concerning the Syrian Chris- 
 tians in the interior of India. It was doubted 
 by many whether they existed at all; but if 
 they did exist, it was thought probable that 
 they must possess some interesting documents 
 of Christian antiquity. The Author conceived 
 the design of visiting them, if practicable, in 
 his tour through Hindoostan. He presented a 
 short memoir on the subject in 1805, to Marquis 
 Wellesley, then Governor-General of India; 
 who was pleased to give orders that every faci- 
 lity should be afforded to him in the prosecution 
 of his inquiries. About a year after that Noble- 
 man had left India, the Author proceeded on 
 his Tour. It was necessary that he should visit 
 first the Court of the Rajah of Travancore, in 
 whose dominions the Syrian Christians resided, 
 that he might obtain permission to pass to their 
 country. The two chief objects which he 
 proposed to himself in exploring the state of 
 this ancient people, were these : First, to inves- 
 tigate their literature and history, and to collect 
 
92 Christian Researches 
 
 Biblical manuscripts. Secondly, if he should 
 find them to be an intelligent people, and well 
 acquainted with the Syriac Scriptures, to endea- 
 vour to make them instruments of illuminating 
 
 o 
 
 the Southern part of India, by engaging them 
 in translating their Scriptures into the Native 
 Languages. He had reason to believe that this 
 had not yet been done; and he was prepared 
 not to wonder at the delay, by the reflection 
 how long it was before his own countrymen 
 began to think it their duty to make versions of 
 the Scriptures, for the use of other nations. 
 
 f Palace of Travancore, 19th Oct. 1805. 
 ' I have now been a week at the Palace of Trivan 
 duram, where the Rajah resides. A letter of introduction 
 from Lieut.-Colonel Macauley, the British Resident at 
 Travancore, procured me a proper reception. At my 
 first audience His Highness was very inquisitive as to 
 the objects of my journey. As I had servants with me 
 of different casts and languages, it was very easy for 
 the Brahmins to discover every particular they might 
 wish to know, in regard to my profession, pursuits, and 
 manner of life. When I told the Rajah that the Syrian 
 Christians were supposed to be of the same religion with 
 the English, he said he thought that could not be the 
 case, else he must have heard it before ; if, however, it 
 was so, he considered my desire to visit them as being 
 
respecting tlje g>jrian0. 93 
 
 very reasonable. I assured His Highness that their 
 Shaster and ours was the same ; and shewed him a 
 Syriac New Testament which I had at hand. The book 
 being bound and gilt after the European manner, the 
 Rajah shook his head, and said he was sure there was 
 not a native in his dominions who could read that book. 
 I observed that this would be proved in a few days. 
 The Dewan (or Prime Minister) thought the character 
 something like what he had seen sometimes in the 
 houses of the Sooriani. The Rajah said he would afford 
 me every facility for my journey in his power. He put 
 an emerald ring on my finger, as a mark of his friend- 
 ship, and to secure me respect in passing through his 
 country; and he directed his Dewan to send proper 
 persons with me as guides. 
 
 ' I requested that the Rajah would be pleased to pre- 
 sent a Catalogue of all the Hindoo Manuscripts in the 
 Temples of Travancore to the College of Fort-William 
 in Bengal. The Brahmins were very averse to this ; but 
 when I shewed the Rajah the catalogues of the books 
 in the Temples of Tanjore, given by the Rajah of Tan- 
 jore, and of those of the Temple of Ramisseram, given 
 me by order of the Rannie (or Queen) of Ramnad; 
 he desired it might be done : and orders have been sent 
 to the Hindoo College of Trichoor for that purpose/* 
 
 * These three Catalogues, together with that of the Rajah 
 of Cochin, which the Author procured afterwards, are now 
 deposited in the College of Fort- William, and probably contain 
 all the Hindoo literature of the South of India. 
 
94 Christian 
 
 c Chmganoor; a Church of the Syrian Christians, 
 Nov. 10th, 1806. 
 
 c From the palace of Travancore I proceeded to 
 Mavely-car, and thence to the hills at the bottom of the 
 high Ghauts which divide the Carnatic from Malayala. 
 The face of the country in general, in the vicinity of the 
 mountains, exhibits a varied scene of hill and dale, and 
 winding streams. These streams fall from the moun- 
 tains, and preserve the vallies in perpetual verdure. The 
 woods produce pepper, cardamoms and cassia, or common 
 cinnamon ; also frankincense and other aromatic gums. 
 What adds much to the grandeur of the scenery in 
 this country is, that the adjacent mountains of Travan- 
 core are not barren, but are covered with forests of teak 
 wood ; the Indian oak, producing, it is said, the largest 
 timber in the world. 
 
 * The first view of the Christian Churches in this 
 sequestered region of Hindoostan, connected with the 
 idea of their tranquil duration for so many ages, cannot 
 fail to excite pleasing emotions in the mind of the 
 beholder. The form of the oldest buildings is not unlike 
 that of some of the old Parish Churches in England; 
 the style of building in both being of Saracenic origin. 
 They have sloping roofs, pointed arch windows and 
 buttresses supporting the walls. The beams of the roof 
 being exposed to view are ornamented ; and the ceiling 
 of the choir and altar is circular and fretted. In th$ 
 
respecting tlje &jrfan& 95 
 
 Cathedral Churches, the shrines of the deceased bishops 
 are placed on each side of the altar. Most of the 
 Churches are built of a reddish stone, squared and 
 polished at the quarry ; and are of durable construction, 
 the front wall of the largest edifices being six feet thick. 
 The bells of the Churches are cast in the founderies of 
 the country : some of them are of large dimensions, 
 and have inscriptions in Syriac and Malay-alim. In 
 approaching a town in the evening, I once heard the 
 sound of the bells among the hills ; a circumstance whicrj. 
 made me forget for a moment that I was in Hindoostan, 
 and reminded me of another country. 
 
 f The first Syrian Church which I saw was at Mavely- 
 car: but the Syrians here are in the vicinity of the 
 Romish Christians 5 and are not so simple in their man- 
 ners as those nearer the mountains. They had been 
 often visited by Romish emissaries in former times: 
 and they at first suspected that I belonged to that com- 
 munion. They had heard of the English, but strangely 
 supposed that they belonged to the Church of the Pope 
 in the West. They had been so little accustomed to 
 see a friend, that they could not believe that I was come 
 with any friendly purpose. Added to this, I had some 
 discussions with a most intelligent priest, in regard to 
 the original language of the Four Gospels, which he 
 maintained to be Syriac ; and they suspected from the 
 complexion of my argument, that I wished to weaken 
 the evidences for their antiquity,* Soon, however, the 
 
 * " You concede," said the Syrian, " that our Saviour spoke 
 in our language ; how do you know it ?" From Syriac expres- 
 
9 Christian 
 
 gloom and suspicion subsided ; they gave me the right 
 hand of fellowship, in the primitive manner ; and one of 
 
 sions in the Greek Gospels. It appears that he spoke Syriac 
 when he walked by the way (Ephphatha), and when he sat in 
 the house (Talitha Cumi), and when he was upon the cross 
 (EM, Eli, lama sabachthani). The Syrians were pleased when 
 they heard that we had got their language in our English books. 
 The priest observed that these last were not the exact words, 
 but ' Ail, Ail, lamono sabachthani.' I answered that the 
 word must have been very like Eli, for one said ' He calleth 
 E/ias.' " True," said he, " but yet it was more likely to be Ail, 
 Ail (pronounced II or Eel) for Hil or Hila, is old Syriac for 
 Vinegar j and one thought he wanted Vinegar, and filled 
 immediately a sponge with it. But our Saviour did not want 
 the medicated drink as they supposed. But," added he, " if 
 the parables and discourses of our Lord were in Syriac, and the 
 people of Jerusalem commonly used it, is it not marvellous that 
 his Disciples did not record his parables in the Syriac Lan- 
 guage j and that they should have recourse to the Greek ?" I 
 observed that the Gospel was for the world, and the Greek was 
 then the universal language, and therefore Providence selected 
 it. " It is very probable," said he, <c that the Gospels were trans- 
 lated immediately afterwards into Greek, as into other lan- 
 guages j but surely there must have been a Syriac original. 
 The poor people in Jerusalem could not read Greek. Had they 
 no record in their hands, of Christ's parables which they had 
 heard, and of his sublime discourses recorded by St. John, after 
 bis ascension ?" I acknowledged that it was generally believed 
 by the learned that the Gospel of St. Matthew was written 
 originally in Syriac. " So yon admit St. Matthew? You may 
 " as well admit Si. John. Or was one gospel enough for the 
 "inhabitants, of Jerusalem ?" I contended that there were 
 many Greek and Roman words in their own Syriac Gospels 
 
respecting fyt &prt'an0. 97 
 
 their number was deputed to accompany me to the 
 Churches in the interior. 
 
 * When we were approaching the Church of Chin- 
 ganoor, we met one of the Cassanars, or Syrian 
 Clergy. He was dressed in a white loose vestment 
 with a cap of red silk hanging down behind. Being 
 informed who he was, I said to him in the Syriac 
 Language, ' Peace be unto you/ He was surprized 
 at the salutation, but immediately answered, c The 
 God of peace be with you.' He accosted the Rajah's 
 servants in the language of the country to know who 
 I was ; and immediately returned to the village to 
 announce our approach. When we arrived I was 
 received at the door of the Church by three Kasheeshas 
 that is, Presbyters, or Priests, who were habited in 
 like manner, in white vestments. Their names were 
 Jesu, Zecharias, and Urias, which they wrote down 
 in my Journal, each of them adding to his name the 
 title of Kasheesha. There were also present two Shum- 
 shanas, or Deacons. The elder Priest was a very in- 
 telligent man, of reverend appearance, having a long 
 white beard, and of an affable and engaging deport- 
 ment. The three principal Christians, or lay elders^ 
 belonging to the Church, were named Abraham, Thoma, 
 and Alexandros. After some conversation with my 
 attendants they received me with confidence, and 
 
 " True/' said he, " Roman words for Roman things." They 
 wished however to see some of these words. The discussion 
 afterwards., particularly in reference to the Gospel of St. Luke, 
 was more in my favour. 
 
 a 
 
98 Cljtfettau 
 
 affection ; and the people of the neighbouring vil- 
 lages came round, women as well as men. The sight 
 of the WOMEN assured me that I was once more 
 (after a long absence from England) in a Christian 
 country. For the Hindoo women, and the Maho- 
 medan women, and in short, all women who are not 
 Christians, are accounted by the men an inferior race : 
 and, in general, are confined to the house for life, like 
 irrational creatures. In every countenance now before 
 me I thought I could discover the intelligence of Chris- 
 tianity. But at the same time, I perceived, all around, 
 symptoms of poverty and political depression. In the 
 Churches, and in the people, there was the air of fallen 
 greatness. I said to the senior Priest, f You appear to 
 me like a people who have known better days.' ( It is 
 even so/ said he. ( We are in a degenerate state com- 
 pared with our forefathers/ He noticed, that there were 
 two causes of their present decay. ' About 300 years 
 ago, an enemy came from the west, bearing the name of 
 Christ, but armed with the inquisition : and compelled 
 us to seek the protection of the native Princes. And 
 the native Princes have kept us in a state of depression 
 ever since. They indeed recognize our ancient personal 
 privileges, for we rank in general next to the Nairs, the 
 nobility of the country ; but they have encroached by 
 degrees on our property, till we have been reduced to the 
 humble state in which you find us. The glory of our 
 Church has passed away ; but we hope your nation will 
 revive it again/ I observed that c the glory of a Church 
 could never die, if it preserved the Bible.' We have 
 preserved the Bible, ' said he, ' the Hindoo Princes 
 
respecting tlje feprtarts* 99 
 
 Bever touched our liberty of conscience. We were for- 
 merly on a footing with them in political power ; and 
 they respect our religion. We have also converts from 
 time to time ; but in this Christian duty we are not so 
 active as we once were ; besides, it is not so creditable 
 now to become Christian, in our lotv estate/ He then 
 pointed out to me a Namboory Brahmin, (that is, a 
 Brahmin of the highest cast) who had lately become 
 a Christian, and assumed the white vestment of a Syrian 
 Priest. ' The learning too of the Bible,* he added, ' is 
 in a low state amongst us, Our copies are few in num- 
 ber ; and that number is diminishing instead of increas- 
 ing ; and the writing out a whole copy of Sacred Scrip- 
 tures is a great labour, where there is no profit and little 
 piety/ I then produced a printed copy of the Syriac 
 New Testament. There was not one of them who had 
 ever seen a printed copy before. They admired it 
 much ; and every Priest, as it came into his hands, began 
 to read a portion, which he did fluently, while the wo- 
 men came round' to hear. I asked the old Priest whether 
 I should send them some copies from Europe. ( They 
 would be worth their weight in silver,' said he. He 
 asked me whether the Old Testament was printed in 
 Syriac as well as the new. I told him it was, but I had 
 not a copy. They professed an earnest desire to obtain 
 some copies of the ivhole Syriac Bible ; and asked whe- 
 ther it would be practicable to obtain one copy for every 
 church. ( I must confess to you/ said Zecharias, ' that 
 we have very few copies of the Prophetical Scriptures in 
 the Church. Our Church languishes for want of the 
 Scriptures/ But he added, ( the language that is most 
 in use among the people is the Malayalira, (or Malabar), 
 
 tt 2 
 
ioo Christian Beseatcijes 
 
 the vernacular language of the country. The Syriac is 
 now only the learned language, and the language of the 
 Church : but we generally expound the Scriptures to the 
 people in the vernacular tongue/ 
 
 I then entered on the subject of the translation of the 
 Scriptures. He said ' a version could be made with 
 critical accuracy ; for there were many of the Syrian 
 Clergy who were perfect masters of both languages, 
 having spoken them from their infancy. But/ said he, 
 ' our Bishop will rejoice to see you, and to discourse 
 with you on this and other subjects.' I told them that 
 if a translation could be prepared, I should be able to 
 get it printed, and to distribute copies among their fifty- 
 five Churches at a small price. ( That indeed would 
 give joy/ said old Abraham. There was here a murmur 
 of satisfaction among the people. f If I understand you 
 right/ said I/ the greatest blessing the English Church 
 can bestow upon you, is the Bible/ c It is so/ said he. 
 c And what is the next greatest/ said I. f Some freedom 
 and personal consequence as a people/ By which 
 he meant political liberty. - * We are here in 
 bondage, like Israel in Egypt/ I observed that the 
 English nation would doubtless recognize a nation 
 of fellow Christians ; and would be happy to interest 
 itself in their behalf, as far as our political relation 
 with the Prince of the country would permit. They 
 wished to know what were the principles of the English- 
 Government, civil and religious. I answered that our 
 Government might be said to be founded generally on 
 the principle of the Bible. ' Ah/ said old Zecharias, 'that 
 must be a glorious Government which is founded on the 
 principles of the Bible/ Trie Priests then desired I 
 
respecting tl;e &prfaw& 101 
 
 would give them some account of the History of the 
 English nation, and of our secession from their enemy 
 the Church of Rome. And in return, I requested they 
 would give me some account of their History. My 
 communications with the Syrians are rendered very easy, 
 by means of an Interpreter whom I brought with me 
 all the way from the Tanjore country. He is a 
 Hindoo by descent, but is an intelligent Christian, and 
 was a pupil and catechist of the late Mr. Swartz. The 
 Rev. Mr. Kolhoff recommended him to me. He for- 
 merly lived in Travancore, and is well acquainted with 
 the vernacular tongue. He also reads and writes En- 
 glish very well, and is as much interested in favour of 
 the Syrian Christians as I myself. Besides Mr. Swartz's 
 catechist, there are two natives of Travancore here, who 
 speak the Hindostanee Language, which is familiar 
 to me. My knowledge of the Syriac is sufficient to refer 
 to texts of Scripture ; but I do not well understand the 
 pronunciation of the Syrians. I hope to be better ac- 
 quainted with their language before I leave the coun- 
 try/ 
 
 Ranniel, a Syrian Church, Nov. 12th, 1806. 
 
 This Church is built upon a rocky hill on the banks of 
 the river ; and is the most remote of all the Churches in 
 this quarter. The two Kusheeshas here are Lucas and 
 
102 Christian Hesearrije* 
 
 Mattai (Luke and Matthew.) The chief Lay members 
 are Abraham, Georgius, Thoma, and Philippus. Some 
 of the Priests accorrpany me from Church to Church. 
 I have now visited eight 'Churches, and scarcely believe 
 sometimes that I am in the land of the Hindoos ; only 
 that I now and then see a Hindoo temple on the banks 
 of the river. 1 observed that the bells of most of the 
 Churches are within the building, and not in a tower. 
 The reason they said was this. When a Hindoo temple 
 happens to be near a church, the Hindoos do not like the 
 bell to sound loud, for they say it frightens their God.- 
 I perceive that the Syrian Christians assimilate much to 
 the Hindoos in the practice of frequent ablutions for health 
 and cleanliness, and in the use of vegetables and light 
 food. 
 
 ' I attended divine service on the Sunday. Their Li- 
 turgy is that which was formerly used in the Churches of 
 the Patriarch of Antioch. During the prayers, there 
 were intervals of silence : the priest praying in a low 
 voice, and every man praying for himself. These silent 
 intervals add much to the solemnity and appearance of 
 devotion. They use incense in the Churches, it grows 
 in the woods around them ; and contributes much, they 
 say, to health, and to the warmth and comfort of the 
 Church, during the cold and rainy season of the year. At 
 the conclusion of the sernce, a ceremony takes place 
 which pleased me much. The Priest, (or Bishop, if he be 
 present) comes forward, and all the people pass by him as 
 they go out, receiving his benediction individually. If any 
 man has been guilty of any immorality, he does not re- 
 ceive the blessing ; and this, in their primitive and patri- 
 
respecting tlje feprtans. 103 
 
 archal state, is accounted a severe punishment. Instruction 
 by preaching is little in use among them now. Many of 
 the old men lamented the decay of piety, and religious 
 knowledge ; and spoke with pleasure of the record of 
 ancient times. They have some ceremonies nearly allied 
 to those of the Greek Church. Here, as in all Churches 
 in a state of decline, there is too much formality in the 
 worship. But they have the Bible and a scriptural Liturgy; 
 &nd these will save a Church in the worst of times. These 
 may preserve the spark and life of religion, though the 
 flame be out. And as there were but few copies of the 
 Bible among the Syrians, (for every copy was transcribed 
 with the pen) it is highly probable that, if they had not 
 enjoyed the advantage of the daily prayers, and daily por- 
 tions of Scripture in their Liturgy, there would have been 
 in the revolution of ages, no vestige of Christianity left 
 among them.* 
 
 * In a nation like ours, overflowing with knowledge, men 
 are not always in circumstances to perceive the value of a scrip- 
 tural Liturgy. When Christians are well taught, they think they 
 want something better. But the young and the ignorant, who 
 form a great proportion of the community, are edified by a little 
 plain instruction frequently repeated. A small Church or Sect 
 may do without a form for a while. But a national Liturgy is 
 that which preserves a relic of the true faith among the people 
 in a large empire, when the Priests leave their ARTICLES and 
 their CONFESSIONS of FAITH. Woe to the declining Church 
 which hath no Gospel Liturgy ! Witness the Presbyterians in 
 the West of England, and some other sects, who are said to have 
 become Arians and Socinians to a man. The Puritans of a for- 
 mer age did not live long enough to see the use of an evangelical 
 
104 Christian 
 
 * The doctrines of the Syrian Christians are few in 
 number, but pure, and agree in essential points with those 
 of the Church of England : so that, although the body of 
 
 Formulary. By them, the experiment of a pure church devoid 
 of form, was made under the most favourable circumstances j 
 and the issue has been much the same, as in former ages. The 
 Puritan Church in England commenced under the fairest aus- 
 pices. I know not what was wanting of human and local cir- 
 cumstance, to give peculiar doctrines perpetuity. But yet, with 
 the first generation of men, (a case of frequent example) the 
 spiritual fervor seemed to pass away. Instead of increasing, it 
 decreased and declined in most places, till little more than the 
 name was left. For when the spirit is gone, (in a church having 
 no form) nothing is left. In the mean time, primitive Christia- 
 nity revived in England (not amongst them, but in the midst of 
 rational/brms and evangelical articles : " for so it seemed good 
 unto God 3" and from that source is derived the greater part of 
 pure religion now professed in this land, under whatever form it 
 may exist. These observations are not made in a spirit of 
 disrespect for any mode of Christian worship : every form we 
 know, is human and, therefore, imperfect : nor is perfection 
 required j that form being best for the time, which is best ad- 
 ministered. Christ left no form : because Churches in dif- 
 ferent climates, must have different forms. They may even 
 vary in the same climate. There are differences of " adminis- 
 " trations, saith the Apostle, but the same Lord." 1 Cor. i. 12. 
 ft One man esteemeth one day above another. He that 
 ff regardeth the day, (as Easter and Pentecost) regardeth it 
 " unto the Lord ; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord 
 "he doth not regard it." Rom. xiv. 6. We are not to de- 
 spise "a weak brother, for whom Christ died," (1 Cor. viii. 11.) 
 though he be destitute of learning, and think be possesses all 
 
respecting tlje >j>rtans, 1 05 
 
 the Church appears to be ignorant, and formal, and dead, 
 there are individuals who are alive to righteousness, who 
 are distinguished from the rest by their purity of life, and 
 are sometimes censured for too rigid a piety. 
 
 6 The following are the chief doctrines of this ancient 
 Church : 
 
 * 1 . They hold the doctrine of a vicarious ATONEMENT 
 for the sins of men 5 by the blood and merits of Christ, 
 and of the justification of the soul before God, " by 
 faith alone," in that atonement. 
 
 f 2. They maintain the REGENERATION, or new birth 
 of the Soul to righteousness, by the influence of the Spi- 
 rit of God, which change is called in their books, from 
 the Greek, the META-NOIA, or Change of Mind. 
 
 C 3. In regard to the TRINITY the creed of the Syrian 
 Christians accords with that of St. Athanasius, but without 
 the damnatory clauses. In a written and official com- 
 munication to the English Resident of Travancore, the 
 Metropolitan states it to be as follows : 
 
 " We believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 
 {i three persons in one God, neither confounding the per- 
 " sons nor dividing the substance, one in three, and three 
 
 that is necessary for regulating a Church, when he has got the 
 leaves of the New Testament j when the truth is, that a know- 
 ledge of cotemporary history and languages is as necessary to 
 understand the facts of the New Testament, as the fact of any 
 other book. But the above remarks have been made with 
 this view, to qualify the contempt, which ignorant persons in 
 small sects frequently express for the established worship of a 
 CHRISTIAN EMPIRE. 
 
io6 Christian iResearrijesr 
 
 " in one. The Father generator, the Son generated, and 
 " the Holy Ghost proceeding. None is hefore or after the 
 ge other; in majesty, honour, might, and power co-equal ; 
 " Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity/' He then 
 proceeds to disclaim the different errors of Arius, Sabel- 
 lius, Macedonius, Manes, Marcianus, Julianus, Nestorius, 
 and the Chalcedonians ; and concludes, " That in the 
 " appointed time, through the disposition of the Father 
 " and the Holy Ghost, the Son appeared on earth for the 
 " salvation of mankind ; that he was born of the Virgin 
 " Mary, through the means of the Holy Ghost, and was 
 " incarnate God and man." 
 
 In every Church, and in many of the private houses, 
 here are manuscripts in the Syriac Language : and I have 
 been successful in procuring some old and valuable 
 copies of the Scriptures and other books, written in dif- 
 ferent ages and in different characters.' 
 
 e Cande-nad, a Church of the Syrian Christians, 
 November 23, 1806. 
 
 * This is the residence of Mar Dionysius, the Metro- 
 politan of the Syrian Church. A great number of the 
 Priests from the other Churches had assembled by desire 
 of the Bishop, before my arrival. The Bishop resides in a 
 building attached to the Church, I was much struck with 
 his first appearance. He was dressed in a vestment of 
 dark red silk ; a large golden cross hung from his neck, 
 and his venerable beard reached below his girdle. 
 
respecting tije >gtian& 1 07 
 
 Such, thought I, was the appearance of Chrysostom in 
 the fourth century. On public occasions, he wears the 
 Episcopal mitre, and a muslin robe is thrown over his 
 under garment ; and in his hand he bears the crosier, or 
 pastoral staff. He is a man of highly respectable cha- 
 racter in his Church, eminent for his piety, and for the 
 attention he devotes to his sacred functions. I found 
 him to be far superior in general learning to any of his 
 clergy whom I had yet seen. He told me that all my 
 conversations with his Priests since my arrival in the 
 country had been communicated to him. c You have 
 come/ said he, to visit a declining Church, and I am 
 now an old man : but the hopes of its seeing better days 
 cheer my old age, though I may not live to see them/ 
 I submitted to the Bishop my wishes in regard to the 
 translation and printing of the Holy Scriptures. e I have 
 already fully considered the subject,' said he, ' and have 
 determined to superintend the work myself, and to call 
 the most learned of my clergy to my aid. It is a work 
 which will illuminate these dark regions, and God will 
 give it his blessing/ I was much pleased when I heard 
 this pious resolution of the venerable man ; for I had 
 now ascertained that there are upwards of 200,000 
 Christians in the South of India, besides the Syrians, who 
 speak the Malabar Language. The next subject of 
 importance in my mind, was the collection of useful ma- 
 nuscripts in the Chaldaic and Syriac Languages ; and 
 the Bishop was pleased to say that he would assist my 
 inquiries and add to my collection. He descanted with 
 great satisfaction on the hope of seeing printed Syriac 
 Bibles from England 5 and said they would be ' a trea* 
 sure to his Church/ 
 
108 CJjrattan 
 
 e Cande-nad, 24th November, 1S06. 
 
 c Since my coming amongst this people, I had che- 
 rished the hope that they might be one day united with 
 the Church of England. When I reflected on the im- 
 mense power of the Romish Church in India, and on our 
 inability to withstand its influence, alone, it appeared to 
 be an object of great consequence to secure the aid and 
 co-operation of the Syrian Church, and the sanction of 
 its antiquity in the East. I thought it might be ser- 
 viceable, at least, to lay such a foundation by the discus- 
 sion of the subject, as our Chirch might act upon here- 
 after, if he should think it expedient. I was afraid to 
 mention the subject to the Bishop at our first interview; 
 but he himself intimated that he would be glad I would 
 communicate freely upon it with two of his clergy. I 
 had hitherto observed somewhat of a reserve in those 
 with whom I had conversed on this matter : and now the 
 cause was explained. The Bishop's chaplains confessed 
 to me that they had doubts as to the purity of English 
 Ordination. c The English/ said they, 'may be a warlike 
 and great people ; but their Church, by your own ac- 
 count, is but of recent origin. Whence do you derive 
 your Ordination ?' ' From Rome/ ( You derive it from a 
 Church which is our ancient enemy, and with which we 
 would never unite/ They acknowledged that there 
 might be salvation in every Church where f the name of 
 Christ was named ;' but in the question of an UNION, it 
 
respecting tfje &ymn$. 109 
 
 was to be considered that they had existed a pure Church 
 of Christ from the earliest ages ; that if there was such a 
 thing in the world as Ordination by the laying on of 
 hands, in succession from the Apostles, it was probable 
 that they possessed it ; that there was no record of his- 
 tory or tradition to impeach their claim. I observed 
 that there was reason to believe that the same Ordination 
 had decended from the Apostles, to the Church of Rome. 
 e It might be so : but that Church had departed from the 
 faith.' I answered that the impurity of the channel had 
 not corrupted the ordinance itself, or invalidated the le- 
 gitimacy of the imposition of hands ; any more than the 
 wickedness of a High Priest in Israel could disqualify his 
 successors. The Church of England assumed that she 
 derived Apostolical Ordination through the Church of 
 Rome, as she might have derived it through the Church 
 of Antioch. I did not consider that the Church of En- 
 gland was entitled to reckon her Ordination to be high- 
 er or more sacred than that of the Syrian Church. This 
 was the point upon which they wished me to be explicit. 
 They expected that in any official negotiation on this 
 subject, the antiquity and purity of Syrian Ordination 
 should be expressly admitted. 
 
 6 Our conversation was reported to the Bishop. He 
 wished me to state the advantages of an Union. One 
 advantage would be, I observed, that English Clergymen, 
 or rather Missionaries ordained by the Church of En- 
 gland, might be permitted hereafter to preach in the 
 numerous Churches of the Syrians in India, and aid them 
 in the promulgation of pure religion, against the pre- 
 ponderating and increasing influence of the Romish 
 
no CJjrfetian Beseatrljes; 
 
 Church; and again. That Ordination by the Syrian 
 Bishop might qualify for preaching in the English 
 Churches in India ; ^or we had an immense Empire in 
 Hindoostan. but few Preachers : and of these few scarcely 
 any could preach in the native languages. The Bishop 
 said, ( I would sacrifice much for such an Union ; only 
 let me not be called to compromise any thing of the 
 dignity and purity of cur Church.' I told him, we did 
 not wish to degrade, we would rather protect and defend 
 it. All must confess that it was Christ's Church in the 
 midst of a heathen land. The Church of England would 
 be happy to promote its welfare, to revive its spirit, and 
 to use it as an instrument of future good in the midst of 
 her own Empire. I took this occasion to observe that 
 there were some rites and practices in the Syrian 
 Church, which our Church might consider objectionable 
 or nugatory. The Bishop confessed that some customs 
 had been introduced during their decline in the latter 
 centuries, which had no necessary connection with the 
 constitution of the Church, and might be removed with- 
 out inconvenience. He asked whether I had authority 
 from my own Church to make any proposition to him. 
 I answered that I had not : that my own Church scarcely 
 knew that the Syrian Church existed : but I could anti- 
 cipate the wishes and purposes of good men. He 
 thought it strange that there was no Bishop in India to 
 superintend so large an Empire ; and said he did not 
 perfectly comprehend our ecclesiastical principles. I 
 told him that we had sent Bishops to other countries ; 
 but that our Indian Empire was yet in its infancy. 
 Next day, the Bishop, after conferring with his clergy 
 
respecting d)e &j>uan& 1 1 1 
 
 on the subject, returned an answer in writing to the 
 following effect; f That an union with the English 
 Church, or, at least, such a connection as should appear 
 to both Churches practicable and expedient, would be a 
 happy event, and favourable to the advancement of Reli- 
 gion in India.' In making this communication, he used 
 his official designation, f Mar Dionysius, Metropolitan of 
 Malabar.' I asked the Bishop if he would permit two 
 of the young Cassanars to go to England to finish their 
 education, and then return to India. He said he should 
 be very happy to give his permission, if any should be 
 found who were willing to go. I have accordingly made 
 the offer to two youths of good abilities, who aje well 
 skilled in the Syriac Language/ 
 
 < Cande-nad, 25th Nov. 
 
 ' The Bishop was desirous to know something of the 
 ether Churches which had separated from Rome. I was 
 ashamed to tell him how many they were. I mentioned 
 that there was a Kasheeslia or Presbyter Church in our 
 own kingdom, in which every Kasheesha was equal to, 
 another. ' And are there no Shimshanas T (Deacons 
 in holy orders). 'None/ < And what, is there nobody to 
 overlook the Casheeshas ?' < Not one/ < And who is the 
 Angel of their Church?' (alluding to the form of the 
 seveu Churches in Asia. Rev. ii. 1.) < They have none/ 
 
112 Cljrtsttan 
 
 ' There must be something imperfect there,' said he^ 
 This led to the mention of the different sects. Those 
 which most interested him were the Quakers and Bap- 
 tists. He said it was an imposing idea to wash the body 
 with water, to begin a new life. He asked whether they 
 were baptized again every time they relapsed into sin 
 and known apostacy. Are there good men amongst 
 these sects ?' * Excellent men almost in all/ ' I see it is 
 with you as it was in the first ages ; new sects were pro- 
 duced by true piety, but it was piety founded on igno- 
 rance. But do not good men in these sects relax a lit- 
 tle when they grow old?' 'Yes, they speak in general 
 less frequently and less dogmatically of their peculiar 
 forms when they are old : one reason of which is, that 
 the smaller sects, who are, for the most part, poor gene- 
 rally, acquire their competence of learning in advanced 
 life.' We next had some conversation concerning forms 
 of worship; whether Christ intended that his Church 
 should have the same form under the burning line, and 
 in a country of frost and snow/ 
 
 * It is proper to sate, for the satisfaction of those who may 
 differ in opinion with the venerable Bishop, that in the Svriac 
 translation of the New Testament, there is no proper word for 
 Bishop other than Kashecsha. The words Kasheesha and Shutn- 
 shana, or properly Me-shumshana, are the two terms for the 
 two orders of Bishop and Deacon in the third chapter of 1st 
 Timothy. The terms Episcopos and Methropolita have been in- 
 troduced into the Syrian Church from the Greek. The Bishop 
 seemed to be more surprised at the striking out the sacred order 
 of Deacon, than at the not finding the order of a superintending 
 Priest or Bishop. 
 
resper tins ft* Sprtans. 1 1 3 
 
 c Udiamper, Dec. 1806. 
 
 * From Cande-nad I returned to the Sea-coast to visit 
 Lieut.-Colonel Macauley, the British Resident in Tra- 
 vancore. He is at present on the island of Bal-gatty, 
 called by the natives the Pepper Jungle. I have derived 
 much valuable information from this intelligent officer, 
 who possesses a better knowledge of the South of India, 
 than I suppose, N ariy other European. He is a gentle- 
 man of a highly cultivated mind, of much various learn- 
 ing, and master of several languages. To these attain- 
 ments he adds a quality which does not always accom- 
 pany them. He is the friend of Christianity. After 
 residing with him a few days, he accompanied me in a 
 Tour to the interior We first visited Udiamper, or as it 
 is called by the Portuguese writers, Diamper. This was 
 formerly the residence of Beliarte, King of the Chris- 
 tians ; and here is the Syrian Church at which Arch- 
 bishop Menezes from Goa, convened the Synod of the 
 Syrian Clergy in 1599, when he burned the Syriac and 
 Chaldaic books. The Syrians report, that while the 
 flames ascended, he went round the Church in proces- 
 sion chaunting a song of triumph. 
 
 ' From Udiamper, Colonel Macaulay accompanied me 
 to Cande-nad, to visit the Syrian Bishop a second time. 
 He told us he had commenced the translation of the 
 Scriptures. He was rather indisposed, and said he felt 
 the infirmities of advanced years, his age being now 
 seventy-eight. I promised to see him once more before 
 I left the country*' 
 
1 14 Christian Eesearcijes 
 
 ' Cranganore, 9th Dec. 1806. 
 
 e This is that celebrated place of Christian antiquity 
 where the Apostle Thomas is said to have landed, when 
 he first arrived in India from Aden in Arabia. There 
 was formerly a town and fort at Cranganore, the Portu- 
 guese having once thought of making it the emporium 
 of their commerce in India ; but both are now in ruins. 
 There is however one substantial relic of its greatness. 
 There is an Archbishop of Cranganore, and subject to 
 him there are forty-five Churches ; many of which I 
 entered. In some of them the worship is conducted 
 with as much decorum as in the Romish Churches of 
 Western Ireland. Not far from Cranganore is the town 
 of PAROOR, where there is an ancient Syrian Church, 
 which bears the name of the Apostle Thomas. It is 
 supposed to be the oldest in Malabar, and is still used 
 for Divine Service. I took a drawing of it. The tra- 
 dition among the Syrians is, that the Apostle continued 
 at this place for a time, before we went to preach at 
 Melapoor and St. Thomas's Mount, on the coast of 
 Coromandel, where he was put to death. The fact is 
 certainly of little consequence ; but I am satisfied that 
 we have as good audit- rity for believing that the Apos- 
 tle Thomas died in India, as that the Apostle Peter died 
 at Rome.' 
 
respecting tlje ^priaus. 115 
 
 'Ferapoli, Dec. 180f>. 
 
 c This is the residence of Bishop Raymondo, the Pope's 
 Apostolic Vicar in Malabar. There is a College here 
 for the sacerdotal office, in which the students (from ten 
 to twenty in number) are instructed in the Latin and 
 Syriac Languages. At Pulingunna there is another 
 College, in which the Syriac alone is taught. Here I 
 counted twelve Students. The Apostolic Vicar super- 
 intends sixty-four Churches ; exclusive of the forty-five 
 governed by the Archbishop of Cranganore, and exclu- 
 sive of the large Dioceses of the Bishops of Cochin and 
 of Quilon, whose Churches extend to Cape Comorin, 
 and are visible from the sea. The view of this assem- 
 blage of Christian congregations excited in my mind 
 mingled sensations of pleasure and regret; of pleasure 
 to think that so many of the Hindoos has been rescued 
 from the idolatry of Brahma, and its criminal worship ; 
 and of regret when I reflected that there was not to be 
 found among the whole body, one copy of the Holy 
 Bible. 
 
 The Apostolic Vicar is an Italian, and corresponds 
 with the Society ' de propaganda Fide/ He is a man of 
 liberal manners, and gave me free access to the archives 
 of Verapoli, which are upwards of two centuries old. 
 In the library I found many volumes marked < Liber he- 
 reticus prohibitus.' Every step I take in Christian India, 
 I meet with a memento of the Inquisition. The Apos- 
 tolical Vicar, however, does not acknowledge its autho- 
 rity, and places himself under British protection. He 
 
 I 2 
 
ii6 Christian Kesearcljes 
 
 spoke of the Inquisition with just indignation, and, in 
 the presence of the British Resident, called it ' a horrid 
 Tribunal/ I asked him whether he thought I might 
 with safety visit the Inquisition, when I sailed past Goa ; 
 there being at this time a British force in its vicinity. 
 It asserted a personal jurisdiction over natives who were 
 now British subjects : and it was proper the English Go- 
 vernment should know something of its present state. The 
 Bishop answered, c I do not know what you might do 
 under the protection of a British force ; but I should not 
 like (smiling, and pressing his capacious sides,) to trust 
 rw/ body in their hands/ 
 
 ( We then had some conversation on the subject of 
 giving the Scriptures to the native Roman Catholics. 
 I had heard before, that the Bishop was by no means 
 hostile to the measure. I told him that I should proba- 
 bly find the means of translating the Scriptures into the 
 Malabar Language, and wished to know whether he had 
 any objection to this mode of illuminating the ignorant 
 minds of the native Christians. He said he had none. 
 I visited the Bishop two or three times afterwards. At 
 our last interview he said, ( I have been thinking of the 
 good gift you are meditating for the native Christians ; 
 but believe me, the Inquisition will endeavour to counter- 
 act your purposes by every means in their power. I 
 afterwards conversed with an intelligent native Priest, 
 who was well acquainted with the state and character of 
 the Christians, and asked him whether he thought they 
 would be happy to obtain the Scriptures ? * Yes/ an- 
 swered he, e those who have heard of them.' I asked if he 
 had got a Bible himself ? c No/ he said ; ' but he had 
 seen one at Goa.' ' 
 
reverting tlje feprians, 117 
 
 Angamalee, a Syrian Town, containing Three Churches, 
 
 1807. 
 
 c I have penetrated once more inland to visit the 
 Syrian Churches. At the town of Cenotta, I was sur- 
 prised to meet with Jews and Christians in the same 
 street. The Jews led me first to their Synagogue, and 
 allowed me to take away some manuscripts for money. 
 The Syrian Christians then conducted me to their ancient 
 church. I afterwards set down on an eminence above the 
 town to contemplate this interesting spectacle ; a Jewish 
 Synagogue, and a Christian Church, standing over against 
 each other ; exhibiting, as it were, during many revolving 
 ages, the LAW and the GOSPEL to the view of the hea- 
 then people. 
 
 6 Angamalee is one of the most remote of the Syrian. 
 towns in this direction, and is situated on a high land. 
 This was once the residence of the Syrian Bishop. 
 The inhabitants told me, that when Tippoo Sultan invaded 
 Travancore, a detachment of his cavalry penetrated to 
 Angamalee, where they expected to find great wealth, 
 from its ancient fame. Being Mahomedans, they ex- 
 pressed their abhorrence of the Christian religion, by de- 
 stroying one of the lesser Churches, and stabling their 
 horses in the great Church. In this place I have found a 
 good many valuable manuscripts. I had been leii to sup- 
 pose, from the statement of the Portuguese historian^ that 
 
118 Christian Hesearcfces 
 
 possibly all the Syriac MSS. of the Bible had been 
 burned by the Romish Church at the Synod of Diamper, 
 in 1599. But this was not the case. The Inquisitors 
 condemned many books to the flames ; but they saved 
 the Bible ; being content to order that the Syriac Scrip- 
 tures should be amended agreeably to the Vulgate of 
 Rome. But many Bibles and other volumes were not 
 produced at all. In the acts of the council of Nice, it is 
 recorded, that Johannes, Bishop of India, signed his 
 name at that council in A. D. 325. The Syriac version 
 of the Scriptures was brought to India, according to the 
 popular belief, before the year 325. Some of their pre- 
 sent copies are certainly of ancient date. Though writ- 
 ten on a strong thick paper, like that of some MSS. in 
 the British Museum, commonly called Eastern paper, 
 the ink has, in several places, eat through the material in 
 the exact form of the letter. In other copies, where 
 the ink had less of a corroding quality, it Jaas fallen off, 
 and left a dark vestige of the letter ; faint, indeed, but 
 not, in general, illegible. There is a volume, which was 
 deposited in one of the remote Churches, near the moun- 
 tains, which merits a particular description. It contains 
 the Old and New Testaments, engrossed on strong vel- 
 lum, in large folio, having three columns in a page ; and 
 is written with beautiful accuracy. The character is 
 Estrangelo Syriac ; and the words of every book are 
 numbered. But the volume has suffered injury from 
 time or neglect. In certain places the ink has been 
 totally obliterated from the page, and left the parchment 
 in its state of natural whiteness : but the letters can, in 
 general, be distinctly traced from the impress of the 
 
respecting tfje feprtans. 119 
 
 pen, or from the partial corrosion of the ink. I scarcely 
 expected that the Syrian Church would have parted with 
 this manuscript. But the Bishop was pleased to present 
 it to me, saying, < It will be safer in your hands than in 
 our own ;' alluding to the revolutions in Hindoostan. 
 * And yet/ said he, * we have kept it, as some think, for 
 near a thousand years.' ( I wish,' said I, 6 that England 
 may be able to keep it a thousand years/ In looking 
 over it, I find the very first proposed emendation of the 
 Hebrew Text by Dr. Kennicott, (Gen. iv. 8.) in this ma- 
 nuscript ; and, no doubt, it is the right reading. The 
 disputed passage in 1 John v. 7- is not to be found in it; 
 nor is this verse to be found in any copy of the Syriac Scrip- 
 tures which I have yet seen.* The view of these copies 
 of the Scriptures, and of the Churches which contain 
 them, still continues to excite a pleasing astonishment 
 
 * Notwithstanding this omission, the author believes the 
 passage to be genuine. The foundation on which he builds 
 this opinion, is the following: Considering, as he does, that 
 learning and argument on both sides, have been nearly equal, 
 he would rest the genuineness of the verse on the answer to the 
 following question : "Which is most likely to be true, that the 
 Arians of the fourth century, in their fury against the Church 
 should silently omit a testimony, (in transcribing their copies) 
 which, if true, destroyed their whole system j or that the gene- 
 ral Church should directly forge and insert it ?" 
 
 This appears to the author to be the just mode of stating the 
 question j but he has certainly no wish to awaken the contro- 
 versy concerning this verse. If it be genuine it is only one of the 
 hewn-stones of the temple. If it be not genuine, it is not a 
 corner-itone. 
 
120 Christian Hesearrijes 
 
 in my mind : and I sometimes question myself, whether 
 I am indeed in India, in the midst of the Hindoos, and 
 not far from the equinoctial line. How wonderful 
 it is, that, during the dark ages of Europe, whilst ig- 
 norance and superstition, in a manner, denied the Scrip- 
 tures to the rest of the world, the Bible should have 
 found an asylum in the mountains of Malay-ala; where 
 it was freely read by upwards of an hundred Churches ! 
 
 ' But there are other ancient documents in Malabar, 
 not less interesting than the Syrian Manuscripts. The 
 old Portuguese historians relate, that soon after the 
 arrival of their countrymen in India, about 300 years 
 ago, the Syrian Bishop of Angamalee (the place 
 where I now am) deposited in the Fort of Cochin, 
 for safe custody, certain tablets of brass, on which 
 were engraved rights of nobility, and other privileges 
 granted by a Prince of a former age ; and that while 
 these Tablets were under the charge of the Portuguese, 
 they had been unaccountably lost, and were never 
 after heard of. Adrian Moens, a Governor of Cochin, 
 in 1770, who published some account of the Jews 
 of Malabar, informs us that he used every means in 
 his power, for many years, to obtain a sight of the 
 famed Christian Plates ; and was at length satisfied 
 that they were irrecoverably lost, or rather, he adds, 
 that they never existed. The Learned in general, and 
 the Antiquarian in particular, will be glad to hear 
 ithat these ancient Tablets have been recovered within 
 this last month by the exertions of Lieutenant- 
 jColonel Macauley, the British Resident in Travan- 
 
respecting tije &prfan& 
 
 core, and are now officially deposited with that 
 Officer. 
 
 f The Christian Tablets are six in number. They 
 are composed of a mixed metal. The engraving on 
 the largest plate is thirteen inches long, by about four 
 broad. They are closely written, four of them on both 
 sides of the plate, making in all eleven pages. On 
 the plate reputed to be the oldest, there is writing 
 perspicuously engraved in nail-headed or triangular- 
 headed letters, resembling the Persepolitan or Baby- 
 lonish. On the same plate there is writing in another 
 character, which is supposed to have no affinity with 
 any existing character in Hindoostan. The grant on 
 this plate appears to be witnessed by four Jews of 
 rank, whose names are distinctly engraved in an old 
 Hebrew character, resembling the alphabet called the 
 Palmyrene : and to each name is prefixed the title 
 of c Mageriy or Chief, as the Jews translated it. It 
 may be doubted, whether there exist in the world 
 many documents of so great length, which are of 
 equal antiquity, and in such faultless preservation, as 
 the Christian Tablets of Malabar. The Jews of 
 Cochin indeed contest the palm of antiquity: for they 
 also produce two Tablets, containing privileges granted 
 at a remote period; of which they presented to me 
 a Hebrew translation. As no person can be found 
 in this country who is able to translate the Christian 
 Tablets, I have directed an engraver at Cochin to 
 execute a copper-plate fac simile of the whole, for 
 the purpose of transmitting copies to the learned 
 jSocieties in Asia and Europe. The Christian and 
 
Christian Besearcftes 
 
 Jewish plates together make' fourteen pages. A copy 
 was sent in the first instance to the Pundits of the 
 Shanscrit College at Trichiur, by direction of the 
 Rajah of Cochin ; but they could not read the cha- 
 racter.* From this place I proceed to Cande-nad, 
 to visit the Bishop once more before I return to 
 Bengal/ 
 
 THE MALABAR BIBLE. 
 
 AFTER the Author left Travancore, the Bishop 
 prosecuted the translation of the Scriptures into 
 the Malabar Language without intermission, 
 until he had completed the New Testament. 
 The year following, the Author visited Travan- 
 core a second time, and carried the Manuscript 
 to Bombay to be printed, an excellent fount of 
 Malabar types having been recently cast at that 
 place. Learned natives went from Travancore 
 to superintend the press ; and it is probable that 
 it is now nearly finished, as a copy of the Gos- 
 
 * Most of the Manuscripts which I collected among the 
 Syrian Christians, I have presented to the University of Cam- 
 bridge ; and they are now deposited in the Public Library of 
 that University, together with the copper-plate fac-similes of 
 the Christian and Jewish Tablets. 
 
pels of St. Matthew and St. Mark, beautifully 
 printed, was received in England sonYe trm6 
 ago. This version of the Scriptures will be pro- 
 secuted until the whole Bible is completed, and 
 copies circulated throughout the Christian re- 
 gions of Malabar.* 
 
 THE SYRIAC BIBLE. 
 
 IT has been further in contemplation to print 
 
 * The Author received from the Syrian Christians the names 
 of several Christian churches in Mesopotamia and Syria, with 
 which they formerly had intercourse, and which constitute the 
 remnant of the ancient church of ANTIOCH. These have, for 
 the most part, remained in a tranquil state under Mahomedan 
 dominion, for several ages; and the Author promised the Syrian 
 Bishop that he would visit them, if circumstances permitted. 
 For this purpose he intended to have returned from India to Eu- 
 rope by a route overland ; but the French influence at the Court 
 of Persia at that time, prevented him. He has it now in con- 
 templation to make a voyage from England, and to fulfil his 
 promise if practicable ; the relations of amity subsisting 
 between Great Britain and the Porte and Persia rendering 
 literary researches in these regions more easy than at any 
 former period. He proposes also to visit Jerusalem and the 
 interior of Palestine, Greece, and the Archipelago, with the 
 view of investigating subjects connected with the translation of 
 the Scriptures, and the extension of Christianity. 
 
124 CJjrfetfan 
 
 an edition of the Syriac Scriptures, if the pub- 
 lic should countenance the design. This gift, it 
 may be presumed, the English nation will be 
 pleased to present to the Syrian Christians. We 
 are already debtors to that ancient people. They 
 have preserved the manuscripts of the Holy 
 Scriptures incorrupt, during a long series of 
 ages, and have now committed them into our 
 own hands. By their long and energetic defence 
 of pure doctrine against anti-christian error, 
 they are entitled to the gratitude and thanks of 
 the rest of the Christian world. Further, they 
 have preserved to this day the language in which 
 our blessed Lord preached to men the glad 
 tidings of Salvation. Their Scriptures, their 
 doctrine, their language, in short their very 
 existence, all add something to the evidence of 
 the truth of Christianity. 
 
 The motives then for printing an edition of 
 the Syriac Bible are these : 
 
 1. To do honour to the language which was 
 spoken by our blessed Saviour when upon earth. 
 
 2. To do honour to that ancient Church, 
 which has preserved his language and his doc- 
 trine. 
 
 3. As the means of perpetuating the true Faith 
 in the same Church for ages to come. 
 
 4. As the means of preserving the pronun- 
 
laomfe!) Christians. 125 
 
 elation, and of cultivating the knowledge of 
 the Syriac Language in the East ; and 
 
 5. As the means of reviving the knowledge of 
 the Syriac Language in our own nation. 
 
 On the Author's return to England, he 
 could not find one copy of the Syriac Bible 
 in a separate volume for sale in the kingdom. 
 He wished to send a copy to the Syrian Bishop, 
 as an earnest of more when an edition should be 
 printed. 
 
 The Syriac Bible is wanted not only by the 
 Churches of the Syrian Christians, but by the 
 still more numerous Churches of the Syro- 
 Romish Christians in Malabar, who also use the 
 Syriac Language. 
 
 THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS IN INDIA. 
 
 IN every age of the Church of Rome there 
 have been individuals, of an enlightened piety, 
 who derived their religion not from " the com- 
 mandments of men/' but from the doctrines 
 of the Bible. There are at this day, in India 
 and in England, members of that communion, 
 who deserve the affection and respect of all good 
 
126 Christian 
 
 men; and whose cultivated minds will arraign 
 the corruptions of their own religion, which 
 the Author is about to describe, more severely 
 than he will permit himself to do. He is in- 
 deed prepared to speak of Roman Catholics 
 with as much liberality as perhaps any Protes- 
 tant has ever attempted on Christian principles: 
 for he is acquainted with individuals, whose 
 unaffected piety he considers a reproach to a 
 great body of Protestants, even of the strictest 
 sort. It is indeed painful to say any thing 
 which may seem to feeling and noble minds un- 
 generous ; but those enlightened persons, whose 
 good opinion it is desirable to preserve, will 
 themselves be pleased to see that truth is not 
 sacrificed to personal respect, or to a spurious 
 candour. Their own Church sets an example 
 of " plainness of speech " in the assertion of 
 those tenets which it professes, some of 
 which must be extremely painful to v the 
 feeling of Protestants, in their social inter- 
 course with Catholics; such as, " That there 
 " is no salvation out of the pale of the Romish 
 " Church." 
 
 This exclusive- character prevents concord and 
 intimacy between Protestant and Catholic fami- 
 lies. On the principles o! Infidelity they can asso- 
 ciate very easily ; but on the principles of 
 
Ci)e ftomfel) cfptetiang* 127 
 
 Religion, the Protestant must ever be on the 
 defensive; for the Romish Church excommuni- 
 cates him : and although he must hope that 
 some individuals do not maintain the tenet, yet 
 his uncertainty as to the fact prevents that 
 cordiality which he desires. Many excellent 
 Catholics suffer unjustly in their intercourse 
 with Protestants, from the ancient and exclu- 
 sive articles of their own Church, which they 
 themselves neither profess nor believe. If they 
 will only intimate to their Protestant friends, 
 that they renounce the exclusive principle, and 
 that they profess the religion of the Bible, no 
 more seems requisite to form with such persons 
 the sincerest friendship on Christian principles. 
 
 At the present time we see the Romish Re- 
 ligion in Europe without dominion; and hence it 
 is viewed by the mere philosopher with indif- 
 ference or contempt. He is pleased to see, that 
 the " seven heads and the ten horns " are taken 
 away; and thinks nothing of the " names of 
 " blasphemy." But in the following pages, the 
 Author will have occasion to shew what Rome 
 is, as having dominion ; and possessing it too 
 within the boundaries of the British Empire, 
 
 In passing through the Romish Provinces in 
 the East, though the Author had before heard 
 much of the Papal corruptions, he certainly did 
 
128 Christian Eesearrijes. 
 
 not expect to see Christianity in the degraded 
 state in which he found it. Of the Priests it may 
 truly be said, that they are, in general, better 
 acquainted with the Veda of Brahma than with 
 the Gospel of Christ. In some places the doc- 
 trines of both are blended. At Aughoor, situated 
 between Tritchinopoly and Madura, he witnessed 
 (in October 1806) the Tower of Juggernaut em- 
 ployed to solemnize a Christian festival. The 
 old Priest Josephus accompanied him, when he 
 surveyed the idolatrous car and its painted 
 figures, and gave him a particular account of 
 the various ceremonies which are performed, 
 seemingly unconscious himself of any impro- 
 priety in them. The Author went with him 
 afterwards into the Church, and seeing a book 
 lying on the altar, opened it ; but the Reader 
 may judge of his surprize, when he found it 
 was a Syriac volume, and was informed that the 
 Priest himself was a descendant of the Syrian 
 Christians, and belonged to what is now called 
 the Syro-Roman Church, the whole service of 
 which is in Syriac. Thus, by the intervention 
 of the Papal power, are the ceremonies of 
 Moloch consecrated in a manner by the sacred 
 Syriac Language. What a heavy responsibility 
 lies on Rome, for having thus corrupted and 
 degraded that pure and ancient Church ! 
 
CI)e iRomfei) cintetfans* 129 
 
 While the Author viewed these Christian cor- 
 ruptions in different places, and indifferent forms, 
 he was always referred to the Inquisition at Goa, 
 as the fountain-head. He had long cherished the 
 hope, that he should be able to visit Goa before 
 he left India. His chief objects were the fol- 
 lowing: 
 
 !. To ascertain whether the Inquisition actu- 
 ally refused to recognise the Bible, among the 
 Romish Churches in British India. 
 
 2. To inquire into the state and jurisdiction 
 of the Inquisition, particularly as it affected 
 British subjects. 
 
 3. To learn what was the system of educa- 
 tion for the Priesthood ; and 
 
 4. To examine the ancient Church-libraries 
 in Goa, which were said to contain all the books 
 of the first printing. 
 
 He will select from his Journal, in this place, 
 chiefly what relates to the Inquisition. He had 
 learnt from every quarter, that this tribunal, for- 
 merly so well known for its frequent burnings, 
 was still in operation, though under some re- 
 striction as to the publicity of its proceedings ; 
 and that its power extended to the extreme 
 boundary of Hindoostan. That, in the present 
 civilized state of Christian nations in Europe, an 
 Inquisition should exist at all under their au- 
 
 K: 
 
thority, appeared strange; but that a Papal tri- 
 bunal of this character should exist under the 
 implied toleration and countenance of the 
 British Government; that Christians, being- 
 subjects of the British Empire, and inhabiting 
 the British territories, should be amenable to its 
 power and jurisdiction, was a statement which 
 seemed to be scarcely credible; but, if true, a fact 
 which demanded the most .public and solemn 
 representation. 
 
 Goa ; Convent of the Augustimonr, 
 Jan. 23, 1808. 
 
 6 On my arrival at Goa, I was received into the 
 Louse of Captain Schuyler, the British Resident. 
 The British force here is commanded hy Colonel 
 Adams, of His Majesty's 78th Regiment, with whom 
 I was formerly well acquainted in Bengal.* Next day 
 I was introduced by these gentlemen to the Vice-Roy 
 of Goa, the Count de Cabral. 1 intimated to His 
 Excellency my wish to sail up the river to Old Goa,f 
 
 * The forts in the harbour of Goa were then occupied by 
 British troops (two King's regiments, and two regiments of 
 Native infantry) to prevent its falling into the hands of the 
 French. 
 
 f There is Old and New Goa. The old city is about eight 
 miles up the river. The Vice-Roy and the chief Portuguese 
 
CJje Eomtsf) ct)rfstfan& 131 
 
 (where the Inquisition is,) to which he politely acceded. 
 Major Pareira, of the Portuguese establishment, who 
 was present, and to whom I had letters of Introduction 
 from Bengal, offered to accompany me to the city, and 
 to introduce me to the Archbishop of Goa, the Primate 
 of the Orient. 
 
 ( I had communicated to Colonel Adams, and to the 
 British Resident, my purpose of enquiring into the state 
 of the Inquisition. These gentlemen informed me, that 
 I should not be able to accomplish my design without 
 difficulty ; since every thing relating to the Inquisition 
 was conducted in a very secret manner, the most respec- 
 table of the Lay Portuguese themselves being ignorant 
 of its proceedings ; and that, if the Priests were to dis- 
 cover my object, their excessive jealousy and alarm 
 would prevent their communicating with me, or satis- 
 fying my inquiries on any subject, 
 
 6 On receiving this intelligence, I perceived that it 
 would be necessary to proceed with caution. I was, in 
 fact, about to visit a republic of Priests ; whose domi- 
 nion had existed for nearly three centuries ; whose pro- 
 vince it was to prosecute heretics, and particularly the 
 
 inhabitants reside at New Goa, which is at the mouth of the 
 river, within the forts of the harbour. The old city, where 
 the Inquisition and the Churches are, is now almost entirely de- 
 serted by the secular Portuguese, and is inhabited by the Priests 
 alone. The unhealthiness of the place, and the ascendancy of 
 the Priests, are the causes assigned for abandoning ihe an- 
 cient city, 
 
 K2 
 
132 CJmstfan 
 
 teachers of heresy ; and from whose authority and sen- 
 tence there was no .appeal in India.* 
 
 e It happened that Lieutenant Kempthorne, Comman- 
 der of His Majesty's hrig Diana, a distant connection of 
 my own, was at this time in the harbour. On his learn- 
 ing that I meant to visit Old Goa, he offered to accom- 
 pany me; as did Captain Stirling, of His Majesty's 84th 
 regiment, which is now stationed at the forts. 
 
 6 We proceeded up the river in the British Resident's 
 barge, accompanied by Major Pareira, who was well qua- 
 lified, by a thirty years' residence, to give information 
 concerning local circumstances. From him I learned 
 that there were upwards of two hundred Churches and 
 Chapels in the province of Goa, and upwards of two 
 thousand Priests.' 
 
 ( On our arrival at the city,f it was past twelve o'clock : 
 
 * I was informed that the Vice-Roy of Goa has no authority 
 over the Inquisition, and that he himself is liable to its censure. 
 Wtire the British Government, for instance, to prefer a com- 
 plaint against the Inquisition to the Portuguese Government at 
 Goa, it could obtain no redress. By the very constitution of 
 the Inquisition, there is no power in India which can invade its 
 jurisdiction, or even put a question to it on any subject. 
 
 f We entered the city by the palace gate, over which is the 
 Statue of Fasco de Gama, who first opened India to the view of 
 Europe. I had seen at Calicut, a few weeks before, the ruins 
 of the SAMGRIN'S Palace, in which Vasco de Gama was first 
 received. The Samorin was the first native Prince against 
 whom the Europeans made war. The empire of the Samorin 
 lias passed away j and the empire of his conquerers has passed 
 
aomfej) c&rfsttans. 133 
 
 all the Churches were shut, and we were told that they 
 would not be opened again till two o'clock. I mention- 
 ed to Major Pareira, that I intended to stay at Old Goa 
 some days ; and that I should be obliged to him to find 
 me a place to sleep in. He seemed surprised at this 
 intimation, and observed that it would be difficult for me 
 to obtain reception in any of the Churches or Convents, 
 and that there were no private houses into which I could 
 be admitted. 1 said I could sleep any where ; I had 
 two servants with me, and a travelling bed. When he 
 perceived that I was serious in my purpose, he gave di- 
 rections to a civil officer, in that place, to clear out a 
 room in a building which had been long uninhabited, 
 and which was then used as a warehouse for goods. 
 Matters at this time presented a very gloomy appear 
 ance ; and I had thoughts of returning with my com- 
 panions from this inhospitable place. In the mean time 
 we sat down in the room I have just mentioned, to take 
 some refreshment, while Major Pareira went to call 
 on some of his friends. During this interval, I com- 
 municated to Lieutenant Kempthorne the object of my 
 visit. I had in my pocket * Dellon's Account of the In- 
 quisition at Goa ;' * and I mentioned some particulars. 
 
 away : and now imperial Britain exercises dominion. May 
 imperial Britain be prepared to give a good account of her 
 stewardship, when it shall be said unto her, t( Thou mayest be 
 no longer steward !" 
 
 * Monsieur Dellon, a physician was, imprisoned in the dun- 
 geon of the Inquisition at Goa for two years, and witnessed an 
 
134 Cljristtan Hesearcljes. 
 
 While we were conversing on the subject, the great 
 bell began to toll ; the same which Dellon observes 
 always tolls, before day-light, on the morning of the 
 Auto da Fe. I did not myself ask any questions of the 
 people concerning the Inquisition ; but Mr. Kempthorne 
 made inquiries for me : and he soon found out that the 
 Santa Casa, or Holy Office, was close to the house 
 where we were then sitting. The gentlemen went to 
 tbe window to view the horrid mansion ; and I could see 
 the indignation of free and enlightened men arise in the 
 countenance of the two British officers, while they 
 contemplated a place where formerly their own country- 
 men were condemned to the flames, and into which they 
 themselves might now suddenly be thrown, without the 
 possibility of rescue. 
 
 6 At two o'clock we went out to view the Churches, 
 which were now open for the afternoon service ; for there 
 are regular daily masses ; and the bells began to assail 
 the ear in every quarter. 
 
 " The magnificence of the Churches of Goa, far ex- 
 ceeded any idea I had formed from the previous descrip- 
 tion. Goa is properly a city of Churches ; and the 
 wealth of provinces seems to have been expended in their 
 erection. The ancient specimens of architecture at this 
 place far excel any thing that has been attempted in mo- 
 
 Auto da Fe, when some heretics were burned j at which he 
 walked barefoot. After his release he wrote the history of his 
 confinement. His descriptions are in general very accurate. 
 
1 35 
 
 dern times in any other part of the East, both in gran- 
 deur and in taste. The Chapel of the Palace is built 
 after the plan of St. Peter's at Rome, and is said to be 
 an accurate model of that paragon of architecture. The 
 Church of St. Dominic, the founder of the Inquisition, 
 is decorated with paintings of Italian masters. St. 
 Francis Xavier lies enshrined in a monument of exquisite 
 art, and his coffin is enchased with silver and precious 
 stones. The Cathedral of Goa is worthy of one of the 
 principal cities of Europe ; and the Church and Con- 
 vent of the Augustinians (in which I now reside) is a 
 noble pile of building, situated on an eminence, and has 
 a magnificent appearance from afar. 
 
 6 But what a contrast to all this grandeur of the 
 Churches is the worship offered in them ! I have been 
 present at the service in one or other of the Chapels 
 every day since I arrived ; and I seldom see a single wor- 
 shipper, but the ecclesiastics. Two rows of native 
 Priests, kneeling in order before the altar, clothed in 
 coarse black garments, of sickly appearance, and vacant 
 countenance, perform here, from day to day, their labo- 
 rious masses, seemingly unconscious of any other duty 
 or obligation of life. 
 
 6 The day was now far spent, and my companions 
 were about to leave me. While I was considering whe- 
 ther I should return with them, Major Pareira said he 
 would first introduce me to a Priest, high in office, and 
 one of the most learned men in the place. We accord- 
 ingly walked to the Convent of the Augustinians, where I 
 was presented to Joseph a Doloribus, a man well advan- 
 ced in life, of pale visage and penetrating eye, rather of 
 
136 Cijrfetian Hesearctjes, 
 
 B. reverend appearance, and possessing great fluency of 
 speech and urbanity of manners. At first sight he pre- 
 sented the aspect of one of those acute and prudent men 
 of the world, the learned and respectable Italian Jesuits, 
 some of whom are yet found, since the demolition of 
 their order, reposing, in tranquil obscurity, in different 
 parts of the East. After half an hour's conversation in 
 the Latin language, during which he adverted rapidly to 
 a variety of subjects, and enquired concerning some 
 learned men of his own Church, whom I had visited in 
 my tour, he politely invited me to take up my residence 
 with him, during my stay at Old Goa. I was highly 
 gratified by this unexpected invitation ; but Lieutenant 
 Kempthorne did not approve of leaving me in the hands 
 of the Inquisitor. For judge of our surprise, when we 
 discovered that my learned host was one of the Inquisi- 
 ors of the Holy Office, the second member of that au- 
 gust tribunal in rank, but the first and most active agent 
 in the business of the department. Apartments were 
 assigned to me in the College adjoining the Convent, 
 next to the rooms of the Inquisitor himself; and here I 
 have been now four days at the very fountain head of 
 information, in regard to those subjects which I wished 
 to investigate. I breakfast and dine with the Inquisitor 
 almost every day, and he generally passes his evenings in 
 my apartment. As he considers my enquiries to be 
 chiefly of a literary nature, he is perfectly candid and 
 communicative on all subjects. 
 
 6 Next day after my arrival, I was introduced by my 
 learned conductor to the Archbishop of Goa. We found 
 him reading the Latin Letters of St. Francis Xavier. 
 On my adverting to the loner duration of the city of Goa, 
 
1ft cmtsf) ftfjtf *fan& 1 37 
 
 while other cities of Europeans in India had suffered 
 from war or revolution, the Archbishop observed, that 
 the preservation of Goa, was owing to the prayers of St. 
 Francis Xavier. The inquisitor looked at me to see 
 what I thought of this sentiment. I acknowledged that 
 Xavier was considered by the learned among the English 
 to have been a great man. What he wrote himself, be- 
 speaks him a man of learning, of original genius, and 
 great fortitude of mind ; but what others have written for 
 him, and of him, tarnished his fame, by making him the 
 inventor of fables. The Archbishop signified his assent. 
 He afterwards conducted me into his private Chapel, 
 which is decorated with images of silver, and then into 
 the Archiepiscopal Library, which possesses a valuable 
 collection of books. As I passed through our Convent, 
 in returning from the Archbishop's, I observed among the 
 paintings in the cloisters a portrait of the famous Alexis 
 de Menezes, Archbishop of Goa, who held the Synod of 
 Diamper near Cochin in 1599, and burned the books of 
 the Syrian Christians. From the inscription underneath 
 I learned that he was the founder of the magnificent 
 Church and Convent in which I am now residing. 
 
 " On the same day I received an invitation to dine 
 with the chief Inquisitor, at his house in the country. 
 The second Inquisitor accompanied me, and we found a 
 respectable company of Priests, and a sumptuous enter- 
 tainment. In the library of the chief Inquisitor I saw a 
 register, containing the present establishment of the 
 Inquisition at Goa, and the names of all the officers. 
 On my asking the chief Inquisitor whether the establish- 
 ment was as extensive as formerly, he said it was nearly 
 
138 Christian 
 
 the same. I had hitherto said little to any person con- 
 cerning the Inquisition, but I had indirectly gleaned 
 much information coacerning it, not only from the In- 
 quisitors themselves, but from certain Priests, whom I 
 visited at their respective convents ; particularly from a 
 Father in the Fransciscan Convent, who had himself 
 repeatedly witnessed an Auto da Fe. 
 
 c Goa, Augustinian Con-cent, 26th Jan. 1808. 
 
 6 On Sunday, after divine service, which I attended, 
 we looked over together the prayers and portions of 
 Scripture for the day, which led to a discussion concern- 
 ing some of the doctrines of Christianity. We then 
 read the third chapter of St. John's Gospel, in the 
 Latin Vulgate. I asked the Inquisitor whether he 
 believed in the influence of the Spirit there spoken of. 
 He distinctly admitted it ; conjointly however he thought, 
 in some obscure sense, with water. I observed that 
 water was merely an emblem of the purifying effects of 
 the Spirit, and could be but an emblem. We next 
 adverted to the expression of St. John in his first Epistle; 
 < This is he that came by water and blood : even Jesus 
 Christ ; not by water only, but by water and blood : blood 
 to atone for sin, and water to purify the heart; justification 
 and sanctification : both of which were expressed at the 
 same moment on the Cross. The Inquisitor was pleased 
 with the subject. By an easy transition we passed to the 
 importance of the Bible itself, to illuminate the priests 
 
Eamfel) clmstians. 139 
 
 and people. I noticed to him that after looking through 
 the colleges and schools, there appeared to me to he a 
 total eclipse of Scriptural light. He acknowledged that 
 religion and learning were truly in a degraded state. I 
 had visited the theological schools, and at every place I 
 expressed my surprize to the tutors, in presence of the 
 pupils, at the absence of the Bible, and almost total 
 want of reference to it. They pleaded the custom of the 
 place, and the scarcity of copies of the book itself. 
 Some of the younger Priests came to me afterwards, 
 desiring to know by what means they might procure 
 copies. This inquiry for Bibles was like a ray of hope 
 beaming on the walls of the Inquisition. 
 
 ' I pass an hour sometimes in the spacious library of 
 the Augustinian Convent. There are many rare volumes, 
 but they are chiefly theological, and almost all of the 
 sixteenth century. There are few classics ; and I have 
 not yet seen one copy of the original Scriptures in Hebrew 
 or Greek/ 
 
 6 Goa, Augustinian Convent) 2jthJan. 1808. 
 
 4 On the second morning after my arrival, I was 
 surprised by my host, the Inquisitor, coming into my 
 apartment clothed in black robes from head to foot : for 
 the usual dress of his order is white. He said he was 
 going to sit on the Tribunal of the Holy Office. e I 
 presume, Father, your august Office does not occupy 
 much of your time ?' ' Yes' answered he, e much. I sit 
 on the Tribunal three or four days every week.' 
 
140 Christian Hesearches* 
 
 ' I had thought, for some days, of puting Dellon's 
 book into the Inquisitor's hands ; for if I could get him 
 to advert to the facts stated in that book, I should be able 
 to learn, by comparison, the exact state of the Inquisition 
 at the present time. In the evening he came in, as 
 usual, to pass an hour in my apartment. After some 
 conversation I took the pen in my hand to write a few 
 notes in my Journal ; and, as if to amuse him, while I 
 was writing, I took up Dellon's book, which was lying 
 with some others on the table, and handing it across to 
 him, asked him whether he had ever seen it. It was in 
 the French Language, which he understood well. ' Re- 
 lation de T Inquisition de Goa,' pronounced he, with a 
 slow, articulate voice. He had never seen it before, and 
 began to read with eagerness. He had not proceeded 
 far, before he betrayed evident symptoms of uneasiness. 
 He turned hastily to the middle of the book, and then 
 to the end, and then ran over the table of contents at the 
 beginning, as if to ascertain the full extent of the evil. 
 He then composed himself to read, while I continued to 
 write. He turned over the pages with rapidity, and when 
 he came to a certain place, he exclaimed in the broad 
 Italian accent, ' Mendacium, Mendacium.' I requested 
 he would mark those passages which were untrue, and 
 we should discuss them afterwards, for that I had other 
 books on the subject. e Other books,' said he, and he 
 looked with an inquiring eye on those on the table. He 
 continued reading till it was time to retire to rest and then 
 begged to take the book with him. 
 
 < It was on this night that a circumstance happened 
 which caused my first alarm at Goa. My servants slept 
 every night at my chamber door, in the long gallery which 
 
CJje JRamfe!) Christian*, 141 
 
 is common to all the apartments, and not far distant 
 from the servants of the convent. About midnight I was 
 waked by loud shrieks and expressions of terror, from 
 some person in the gallery. In the first moment of 
 surprize I concluded it must be the Alguazils of the Holy 
 Office, seizing my servants to carry them to the Inquisi- 
 tion. But, on going out, I saw my own servants 
 standing at the door, and the person who had caused the 
 alarm (a boy of about fourteen) at a little distance, 
 surrounded by some of the Priests, who had come out of 
 their cells on hearing the noise. The boy said he 
 had seen a spectre, and it was a considerable time before 
 the agitations of his body and voice subsided. Next 
 morning at breakfast the Inquisitor apologised for the dis- 
 turbance, and said the boy's alarm proceeded from a 
 6 phantasma animi,' a phantasm of the imagination.' 
 
 c After breakfast we resumed the subject of the 
 Inquisition. The Inquisitor admitted that Del Ion's 
 descriptions of the dungeons, of the torture, of the mode 
 of trial, and of the Auto da F were, in general, just; 
 but he said the writer judged untruly of the motives of 
 the Inquisitors, and very uncharitably of the character of 
 the Holy Church ; and I admitted that, under the pressure 
 of his peculiar suffering, this might possibly be the case. 
 The Inquisitor was now anxious to know to what extent 
 Dellon's book had been circulated in Europe. I told 
 him that Picart had published to the world extracts from 
 it, in his celebrated work called ( Religious Ceremonies/ 
 together with plates of the system of torture and 
 burnings at the Auto da Fe. I added that it was now 
 
142 cijrtsttan mesearcljes. 
 
 generally believed in Europe that these enormities no 
 longer existed, and that the Inquisition itself had been 
 totally suppressed; but that I was concerned to find 
 that this was not the case. He now began a grave 
 narration to shew that the Inquisition had undergone a 
 change in some respects, and that its terrors were 
 mitigated.* 
 
 * The following were the passages in Mr. Dellon's narrative, 
 to which I wished particularly to draw the attention of the 
 Inquisitor. Mr. D. had been thrown into the Inquisition 
 at Goa and confined in a dungeon, ten feet square, where he 
 remained upwards of two years, without seeing any person, but 
 the gaoler who brought him his victuals, except when he was 
 brought to his trial, expecting daily to be brought to the stake. 
 His alleged crime was, charging the Inquisition with cruelty, 
 in a conversation he had with a Priest at Daman, another part 
 of India. 
 
 " During the months of November and December, I heard, 
 every morning, the shrieks of the unfortunate victims, who 
 were undergoing the Question. I remembered to have heard, 
 before I was cast into prison, that the Auto da FS was gene- 
 rally celebrated on the first Sunday in Advent, because on 
 that day is read in the Churches that part of the Gospel in 
 which mention is made of the LAST JUDGMENT j and the 
 Inquisitors pretend by this ceremony to exhibit a lively emblem 
 of that awful event. I was likewise convinced that there 
 were a great number of prisoners, besides myself ; the pro- 
 found silence, which reigned within the walls of the building, 
 having enabled me to count the number of doors which were 
 opened at the hours of meals. However, the first and second 
 Sundays of Advent passed by, without my hearing of any thing, 
 and I orepared to undergo another year of melancholy capti- 
 
Clje laomfel) Christians* 143 
 
 * I had already discovered, from written or printed 
 documents, that the Inquisition of Goa was suppressed 
 
 vity, when I was aroused from my despair on the llth of 
 January, by the noise of the guards removing the bars from 
 the door of my prison. The Alcaide presented me with 
 a habit, which he ordered me to put on, and to make myself 
 ready to attend him, when he should come again. Thus 
 saying, he left a lighted lamp in my dungeon. The guards 
 returned, about two o'clock in the morning, and led me out 
 into a long gallery, where I found a number of the companions 
 of my fate, drawn up in a rank against a wall : I placed 
 myself among the rest, and several more soon joined the 
 melancholy band. The profound silence and stillness caused 
 them to resemble statues more than the animated bodies of 
 human creatures. The women, who were clothed in a similar 
 manner, were placed in a neighbouring gallery, where we 
 could not see them; but I remarked that a number of persons 
 stood by themselves at some distance, attended by others who 
 wore long black dresses, and who walked backwards and 
 forwards occasionally. I did not then know who these were : 
 but I was afterwards informed that the former were the 
 victims who were condemned to be burned, and the others 
 were their confessors. 
 
 " After we were all ranged against the wall of this gallery, 
 we received each a large wax taper. They then brought 
 us a number of dresses made of yellow cloth, with the cross of 
 St. Andrew painted before and behind. This is called the 
 San Benito. The relapsed heretics wear another species of 
 robe, called the Samarra, the ground of which is grey. The 
 portrait of the sufferer is painted upon it, placed upon burning 
 torches with flames and demons all round. Caps were then 
 produced called Carrochas j made of pasteboard, pointed like 
 sugar-loaves, all covered over with devils, and flames of fire. 
 
144 
 
 by Royal Edict in the year 1775? and established 
 again in 1779. The Franciscan Father before men- 
 
 " The great bell of the Cathedral began to ring a little 
 before sun-rise, which served as a signal to warn the people 
 of Goa to come and behold the august ceremony of the Auto 
 da Fe ; and then they made us proceed from the gallery one 
 by one. I remarked as we passed into the great hall, that 
 the Inquisitor was sitting at the door with his secretary by 
 him, and that he delivered every prisoner into the hands of 
 a particular person, who is to be his guard to the place of 
 burning. These persons are called Parrains, or Godfathers. 
 My Godfather was the commander of a ship. I went forth 
 with him, and as soon as we were in the street, I saw that the 
 procession was commenced by the Dominican Friars j who 
 have this honour, because St. Dominic founded the Inquisition. 
 These are followed by the prisoners who walk one after the 
 other, each having his Godfather by his side, and a lighted 
 taper in his hand. The least guilty go foremost j and as I did 
 not pass for one of them, there were many who took pre- 
 cedence of me. The women were mixed promiscuously with 
 the men. We all walked barefoot, and the sharp stones of 
 the streets of Goa wounded my tender feet, and caused the 
 blood to stream : for they made us march through the chief 
 streets of the city : and we were regarded every where by an 
 innumerable crowd of people, who had assembled from all 
 parts of India to behold this spectacle ; for the Inquisition 
 takes care to announce it long before, in the most remote 
 parishes. At length we arrived nt the Church of St. Francis, 
 which was, for this time, destined for the celebration of the 
 Act of Faith. On one side of the Altar, was the Grand 
 Inquisitor and his Counsellors ; and on the other, the Vice- 
 Roy of Goa and his Court. All the prisoners are seated to 
 
Eomtsl) cftristfans. 145 
 
 tioned witnessed the annual Auto da Fe, from 1770, 
 to 1775. " It was the humanity, and tender mercy of 
 a good King/' said the old Father, " which abolished 
 the Inquisition/' But immediately on his death, the 
 power of the Priests acquired the ascendant, under 
 the Queen Dowager, and the Tribunal was re-esta- 
 blished, after a bloodless interval of five years. It has 
 continued in operation ever since. It was restored in 
 1779; subject to certain restrictions, the chief of 
 which are the two following, " That a greater number 
 of witnesses should be required to convict a crimi na 
 
 hear a Sermon. I observed that those prisoners who wore 
 the horrible Carrochas came in last in the procession. One of 
 the Augustin Monks ascended the pulpit, and preached for 
 a quarter of an hour. The sermon being concluded, two 
 readers went up to the pulpit, one after the other, and read 
 the sentences of the prisoners. My joy was extreme when 
 I heard that my sentence was not to be burnt but to be a 
 galley-slave for live years. After the sentences were read, 
 they summoned forth those miserable victims who were 
 destined to be immolated by the Holy Inquisition. The images 
 of the heretics who had died in prison were brought up at the 
 same time, their bones being contained in small chests, covered 
 with flames and demons. An officer of the secular tribunal 
 now came forward, and seized these unhappy people, after 
 they had each received a slight blow upon the breast from 
 the Alcaide, to intimate that they were abandoned. They 
 were then led away to the bank of the river, where the 
 Vice-Roy and his Court were assembled, and where the faggots 
 had been prepared the preceding day. As soon as they arrive 
 at this place, the condemned persons are asked In what religion 
 they chuse to die 5 and the moment they have replied to this 
 
 L 
 
146 Christian Hesearcljes. 
 
 than were before necessary ;' and, ' That the Auto da Fe 
 should not be held publicly as before \ but that the sen- 
 tences of the Tribunal should be executed privately, 
 within the walls of the Inquisition/ 
 
 6 In this particular, the constitution of the new Inquisi- 
 tion is more reprehensible than that of the old one ; for, 
 as the old Father expressed it, f Nunc sigillum non revelat 
 Inquisitio.' Formerly the friends of those unfortunate 
 persons who were thrown into its prison, had the melan- 
 choly satisfaction of seeing them once a year walking in 
 the procession of the Auto da Fe ; or if they were con- 
 demned to die, they witnessed their death, and mourned 
 for the dead. But now they have no means of learning 
 for years whether they be dead or alive. The policy of 
 this new code of concealment appears to be this, to pre- 
 serve the power of the Inquisition, and at the same time 
 to lessen the public odium of its proceedings, in the pre- 
 sence of British dominion and civilization. I asked the 
 Father his opinion concerning the nature and frequency 
 of the punishments within the walls. He said he pos- 
 sessed no certain means of giving a satisfactory answer ; 
 that every thing transacted there was declared to be 
 ' sacrum et secretum/ But this he knew to be true, that 
 
 question, the executioner seizes them, and binds them to a 
 stake in the midst of the faggots The day after the execution, 
 the portraits of the dead are carried to the Church of the Domi- 
 nicans. The heads only are represented,, (which are generally 
 very accurately drawn -, for the Inquisition keeps excellent lim- 
 ners for the purpose,) surrounded by flames and demons j and 
 underneath is the name and crime of the person who has been 
 burned." Relation de I' Inquisition de Goa, chap. XXIV. 
 
laomtsl) c&ristfans* ur 
 
 there were constantly captives in the dungeons; that 
 some of them are liberated after long confinement, hut 
 that they never speak afterwards of what passed within 
 the place. He added that, of all the persons he had 
 known, who had been liberated, he never knew one who 
 did not carry about with him what might be called, ' the 
 mark of the Inquisition ;' that is to say, who did not shew 
 in the solemnity of his countenance, or in his peculiar 
 demeanor, or his terror of the Priests, that he had been in 
 that dreadful place. 
 
 ( The chief argument of the Inquisitor to prove the 
 melioration of the Inquisition was the superior humanity 
 of the Inquisitors. I remarked that I did not doubt the 
 humanity of the existing officers ; but what availed huma- 
 nity in an Inquisitor? he must pronounce sentence ac- 
 cording to the Laws of the Tribunal, which are notorious 
 enough ; and a relapsed Heretic must be burned in the 
 flames, or confined for life in a dungeon, whether the 
 Inquisitor be humane or not. ' But if,' said I, e you would 
 satisfy my mind completely on this subject, shew me- 
 the Inquisition/ He said it was not permitted to any 
 person to see the Inquisition. I observed that mine 
 might be considered as a peculiar case ; that the charac* 
 ter of the Inquisition, and the expediency of its longer 
 continuance had been called in question ; that I had my- 
 self written on the civilization of India, and might possi- 
 bly publish something more upon that subject, and that 
 it could not be expected that I should pass over the Inqui- 
 sition without notice, knowing what I did of its proceed- 
 ings ; at the same time I should not wish to state a single 
 fact without his authority, or at least his admission of its 
 truth, I added that he himself had been pleased to com- 
 
148 
 
 raunicate with me very fully on the subject, and that ia 
 all our discussions we had both been actuated, I hoped, 
 by a good purpose. The countenance of the Inquisitor 
 evidently altered on receiving this intimation, nor did it 
 ever after wholly regain its wonted frankness and placi- 
 dity. After some hesitation, however, he said he would 
 take me with him to the Inquisition the next day. I 
 was a good deal surprised at this acquiescence of the 
 Inquisitor, but I did not know what was in his mind. 
 
 e Next morning after breakfast my host went to dress 
 for the Holy Office, and soon returned in his inquisitorial 
 robes. He said he would go half an hour before the 
 usual time for the purpose of shewing me the Inquisition^ 
 The buildings are about a quarter of a mile distant from 
 the convent, and we proceeded thither in our Manjeels.* 
 On our arrival at the place, the Inquisitor said to me, as 
 we were ascending the steps of the outer stair, that he 
 hoped I should be satisfied with a transient view of the 
 Inquisition, and that I would retire whenever he should 
 desire it. I took this as a good omen, and followed my 
 conductor with tolerable confidence. 
 
 ( He led me first to the Great Hall of the Inquisition. 
 We were met at the door by a number of well-dressed 
 persons, who, I afterwards understood, were the familiars. 
 and attendants of the Holy Office. They bowed very 
 
 * The Manjeel is a kind of Palankeen common at Goa. 
 It is merely a sea cot suspended from a bamboo, which is 
 borne on the k a ads of four men. Sometimes a footman runs 
 before, having a staff in his hand, to ~vhich are attached little 
 bell* or rings, which lie jingles as he runs, keeping time with 
 the motion of the bearers. 
 
Clje Romfety SLftrtstfans. 149 
 
 low to the Inquisitor, and looked with surprise at me. 
 The Great Hall is the place in which the prisoners are 
 marshalled for the procession of the Auto da Fe. At the 
 procession described by Dellon, in which he himself 
 walked barefoot, clothed with the painted garment, there 
 were upwards of one hundred and fifty prisoners. I 
 traversed this hall for some time, with a slow step, re- 
 flecting on its former scenes, the Inquisitor walking by 
 my side, in silence. I thought of the fate of the multi- 
 tude of my fellow-creatures who had passed through this 
 place, condemned by a tribunal of their fellow-sinners, 
 their bodies devoted to the flames, and their souls to per- 
 dition. And I could not help saying to him, ( Would not 
 the Holy Church wish, in her mercy, to have those souls 
 back again, that she might allow them a little further 
 probation ?' The Inquisitor answered nothing, but beck- 
 oned me to go with him to a door at one end of the hall. 
 By this door he conducted me to some small rooms, and 
 thence to the spacious apartments of the chief Inquisi- 
 tor. Having surveyed these he brought me back again 
 to the Great Hall ; and I thought he seemed now desi- 
 rous that I should depart. ' Now, Father/ said I, * lead 
 me to the dungeons below ; I want to see the captives.* 
 c No,' said he, 'that cannot be/ I now began to sus- 
 pect that it had been in the mind of the Inquisitor, from 
 the beginning, to shew me only a certain part of the 
 Inquisition, in the hope of satisfying my enquiries in 
 a general way. I urged him with earnestness, but he 
 steadily resisted, and seemed to be offended, or rather 
 agitated by my importunity. I intimated to him 
 plainly, that the only way to do justice to his own 
 assertions and arguments, regarding the present state 
 of the Inquisition, was to shew me the prisons and the 
 
captives. I should then describe only what I saw 5 
 but now the subject was left in awful obscurity. 
 ' Lead me down/ said I, ' to the inner building and let 
 me pass through the two hundred dungeons, ten 
 feet square, described by your former captives. Let 
 me count the number of your present captives, and 
 converse with them. I want to see if there be any 
 subjects of the British Government, to whom we owe 
 protection. I want to ask how long they have been 
 here, how long it is since they beheld the light of the 
 sun, and whether they ever expect to see it again. 
 Shew me the Chamber of Torture ; and declare what 
 modes of execution, or of punishment, are now prac- 
 tised within the walls of the Inquisition, in lieu of 
 the public Auto da Fe. If, after all that has passed, 
 Father, you resist this reasonable request, I shall be 
 justified in believing, that you are afraid of exposing 
 the real state of the Inquisition in India/ To these 
 observations the Inquisitor made no reply ; but seemed 
 impatient that I should withdraw. * My good Father/ 
 said I, ( I am about to take my leave of you, and to 
 thank you for your hospitable attentions, (it had 
 been before understood that I should take my final 
 leave at the door of the Inquisition, after having seen 
 the interior,) and I wish always to preserve on my 
 mind a favourable sentiment of your kindness and 
 candour. You cannot, you say, shew me the captives 
 and the dungeons ; be pleased then merely to answer this 
 question ; for I shall believe your word : How many 
 prisoners are there now below, in the cells of the 
 Inquisition?' The Inquisitor replied, c That is a 
 question which I cannot answer.' On his pronouncing 
 
!)e momfe!) Christians. 
 
 these words, I retired hastily towards the door, and 
 wished him farewell. We shook hands with as much 
 cordiality as we could at the moment assume ; and 
 both of us, I believe, were sorry that our parting took 
 place with a clouded countenance. 
 
 6 From the Inquisition I went to the place of 
 burning in the Camp Santo Lazaro, on the rive 
 side, where the victims were brought to the stake at 
 the Auto da Fe. It is close to the Palace, that the 
 Vice-Roy and his Court may witness the execution; 
 fot it has ever been the policy of the Inquisition to 
 make these spiritual executions appear to be the exe- 
 cution of the State. ,. An old Priest accompanied me, 
 who pointed out the place and described the scene. 
 As I passed over this melancholy plain, I thought on 
 the difference between the pure and benign doctrine, 
 which was first preached to India in the Apostolic 
 age, and that bloody code, which, after a long night 
 of darkness, was announced to it under the same 
 name ! And I pondered on the mysterious dispen- 
 sation, which permitted the ministers of the Inquisition, 
 with their racks and flames, to visit these lands, before 
 the heralds of the Gospel of Peace. But the most 
 painful reflection was, that this tribunal should yet 
 exist, unawed by the vicinity of British humanity 
 and dominion. I was not satisfied with what I had 
 seen or said at the Inquisition, and I determined to 
 go back again. The Inquisitors were now sitting 
 on the tribunal, and I had some excuse for returning; 
 for I was to receive from the chief Inquisitor a letter 
 which he said he would give me, before I left the place, 
 for the British Resident in Travancore, being an answer 
 to a letter from that officer. 
 
152 Clm'sttan iResearcljes. 
 
 ' When I arrived at the Inquisition, and had as- 
 cended the outer stairs, the door-keepers surveyed me 
 doubtingly, but suffered me to pass, supposing that 
 I had returned by permission and appointment of the 
 Inquisitor. I entered the Great Hall, and went up 
 directly towards the tribunal of the Inquisition, de- 
 scribed by Dellon, in which is the lofty Crucifix. I 
 sat down on a form, and wrote some notes ; and then 
 desired one of the attendants to carry in my name to 
 the Inquisitor. As I walked up the Hall, I saw a poor 
 woman silting by herself, on a bench by the wall 
 apparently in a disconsolate state of mind. She clasped 
 her hands as I passed, and gave me a look expressive of 
 her distress. This sight chilled my spirits. The fami- 
 liars told me she was waiting there to be called up 
 before the tribunal of the Inquisition. While I was 
 asking questions concerning her crime, the second 
 Inquisitor came out in evident trepidation, and was 
 about to complain of the intrusion ; when I informed 
 him I had come back for the letter from the chief 
 Inquisitor. He said it should be sent after me to Goa 5 
 and he conducted me with a quick step to\vards the door. 
 As we passed the poor woman I pointed to her, and 
 said to him with some emphasis, ' Behold, Father, another 
 victim of the holy Inquisition !' He answered nothing. 
 When we arrived at the head of the great stair, he 
 bowed, and I took my last leave of Josephus a Dolo- 
 ribus, without uttering a word.' 
 
 The foregoing particulars concerning the In- 
 quisition at Goa are detailed chiefly with this 
 
Clje Komfelj Christians. 153 
 
 view; that the English nation may consider, 
 whether there be sufficient ground for present- 
 ing a remonstrance to the Portuguese Govern- 
 ment, on the longer continuance of that tribu- 
 nal in India ; it being notorious, that a great 
 part of the Romish Christians are now under 
 British protection. " The Romans," says Mon- 
 tesquieu, " deserved well of human nature, for 
 " making it an article in their treaty with the 
 " Carthaginians, that they should abstain from 
 " SACRIFICING their CHILDREN to their Gods." 
 It has been lately 9bserved by respectable 
 writers, that the English nation ought to imi- 
 tate this example, and endeavour to induce 
 her allies " to abolish the human sacrifices of 
 " the Inquisition ;" and a censure is passed on 
 our Government for their indifference to this 
 subject.* The indifference to the Inquisition 
 is attributable, we believe, to the same cause 
 which has produced an indifference to the reli- 
 gious principles which first organized the In- 
 quisition. The mighty despot, who suppressed 
 the Inquisition in Spain, was not swayed proba- 
 bly by very powerful motives of humanity ; 
 
 *Edin. Rev. No. XXXII. p. 44g. 
 
154 Christian Beseatrijes. 
 
 but viewed with jealousy a tribunal, which 
 usurped an independent dominion ; and he put 
 it down, on the same principle that he put down 
 the Popedom, that he might remain Pontiff and 
 Grand Inquisitor himself. And so he will re- 
 main for a time, till the purposes of Providence 
 shall have been accomplished by him. But are 
 we to look on in silence, and to expect that fur- 
 ther meliorations in human society are to be 
 effected by despotism, or by great revolutions? 
 " If," say the same authors, " while the Inqui- 
 6( sition is destroyed in Europe by the power of 
 " despotism, we could entertain the hope, and 
 " it is not too much to entertain such a hope, 
 " that the power of liberty is about to destroy 
 " it in America ; we might even, amid the gloom 
 " that surrounds us, congratulate our fellow- 
 " creatures on one of the most remarkable pe- 
 " riods in the history of the progress of human 
 " society, the FINAL ERASURE of the Inquisition 
 "from the face of the earth.''* It will indeed be 
 an important and happy day to the earth, when 
 this final erasure shall take place ; but the pe- 
 riod of such an event js nearer, I apprehend, in 
 
 * Edin. Rev. No. XXXII. p. 42p. 
 
iRomfel) Christians, 155 
 
 Europe and America, than it is in Asia ; and its 
 termination in Asia depends as much on Great 
 Britain as on Portugal. And shall not Great 
 Britain do her part to hasten this desirable 
 time ? Do we wait, as if to see whether the 
 power of Infidelity will abolish the other Inqui- 
 sitions of the earth ? Shall not we, in the mean 
 while, attempt to do something, on Christian 
 principles, for the honour of God and of huma- 
 nity ? Do we dread even to express a sentiment 
 on the subject in our legislative Assemblies, or 
 to notice it in our Treaties ? It is surely our 
 duty to declare our wishes, at least, for the abo- 
 lition of these inhuman tribunals, (since we take 
 an active part in promoting the welfare of other 
 nations,) and to deliver our testimony against 
 them in the presence of Europe. 
 
 This case is not unlike that of the Immolation 
 of Females ; with this aggravation in regard to 
 the latter, that the rite is perpetrated in our 
 own territories. Our humanity revolts at the 
 occasional description of the enormity ; but the 
 matter comes not to our own business and 
 bosoms, and we fail even to insinuate our disap- 
 probation of the deed. It may be concluded 
 then, that while we remain silent and un- 
 moved spectators of the flames of the Widow's 
 
156 
 
 Pile, there is no hope that we shall be justly 
 affected by the reported horrors of the Inqui- 
 sition. 
 
 TRANSLATIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES 
 FOR THE ROMISH CHRISTIANS. 
 
 THE principal languages spoken by the Romish 
 Christians in India are these four : the Tamul, 
 the Malabar, the Ceylonese, and the Portuguese. 
 The Author has already had occasion to notice 
 the three first. The Tamul version has been 
 long since completed by the Protestant Mission- 
 aries ; and the Malabar and the Ceylonese are in 
 course of publication. It is now proper to ex- 
 plain that excellent effects may be expected 
 from the diffusion of the Portuguese Scriptures 
 in India. The Portuguese Language prevails 
 wherever there are, or have been, settlements 
 of that nation. Their descendants people the 
 coasts from the vicinity of the Cape of Good 
 Hope to the Sea of China ; beginning from 
 Sofala, Mocaranga, Mosambique, (where there 
 is a Bishop,) Zinzebar, and Melinda, (where 
 
Ci)e laamtsJ) cljrfett'aus, 157 
 
 there are many churches,) on the east of 
 Africa ; and extending round by Babelmandel, 
 Diu, Surat, Daman, Bombay, Goa, Calicut, 
 Cochin, Angengo, Tutecorin, Negapatam, JafT- 
 napatam, Columbo, Point de Galle, Tranquebar, 
 Tanjore, Tritchinopoly, Porto-Novo, Pondicher- 
 ry, Sadras, Madras, Masulipatam, Calcutta, Chin- 
 surah, Bandel, Chittagong, Macao and Canton ; 
 and almost all the islands of the Malayan Archi- 
 pelago, which were first conquered by the Por- 
 tuguese. The greater part of the Portuguese 
 in India are now subjects of the British Em- 
 pire. The Author visited most of the places 
 above enumerated; and in many of them he 
 could not hear of a single copy of the Portu- 
 guese Scriptures. There is a Portuguese Press 
 at Tranquebar, and another at Vespery near Ma- 
 dras ; and pecuniary aid only is wanted from 
 Europe to multiply copies, and to circulate them 
 round the coasts of Asia. The Portuguese Lan- 
 guage is certainly a most favourable medium for 
 diffusing the true religion in the maritime pro- 
 vinces of the East. 
 
158 Christian 
 
 THE COLLEGES AT GOA. 
 
 GOA will probably remain tbe theological 
 school to a great part of India, for a long period 
 to coine. It is of vast importance to the interests 
 of Christianity in the East, that this source of 
 instruction should be purified. The appointed 
 instrument for affecting this, is the Bible. This 
 is " the salt which must be thrown into the 
 <f fountain to heal the waters."* There are 
 upwards of three thousand Priests belonging to 
 Goa, who are resident at the place, or stationed 
 with their cures at a distance. Let us send the 
 Holy Scriptures to illuminate the Priests of Goa. 
 It was distinctly expressed to the Author, by 
 several authorities, that they will gladly receive 
 copies of the Latin and Portuguese Vulgate 
 Bible from the hands of the English nation. 
 
 * 2 Kings ii. 21; 
 
respecting tlje Persians. 1 59 
 
 THE PERSIANS. 
 
 THE Christian Religion flourished very gene- 
 rally in Persia, till about A. D. 651 ; when, the 
 Persians being subdued by the Saracens, Ma- 
 homedanism gradually acquired the predomi- 
 nance. Con stan tine the Great, addressed a 
 letter to Sapor, King of Persia, which is pre- 
 served to this day, recommending the Christian 
 Churches in his dominions, to his protection ; 
 and a Bishop from Persia was present at the 
 Council of Nice in A. D. 325. It appears also 
 that there was a translation of some portion of 
 the Scriptures into the Persian Language at that 
 period; for we are informed by Chrysostom that, 
 " the Persians, having translated the doctrines 
 of the Gospel into their own tongue, had learned, 
 though barbarians, the true philosophy ;"* and 
 it is stated by another author in the folio wing- 
 century, " That the Hebrew writings were not 
 " only translated into the Greek, but into the 
 Latin, Ethiopian, Persian, Indian, Armenian, 
 Scythian, and Sarmatian Languages." f 
 
 * Chrysostom, Horn. II. in Johan. 
 
 f Theodoret, vol. iv. p. 555. We have entirely lost sight of 
 some of these versions in the obscurity of Mahomedaa darkness. 
 
160 cijrfetiau Beseatcl)e& 
 
 In the beautiful homily of Chrysostom on 
 Mary's Memorial, preached about A. D. 380, in 
 which he enumerates those nations, who, in 
 fulfilment of our Saviour's prophecy, had 
 u spoken of the deed of Mary for a memorial of 
 " her," he mentions the Persians first, and the 
 Isles of Britain last. " The Persians, Indians, 
 " Scythians, Thracians, Sarmatians, the race of 
 the Moors, and the inhabitants of the British 
 " Isles, celebrate a deed performed in a private 
 " family in Judea by a woman that had been a 
 " sinner."* He alludes to her pouring an 
 
 alabaster box of spikenard on the head of 
 " Christ," thereby acknowledging him, while 
 yet upon earth, as God's ANOINTED King, and 
 embalming his body, (as our Lord himself ex- 
 plained it) in anticipation of his burial; con- 
 
 It is not even known what languages are intended by the 
 Scythian, Indian, and Sarmatian. The Christian Church must 
 now retrace her steps, and endea\ 7 our to recover a knowledge 
 which she has lost. 
 
 tl 
 
 ruv Mctvguv yevo<; xai ot TC 
 
 yiiopivov haQget } it ctxia <mtx^ yvvaixoi; 
 
 The argument of Chrysostom is this, that nothing could 
 have given so permanent a celebrity to so private an occurrence, 
 but the Divine Word of HIM who foretold it. 
 
respecting tlje Persians, 
 
 cerning which act of faith and love he uttered 
 the following prophetic declaration: " Verily, 
 " I say unto you, Wheresoever this Gospel 
 " shall be preached throughout the whole world, 
 " THIS ALSO that she hath done shall be spoken 
 " of for a MEMORIAL of her." Mark xiv. 9. 
 The Isles of Britain are now fas first to restore 
 this memorial, and the Gospel which recites it 
 to the Persians as well as to other Mahomedan 
 nations, who were to lose it generally, during 
 the great prophetic period of 1260 years. 
 
 A version of the four Gospels into the Persian 
 Language of a former age remains to this day. 
 It is a faithful translation, and seems to have 
 been made immediately from the Syriac;* but the 
 dialect and orthography are so ancient as to be 
 scarcely intelligible even at Isfahan. The 
 Romish Church has had several Missions in the 
 kingdom of Persia for some centuries past. 
 The Augustinian Mission from Goa commenced 
 in the year 1602, " and was permitted by Sultan 
 " Murad to build convents in all parts of the 
 Empire." f But they went into Persia, as into 
 other countries, not with the design of instruct- 
 ing men in the holy Scriptures, but of teaching 
 
 * This is the Version of the Polyglot, 
 f Fabricii Lux Evang. p. 63$. 
 M 
 
Cljrfetian Kesearcljes; 
 
 them the tenets and ceremonies of Rome. 
 To this day, they have not published, under 
 all the advantages of toleration which they 
 enjoyed, a translation of the Bible, or even 
 of the New Testament, into the Persian Lan- 
 guage. 
 
 It is a reproach to Christians, that the only 
 endeavour to produce a translation of the Scrip- 
 tures into the language of that extensive king- 
 dom should have been made by the Persians 
 themselves. The representatives of the Chris- 
 tian Churches in Europe of every denomination, 
 may well blush, when they read the following 
 authentic relation of an attempt made by a Per- 
 sian king to procure a knowledge of our religion. 
 
 et Towards the close of the year 1740, Nadir 
 ** Shah caused a translation of the four Evan- 
 cl gelists to be made into Persian. The affair 
 " was put under the direction of Mirza Mehdee, 
 " a man of some learning, who, being vested 
 " with proper authority for the purpose, sum- 
 " moned several Armenian Bishops, and Priests, 
 " together with divers Missionaries of the Ro- 
 " mish Church, and Persian Mullahs,* to meet 
 " him at Isfahan. As to the latter, the Maho- 
 
 Mahomedan Priests. 
 
respecting t\)t Persians;. 163 
 
 " medan Priests, they could not be gainers, 
 " since the change of religion, if any, was to 
 " be in prejudice of Mahomedariism. Besides, 
 " Nadir's conduct towards them had been severe, 
 " to an extreme and unprecedented degree; 
 " many of them, therefore, gave Mirza M eh dee 
 t( large bribes to excuse their absence. Ampng 
 " the Christians summoned on this occasion, 
 " only one Romish Priest, a native of Persia, 
 " was a sufficient master of the language to 
 " enter upon a work of so critical a nature. 
 ts As to the Armenian Christians, although they 
 " are born subjects to Persia, and intermixed 
 " with the inhabitants, yet there are very few 
 " of them who understand the language funda- 
 " mentally. It was natural to expect, that 
 " Mirza Mehdee, and the Persian Mullahs, 
 " would be more solicitous to please Nadir, and 
 " to support the credit of Mahomedanism, than 
 " to divest themselves of prejudices, and be- 
 <{ come masters of so important a subject. This 
 " translation was dressed up with all the glosses 
 " which the fables of the Koran could warrant. 
 " Their chief guide was an ancient Arabic and 
 " Persian translation. Father de Vignes, a Ro- 
 " mish Priest, was also employed in this work, 
 " in which he made use of the Vulgate edition. 
 " They were but six months in completing this 
 
Christian Eesearcijes 
 
 " translation, and transcribing several fair copies 
 of it. 
 
 " In May following, Mirza Mehdee with 
 ct the Persian Mullahs, and some of the Chris- 
 " tian Priests, set out from Isfahan for the Per- 
 " sian Court, which was then held in encamp- 
 <( ment near Teheran. Nadir received them 
 " with some marks of civility, and had a cur- 
 " sory view of the performance. Some part of it 
 " was read to him ; on which occasion he made 
 te several ludicrous remarks on the mysterious 
 "parts of the Christian Religion; at the same 
 " time he laughed at the Jews, and turned Ma- 
 " homed and Ali equally into ridicule. 5 ' And 
 after some expressions of levity, intimating that 
 he could himself make a better religion, than 
 any that had yet been produced, " he dismissed 
 " these churchmen and translators with some 
 " small presents, not equal in value to the ex- 
 " pence of the journey."* 
 
 This version of the Gospels, prepared by 
 command of Nadir Shah, is probably the same 
 with that which is sometimes found in the hands- 
 of .the Armenian Priests in India. A copy was 
 lately shewn to an Oriental scholar in Bengal,| 
 
 * Hanway's Travels. t Rev. H. Martyn. 
 
respecting tlje Persians. 1 65 
 
 who observed, " that if this was the same, he 
 <c did not wonder at Nadir's contempt of it." 
 
 The number of natives, already professing 
 Christianity in Persia, and who are prepared to 
 receive a translation of the Scriptures, is very 
 considerable. They consist of four or five 
 classes, viz. the Georgian, the Armenian, the 
 Nestorian, the Jacobite, and the Romish Chris- 
 tians. The Georgians have the Bible in the 
 Georgian Language, which was printed at 
 Moscow in 1743; but the language is not so 
 generally cultivated among the higher ranks 
 as the Persian. It probably bears the same 
 relation to the Persian, which the Welch 
 does to the English. The Armenians have 
 a version of the Bible in their own proper 
 tongue, but the copies are few in number. The 
 Nestorian and Jacobite Christians use the Syriac 
 Bible: but it is yet more rare than the Arme- 
 nian. There are, besides, multitudes of Jews 
 in Persia, who, as well as these different classes 
 of Christians, commonly speak the vernacular 
 language of the country. 
 
 The Persian Language is known far beyond 
 the limits of Persia proper. It is spoken at all 
 the Mussulman Courts in India, aqdis the usual 
 language of judicial proceedings under the Bri- 
 tish Government in Hindostan. It has been 
 
\66 Christian Beseatcljes 
 
 called " the great Eastern language of cor es- 
 " pondence and state affairs;* and is next in 
 importance to the Arabic and Chinese, in regard 
 to the extent of territory through which it is 
 spoken, being generally understood from Cal- 
 cutta to Damascus. 
 
 Here then is a language, spoken over nearly 
 one quarter of the globe, the proper tongue of 
 a preat kingdom, in which an attempt has 
 already been made by royal authority to obtain a 
 translation of the Christian Scriptures ; and 
 where there are, at a low computation, two 
 hundred thousand Christians ready to receive 
 them. Many of the Persians themselves would 
 read the Bible with avidity, if presented to 
 them in an inviting form. The cause of the 
 little jealously of Christianity in Persia, compared 
 with that which is found in other Mahomedan 
 States, is to be ascribed to these two circum- 
 stances; first, That Christianity has always 
 existed in Persia: the Christian natives forming 
 a considerable part of the population; and 
 secondly, That the Persians themselves profess 
 so lax a system of Islamism that they have been 
 
 * See Richardson's dissertation on the Persian Language. 
 
respecting tlje Persians. 1 67 
 
 accounted by some Mussulmans a kind of 
 heretics. 
 
 It will form an epoch in the history of Persia, 
 when a version of the Old and New Testaments 
 shall begin to be known generally in that coun- 
 try. But the narrative of Nadir Shah's attempt 
 sufficiently proves that no ordinary scholar is 
 qualified to undertake it. The author of such a 
 translation must be a perfect master of the Arabic 
 Language, the mother of the Persic, and 
 familiar with the popular and classical Persian. 
 He must, moreover, have access to the Scrip- 
 tures in their original tongues. Such a person, 
 we think, has been found in SABAT of Arabia, 
 who is accounted by competent judges, " to be 
 " the first Arabic scholar of the age.''* He has 
 been employed for nearly four years past in 
 translating the Scriptures into the Persian and 
 Arabic Languages, in conjunction with Mirza 
 Fitrut of Lucknow, and other learned natives. 
 Mirza is himself a Persian by descent, and a 
 man of liberal learning among his countrymen. 
 He visited England some years ago, and was 
 afterwards appointed a Persian teacher, and a 
 
 * See Report of Translations by Rev. Henry Martyn, here- 
 after quoted. 
 
168 
 
 translator of the Scriptures in the College of 
 Fort-William. These versions by Sabat and 
 Mirza, are conducted under the superintendance 
 of the Rev. Henry Martyn, who is himself an 
 Arabic and Persian scholar, and skilled in the 
 original tongues of the Sacred Scriptures. He 
 is a chaplain to the Honourable the East India 
 Company, and is now stationed at Cawnpore in 
 Bengal, where his learned coadjutors also reside. 
 The Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke, 
 translated by Sabat into the Persian Language, 
 have already been printed: and 800 copies are 
 stated in the last Report, dated May, 1810, to 
 have been desposited in the BIBLIOTHECA 
 BIBLICA, at Calcutta, for sale. 
 
 THE ARABIANS. 
 
 ARABIA was the country in which St. Paul 
 first opened his heavenly ministry. " When it 
 pleased God," saith that Apostle, " who called 
 me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that 
 I might preach him among the heathen ; im- 
 mediately I conferred not with flesh and blood ; 
 
respecting tlje Arabians, 169 
 
 neither went I up to Jerusalem, but I went 
 into ARABIA." Gal. i. 17. Christianity flou- 
 rished very extensively in Arabia, during the 
 first centuries. History informs us, that " the 
 disciples of Christ had filled its provinces with 
 the Churches of God;*" and frequent mention 
 is made, in the early monuments, of the Bishops 
 of Arabia, f This early influence of the Gospel 
 in that region might be expected; for Arabia 
 adjoins Palestine; and the climate of the 
 country, and the manners and customs of the 
 people, are nearly the same. J 
 
 There are some circumstances which remark- 
 ably distinguish Arabia; are collection of which, 
 in connexion with others, ought now to draw 
 our attention to it. Arabia was inhabited by 
 the first generations of men. There it pleased the 
 Creator first to reveal himself to his creatures ; 
 
 * eow y 
 
 Procopious Gaz. Es. XI. 14. 
 
 f See them enumerated in Beveridge's Canones Condliorum. 
 The Bishop of Busorah was present at the Council of Antioch 
 in A. D. 269. 
 
 ovrats rot; ovasiois exo; Katt 
 
 Being neighbours to the Jews, it was likely that they should 
 first receive the Gospel. Proc. ubi supra. 
 
170 Christian 
 
 and in its vicinity the Son of God assumed 
 the human nature. In Arabia, the faculties of 
 the human mind attain to as high a degree of 
 strength and vigour, even at this day,* as in any 
 other country in the world ; and the symmetry 
 and beauty of the human person in Arabia are 
 not surpassed by any other portion of the human 
 race.f 
 
 Arabia is also remarkable on another account. 
 It was the theatre of the grand defection from 
 Christianity, by the Mahomedan delusion) which 
 
 * See Letter from the Rev. Henry Martyn, concerning 
 Sabat, quoted in "The Star in the East," p. 218, ff At 
 intervals I read Persian Poetry with Mirza, and the Koran 
 with Sabat. These Orientals, with whom I translate the 
 Scriptures, require me to point out the connexion between 
 every two sentences, which is often more than I can do. It 
 is curious how accurately they observe all the rules of writing > 
 Sabat, though a real Christian, has not lost a jot of his 
 Arabian notions of superiority. He looks upon Europeans as 
 mushrooms j and seems to regard my pretensions to any learn- 
 ing, as we should regard those of a savage or an ape." N. B. 
 Mr. Martyn was Senior Wrangler, or first Mathematician of 
 his year, at Cambridge, in 1801 5 and he had now been two 
 years in society with Sabat. 
 
 f An intelligent Arabian, who had seen the English in In- 
 dia, observed to the Author, that he thought the minds of the 
 English far superior to their persons. It seemed to him, that 
 there was nothing striking or noble in the English countenance, 
 compared with tlie dignity and beauty of the Arabians ; that 
 
respecting tlje Stobtans, 1 7 1 
 
 was to extend to " a third part of men." This 
 predicted apostacy was to be effected, not by 
 returning* to Paganism, but by a corruption of 
 Christianity; that is, by admitting some part of 
 the former revelation of God, and pretending to 
 a new revelation. The delusion itself is aptly 
 compared in the prophecy concerning it, to 
 " smoke issuing from the bottomless pit ;" and its 
 great extent is expressed by its " darkening the 
 ft sun and the air."* And since this defection 
 was to be produced by a corruption of revealed 
 Truth, it was necessary that the Scriptures 
 should be first corrupted ; for where the genuine 
 Scriptures are in the hands of men, there is little 
 danger of general infidelity. Accordingly, this 
 preparative for the great Imposture took place 
 in the fifth and sixth centuries. During that 
 period, corrupt and apocryphal gospels prevailed 
 so generally in Arabia, and in the neighbouring 
 
 the faces were in general flat and torpid, and the eyes without 
 fire. The Author informed him, that the English were com- 
 posed of different nations, and most of these from cold and 
 northern climates ; that hence there was a great diversity in 
 their appearance, some being of very ordinary aspect, and others 
 of a dignity and beauty which even an Arabian would admire 
 He smiled at this, and observed that it was not likely that the 
 Deity would select so remote, and cold a region of his globe, 
 for the perfection of man. 
 
 * Rev. ix. 2. 
 
172 Christian Eesearcljes 
 
 regions, that it is even doubtful whether Ma- 
 homed himself ever saw a genuine copy of the 
 New Testament. It has been argued by learned 
 men, from the internal evidence of his compo- 
 sition, that he did not. But now even the 
 apocryphal gospels have vanished from view, by 
 the long prevalence of the Koran. 
 
 But the duration of this delusion was to have 
 a limit. " The smoke was to darken the sun and 
 "the air" only for a definite period; namely, 
 1260 years. This period is expressed in pro- 
 phetic Scripture in a three-fold form of words to 
 evince its certainty. 
 
 1. " The Holy City shall they tread under 
 " foot forty and two months."* Rev. xi. 2. 
 This marks the period of the Mahomedan power. 
 The same expression is applied afterwards to the 
 duration of the Papal power. The depression of 
 the true Faith was of course to last the same 
 time ; as expressed in the t-vo following 
 sentences. 
 
 2. " The Witnesses (for the true Faith) shall 
 " prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore 
 " days, clothed in sackcloth,|" Rev. xi. 3, 
 
 * A day for a year j 
 
 42 months =42+30=] 260 days . . =1260 years. 
 f A day for a year 5 1260 days ....... =s 1260 years- 
 
respecting tlje Arabians, 1 73 
 
 3. " The Woman or (Church of Christ) fled 
 " into the wilderness, and was nourished for a 
 " time, times and half a time.*'" Rev. xii. 14. 
 
 This last expression, " a time, times and half 
 " a time," is also used by the prophet Daniel, 
 who foretels the same events, to mark the period 
 when God shall " have accomplished to scatter 
 " the powers of the holy people," and shall 
 terminate his indignation against Israel. Dan. 
 xii. 7. 
 
 It is very well known in the East at what 
 time Mahomed appeared. Let the Mahomedan 
 then be informed, that he is to count 1260 years 
 from the Hejira, and then expect the fulfilment 
 of a remarkable Prophecy, made by Christ, whom 
 the Koran acknowledges to be "a true Prophet." 
 Let him be informed explicitly, that the reign, 
 of Mahomedanism will then have an end. And 
 if he be unwilling to believe this, ask him if he 
 does not already perceive the decline of Maho- 
 medanism. If he be ignorant of this fact, inform 
 him of the history of events. Instruct him, that 
 the corruption of Christianity in the West by the 
 Pope, was coeval with the corruption of Chris- 
 
 ie, times, and half a time=a year,*\ 
 
 years and half of a year= forty- >=1260 years. 
 
 monthsc= 1260 days. ... . . . J 
 
 * A time, times, and half a time 
 two 
 two monthsc=l260days 
 
174 Christian Heseatrijes 
 
 tianity in the East by Mahomed; that the de- 
 cline of both these powers is, at this time, 
 equally advanced ; and that the fall of both is 
 to be contemporaneous. If he be ignorant of 
 the decline of Papal Rome, the Roman Catholic 
 in the East will declare it to him. 
 
 Is there any man, calling himself a Chris- 
 tian, who thinks that these prophecies are du- 
 bious ? If it be true that God hath, at any 
 time, revealed himself to man, they are most 
 certain, The Author would here observe, that 
 the inattention of men in general to the fulfil- 
 ment of the divine predictions, does not pro- 
 ceed so commonly from principles of infidelity, 
 as from ignorance of facts, pure ignorance of 
 historical facts. There are men of liberal edu- 
 cation in England, who are more ignorant of 
 the history of the world, ancient and modern, 
 in connexion with the revelation of God, than 
 some Hindoos and Arabians, whom we know in 
 the East, who have not been Christians above a 
 few years. Our Saviour reprehended this neg- 
 lect of " the word spoken from Heaven," in 
 these words : " Ye can discern the face 
 " of the sky and of the earth, but how is it 
 " that ye cannot discern THIS TIME?" Luke 
 xii. 56. 
 
 The Author has noticed the foregoing circum- 
 
respecting tlje SraWans* 1 75 
 
 stances in connexion with Arabia, to illustrate 
 the importance of preparing a version of the 
 Scriptures for that country, at trie present era. 
 But the Arabic Language hath gone forth far 
 beyond the bounds of Arabia, and is known to 
 almost " a third part of men" in the East. The 
 Koran has consecrated it in the eyes of millions, 
 in central Asia, on the continent of Africa, and 
 in the isles of the Indian Ocean. 
 
 A version of the whole Bible in Arabic has 
 come down to us; but it is now antiquated, like 
 the Persian, both in dialect and orthography. It 
 does not appear that any composition in a living 
 language, of a higher date than about five hun- 
 dred years, can be of popular use, unless we 
 learn it from our infancy. The language of our 
 own Scriptures becomes now peculiar in many 
 respects, and distinct from the popular speech. 
 It is supposed, that the Arabic Translation is 
 upwards of a thousand years old. Had there 
 been no interruption in the profession of Chris- 
 tianity in Arabia, the ancient Translation might 
 possibly have sufficed : in like manner as the 
 Hebrew is still understood by the Jews, and the 
 Syriac by the Syrian Christians. But when a 
 new religion is to be proposed to a people, we 
 inust use the most dignified medium/ and pre- 
 sent it in the language which is in popular use. 
 
i?6 
 
 The present Arabic Translation in the Polyglot 
 is perfectly intelligible to those who will study 
 it with a lexicon ; but we certainly cannot offer 
 it at this time as conveying the meaning of the 
 Christian Scriptures to the Land of Yemen, or 
 Arabia the Happy. 
 
 Soon after Sabat, the Arabian, had been con- 
 verted to Christianity, the object which chiefly 
 occupied his thoughts, was a translation of the 
 Scriptures for his native country. He himself 
 could easily read and understand the existing 
 translation ; for he is a learned man, and ac- 
 quainted radically with every dialect of the lan- 
 guage ; and it was by means of that translation 
 that he himself became a Christian ;* but he 
 says he should be ashamed to offer the Bible 
 to his countrymen in its present form ; such a 
 version would neither be acceptable to the 
 lerrned, nor intelligible to the unlearned. 
 
 * The copy of the New Testament, which fell into the hands 
 of Sabat, was one of the edition published in J 727 by " the 
 Society for promoting Christian Knowledge," revised by Salo- 
 mon Negri. An investment of these Arabic Testaments was 
 sent about 1759, to the Society's Missionaries in Calcutta, who 
 circulated them through different provinces. The following 
 is a well-attested fact : They sent some copies to the Mahome- 
 dan Priests at Delhi, " who requested that the supply might be 
 continued." See Proceedings of the Society of that period. 
 
respecting tlje 3rab(an0, 177 
 
 This noble Arabian has been now three years, 
 or more, employed in translating the Scriptures 
 into the Arabic Language, with the aid of other 
 learned Asiatics, under the superintendance of 
 the Rev. H. Martyn, who has himself been long 
 a student of the Arabic Tongue. Mr. Martyn 
 has lately stated their reasons for undertaking a 
 new translation, which the Author will here 
 subjoin, in deference to the learned at home, 
 who may think some further explanation ne- 
 cessary. 
 
 " Of the Arabic version of the Polyglot, the 
 " late Professor Carlyle, in his copy of propo- 
 " sals for printing a new edition of it, speaks 
 " in the highest terms, and observes, that it 
 " was used both by Jews and Christians as a 
 " faithful and elegant representation of their 
 " respective books of faith. But even supposing 
 " that both Jews and Christians are satisfied 
 " with the translation, no one, who has had an 
 " opportunity of observing the degraded state 
 " of these people in the East, would admit 
 " them as competent judges of the Arabic. 
 " The Professor has adduced, in favour of the 
 " version in question, the opinions of Erpenius, 
 " Gabriel Sionita, and Pocock ; names of high 
 " consideration in Arabic learning, particularly 
 " the last. It is certain, however, that such of 
 
ITS cijrfettan 
 
 " the Mahomedans as have seen this versions^ 
 " think very differently of it. If we would 
 " invite the fastidious Mussulman to review the 
 " sacred law which he supposes abrogated, 
 " let us not neglect our present opportuni- 
 " ties ; but with such an instrument as Sabat 
 " in our possession, let us attempt at least, to 
 " send forth the Scriptures in a style which 
 t( shall command respect, even in Nujed and 
 " Hejaz." 
 
 Mr. Martyn adverts to the new edition of the 
 Polyglot translation, now publishing in En- 
 gland, under the patronage of the Bishop of 
 Durham, and highly commends the design. 
 " We rejoice," writes he, " to hear that the old 
 Polyglot is going forth at last in a new dress, 
 It may be useful to some in Asia, as it was to 
 Sabat." And, in regard to the extent of coun- 
 try through which the Arabic is spoken, he 
 observes, that the Arabic translation is of more 
 importance than one-fourth of all the translations 
 now in hand. " We will begin," says he, " to 
 preach to Arabia, Syria, Persia, Tartary, part 
 of India and of China, half of Africa, all the 
 sea-coast of the Mediterranean and Turkey ; and 
 one tongue shall suffice for them all." 
 
 The proposal for publishing the Arabic Bible 
 has already met with a very liberal patronage in 
 
respecting t|)e arabtans. 179 
 
 India. It is intended to publish an edition of 
 the New Testament, in a splendid form, for the 
 use of the chief men in Arabia and Persia, re- 
 sembling, as nearly as possible, their own beau- 
 tiful writing. The Universities, and literary 
 bodies in Europe, will, no doubt, be disposed 
 to subscribe for some copies of this truly classi- 
 cal Work. It is stated in the last accounts, 
 dated May 1810, that the translation of the 
 New Testament was expected to be finished 
 by the end of the present year, 1811. 
 
 THE CONVERSION OF SABAT. 
 
 The following account of the conversion of 
 Sabat is extracted from the Author's Sermon, 
 entitled, "The Star in the East." 
 
 ' Thus far we have spoken of the success of the Gos- 
 pel in Asia, by means of European preachers. But we 
 shall now exhibit to you evidence from another source, 
 from a new and unexpected quarter. We are now to 
 declare what has been done, independently of our exer- 
 tions, and in regions where we have no labourers, and 
 no access. And this I do to show you, that whether 
 
 N2 
 
180 Cfjrfetiau 
 
 we assist in the work or not, it is God's will that it sliouW, 
 begin. You have hitherto been contemplating the Light 
 in India. We are now to announce to you that a light 
 hath appeared in Arabia,) and dawned as it were, on the 
 Temple of Mecca itself. 
 
 ' Two Mahomedans of Arabia, persons of distinction 
 in their own country, have been lately converted to the 
 Christian faith. One of them has already suffered mar- 
 tyrdom. The other is now engaged in translating the 
 Scriptures, and in concerting plans for the conversion of 
 his countrymen. The name of the martyr is Abdallah; * 
 and the name of the other, who is now translating the 
 Scriptures, is Sabat : or, as he is called since his Chris- 
 tian baptism, Nathanael Sabat. Sabat resided in my 
 house some time before I left India, and 1 had from his 
 own mouth the chief part of the account which I shall 
 now give to you. Some particulars I had from others. 
 His conversion took place after the martyrdom of Abdal- 
 lah, f to whose death he was consenting ;' and he rela- 
 ted the circumstances to me with many tears. 
 
 ( Abdallah and Sabat were intimate friends, and being 
 young men of family in Arabia, they agreed to travel to- 
 gether, and to visit foreign countries. They were both 
 zealous Mahomedans. Sabat is son of Ibrahim Sabat, 
 a noble family of the line of Beni-Sabat who trace 
 their pedigree to Mahomed. The two friends left Arabia, 
 after paying their adorations at the tomb of their prophet^ 
 
 * The word Abdallah is the same as Abdiel \ and signifies 
 i be "Servant of God." 
 
arabtans, i s i 
 
 and travelled through Persia, and thence to Cabul. 
 Abdallah was appointed to an office of state under Ze- 
 maun Shah, King of Cabul ; and Sabat left him there, 
 and proceeded on a tour through Tartary. 
 
 6 While Abdallah remained .at Cabul, he was convert- 
 ed to the Christian faith by the perusal of a Bible (as is 
 supposed) belonging to a Christian from Armenia, then 
 residing at Cabul.* In the Mahomedan states, it is 
 -death for a man of rank to become a Christian. Abdal- 
 lah endeavoured for a time to conceal his conversion ; 
 but finding it no longer possible, he determined to flee 
 to some of the Christian Churches near the Caspian Sea. 
 He accordingly left Cabul in disguise, and had gained 
 the great city of Bochara, in Tartary, when he was met 
 in the streets of that city by his friend Sabat, who imme- 
 diately recognised him. Sabat had heard of his conver- 
 sion and flight, and was filled with indignation at his 
 conduct. Abdallah knew his danger, and threw himself 
 at the feet of Sabat. He confessed that he was a Chris- 
 tian, and implored him, by the sacred tie of their former 
 friendship, to let him escape with his life. * But, Sir,' 
 said Sabat when relating the story himself, f I had no 
 pity. I caused my servants to seize him, and I delivered 
 f him up to Morad Shah, King of Bochara. He was 
 sentenced to die, and a herald went through the city of 
 Bochara, announcing the time of his execution. An 
 immense multitude attended, and the chief men of the 
 
 * The Armenian Christians in Persia have among them 
 few copies of the Arabic Bible. 
 
182 CJjrtstian 
 
 city. I also went and stood near to Abdallah. He 
 was offered his life if he would abjure Christ, the execu- 
 tioner standing by him with his sword in his hand. c No,' 
 said he, (as if the proposition were impossible to be com- 
 plied with) e I cannot abjure Christ/ Then one of his 
 hands was cut off at the wrist. He stood firm, his arm 
 hanging by his side but with little motion. A physician 
 by desire of the King, offered to heal the w r ound if he 
 would recant. He made no answer, but looked up sted- 
 fastJy towards heaven, like Stephen, the first martyr, his 
 eyes streaming with tears. He did not look with anger 
 towards me. He looked at me. But it was benignly, 
 and with the countenance of forgiveness. His other 
 hand was then cut off. ' But Sir/ said Sabat, in his im- 
 perfect English, ' he never changed, he never changed. 
 And when he bowed his head to receive the blow of 
 death, all Bochara seemed to say, ( What new thing is 
 this ?' 
 
 ( Sabat had indulged the hope, that Abdallah would 
 have recanted, when he was offered his life 5 but when 
 he saw that his friend was dead, he resigned himself to 
 grief and remorse. He travelled from place to place, 
 seeking rest, and finding none At last he thought that 
 he would visit India. He accordingly came to Madras 
 about five years ago. Soon after his arrival, he was 
 appointed by the English government, a Mufti, or ex- 
 pounder of Mahometan law ; his great learning, and re- 
 spectable station in his own country, rendering him well 
 qualified for that office. And now the period of his own 
 conversion drew near. While he was at Visagapatam, 
 in the Northern Circars, exercising his professional du* 
 
rejecting fye Arabians. i s 3 
 
 ties. Providence brought in his way a New Testament in 
 the Arabic language.* He read it with deep thought, 
 the Koran lying before him. He compared them toge- 
 ther with patience aad solicitude, and at length the truth 
 of the word fell on his mind, as he expressed it, like a 
 flood of light. Soon afterwards he proceeded to Madras, 
 a journey of 300 miles, to seek Christian baptism ; and 
 having made a public confession of his faith, he was bap- 
 tized by the Rev. Dr. Ker, in the English Church at 
 that place, by the name of Nathaneal, in the twenty- 
 seventh year of liis age. 
 
 ' Being now desirous to devote his future life to the 
 glory of God, he resigned his secular employ, and came 
 by invitation to Bengal, where he is now engaged in 
 translating the Scriptures into the Persian language. 
 This work hath not hitherto been executed, for want of 
 a translator of sufficient ability. The Persian is an im- 
 portant language in the East, being the general language 
 of Western Asia, particularly among the higher classes, 
 and is understood from Calcutta to Damascus. But the 
 great work which occupies the attention of this noble 
 Arabian, is the promulgation of the Gospel among his 
 own countrymen ; and from the present fluctuations of 
 religious opinion in Arabia, he is sanguine in his hopes of 
 success. His first work is entitled, (Neama Besharatin 
 lil Arabi) e Happy News for Arabia / written in the 
 Nabuttee, or common dialect of the country. It contains 
 
 * One of those copies sent to India by the " Society for pro- 
 moting Christian Knowledge." 
 
1 84 Clm'sttan iResearrtjes 
 
 an eloquent and argumentative elucidation of the truth 
 of the Gospel, with copious authorities admitted by the 
 Mahomedans themselves, and particularly by the Waha- 
 bians. And, prefixed to it, is an account of the con- 
 version of the author, and an appeal to the well-known 
 family in Arabia, for the truth of the facts. 
 
 1 The following circumstance in the history of Sabat 
 ought not to be omitted. When his family in Arabia 
 had heard that he had followed the example of Abdallah, 
 and become a Christian, they dispatched his brother to 
 India (a voyage of two months) to assassinate him. 
 While Sabat was sitting in his house at yisagapatam, his 
 brother presented himself in the disguise of a faqueer, 
 or beggar, having a dagger concealed under his mantle. 
 He rushed on Sabat, and wounded him. But Sabat 
 seized his arm, and his servants came to his assistance. 
 He then recognized his brother ! The assassin would 
 have became the victim of public justice, but Sabat in- 
 terceded for him, and sent him home in peace with letr 
 ters and presents to his mother's house in Arabia/ 
 
 The Members of the Asiatic Society having 
 been imposed on by a learned Hindoo some 
 years ago, whose fabrications they published in 
 their Researches, (see Mr. Wilford's Account, 
 vol. ?th) it has been sometimes insinuated by 
 the adversaries of Christian Missions, that Sa- 
 bat the Arabian would prove, in like manner, to 
 have deceived us. This is certainly possible ; 
 and all good men would deplore the event. Let 
 
respecting flje ara&tens* 
 
 us be thankful, however, for the good that has 
 been already done by his means. 
 
 He has made a translation of the Gospels into 
 the Persian language, and " 800 copies of St. 
 " Matthew and St. Luke have been printed and 
 " exposed in the Bibliotheca Biblica of Cal- 
 " cutta, for sale." And we have now the satis- 
 faction to state, that he has been faithful to his 
 Christian principles for six YEARS, and that 
 " his translation of the whole New Testament, 
 6 into the Arabic language, was expected to be 
 " finished by the end of the present year, 
 " 1811. 
 
 THE ARABIC SCHOOL 
 
 FOR THE 
 
 TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. 
 
 THE Rev. Henry Martyn, B. D. Fellow of 
 St. John's College, Cambridge, went out to 
 India about five years ago. His qualifications 
 for the general superintendance of scriptural 
 translation, are truly respectable. After ac- 
 
186 Christian 
 
 quiring the highest academical honours in 
 science, and a just celebrity for classical know- 
 ledge, he devoted himself to the acquirement 
 of the Arabic and Hindostanee Languages. 
 His mind was strongly impressed, at an early 
 period, with the duty and importance of 
 communicating the revealed Religion to heathen 
 nations. He had a spirit to follow the steps of 
 Swartz and Brainerd, and preach to the natives 
 in the woods ; but his peculiar qualifications, 
 as a critical scholar, have fixed him to the de- 
 partment of translation. He had not been long 
 in Bengal before he was joined by Sabat ?nd 
 Mirza, and other learned natives ; so that they 
 now form an Arabic School, from which it 
 is not pretended that there is any appeal in 
 India.* 
 
 Mr. Martyn's own proper department is the 
 Hindoostanee Language. Soon after his arrival 
 he translated the Liturgy of the Church of 
 England into that tongue. He found that many 
 
 * As Mr. Martyn and his associates at Cawnpore constitute 
 the Arabic School in India, for the translation of the Scriptures^ 
 so Dr. Carey, and the Missionaries at Serampore, compose 
 the Shanscrit School. See two Memoirs lately published, 
 and the Proceedings of the Baptist Society, published annually. 
 
respecting tlje 3raHon& 187 
 
 of the wives of the English soldiers were Hin- 
 cloostanee women, professing Christianity, but 
 who did not understand the English Language, 
 and being desirous to discharge faithfully the 
 duties of his clerical office, he thought it proper 
 to attempt such a translation. After reading 
 prayers to the soldiers in English, he reads Hin- 
 doostanee prayers to their wives, and to other 
 natives. This original work, having received 
 repeated revision and amendment, is esteemed 
 by competent judges to be a perspicuous and 
 faithful version of the sublime original. He 
 also translated, about the same time, the parables 
 and parabolic speeches, or apophthegms, of our 
 Saviour, into the same language, with an ex- 
 planation subjoined to each. 
 
 But the grand work which has chiefly 
 engaged the .attention of this Oriental Scholar, 
 during the last four years, is his Translation of 
 the whole Bible into the HINDOOSTANEE Lan- 
 guage. It has been often acknowledged, that 
 a version of the Scriptures into what is justly 
 called " the grand popular language of Hindoos* 
 tan," would be the most generally useful in 
 India. Mr. Martyn is in no haste to print any 
 part of his Work, being desirous that it should 
 be first revised and approved by the best 
 scholars. His chief difficulty is in settling the 
 
is$ Cljrtettan 
 
 .orthography of the language, and in ascertain- 
 ing what proportion of words ought to be 
 admitted from the Persian and Arabic fountains; 
 for the Hindoostanee is yet in its infancy, as a 
 written and grammatical tongue ; and it is pro- 
 bable, that Mr. Martyn's Work will contribute 
 much to fix its standard. To evince the care 
 and accuracy which he proposes to himself in 
 this Translation, it will be proper to subjoin 
 his last official Report on the subject, dated De- 
 cember, 1809. 
 
 The Hindoostanee New Testament has been 
 finished some time, and submitted to the 
 " inspection of a variety of persons in different 
 " parts of the country ; but the opinions formed 
 " of the Work have not hitherto appeared to 
 <e justify its publication. I am perfectly con- 
 " vinced of theinutility of attempting to please 
 " all ; yet I thought it better to withhold from 
 " the Press what longer experience, and the 
 " possession of more efficient instruments, 
 " might enable me to send forth, in a form more 
 " calculated to give general satisfaction. The 
 " person whose assistance I was most anxious 
 " to obtain, has once more joined me ; and I am 
 " now willing to hope, that the Word of God 
 " may be presented to the native of India, so as 
 " to be intelligible to the generality of readers. 
 
respecting tlje Arabians. 1 39 
 
 " The grammar of the language is nearly fixed 
 " by Mr. Gilchrist's learned and useful labours ; 
 " but it is still difficult to write in it with a 
 -' view to general utility. For the higher Ma- 
 " homedans and men of learning will hardly 
 " peruse, with satisfaction, a book in which the 
 f< Persian has not lent its aid to adorn the style. 
 " To the rest a larger proportion of Hindoo is 
 " more acceptable. The difficulty of ascer- 
 " taining the point equally removed from either 
 '' extreme, would be considerably lessened, were 
 " there any prose compositions in the language, 
 " of acknowledged purity. But unfortunately 
 11 no such standard exists : no works of any de- 
 <c scription indeed have been found but poems. 
 " Lately some translations in Hindoos tanee prose 
 " have issued from the college of Fort William ; 
 " but as they have not yet stood the test of time, 
 " and are very little known in the country, they 
 " could not safely be referred to as a standard. 
 u Thus I have been left to the guidance of my 
 " own judgment far more than I could have 
 " wished. 
 
 In regard to the Arabic and Persian Transla- 
 tions, both of which, Mr. Martyn superintends; 
 as well as the Hindoostanee, he thus writes : 
 
 " In the Persian and Arabic Translations there, 
 " are happily no such difficulties. The valuable 
 
Ciw'stian Eeseatcljes 
 
 " qualities of our Christian brother, Nathaneal 
 " Sabat, render this part of the work compara- 
 " tively easy. As he is, I trust, a serious 
 " Christian, the study of the Word of God, 
 " and the translation of it, are of course a mat- 
 " ter of choice with him, and a rigid adherence 
 " to the original, a. point of duty.* As a scholar 
 " his acquirements are very considerable. He 
 tc was educated under the care of the most 
 " learned man in Bagdad ; and, having conti- 
 16 nued to exercise himself in composition, he 
 " has acquired in consequence a critical acumen, 
 " and great command of words. His ill state 
 " of health renders it impossible to say exactly 
 " when the work he has undertaken will be 
 " finished ; but if nothing untoward happen to 
 " interrupt us, you may expect the New Testa- 
 
 * The solicitude of these Translators to infuse the true mean- 
 ing of the original into their versions, and not to trust entirely 
 to the English Translation, will appear from the following 
 observations of Mr. Marty n in his last letter. " The 
 Psalms we must leave till the end of the New Testament, for 
 this solid reason, that I do not understand a considerable portion 
 of lhat book. Much of the present Translation is certainly 
 unintelligible. It appears to me, that the two Royal Authors 
 have suffered more from the plebeian touch of their interpreters, 
 than even the Prophets, or any others but Job. Hebrew ha 
 been of late my constant meditation.'* 
 
respecting fye f eto& 
 
 " ment, in the three languages, in the course of 
 * f two years. 
 
 THE JEWS. 
 
 THERE are three remarkable prophecies con- 
 cerning the Jews. 
 
 1. " The children of Israel shall abide many 
 " days without a King, and without a Prince, 
 "and without a sacrifice, and without an image, 
 " and without an Ephod, and without Tera- 
 phim." Hos. iii. 4. 
 
 2. " The Lord shall scatter thee among all 
 " people, from the one end of the earth even 
 " unto the other." Deut. xxix. 64. And yet, 
 " the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be 
 " reckoned amongst the nations." Num. xxiii. 9. 
 
 3. " Thou shalt become an astonishment, 
 " a proverb, and a bye-word among all the na- 
 " tions whither the Lord shall lead thee. 
 " Among these nations shalt thou find no case, 
 " neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest." 
 Deut. xxviii. 37 65. 
 
 The first of these prophecies is very remark- 
 able ; for who ever heard of a nation " abiding 
 
192 cijrfetian Hesearcfces 
 
 many days" without its civil and religious 
 polity, and surviving its political existence ? 
 The very assertion seems to involve an absurdity. 
 Did the Egyptians, Chaldeans, Greeks, or Ro- 
 mans survive their civil and religious polity? 
 
 The second prediction is not less singular than 
 the former; for if the Jews were to be received 
 among the nations of the earth, why should they 
 not " be reckoned with the nations ?" Would 
 any man, in a remote age, venture to foretel that 
 there was a certain nation, which, in the ages to 
 come, would be received and tolerated by all 
 other nations, merely to be persecuted?* 
 
 * To this day the Jews " are not reckoned" with the 
 English nation. The prophetical record influenced the last 
 parliamentary proceeding respecting them. In 1753, a Bill 
 was passed to naturalize the Jews ; but after a few months it 
 was repealed, the voice of the people demanded that the de- 
 voted nation should "not be reckoned with them." So true it is 
 that our last national deliberation concerning this people was 
 influenced by the ancient prophecy. The time is now come 
 when Parliament may restore to the Jew the franchise of 
 a fellow-creature, without contravening the Divine decrees. 
 It is prophesied again, that " Israel shall return to the Lord 
 their God," and that the period of this event is not far remote. 
 In obedience then to the drctate of this prophecy, Jet our 
 Christian nation proceed, without delay, to take away the 
 reproach of the Jewish people j and announce the act in the 
 most public and solemn manner, as an example to the rest of 
 the world. 
 
respecting tlje % etos. 193 
 
 V 
 
 But the third prophecy is such as must afford 
 a contemplation to infidelity, to the end of time. 
 The Jews were to become " an astonishment, 
 " and a proverb, and a bye-word among all the 
 " nations," because they shed the blood of the 
 Saviour of the world. Now it is not surpri- 
 sing that Christians should reproach them for 
 such a crime. But how should we expect that 
 they would be < trodden down of the heathen 
 (( world," who never heard of such a Saviour? 
 Behold the Hindoo, at tbis day, punishing the 
 Jew, without knowing the crime of which he 
 has been guilty ! 
 
 These three prophecies have been manifestly 
 fulfilled ; and if we had no other evidence, this 
 is sufficient to prove " that there is a God, and 
 " that he hath made a revelation to man." 
 
 There is a fourth prophecy concerning this 
 people, which will shortly be accomplished. 
 The Prophet Hosea, after foretelling that the 
 children of Israel should abide many days 
 without a King, adds these words: " After- 
 " wards shall they return, and seek the Lord 
 " their God, and David their king; and shall 
 " fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter 
 " days.'* Hosea iii. 5< 
 
 The question^ which is now in the mouth of 
 every Christian, is that wh^ch was asked in the 
 
stian Heseatcljes 
 
 vision of the prophet Daniel on the same subject; 
 " How long shall it be to the end of these won- 
 ders?" Dan. xii. 6. When shall the " indig- 
 <{ nation against the holy people be accom- 
 cc plished?" Dan. xi. 31, that they may "return 
 " and seek the Lord their God, and David their 
 " king ?" 
 
 To Daniel the Prophet, and to John the Evan- 
 gelist, was given a revelation of the great events 
 of the general Church to the end of time. 
 Daniel foretels that the Christian Church shall 
 be oppressed by the persecuting powers for 
 " a time, times, and the dividing of a time." 
 Dan. vii. 25. The same period he assigns for 
 the accomplishment of the indignation against 
 the holy people Israel. " One said, how long 
 " shall it be to the end of these wonders ? And 
 " I heard the man clothed in linen, which was 
 " upon the waters of the river, when he held 
 " up his right hand and his left hand unto 
 " heaven, and sware by him that liveth forever, 
 " that it shall be for a TIME, TIMES, and a HALF; 
 * f and when he shall have accomplished to scatter 
 " the power of the holy people, all these things 
 " shall be fulfilled." Dan. xii. 7. Now the 
 same form of words is used in the Revelation 
 of St. John, to express the duration of the 
 Papal and Mahomedan powers. Oppressed by 
 
respecting tl;e 3feto& 195 
 
 them, the Church of Christ was to remain desolate 
 in the wilderness, " for a TIME, TIMES, and HALF 
 " of a TIME." Rev. xii. 14. Every one, who is 
 erudite in sacred prophecy, will understand that 
 this great period of Daniel and St. John com- 
 mences at the same era, namely, the rise of the 
 persecuting powers; and that its duration is 1260 
 years.* 
 
 Here then are three great events hastening to 
 their period ; the extinction of the Papal domi- 
 nion ; the subversion of the Mahomedan power ; 
 and " the accomplishment of the divine indig- 
 " nation against the holy people," or the return 
 of the people of Israel " to seek the Lord their 
 " God, and David their king." 
 
 Our blessed Saviour has not left an event of 
 this importance without notice. " The JEWS," 
 saith he, " shall be led away captive into all 
 " nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down 
 ft of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles 
 " be fulfilled." Luke xxi. 24. What these 
 " times of the Gentiles" are, our Lord has ex- 
 plained in his subsequent Revelation to St. John. 
 " The court which is without the temple is 
 " given unto the Gentiles; and the holy city 
 
 * See this period explained in p. 172. 
 O 2 
 
196 Cftrfettan 
 
 " shall they tread under foot FORTY and TWO 
 " MONTHS;" or, in prophetical language, at a 
 day for a year, 1260 years; Rev. xi. 2. 
 
 The Apostle Paul hath also recorded this event. 
 " I would not, brethren, that ye should be ig- 
 " norantof this mystery, that blindness, in part, 
 " is happened to ISRAEL, until the fulness of the 
 (t Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be 
 " saved." Rom. xi. 25. The fulness of time 
 for the conversion of the Gentiles will be come 
 in, when the Mahomedan and Papal obstructions 
 are removed. Such events as the fall of the 
 Pope in the West, and of Mahomed in the East, 
 both of whom persecuted the Jews to death, 
 will probably be the means of awakening the 
 Jews to consider the evidences of that Religion 
 which predicted the rise and fall of both. 
 
 But the grand prophecy of. the apostle Paul 
 on this subject, is that which respects the conse- 
 quence of the conversion of the Jews. " The 
 c receivingof the Jews,"saithhe, "What shall it 
 " be to the world, but LIFE FROM THE BEAD?'' 
 Rom. xi. 15. Dispersed as they are in all 
 countries, and speaking the languages of all 
 countries, they will form a body of preachers 
 ready prepared; and they need only say,- 
 " Behold the Scriptures of God, in our pos- 
 " session ; read our history there, as foretold 
 
respecting fye feto& 197 
 
 ** three thousand years ago, and read the events 
 " in the annals of nations. We are witnesses 
 " to the world, and the world to us. Let the 
 " whole race of mankind unite and examine the 
 f act ."_ All ye inhabitants of the world, 
 " and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when the 
 u Lord lifteth up an ENSIGN on the mountains; 
 *' and when he bloweth a TRUMPET, hear ye." 
 Isaiah xviii. 3. Thus will their preaching be to 
 the world " LIFE from the DEAD." 
 
 But if the conversion of Israel is to take place 
 when the Papal and Mahomedan powers have 
 fallen, and who does not see that these events 
 are near at hand? it might be expected that 
 some signs of conciliation between Jews and 
 Christians would now begin to be visible. And 
 is not this the fact? Christians in all countries 
 begin to consider, that f< the indignation against 
 " the holy people" is nearly accomplished. 
 Many events declare it. The indignation of 
 man is relaxing. The prophecies have been 
 fulfilled regarding it. The GREAT CRIME at 
 CALVARY has been punished by all nations ; 
 and we now hear the words of the Prophet ad- 
 dressing us, " Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, 
 " saith your God ; speak ye comfortably to 
 " Jerusalem, and CRY unto her, that her warfare 
 " is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned," 
 
1 93 Christian iReseatctjes 
 
 Isaiah xl. 1. This is the Divine command. 
 And hchold, Christians begin now, for the first 
 time, " to speak comfortably to Jerusalem." 
 
 While the Author was in the East, the state 
 of the Jews, who are dispersed in different 
 countries, frequently occupied his thoughts. He 
 had heard that they existed in distinct colonies 
 in certain parts of India; that some of them had 
 arrived long before the Christian Era, and had 
 remained in the midst of the Hindoos, to this 
 time, a distinct and separate people, persecuted 
 by the native princes, from age to age, and yet 
 not destroyed; " burning, like the bush of 
 " Moses, and not consumed;" and he had a 
 strong desire " to turn aside and see this great 
 " sight." His mind was impressed with the 
 conviction that their preservation, in such a 
 variety of regions, and under such a diversity of 
 circumstances, could be only effected by the 
 interposition of the Divine PROVIDENCE, which 
 reserved them, thus distinct, for some special 
 and important purpose. And since the period 
 of time for the accomplishment of this purpose 
 was considered by many to be fast approaching, 
 
respecting tije fetos. 199 
 
 he wished to hear the sentiments of the Jews 
 from their own lips, and to learn their actual 
 impressions, as to their present circumstances 
 and future hopes. 
 
 In his Memorial respecting the Syrian Chris- 
 tians, presented to Marquis Wellesley, the 
 Author also noticed the existence of an ancient 
 colony of Jews on the coast of Malabar, parti- 
 cularly at Cochin; and as this place had recently 
 become a part of the British Empire, by conquest 
 from the Dutch, Lord William Bentinck, then 
 Governor of Madras, who had received letters 
 from the Supreme Government, was pleased to 
 direct the civil officer, who had charge of the 
 department of Cochin/ to afford him every 
 aid in the prosecution of his Researches. His 
 first tour to Cochin was in November, 1 806, and 
 he remained in the country till February, 1807. 
 He again visited it in January, 1808. He has 
 only room, in this present Work, to introduce a 
 few notes from his Journal. 
 
 * Thomas Flower> Esq. 
 
200 Christian Beseatctjes 
 
 < Cochin* Feb. 4, 1807. 
 
 e I have been now in Cochin, or its vicinity, for 
 upwards of two months, and have got well acquainted 
 with the Jews. They do not live in the city of Cochin, 
 but in a town about a mile distant from it, called Malta - 
 chery, and Jews'-Town. It is almost wholly inhabited 
 by the Jews, who have two respectable Synagogues. 
 Among them are some very intelligent men, who are 
 not ignorant of the present history of nations. There 
 are also Jews here from remote parts of Asia, so that 
 this is the fountain of intelligence concerning that peo- 
 ple in the East; there being constant communication by 
 ships with the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the 
 mouths of the Indus. The resident Jews are divided 
 into two classes, called the Jerusalem or White Jews ; 
 and the Ancient or Black Jews. The White Jews 
 reside at this place. The Black Jews have also a 
 Synagogue here ; but the great body of that tribe 
 inhabit towns in the interior of the province. I have 
 now seen most of both classes. My inquiries referred 
 chiefly to their antiquity, their manuscripts, and 
 their sentiments concerning the present state of their 
 nation.' 
 
respecting tlje fetes, 201 
 
 THE JERUSALEM OR WHITE JEWS, 
 
 6 On my inquiry into the antiquity of the White 
 Jews, they first delivered to me a narrative, in the 
 Hebrew Language, of their arrival in India, which has 
 been handed down to them from their fathers; and 
 then exhibited their ancient brass Plate, containing 
 their charter and freedom of residence, given by a 
 King of Malabar. The following is the narrative of 
 the events relating to their first arrival. 
 
 ' " sifter the second Temple was destroyed, (which 
 may God speedily rebuild!) our fathers, dreading the 
 Conqueror's wrath, departed from Jerusalem, a nu- 
 merous body of men, women, priests, and Levites, 
 and came into this land. There were among them 
 men of repute for learning and wisdom ; and God gave 
 the people favour in the sight of the King who at 
 that time reigned here, and he granted them a place 
 to dwell in, called Cranganor. He allowed them a pa- 
 triarchal jurisdiction within the district, with certain pri- 
 vileges of nobility ; and tJie Royal grant was engraved, 
 according to the custom of those days, on a plate of brass. 
 This was done in the year from the creation of the world, 
 4250 (A. D. 490) ; and this plate of brass we still have 
 in possession. Our fore-fathers continued at Cranganor 
 for about a thousand years, and the number of Heads 
 who governed were seventy-two. Soon after our settlement, 
 other Jews followed us Jrom Judea; and among these 
 came that man of great wisdom, Rabbi Samuel, a 
 
202 eijusttau 
 
 Levite of Jerusalem, with his son, Rabbi Jehuda Levita. 
 They brought with tJiem the SILVER TRUMPETS, made 
 use of at the time cf tlie JUBILEE, which were saved 
 wlien the second Temple was destroyed; and we have 
 heard from our fathers, that there were engraven upon 
 those trumpets the letters of the ineffable Name.* 
 Tliere joined us also from Spain, and other places, 
 from time to time, certain tribes of Jews, who had 
 heard of our prosperity. But at last, discord arising 
 among ourselves, one of our chiefs called to his as- 
 sistance an Indian King, who came upon us with 
 a great army, destroyed our houses, palaces, and strong 
 holds, dispossessed us of Cranganor, killed part of us, 
 and carried part into captivity. By these massacres 
 we were reduced to a small number. Some of the 
 exiles came and dwelt at Cochin, where we have re- 
 mained ever since, suffering great changes from time to 
 time. There are amongst us some of the children of Israel 
 (Bern-Israel) who came from the country of Ashkenaz, 
 from Egypt, from Tsoba, and oilier places, besides 
 those who formerly inhabited this country." 
 
 * This circumstance of the Jubilee Trumpets is to be 
 found in a similar account of the Jews of Malabar, pub- 
 lished in the " History of the Works of the Learned," for 
 March 1699. ft IS not necessary to suppose that these 
 trumpets belonged to the Temple ; for it is well known, 
 that in every considerable town in Judea there were Jubilee 
 trumpets. 
 
respecting tlje f eto& 203 
 
 c The native annals of Malabar confirm the foregoing 
 account, in the principal circumstances, as do the 
 Mahomedan histories of the latter ages ; for the Maho- 
 medans have been settled here in great numbers since 
 the eighth century. 
 
 6 The desolation of Cranganor the Jews describe 
 as being like the desolation of Jerusalem in miniature. 
 They were first received into the Country with some 
 favour and confidence, agreeably to the tenor of the 
 general prophecy concerning the Jews ; for no country 
 was to reject them: and after they had obtained some 
 wealth, and attracted the notice of men, they are pre- 
 cipitated to the lowest abyss of human suffering and 
 reproach. The recital of the sufferings of the Jews at 
 Cranganor resembles much that of the Jews at Jeru- 
 salem, as given by Josephus. 
 
 e I now requested they would shew me their brass 
 plate. Having been given by a native King, it is 
 written, of course, in the Mafabaric language and 
 character; and is now so old that it cannot be well 
 understood. The Jews preserve a Hebrew translation 
 of it, which they presented to me: but the Hebrew 
 itself is very difficult, and they dp not agree among 
 themselves, as to the meaning of some words. I have 
 employed, by their permission, an engraver at Cochin, 
 to execute a fac-simile of the original plate, on 
 copper.* This ancient document begins in the 
 
 * The original is engraved on both sides of the plate, 
 the fac-simile forms two plates. These are now de- 
 posited in the Public Library at the University of Cain- 
 bridge. 
 
204 Christian 
 
 following manner, according to the Hebrew trans- 
 lation :* 
 
 ' " In the peace of God, the King, which hath 
 made the earth, according to his pleasure. To this God, 
 I, AIRVI BRAHMIN, have lifted up my hand, and 
 have granted, by this deed, which many hundred thou- 
 sand years shall run /, dwelling in Cranganor, 
 have granted, in the thirty-sixth year of my reign, 
 in the strength of power I have granted, in the strength 
 of power I have given in inheritance, to JOSEPH 
 RABBAN." 
 
 ( Then follow the privileges of nobility ; such as 
 permission to ride on the elephant; to have a herald 
 to go before, to announce the name and dignity ; to 
 have the lamp of the day ; to walk on carpets spread 
 upon the earth ; and to have trumpets and cymbals 
 sounded before him. King Airvi then appoints Joseph 
 Rabban to be ' Chief and Governor of the houses of 
 congregation, (the Synagogues,) and of certain dis- 
 tricts, and of the sojourn ers in them/ What proves the 
 importance of the Jews at the period when this grant 
 was made, is, that it is signed by seven Kings as 
 witnesses. c And to this are witnesses, King Bivada 
 Cubertin Mitadin, and he is King of Travancore. 
 King Airla Nada Mana Vikriin, and he is the Samorin. 
 King Veloda Nada Archarin Shatin, and he is King 
 of Argot.' The remaining four Kings are those of 
 
 * A copy of this Hebrew translation was sent to the 
 University with the other MSS. I have a copy in my 
 possession. 
 
respecting tfje ^etas* 205 
 
 Palgatchery, Cofastri, Carbinath, and Fara-changur. 
 There is no date in this document, further than what 
 may be collected from the reign of the Prince, and the 
 names of the royal witnesses. Dates are not usual in 
 old Malabaric writings. One fact is evident, that the 
 Jews must have existed a considerable time in the 
 country, before they could have obtained such a grant. 
 The tradition before mentioned assigns for the date of 
 the transaction, the year of the Creation 4250, which 
 is, in Jewish computation, A. D. 490. It is well 
 known, that the famous Malabaric King, CERAM 
 PERUMAL, made grants to the Jews, Christians, and 
 Mahomedans, during his reign j but that Prince flou- 
 rished in the eighth or ninth century. 
 
 THE BLACK JEWS. 
 
 * It is only necessary to look at the countenance of 
 the Black Jews to be satisfied that their ancestors must 
 have arrived in India many ages before the White Jews* 
 Their Hindoo complexion, and their very imperfect 
 resemblance to the European Jews, indicate that they 
 have been detached from the parent stock in Judea many 
 ages before the Jews in the West ; and that there have 
 been intermarriages with families not Israelitish. I had 
 heard that those tribes, which had passed the Indus, 
 have assimilated so much to the customs and habits of 
 the countries in which they live, that they may be 
 
06 Christian 
 
 sometimes seen by a traveller, without being recognised 
 as Jews. In the interior towns of Malabar, I was not 
 always able to distinguish the Jew from the Hindoo. I 
 hence perceived how easy it may be to mistake the 
 tribes of Jewish descent among the Afghans and other 
 nations in the northern parts of Hindoostan. The White 
 Jews look upon the Black Jews as an inferior race, and 
 as not of a pure cast : which plainly demonstrates 
 that they do not spring from a common stock in 
 India. 
 
 ' The Black Jews communicated to me much inte- 
 resting intelligence concerning their brethren the 
 ancient Israelites in the East ; traditional indeed in its 
 nature, but in general illustrative of true history. They 
 recounted the names of many other small colonies 
 resident in northern India, Tartary, and China ; and gave 
 me a written list of SIXTY-FIVE places. I conversed 
 with those who had lately visited many of these stations, 
 and were about to return again. The Jews have a 
 never-ceasing communication with each other in the 
 East. Their families indeed are generally stationary, 
 being subject to despotic princes ; but the men move 
 much about in a commercial capacity ; and the same 
 individual will pass through many extensive countries. 
 So that when any thing interesting to the nation of the 
 Jews takes place, the rumour will pass rapidly throughout 
 all Asia. 
 
 ( I inquired concerning their brethren, the Ten 
 Tribes. They said that it was commonly believed among 
 them, that the great body of the Israelites are tobefound in 
 Chaldea, and in the countries contiguous to it, being the 
 
respecting t!je fetos. 207 
 
 very places whither they were first carried into captivity ; 
 that some few families had migrated into regions more 
 remote, as to Cochin and Rajapoor, in India, and to 
 other places yet farther to the East ; but that the bulk 
 of the nation, though now much reduced in number, 
 had not to this day removed two thousand miles from 
 Samaria. Among the Black Jews I could not find many 
 copies of the Bible. They informed me, that in certain 
 places of the remote dispersion, their brethren have but 
 some small portions of the Scriptures, and that the 
 prophetical books were rare ; but that they themselves^ 
 from their vicinity to the White Jews, have been sup- 
 plied, from time to time, with the whole of the Old 
 Testament. 
 
 ( From these communications I plainly perceive the 
 important duty which now devolves on Christians pos- 
 sessing the art of printing, to send to the Jews in the 
 East, copies of the Hebrew Scriptures, and particularly 
 of the prophetical books. If only the prophecies of 
 Isaiah and Daniel were published among them, the effect 
 might be great. They do not want the Law so much. 
 But the prophetical books would appear among them 
 with some novelty, particularly in a detached form ; and 
 could be easily circulated through the remotest parts of 
 Asia/ 
 
 MANUSCRIPTS. 
 
 ' Almost in every house I find Hebrew books, printed 
 or manuscript; particularly among the White Jews. 
 
203 Cljrfettan 
 
 Most of the printed Hebrew of Europe has found its 
 way to Cochin, through the medium of the Portuguese 
 and Dutch commerce of former times. When I ques- 
 tioned the Jews concerning the old copies of the Scrip- 
 tures, which had been read in the Synagogues from age 
 to age ; some told me that it was usual to bury them 
 when decayed by time and use. Others said that this 
 was not always the case. I despaired at first of being 
 able to procure any of the old biblical writings ; but 
 after I had been in the country about six weeks, and 
 they found that I did not expect to obtain them merely 
 as presents, some copies were recovered. The White 
 Jews had only the Bible written on parchment, and of 
 modern appearance, in their Synagogue ; but I was inform- 
 ed that the Black Jews possessed formerly copies written on 
 Goat Skins ; and that in the Synagogue of the Black Jews 
 there was an old Record Chest, into which the decayed co- 
 pies of their Scriptures had been thrown. I accordingly went 
 to the Synagogue with a few of the chief men, and exa- 
 mined the contents, which some of them said they had 
 never looked at before, and did not seem greatly to value. 
 The manuscripts were of various kinds, on parchment, 
 goat-skins, and cotton paper. I negotiated for them 
 hastily, and wrapped them up in two cloths, and gave 
 them to the Jews to carry home to my house. I had 
 observed some murmuring amongst the byestanders in the 
 Synagogue, while I was examining the chest : and before 
 we appeared in the streets, the alarm had gone forth, that 
 the Christians were robbing the Synagogue of the Law. 
 There were evident symptoms of tumult, and the women 
 and children collected and were following us. I request- 
 ed some of the more respectable Jews to accompany me 
 
respectmjj tlje eto& sog 
 
 out of the town ; but I had scarcely arrived at my own 
 house at Cochin, , when the persons who had permitted 
 me to take the manuscipts, came in evident agitation, 
 and told me I must restore them immediately to calm the 
 popular rage. Others had gone to complain to the 
 Chief Magistrate, Thomas Flower, Esq. And now I had 
 lost my spoil, but for the friendly counsel and judicious 
 conduct of Mr. Flower. He directed that all the manu- 
 scripts should be delivered up to him, and, that there 
 should be no further proceedings on the subject with- 
 out his authority. To this the Jews agreed. There 
 was some plea of justice on my side, as it was under- 
 stood that I had given a valuable consideration. In the 
 mean time he allowed a few days to pass, that the minds 
 of the people might become tranquil, and he then sum- 
 moned some of the more liberal men, and gave them a 
 hearing on the subject. In the mean time I thought 
 it prudent to retire from Cochin, for a day or two, and 
 went to Cranganor, about sixteen miles off, to Colonel 
 Macaulay, the British Resident at Tra van core, who was 
 then at the house of Mr. Drummond, the Collector of 
 Malabar. On my return to Cochin, Mr. Flower inform- 
 ed me that all the manuscripts were to be returned to 
 my house ; that I was to select what was old, and of lit- 
 tle use to the Jews, and to give back to them what was 
 new. The affair ended, however, in the Jews permitting 
 me generously to retain some part of the new. 
 
 I have since made a tour through thetowns of the Black 
 Jews in the interior of the country, Tritoor, Paroor, 
 Chenotta, and Maleh. I have procured a good many 
 manuscripts, chiefly in the Rabbinical character, some of 
 
2 1 o Christian Heseardjes 
 
 which the Jews themselves cannot read ; and I do not 
 know what to say to their traditions. A copy of the 
 Scriptures belonging to Jews of the East, who might be 
 supposed to have had no communication with Jews in the 
 West, has been long considered a desideratum in Eu- 
 rope ; for the Western Jews have been accused by some 
 learned men of altering or omitting certain words in 
 the Hebrew text, to invalidate the argument of Chris- 
 tians. But Jews in the East, r remote from the contro- 
 versy, would have no motive for such corruptions. One or 
 two of the MSS. which I have just procured, will pro- 
 bably be of some service in this respect. One of them 
 is an old copy of the Books of Moses, written on a roll 
 of leather. The skins are sewed together, and the 
 roll is about forty-eight feet in length. It is, in some 
 places, worn out, and the holes have been sewed up with 
 pieces of parchment. Some of the Jews suppose that 
 this roll came originally from Senna, in Arabia ; others 
 have heard that it was brought from Cashmir. The 
 Cabul Jews, who travel into the interior of China, say 
 that in some Synagogues the Law is still written on a 
 roll of leather, made of Goats' skins dyed red ; not on 
 vellum, but on a soft flexible leather ; which agrees with 
 the description of the roll above mentioned.'* 
 
 * Mr. Yeates, formerly of All Souls College, Oxford, 
 and editor of the Hebrew Grammar, has been employed by 
 the author for the last two years, at Cambridge, in arranging 
 and collating the Hebrew and Syriac MSS. brought from In- 
 dia. His collation of the Roll of the Pentateuch above men- 
 tioned, is now finished, and will form a volume in quarto. 
 The University has, with great liberality, resolved that this 
 
respecting t&e fetes, 2 1 1 
 
 * Ever since I came among these people, and heard 
 their sentiments on the prophecies, and their confident 
 hopes of returning to Jerusalem) I have thought much 
 on the means of obtaining a version of the NEW TESTA- 
 MENT in the Hebrew language, and circulating it among 
 them and their brethren in the East. I had heard that 
 there were one or two translations of the Testament 
 in their own possession, but they were studiously kept 
 out of my sight, for a considerable time. At last, how- 
 ever, they were produced by individuals in a private man- 
 ner. One of them is written in the small Rabbinical or 
 Jerusalem character ; the other in a large square letter. 
 The history of the former is very interesting. The 
 translator, a learned Rabbi, conceived the design of 
 making an accurate version of the New Testament, for 
 the express purpose of confuting it. His style is copious 
 and elegant, like that of a master in the language, and 
 the translation is in general faithful. It does not indeed 
 appear that he wished to pervert the meaning of a single 
 sentence ; but depending on his own abilities and renown 
 as a scholar, he hoped to be able to controvert its doc- 
 trines, and to triumph over it by fair contest in the pre- 
 sence of the world. There is yet a mystery about the 
 circumstances of this man's death, which time will 
 perhaps unfold : the Jews are not inclined to say much 
 to me about him. His version is complete, and written 
 with greater freedom and ease towards the end than at 
 
 book shall be printed at the ex pence of the University, for the 
 benefit of Mr. Yeates ; and Dr. Marsh, the learned Editor of 
 Michaelis, has written a Note on the antiquity and importance 
 of the manuscript, which will form a Preface to the work. 
 
 P2 
 
212 Christian 
 
 the beginning. How astonishing it is that an enemy 
 should have done this ! that he should have persevered 
 resolutely and calmly L o the end of his work ! not indeed 
 always calmly ; for there is sometimes a note of execra- 
 tion on the Sacred Person who is the subject of it, to 
 unburden his mind and ease the conflict of his labouring 
 soul. At the close of the Gospels, as if afraid of the con- 
 verting power of his own translation, ( he calls heaven 
 to witness that he had undertaken the work with the 
 professed design of opposing the Epicureans ;' by which 
 term he contemptuously means the Christians. 
 
 6 I have had many interesting conferences with the 
 Jews, on the subject of their present state ; and have 
 been much struck with two circumstances ; their con- 
 stant reference to the DESOLATION of Jerusalem, 
 and their confident hope that it will be one day RE- 
 BUILT. The desolation of the Holy City is ever pre- 
 sent to the minds of the Jews, when the subject is con- 
 cerning themselves as a Nation ; for, though without 
 a king, and without a country, they constantly speak of 
 the unity of their nation. Distance of time and place 
 seems to have no effect in obliterating the remembrance 
 of the Desolation. I often thought of the verse in the 
 Psalms, ' If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right 
 hand forget her cunning/ They speak of Palestine as 
 being close at hand, and easily accessible. It is become 
 an ordinance of their Rabbins in some places, that when 
 a man builds a new house, he shall leave a small part of 
 it unfinished, as an emblem of ruin, and write on it these 
 words, Zecher Lachwchan, i. e. In MEMORY of the 
 DESOLATION. 
 
respecting tye fetus* 2 1 s 
 
 * Their hopes of REBUILDING the walls of Jerusalem, 
 the THIRD and LAST time, under the auspices of the 
 Messiah, or of a second Cyrus, before his coming, are 
 always expressed with great confidence. They have 
 a general impression, that the period of their liberation 
 from the Heathen is not very remote ; and they consider 
 the present commotions in the earth as gradually loosen- 
 ing their bonds. f It is/ say they, ( a sure sign of our 
 approaching restoration, that in almost all countries 
 there is a GENERAL RELAXATION of the persecution 
 against us/ I pressed strongly upon them the prophecies 
 of Daniel. In former times that Prophet was not in 
 repute among the Jews, because he predicted the coming 
 of the Messiah at the end of ' the seventy weeks f and 
 his book has been actually removed from the list of pro- 
 phetic writings, and remains, to this day, among the Hagi- 
 Qgrap]w 9 such as Job, the Psalms, the Proverbs, Ruth; but 
 he now begins to be popular among those who have studied 
 him, because he has predicted that the final { accomplish- 
 ment of the indignation against the holy people' is near 
 at hand. The strongest argument to press upon the 
 mind of a Jew, at this period, is to explain to his convic- 
 tion Daniel's period of 1260 years ; and then to shew the 
 analogy which it bears to the period of the Evangelist 
 John, concerning the Papal and Mahomedan powers j 
 with the state of which the Jews are well acquainted. 
 , ' I passed through the burial-ground of the Jews the 
 pther day. Some of the tombs are handsomely con- 
 structed, and have Hebrew inscriptions in prose and 
 verse. This mansion of the dead is called by the Jews, 
 Beth Haiim, or, < The House of the Living/ 
 
214 Christian 
 
 ' Being much gratified with my visit to the Jews of 
 Malabar, and desirous to maintain some communication 
 with them, 1 have engaged a very respectable member of 
 their community to accompany me with his servant to 
 Bengal, and to remain with me in the capacity of Hebrew 
 Moonshee, or teacher, until my return to England. Ob- 
 serving that in the houses of the White Jews there are 
 many volumes of printed Hebrew, mostly of the fifteenth 
 and sixteenth centuries, which are rarely met with in 
 England, I have employed Misrahi, that is the name of 
 my Moonshee, to collect some of the most valuable.' 
 
 At the beginning of the following year (1808) 
 the Author visited Cochin a second time, and 
 proceeded afterwards to Bombay, where he had 
 an opportunity of meeting with some very intel- 
 ligent men of the Jewish nation. They had 
 heard of his conferences with the Cochin Jews, 
 and were desirous to discuss certain topics, par- 
 ticularly the prophecies of Isaiah ; and they 
 engaged in them with far more spirit and frank- 
 ness, he thought, than their brethren at Cochin 
 had done. They told him, that if he would 
 take a walk to the Bazar in the suburb, without 
 the walls of Bombay town, he would find a Sy- 
 nagogue without a Sepher Tora, or book of the 
 Law. He did so, and found it to be the case. 
 The minister and a few of the Jews assembled, 
 and shewed him their Synagogue, in which there 
 
215 
 
 were some loose leaves of prayers in manuscript, 
 but no book of the Law. The Author did not 
 understand that they disapproved of the kaw ; 
 but they had no eopy of it. They seemed to 
 have little knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures 
 or history. This only proved what he had been 
 often told, that small portions of the Jewish 
 nation melt away from time to time, and are 
 absorbed in the mass of the heathen world. 
 Nor is this any argument against the truth of 
 the prophecy, which declares that they should 
 remain a separate and distinct people ; for these 
 are mere exceptions. Conversions to Christianity 
 in the early ages would equally militate against 
 the prediction, taken in an absolute sense. 
 
 THE TEN TRIBES. 
 
 THE Tribes of Israel are no longer to be in- 
 quired after by name. The purpose, for which 
 they were once divided into tribes, was accom* 
 plished when the genealogy of the Messiah was 
 traced to the stem of David, Neither do the Isra^ 
 elites themselves know certainly from what fami- 
 lies they are descended. And this is a chief argu- 
 
2 1 6 Cfmsttan Eesear cfces 
 
 ment against the Jews, to which the Author 
 never heard that a Jew could make a sensible 
 reply. The tribe of Judah was selected as that 
 from which the Messiah should come; and 
 behold, the Jews do not know which of them 
 are of the tribe of Judah. 
 
 While the Author was amongst the Jews of 
 Malabar, he made frequent inquiries concerning 
 the Ten Tribes. When he mentioned that it 
 was the opinion of some, that they had migrated 
 from the Chaldean provinces, he was asked to 
 what country we supposed they had gone, and 
 whether we had ever heard of their moving in 
 a great army on such an expedition. 
 
 It will be easy perhaps to shew, that the 
 great body of the Ten Tribes remain to this day 
 in the countries to which they were first carried 
 captive. If we can discover where they were 
 in the first century of the Christian Era, which 
 was seven hundred years after the carrying 
 away to Babylon, and again where they were in 
 the fifth century, we certainly may be able to 
 trace them up to this time. 
 
 Josephus, who wrote in the reign of Vespa- 
 sian, recites a speech made by King Agrippa to 
 the Jews, wherein he exhorts them to submit 
 to the Romans, and expostulates with them in 
 these words : " What, do you stretch your 
 
respecting tlje 3?eto& 2 1 7 
 
 " hopes beyond the river Euphrates ? Do any 
 " of you think that your fellow- tribes will 
 " come to your aid out of Adiabene? Besides, 
 " if they would come, the Parthian will not 
 permit it." (Jos. de Bell. Lib. ii. c. 28.) We 
 learn from this oration, delivered to the Jews 
 themselves, and by a King of the Jews, that 
 the Ten Tribes were then captive in Media, 
 under the Persian Princes. 
 
 In the fifth century, Jerome, author of the 
 Vulgate, treating of the dispersed Jews, in his 
 Notes upon Hosea, has these words: "Unto this 
 " day, the Ten Tribes are subject to the Kings 
 " of the Persians, nor has their captivity ever 
 " been loosed." (Tom. vi. p. 7-) ; and again 
 he says, " The Ten Tribes inhabit at this day 
 " the cities and mountains of the Medes." 
 Tom. vi. p. 80. 
 
 There is no room left for doubt on this 
 subject. Have we heard of any expedition of 
 the Jews " going forth from that country, 
 " since that period, like the Goths and Huns, 
 " to conquer nations ?" Have we ever heard of 
 their rising in insurrection to burst the bands 
 of their captivity ? To this day, both Jews and 
 Christians are generally in a state of captivity 
 jn these despotic countries. No family dares 
 
sis Christian Eesearcijes 
 
 to leave the kingdom without permission of the 
 King.* 
 
 Mahomedanism reduced the number of the 
 Jews exceedingly : It was presented to them at 
 the point of the sword. We know that multi- 
 tudes of Christians received it ; for example, 
 " the seven Churches of Asia ;" and we may 
 believe, that an equal proportion of Jews were 
 proselyted by the same means. In the provinces 
 of Cashmire and AfFghanistan, some of the 
 Jews submitted to great sacrifices, and they 
 remain Jews to this day ; but the greater 
 number yielded, in the course of ages, to the 
 power of the reigning religion. Their counte- 
 nance, their language, their names, their rites 
 and observances, and their history, all conspire 
 to establish the fact.f We may judge, in some 
 degree, of the number of those who would 
 yield to the sword of Mahomed, and conform, 
 in appearance at least, to what was called a 
 
 * Joseph Emin, a Christian well known in Calcutta, wished 
 to bring his family from Ispahan $ but he could not effect it, 
 though our Government interested itself in his behalf. 
 
 f Mr. Forster was so much struck with the general ap- 
 pearance, garb, and manners of the Cashmirians, as to think, 
 without any previous knowledge of the fact, that he had been 
 suddenly transported among a nation of JEWS. See Forstefs 
 Travels. 
 
respecting t&e eto& 219 
 
 sister Religion, from the number of those who 
 conformed to the Christian Religion, under the 
 influence of the Inquisition in Spain and Por- 
 tugal. Orobio, who was himself a Jew, states 
 in his History, that there were upwards of 
 twenty thousand Jews in Spain alone, who, 
 from fear of the Inquisition, professed Christi- 
 anity, some of whom were Priests and Bishops. 
 The tribes of the Affghan race are very nume- 
 rous, and of different casts ; and it is probable, 
 that the proportion which is of Jewish descent 
 is not great. The Affghan nations extend on 
 both sides of the Indus, and inhabit the moun- 
 tainous region, commencing in Western Persia. 
 They differ in language, customs, religion, and 
 countenance, and have little knowledge of each 
 other. Some tribes have the countenance of 
 the Persian, and some of the Hindoo ; and some 
 tribes are evidently of Jewish extraction. 
 
 Calculating then the number of Jews, who 
 now inhabit the provinces of ancient Chaldea, 
 or the contiguous countries, and who still 
 profess Judaism ; and the number of those who 
 embraced Mahomedanism, or some form of it, 
 in the same regions ; we may be satisfied, 
 " That the greater part of the Ten Tribes, 
 4 which now exist, are to be found in the coun- 
 41 tries of their first captivity." 
 
220 Christian JResearcfjes 
 
 RESTORATION OF THE JEWS. 
 
 THAT many of the Jews, when liberated from 
 their state of oppression, will return to Judea, 
 appears probable from the general tenor of pro- 
 phecy, and from their own natural and uncon- 
 querable attachment to that country ; but we 
 know not for what purpose they should all 
 return thither; and it is perfectly unnecessary 
 to contend for the fact, or to impose it as a 
 tenet of faith. We perceive no reason why 
 they should leave the nations in which they 
 live, when these nations are no longer heathen. 
 Nor is it possible, in numerous cases, to ascer- 
 tain who are Jews, and who arc not. It is also 
 true, that before Judea could nourish the whole 
 body of Jews, even in their present reduced 
 state, the ancient FERTILITY which was taken 
 away according to prophecy, (Deut. xxviii. 23 
 and 38) must be restored by miracle. But we 
 have no warrant to look for a miracle under the 
 finished dispensation of the Gospel. We pos- 
 sess " the MORE sure word of prophecy," (2 Pet. 
 i* 19?) and look not for signs and wonders. We 
 expect no miracle for the Jews, but that of their 
 
respecting tl>e f eto& 22 1 
 
 conversion to Christianity ; which \vill be 
 a greater miracle, than if the first Temple 
 were to rise in its gold and costly stones, and 
 Solomon were again to reign over them in all 
 his glory. 
 
 Much caution is also required in stating to 
 them our opinions concerning a MILENNIUM, or 
 period of universal truth and felicity. It was 
 prophesied to Israel, about seven hundred years 
 before the coming of the Messiah, that a time 
 should be, " when nation should no longer lift 
 " the sword against nation, neither should men 
 " learn war any more :" when " the knowledge 
 " of the Lord, which was then confined to 
 " Judea, should cover the earth, as the waters 
 " cover the sea;'' and when "they should not 
 " teach every man his neighbour, saying, 
 " Know the Lord, for ALL should know him 
 " from the least to the greatest." These pro- 
 phecies were fulfilled generally when the 
 Messiah appeared. The Gospel of Peace was 
 preached to men, and " the sound thereof went 
 " to the ends of the earth." The last predic- 
 tion, which is the clearest and strongest of all, 
 " They shall not teach every man his neigli- 
 " hour, saying, Know the Lord, for ALL shall 
 " know him, from the least to the greatest," is 
 expressly quoted by the Apostle Paul, Heb. viii. 
 
cijristtan 
 
 11.) as having been already fulfilled by the 
 manifestation of Christ, who abrogated the old 
 covenant with Israel, which was confined to 
 FEW, and made a new covenant with the world, 
 which was extended to ALL. 
 
 It is believed, however, that the predictions 
 above recited will receive a more particular ac- 
 complishment hereafter, and that the glory even 
 of the primitive Church shall be far surpassed. 
 But it does not appear, that the conversion of 
 men at any future period will be UNIVERSAL. 
 It is evident, indeed, from the sure word of 
 prophecy, that there will be a long time of 
 general holiness and peace, which will succeed 
 to the present reign of vice and misery, proba- 
 bly " a thousand years ," during which, righte- 
 ousness will be as common as wickedness is 
 now ; and further, that this period is at hand, 
 even at the door.* But I see no ground for be- 
 lieving that such righteousness will be universal, 
 or that this life will ever be other than a state 
 of probation and trial to qualify for " meetness 
 " for the heavenly kingdom." Our Saviour sets 
 forth, in different places, the character of his 
 
 * See Scott's Bible, Rev. xx. 4, 
 
respecting ti)e 3fetos 223 
 
 Church, to the end of time, and that character 
 is always the same. The Gospel he compares to 
 " seed sown by the sower, some on good and 
 " some on bad ground." Those who hear this 
 Gospel he compares to men .building on the 
 rock, or on the sand ; travelling in the broad, or 
 in the narrow way ; and to wheat and tares 
 growing in the same field. " The field is the 
 world," saitli our Lord ; " the good seed are the 
 children of the kingdom : the tares are the 
 " children of the wicked one : the enemy that 
 " sowed them is the devil : the harvest is the 
 " end of the world ; and the reapers are the 
 angels." Matth. xiii. 39- This we believe to be 
 a picture of the visible Church to the end of 
 time. 
 
 In regard to the progress, conflict, and final 
 extent of the Gospel, our Saviour notices all 
 these circumstances generally in his last dis- 
 course to his disciples. In the twenty-fourth 
 chapter of St. Matthew, he gives an epitome of 
 his more detailed prophecy in the Book of Re- 
 velation. He foretels that there shall be " wars 
 " and rumours of wars, persecutions, famines, 
 " pestilences, earthquakes, false prophets, and 
 apostasies :" and then he adds, " And this Gos- 
 " pel of the kingdom shall be preached in all 
 
224. Christian 
 
 " the world for a WITNESS unto all nations : 
 <f and then shall the end come." 
 
 To suppose that there will be a period when 
 the Church on earth shall be no longer mili- 
 tant, is to suppose that a time will come when 
 the Christian may die without being able to say, 
 " I have fought a good fight;*' when there will- 
 be little inward corruption, and little outward 
 opposition ; little vestige of the old Adam, in 
 the new race, and little use for the old Bible, in 
 the new state of things. Let us interpret Scrip- 
 ture soberly. When the Milennium 'arrives, 
 kno\vledge and holiness will be general; but 
 not universal. Perfection is to be attained, not 
 in this world, but in heaven. 
 
 On the Author's return to England, he found 
 that a Society had been instituted for the Con- 
 version of the Jews ; and he was not a little 
 surprised to hear that some Christians had op- 
 posed its institution. He was less surprised at 
 this, however, when he he was informed that 
 objections had been brought against the Society 
 for the circulation of the BIBLE. It is possible 
 to urge political arguments against Christianity 
 
respecting 
 
 itself. Such a spirit as this does not seem en- 
 titled to much courtesy ; for it springs directly 
 from this assumption, That the Bible is not from 
 God, or, That there is something greater than 
 TRUTH. 
 
 The grand object, which now engages the 
 attention of the Jewish Institution is a Trans- 
 lation of the New Testament into the Hebrew 
 Language. To assist them in this important 
 work, a copy of the Manuscript found in Ma* 
 labar, now commonly called the Trcrcaricore 
 Testament, has been presented to them.* The 
 volume has been fairly described by Mr. Yeates, 
 of Cambridge, in the square Hebrew character, 
 and forms three volumes, quarto. The question 
 now under consideration by the Society is, 
 whether it shall be received as the basis for the 
 general translation. The first sheet of the 
 intended version has already been printed off, 
 for the purpose of being submitted as a specimen 
 to the best Hebrew scholars in the kingdom, 
 both Jews and Christians; in order that it may 
 go forth in as perfect a form as may be. So 
 that it is possible, that before the end of the 
 present year, the Four Gospels will be published, 
 
 * Seep. 207. 
 Q 
 
226 Clmsttan 
 
 and copies sent to the Jews in the East, as the 
 FIRST-FRUITS of the Jewish Institution. It is 
 very remarkable, that this should be the very 
 year which was calculated long ago, by a learned 
 man, as that in which " the times of happiness 
 " to Israel " should begin. In the year ] 677, 
 Mr. Samuel Lee, a scholar of enlarged views, 
 who had studied the prophetical writings with 
 great attention, published a small volume, enti- 
 tled, ".Israel Redux, or The Restauration of 
 " Israel." He calculates the event from the 
 prophecies of Daniel and of St. John, and com- 
 mences the great period of 1260 years, not from 
 A. D. 608, which we think correct, but from A. D. 
 476, which brings it to 1736. He, then adds, 
 " After the great conflicts with the Papal powers 
 " in the West, will begin the stirs and commo- 
 " tions about the Jews and Israel in the East. 
 " If then to 1736 we add 30 more, they reach 
 " to 1766 ; but the times of perplexity are de- 
 " termined (by Daniel) to last 45 years longer. 
 " If then we conjoin those 45 years more to 
 " 1766, it produces one thousand eight hundred 
 (t and ELEVEN, for those times of happiness to 
 Israel."* 
 
 * See " Israel Kedui/' page 122, printed in Cornhill, 
 London, 1677. 
 
respecting tlje 3fetou 227 
 
 VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES 
 FOR THE JEWS. 
 
 IN THE ORIENTAL LANGUAGES. 
 
 SINCE writing the above, the Author has 
 received the following communication from the 
 Rev. David Brown, dated Calcutta, March 15, 
 1810: 
 
 ec Dr. Leyden, of the College of Fort William, in 
 a letter communicated to me yesterday, has offered 
 to conduct Translations of the Scriptures in the following 
 languages; viz." 
 
 1. AFFGHAN, 5. Bucis, 
 
 2. CASHMIRIAN, 6. MACASSAR, 
 
 3. JAGHATAI, and 
 
 4. SIAMESE, 7 MALDIVIAN. 
 
 " The Jaghatai is the original Turcoman Language, 
 as spoken in the central districts of Asia. The Bugis 
 is the language of the Celehes. The Macassar is 
 spoken at Macassar, in the Celebes, and in the great 
 island of BORNEO. 
 
 " Dr. Leyden is assisted, as you know, by lenrned 
 natives in the compilation of Grammars and Vocabu- 
 laries in the above languages, and entertains no doubt 
 that he shall be able to effect correct versions of the 
 Scriptures in them all." 
 
228 Christian Hegeatrtjes. 
 
 Thus, sooner than could have been expected r 
 are we likely to have the Bible translated into 
 the language of the CELEBES.* But who can 
 estimate the importance of a translation of the 
 Scriptures into the languages of Affghana and 
 Cashmire, those Jewish regions ? 
 
 The Jaghatai or Zagathai, is the language of 
 Great Bucharia, which was called Zagathai, from 
 a son of Zenghis Khan. It is an auspicious cir- 
 cumstance for Dr. Ley den's translation of the 
 Jaghatai, that Prince Zagathai himself embraced 
 Christianity, and made a public profession of 
 the Gospel in his capital of Samarchand.f There 
 were at that period above a hundred Christian 
 Churches in the province ; and some of them 
 remain to this day. We are also informed, both 
 by the Nestorian and Romish writers, that there 
 was a version of the New Testament and Psalms, 
 in a Tartar Language. Dr. Leyden will soon 
 discover whether this was the Jaghatai. That 
 language is spoken in Bochara, Balk, and Samar- 
 chand, and in other cities of Usbeck, and Inde- 
 pendent Tartary. This is the country which 
 
 * See p. 86 for an account of the importance of this lan- 
 guage, 
 f See Mosheim's EccL Tartar History, p. 40. 
 
respecting tlje fetos. 229 
 
 Dr. Giles Fletcher, who was Envoy of Queen 
 Elizabeth, at the Court of the Czar of Muscovy, 
 has assigned as the principal residence of the 
 descendants of the Ten Tribes. He argues from 
 their place, from the name of their cities, from 
 their language, which contains Hebrew and 
 Chaldaic words, and from their peculiar rites 
 which are Jewish. Their principal city Samar- 
 chand is pronounced Samarchian, which Dr. 
 Fletcher thinks, might be a name given by the 
 Israelites after their own Samaria in Palestine. 
 (See Israel Redux, p. 12.) Benjamin of Tudela, 
 who travelled into this country, in the twelfth 
 century, and afterwards published his Itinerary, 
 says, " In Samarchand, the city of Tamerlane, 
 " there are 50,000 Jews under the presidency of 
 " Rabbi Obadiah : and in the mountains and cities 
 " of Nisbor, there are four tribes of Israel resi- 
 " dent, viz. Dan, Zabulon Asher, and Naph- 
 hali."* It is remarkable that the people of 
 Zagathai should be constantly called Ephthalites 
 and Nephthalites by the Byzantine writers, who 
 alone had any information concerning them.f 
 The fact seems to be, that, if from Babylon as a 
 
 * See Benjamini Itinerarium, p, 9". 
 f Theophanes t $. 79. 
 
230 Christian 
 
 centre, you describe a segment of a circle, from 
 the northern shore of Caspian Sea to the heads 
 of the Indus, you will enclose the territories 
 containing the chief body of the dispersed tribes 
 of Israel. 
 
 This design of Dr. Leyden to superintend the 
 translation of the Scriptures in SEVEN new lan- 
 guages, marks the liberal views, and the enterpris- 
 ing and ardent mind of that scholar, and will be 
 hailed by the friends of Christianity in Europe 
 as a noble undertaking, deserving their utmost 
 eulogy and patronage. It will give pleasure to 
 all those who have hitherto taken any interest 
 in " the restoration of learning in the East," to 
 see that the College of Fort-William is pro- 
 ducing such excellent fruit. May its fame be 
 perpetual !* 
 
 * There are now several Orientalists, members of the Asiatic 
 Society, who have been engaged in translating the Holy Scrip- 
 tures. We hope hereafter to see the name of Mr. Colebrooke 
 added to the number. Mr. C. is the Father of Shanscrit 
 Literature, and has lately published an Essay on the Shanscrit 
 Poetry and Metres. How much gratified should we be to see 
 aversion of the Pentateuch from his pen ! or at least a Critique 
 on the New Testament, which has been already translated into 
 Shanscrit. Mr. C. is the proper man to oppose the Pentateuch 
 to the Hindoo Cosmogony, and to invite the Brahmins to con- 
 template the Mosaic Records, in classical Shanscrit. This 
 
33tbltoti)eca Stblfeu 221 
 
 THE BIBLIOTHECA BIBLICA 
 IN BENGAL. 
 
 THE Bibliotheca Biblica is a Repository for 
 Bibles in the Oriental Languages, and for Bibles 
 only. They are here deposited for sale, at mo- 
 derate prices ; and lists of the various versions 
 are sent to remote parts of Asia, that individuals 
 may know where to purchase them ; the com- 
 merce from the port of Calcutta rendering the 
 transmission of books extremely easy. Those 
 \vho desire to have copies for gratuitous distri- 
 bution, are supplied at the cost prices. This in- 
 stitution is under the immediate superintendence 
 of the Rev. David Brown, late Provost of the 
 College of Fort- William : and it is supported by 
 
 would be a work worthy of his great erudition ; and his name, 
 as a Shanscrit Scholar, would then, indeed, live for ever. 
 Mr. Colebrooke has ever shewn kindness to the humble Mis- 
 sionaries, who have been cultivating the Shanscrit Tongue j 
 he has supplied them with books, and afforded them every 
 liberal aid $ it will give him no regret, at his last hour, to think 
 that he has had it in his power, in any degree, to promote th 
 cause of Christianity. 
 
232 c&rfetten 
 
 all the translators of the Bible in India, who 
 send in their versions, and by the College of 
 Fort- William, which sends in its versions. 
 
 There have been already deposited in the Bi- 
 bliotheca Biblica four thousand volumes, in the 
 following languages : 
 
 ARABIC, ORISSA, 
 
 PERSIAN, BENGALEE, 
 
 HlNDOOSTANEE, CHINESE, 
 
 SHANSCRIT, PORTUGUESE, and 
 
 MAHRATTA, ENGLISH. 
 
 These translations have been chiefly furnished 
 by the following persons ; 
 
 Dr. WILLIAM CAREY and Mr. JOSHUA 
 MARSHMAN ; two men, whose names will pro- 
 bably go down to the latest posterity in India, 
 as faithful translators of the Holy Scriptures. 
 These have furnished the Shanscrit, Bengalee, 
 Qrissa, and Mahratta. 
 
 NATHANEAL SABAT, from Arabia, has contri- 
 buted the Persian. The first Persian transla- 
 tion (which is also in the Bibliotheca) was made 
 by the late Lieutenant-Col. COLEBROOK, Sur 
 veyor-General in Bengal ; and it " blesses his 
 memory." 
 
3BtbltotJ)eca Etbltca. 233 
 
 MIRZA FITRUT furnishes the Hindoostanee t 
 There is another Hindoostanee translation by the 
 Miss ionaries at Serampore ; and 
 
 Mr. JOANNES LASSAR is author of the Chinese. 
 
 There will be a large accession to this honour- 
 able catalogue in a year or two. It is astonish" 
 ing how much this simple Institution, like the 
 Bible Society in England, has attracted the at- 
 tention of the public, Native and European, 
 wherever it has been announced. The Superin- 
 tendants have recently sent to England for the 
 following supply of Bibles, which is now collect- 
 ing for them, viz. 
 
 Old and New. Test. New Test 
 
 English - 2000 2000 
 
 Portuguese - - 2000 2000 
 
 French - - 500 500 
 
 German - 500 
 
 Dutch 500 
 
 Danish - - 500 
 
 Spanish - - 200 
 
 Latin 100 100 
 
 Italian - 100 100 
 
 Hebrew - - 100 
 
 jGreek - - 100 100 
 
 Syriac ..... _ 
 
 pwedish ..... 50 
 
234 
 
 Prussian - 50 
 
 Russian - 50 
 
 Armenian, "j 
 
 Malay, and >As many copies as can be procured. 
 Arabic, J 
 
 Attached to the Bibliotheca Biblica is a 
 TRANSLATION LIBRARY, containing books for 
 the use of the Translators of the Scriptures. 
 As this Library is not complete, many of the 
 necessary works not being procurable in India, 
 a list of the volumes required will be published ; 
 in the hope that learned bodies and individuals 
 having duplicates, will be pleased to present 
 them to the Bibliotheca Biblica in Bengal. 
 
 Tnis institution was first organized by the 
 Rev. Mr. Brown, with a full reliance on the 
 patronage of the British and Foreign Bible 
 Society, which has cordially embraced his views, 
 and of the Society for promoting Christian 
 Knowledge, and of the Universities in the Uni- 
 ted Kingdom, which we hope will enrich its 
 Translation Library. 
 
 The Rev. David Brown, Senior Chaplain of 
 the East-India Company in Bengali formerly of 
 Magdalen College, Cambridge, has now been 
 twenty seven years resident in India ; and is the 
 zealous promoter of Sacred Learning in the East. 
 He is educating his THREE soxs in India, solely 
 
Etbltofljeca Sftttow 235 
 
 with the view of qualifying them for the impor- 
 tant purpose of extending the knowledge of 
 Christianity in Asia. Being himself a Hebrew- 
 scholar, his first object has been to ground them 
 well in the Hebrew and Syriac Languages; 
 rightly judging that a knowledge of these forms 
 the best foundation for ability to produce ac- 
 curate translations of the Scriptures in the other 
 Oriental Tongues. But they have now added 
 to these first languages the Arabic, Persian, and 
 Hwdo&tanec, which they pronounce like natives 
 of t lie East. They have had the advantage of 
 the best teachers in the different languages, par- 
 ticularly of SHALOM, an eminent Hebrew scho- 
 lar from Arabia. So that this little Institution 
 in Mr. Brown's house, may be called the 
 HEBREW SCHOOL in Bengal. 
 
 It is understood to be Mr. Brown's intention 
 to send his three sons to England, at the proper 
 age, to finish their education at the University, 
 and to enter the Church; with the view of their 
 returning to exercise their ministrations in India. 
 Mr. Brown himself has now seen two or three 
 generations pass away in Calcutta, (how short 
 is a Calcutta generation !) and has exhibited to 
 a large and refined society the doctrine and the 
 example of a faithful minister of the Gospel. 
 Marquis Cornwallis first recommended him to 
 
236 Cfjrfettan Eeseatrt)e& 
 
 the Court of Directors as a proper person to 
 fill his present important situation, and this he 
 did from a personal knowledge of his truly up- 
 right and disinterested character. In the many 
 Governments which have succeeded, there is 
 not one, as the Author believes, which has not 
 recorded a public testimony to the merits of 
 their Senior Chaplain. Marquis Wellesley, in 
 particular, honoured him with his confidence 
 and esteem, to the end of his administration. 
 It was under the auspices of that Nobleman, 
 that Mr. Brown instituted the " Calcutta CHA- 
 RITABLE FUND for distressed Europeans and 
 others ;" of which it may be truly said, that it has 
 been a Fountain of Mercy to thousands in Bengal 
 for ten years past, it having been established in 
 the first year of the new century.* Mr. Brown 
 would have probably returned from India with 
 his large family by this time, but his diffusive 
 benevolence in private charity, and in public 
 undertakings, both in India and England, and 
 the frequent demands on a man in his public 
 station, he being at the head of the Church in 
 Bengal, have not permitted him to increase his 
 
 * This Institution not only assists occasionally, but pensions 
 permanently, Europeans, Mahomedans, and Hindoos. 
 
respecting tlje armenians. 237 
 
 fortune suitably. And now, the prospect which 
 opens to his view of being more extensively use- 
 ful than before, in encouraging translations of 
 the Scriptures, in promoting the objects of the 
 Bible Society, and in educating his sons for the 
 Oriental Church, makes him willing to remain a 
 few years longer in India. 
 
 THE ARMENIANS. 
 
 A LEARNED author, in a work published about 
 the beginning of the last century, entitled "The 
 " Light of the Gospel, rising on all nations," 
 observes, " that the Armenian Christians will 
 " be most eminently qualified for the office of 
 " extending the knowledge of Christianity 
 " throughout the nations of Asia."* This is 
 undoubtedly true. Next to the Jews, the Ar- 
 menians will form the most generally useful 
 body of Christian Missionaries. They are to be 
 found in every principal city of Asia; they arc 
 the general merchants of the East, and are in a 
 state of constant motion from Canton to Con- 
 stantinople. Their general character is that of 
 wealthy, industrious, and enterprising people 
 
 * Fabricii Lux Evangelii, p. 65 1 . 
 
258 Christian Heseardjes 
 
 They are settled in all the principal places of 
 India, where they arrived many centuries before 
 the English. Wherever they colonize, they build 
 Churches, and observe the solemnities of the 
 Christian Religion in a decorous manner. Their 
 Ecclesiastical Establishment in Hindoostanis 
 more respectable than that of the English. Like 
 us, they have three Cl lurches in the three capitals, 
 one at Calcutta, one at Madras, and one at 
 Bombay ; but they have also Churches in the 
 interior of the country.* The Bishop sometimes 
 visits Calcutta ; but he is not resident there. 
 The proper country of these Christians is Arme- 
 nia, the greater part of which is subject to the 
 Persian Government ; but they are scattered all 
 over the Empire, the commerce of Persia 
 being chiefly conducted by Armenians. Their 
 Patriarch resides at Ervcan> not far from Mount 
 Ararat. 
 
 The history of the Armenian Church is very 
 interesting. Of all the Christians in central Asia 
 they have preserved themselves most free from 
 Mahomedan and Papal corruptions. The Pope 
 assailed them for a time with great violence, but 
 with little effect. The Churches in lesser Ar- 
 
 * In Bengal alone, they have Churches at Dacca, Sydalad, 
 and Chinsurah. 
 
respecting tfje 3rmentan& 239 
 
 menia indeed consented to an union which did 
 not long continue; but those in Persian Arme- 
 nia maintained their independence; and they 
 retain their ancient Scripture, doctrines, and 
 worship, to this day. " It is marvellous/' says 
 an intelligent traveller, who was much among 
 them, " how the Armenian Christians have pre- 
 " served their faith, equally against the vexati- 
 " ous oppression of the Mahomedans their Sove- 
 " reigns, and against the persuasions of the 
 " Romish Church, which for more than two 
 " centuries has endeavoured, by Missionaries, 
 " Priests, and Monks, to attach them to her 
 "Communion. It is impossible to describe the 
 " artifices and expences of the Court of Rome, 
 " to effect this object ; but all in vain."* 
 
 The Bible was translated into the Armenian 
 Language in the fifth century, under very auspi- 
 cious circumstances, the history of which has 
 come down to us. It has been allowed, by com- 
 petent judges of the language, to be a most 
 faithful translation. La Croze calls it " The 
 " Queen of Versions/t This Bible has ever re- 
 
 *Chardin, vol. II. p. 232, 
 / 
 f Mf . Joannes Lassar, who is now making a version of the 
 
 Scriptures in the Chinese Language, in Bengal, is an Arme- 
 
240 Christian Hesearcljes 
 
 mained in the possession of the Armenian peo* 
 pie; and many illustrious instances of genuine 
 and enlightened piety occur in their history. 
 The manuscript copies not being sufficient for 
 the demand, a council of Armenian Bishops as- 
 sembled in 1662, and resolved to call in aid the 
 art of Printing, of which they had heard in 
 Europe. For this purpose they applied first to 
 France, but the Catholic Church refused to print 
 their Bible. At length it was printed at Am- 
 sterdam in 1666, and afterwards two other edi- 
 tions in 1668 and 1698. Since that time it has 
 been printed at Venice. One of the editions, 
 which the Author has seen, is not inferior, 
 in beauty of typography, to the best En- 
 glish Bible. How far these editions might 
 have supplied the Churches in Persia at 
 that time, he does not know ; but, at present, 
 the Armenian Scriptures are very rare in that 
 country, bearing no proportion to the Armenian 
 population ; and, in India, a copy is scarcely to 
 be purchased at any price. 
 
 The Armenians in Hindoostan are our own 
 
 nian Christian, and translates chiefly from the Armenian Bible, 
 But he also understands English, and consults the English, 
 version. 
 
respecting tlje rmewan& 
 
 subjects. They acknowledge our government in 
 India, as they do that of the Sophi in Persia ; 
 and they are entitled to our regard. They have 
 preserved the Bible in its purity ; and their doc* 
 trines are, as far as the Author knows, the 
 doctrines of the Bible. Besides, they maintain 
 the solemn observance of Christian worship, 
 throughout our Empire, on the seventh day; 
 and they have as many spires pointing to heaven 
 among the Hindoos, as we ourselves. Are such 
 a people then entitled to no acknowledgment 
 on our part, as fellow-Christians ? Are they for 
 ever to be ranked by us with Jews, Mahomedans, 
 and Hindoos?"* Would it not become us to 
 approach nearer to these our subjects, endeavour 
 to gain their confidence, and conciliate their 
 esteem ? Let us, at least, do that which is easily 
 practicable. We are in possession of the means 
 of frinting, -which they have not. Let us print 
 
 * Sarkies Joannes, an Armenian merchant of Calcutta, 
 when he heard of the King's recovery from illness, in 1/89, 
 liberated all the prisoners for debt in the gaol of Calcutta. 
 His Majesty, hearing of this instance of loyalty in an Arme- 
 nian subject, sent him his picture in miniature. Sarkies wore 
 the Royal present suspended at his breast, during his life j 
 and it is now worn by his son, when he appears at the levee 
 of the Governor-general. 
 
 R 
 
242 Cljrfettan iaesearrt)e& 
 
 the Armenian Bible, and employ proper persons 
 from among themselves to superintend the work, 
 and encourage them to disperse their own 
 faithful copy throughout the East. Let us 
 shew them, that the diffusion of the Scriptures 
 is an undertaking to which we are not indif- 
 ferent; and, by our example, let us stimulate 
 their zeal, which is very languid. But, however 
 languid their zeal may be, it is certain that they 
 consider the English as being yet more dead to 
 the interests of religion, than themselves. 
 Such a subject as this, indeed every subject 
 which is of great importance to Christianity, 
 is worthy the notice of our Government, 
 as well as of individuals and societies. The 
 printing press, which shall be employed in 
 multiplying copies of the pure Armenian Bible, 
 will prove a rich and precious fountain for the 
 evangelization of the East; and the Oriental 
 Bible Repository, at Calcutta, will be a central 
 and convenient place for its dispersion. 
 
Doctrines of JRebelattoiu 
 
 VESTIGES 
 
 OP THE 
 
 DOCTRINES OF REVELATION, 
 
 IN passing through the regions of the East, 
 and surveying the various religious systems 
 which prevail, the mind of the Christian travel- 
 ler cannot fail to be impressed with the strong 
 resemblance which some of them bear to doc- 
 trines which are familiar to him. However 
 varied or disguised they may be, there are yet 
 some strong lines, which constantly recall his 
 thoughts to the doctrines of revelation, and 
 seem to point to a common origin. 
 
 The chief and distinguishing doctrines of 
 Scripture may be considered the four follow- 
 ing : viz. The Trinity in Unity ; the Incarna- 
 tion of the Deity; a Vicarious Atonement for 
 Sin; and the influence of the Divine Spirit on 
 the mind of man. Now if we should be able 
 to prove, that all these are represented in the 
 
 R 2 
 
244 Christian 
 
 systems of the East, will any man venture to 
 affirm that it happens by chance ? 
 
 1. The doctrine of the TRINITY. The Hin- 
 doos believe in one God, Brahma ; and yet they 
 represent him as subsisting in three persons : 
 and they worship one or other of these persons in 
 every part of India.* And what proves distinctly 
 that they hold this doctrine is, that their most an- 
 cient representations of the Deity is formed of 
 one body, and three faces. The most remark- 
 able of these is that at the caves of Elephanta, 
 in an island near Bombay. The author visited 
 it in the year 1 808 ; nor has he seen any work 
 of art in the East, which he contemplated with 
 greater wonder. Whether considered with re- 
 spect to its colossal size, its great antiquity, 
 the beauty of the sculpture, or the excellence 
 of the preservation. From causes which can- 
 not now be known, the Hindoos have long ceas- 
 ed to worship at this Temple. Each of the 
 faces of the Triad is about five feet in length. 
 
 * Le common des Indiens n'adore qu'une seule de ces fr&is 
 
 ..uv mites : mais quelques Savans addresseot encore leurs prieres 
 
 1 anx trois reunis.-IIy amerce des Temples entierement 
 
 " consacres a cette espere de Trinite ; " (such as Perpenad i 
 
 Travancore.) Sonnerat, Vol. I, 151. 
 
3?0rtrines of Bebelatton. 245 
 
 The whole of the statue, and the spacious Tem- 
 ple which contains it, is cut out of the solid 
 rock of the mountain. The Hindoos assign 
 to these works an immense antiquity, and attri- 
 bute the workmanship to the Gods. The Tem- 
 ple of Elephanta is certainly one of the wonders 
 of the world, and is, perhaps, a grander effort of 
 the ingenuity of man, than the Pyramids of 
 Egypt.* 
 
 * Extract of a letter from the author to W. T. Money, Esq. 
 Bombay. 
 
 " Honourable Company's Ship Charlton, 
 
 ' off &a, Feb. 26, 1808. 
 (t DEAR SIR, 
 
 " When I visited the Elephanta last week, and compared it 
 with the accounts of former travellers, I perceived that the ex- 
 cavated temple and figures were in a state of progressive dila- 
 pidation j and it seems to me probable, that when a few more 
 pillars shall have fallen in, the whole excavation will be over- 
 whelmed in the ruin of the super-incumbent mountain. If I 
 may offer an opinion on the means of preservation which are 
 practicable, I would suggest, 
 
 " That the dilapidated pillars be rebuilt entire of hewn stones 
 in three blocks, of granite of the mountain, after the original 
 model , the decayed bases of the columns, still standing, to be 
 strongly cased with the same stone ; and the broken limbs of 
 the figures to be restored, after the authority of the drawings 
 and descriptions of the first travellers. The floor to be cleared 
 
Christian 
 
 Whence then have the Hindoos derived the 
 idea of a TRIUNE God ? It should seem as if 
 
 of rubbish, which, in some places, is two foot deep, that the 
 continuity of the rock with the bases of the columns, may 
 appear. 
 
 " The modern wall, inclosing the front,to be taken down, to 
 throw more light on the body of the place, and a slight railing 
 substituted at a greater distance. 
 
 " Steps to be cut in the rock for easy descent to the cold 
 well of sweet water. The jungle in front of the cave, and about 
 its edges, to be cleared, and the aperture of the mountain, on 
 each side, enlarged, to give more air and light. 
 
 " The old ELEPHANT himself on the side of the hill, to be 
 renewed, and a young elephant placed on his back, agreeably 
 to the first drawings. These drawings I can send you from 
 Europe, if you cannot procure them in India. 
 
 " And, lastly, an appropriate building to be erected on the 
 sea side, for the accommodation of visitors. Here may be de- 
 posited, for the immediate reference of travellers, those volumes 
 which contain the notices and opinions of the learned, concern- 
 ing Elephanta. This building might be occupied by the mili- 
 tary guard, which the Bombay government has recently station- 
 ed on the island to preserve the cavern from further injury 
 
 " Other improvements will suggest themselves to you on the 
 spot. To preserve to future ages this grand monument of an- 
 cient sculpture, (the worship of which has been long relin- 
 quished) is, I think, a commendable undertaking. Every Chris- 
 tian traveller can assign a reason for wishing that an emblem of 
 a Trinity in Unity existing in an ancient heathen nation, should 
 remain entire during the ages of the world." 
 
of Ketoelatton, 
 
 they had heard of the ELOHIM of revelation in 
 the first chapter of Genesis, " Let us make 
 man."* Gen. i. 26. 
 
 2. The doctrine of the INCARNATION of the 
 Deity. The Hindoos believe that one of the 
 persons in their Trinity (and that too the second 
 person) was " manifested in the flesh." Hence 
 their fables of the Avatars, or Incarnations of 
 Vishnoo. And this doctrine is found over al- 
 most the whole of Asia. Whence then origi- 
 nated this idea " that God should become man 
 and take our nature upon him ? The Hindoos 
 do not consider that it was an Angel merely 
 that became man (like some Philosophers in 
 
 * It certainly cannot be proved that the Triad at Elephanta 
 is older than the Christian era. And if it be, we are yet to con- 
 sider that the Mosaic records brought down the notion of a Tri* 
 nity from the earliest ages. The modern Jews contend against 
 this fact, that they may not seem to countenance an argument 
 for the truth of Christianity ; but if they will read their own 
 Targums, they will see that their forefathers confessed it j as 
 in the following instance. Come and behold the mystery of 
 " the word ELOHIM. There are three degrees, and each de- 
 " gree is sole. Notwithstanding they are ONE $ and are uni- 
 ted into one j nor U one of them divided from another." 
 
 o 
 ft 
 
 R. SIMEON BEN JOCHAI, 
 In Zohar ad sext. Levit. sectionem. 
 
248 Cjjrttttan 
 
 Europe) but God himself. Can there be any 
 doubt that the fabulous Incarnations of the 
 eastern mythology are derived from the real 
 Incarnation of the Son of God, or from the pro- 
 phecies that went before it ? Jesus the Mes- 
 siah is the true AVATAR. 
 
 3. The doctrine of a vicarious ATONEMENT 
 for sin, by the shedding of blood. To this day 
 in Hindoostan, the people bring the goat or kid 
 to the Temple, and the Priest sheds the blood 
 of the innocent victim.* Nor is this peculiar 
 
 *The inhabitants of Calcutta have a frequent opportunity 
 of seeing the headless and bloody kid carried on the shoulders 
 of the offerer through the streets, after having been sacrificed 
 at the Temple of Kalee, at Kalee Ghaut. KALEE is the god- 
 dess of destruction, Hack in visage, and having a necklace 
 composed ot the sculls of men. 
 
 It was a custom for the chief magistrate of police, in Cal- 
 cutta, (an English officer) to go out of the city in procession 
 with the Hindoos, on a certain day every year, to Kalee Ghaut. 
 The author will not assert, that he went out " to make an 
 " offering to the Goddess or her Priests, in the name of the 
 English government," because he never witnessed it. Nor 
 v.ill he say more on the subject. He has not heard whether it 
 is a custom. It is unjust that the character of the present 
 government, should snrTei from the latitude in. religious notions 
 of some of the first governors 
 
 It was also the custom for many of the English in Calcutta 
 
IDortttoea of laebelation, 249 
 
 to Hindoos tan, throughout the whole East, the 
 doctrine of a sacrifice for sin seems to exist in 
 one Form or other. Ever since < Abel offered 
 unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain :'' 
 ever since Noah, the father of the new world, 
 " offered burnt offerings on the altar/' sacrifices 
 have been offered up in almost every nation, as 
 
 to accept of invitations from the Hindoos, to be present at the 
 Nautch, or dance, at the Festival of the Doorga Poojah, cele- 
 brated in honour of their God DOORGA. At these Nautch- 
 es, the Idol, gorgeously arrayed, is placed on his throne, and 
 every body is supposed to bow in passing the throne. Groups 
 of dancing girls dance before the God, accompanied by various 
 music, and sing songs and hymns to his honour and glory. 
 The English are accommodated with seats, to look on. We 
 would not insinuate that any of the English bow to the Idol 5 
 and we shall suppose that those who attend the ceremony, do 
 it without thought, being merely swayed by the fashion of the 
 place, and unconcious of any thing wrong. But we would 
 suggest a doubt whether the custom of accepting such invi- 
 tations (which are generally on printed cards) should be con- 
 tinued at the seat of the supreme Government. Such liberties 
 might be very innocent if the Christian Religion were not true. 
 But it is the duty of a Christian people d wellingamongst Idolaters to 
 beware lest their actions should be misinterpreted ; for it is very 
 possible that their polite acquiescence in being ceremoniously 
 seated in the presence of the God, and witnessing the honours 
 paid to him, may be considered by some of the ignorant Hin- 
 doos, as a tacit approbation of their worship. 
 
Christian iaesearc!)e& 
 
 if for a constant memorial to mankind that 
 " without shedding of blood, there is no remis- 
 " sion of sin/' Heb. ix. 22. 
 
 4. The influence of the Divine SPIRIT on the 
 minds of men. In the most ancient writings of 
 the Hindoos, some of which have been publish- 
 ed, it is asserted that " the divine spirit or light 
 of holy knowledge" influenced the minds of men. 
 And the man who is the subject of such influ- 
 ence is called " the man twice born." Many 
 chapters are devoted to the duties, character, and 
 virtues of " the man twice born." 
 
 Other doctrines might be illustrated by simi- 
 lar analogies. The characters of the Mosaic 
 ceremonial law pervade the whole system of the 
 Hindoo ritual and worship. Now, if these 
 analogies were merely partial or accidental, they 
 would be less important: but they are not ac- 
 cidental, as every man who is erudite in the holy 
 Scriptures, and in oriental mythology, well knows. 
 They are general and systematic. Has it ever 
 been alleged that the Light of Nature could 
 teach such doctrines as those which we have 
 above enumerated. Some of them are contrary 
 to the Light of Nature. Every where in the 
 East there appears to be a counterfeit of the true 
 doctrine. The inhabitants have lost sight of 
 the only true God, and they apply their tradi- 
 
ecclesiastical stablfeljment 251 
 
 tional notions, to false Gods. These doctrines 
 are unquestionably relics of the first faith of 
 the earth ; they hear the strong ch racters of 
 God's primary revelation to man, which neither 
 the power of man, nor time itself, hath been 
 able to destroy : but which have endured from 
 age to age, like the works of nature, the moon 
 and stars, which God hath created, incorrup- 
 tible. 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENT 
 
 FOR 
 
 BRITISH INDIA. 
 
 BEFORE the Author left India, he published 
 a " Memoir of the Expediency of an Ecclesias- 
 u tical Establishment for ourEmpirein the East." 
 The design of that work was first suggested 
 to him by Dr. Porteus, late Bishop of London, 
 who had attentively surveyed the state of our 
 dominions in Asia ; and he was encouraged by 
 subsequent communications, with the Marquis 
 
252 Cljtfettau 
 
 Wellesley, to endeavour to lead the attention of 
 the nation to the subject. That publication has 
 now been five years before the public ; and 
 many volumes have been written on the various 
 subjects which it contains ; but he does not know 
 that any objection has been made to the principle 
 of an Ecclesiastical Establishment for Christians 
 in India. An attempt has been made indeed to 
 divert the attention from the true object, and, 
 instead of considering it as an establishment for 
 Christians, to set it forth as an establishment 
 for instructing the Plindoos. But the instruc- 
 tion of the Hindoos is entirely a distinct con- 
 sideration, as was carefully noted in the Memoir. 
 At the end of the first part is the following 
 paragraph : 
 
 " It will be remembered, that nothing which 
 " has been observed is intended to imply that 
 c< any peculiar provision should be made imme- 
 <c diately for the instruction of the natives. 
 " Any expensive establishment of this kind, 
 " however becoming our national character, or 
 <c obligatory on our principles, cannot possibly 
 fc be organized to efficient purpose, without the 
 " aid of a local Church. Let us first establish 
 " our own religion amongst ourselves, and our 
 <( Asiatic subjects will soon benefit by it. When 
 " once our national Church shall have been 
 " confirmed in India, the members of that Church 
 
ecclesiastical establishment 253 
 
 (t will be the best qualified to advise the state, 
 " as to the means by which, from time to time, 
 " the civilization of the natives may be pro- 
 " moted."* 
 
 An Ecclesiastical Establishment would yet be 
 necessary for British India, if' there were not a 
 Mahomedan or Hindoo in the land. For, besides 
 the thousands of British Christians, who live 
 and die in that country, there are hundreds of 
 thousands of native Christians, who are at this 
 moment " as sheep without a shepherd ;" and 
 who are not insensible to their destitute estate, 
 but supplicate our countenance and protection. 
 Surely the measure cannot be contemplated by 
 the Legislature, for a moment, without perceiv- 
 ing its absolute propriety, on the common prin- 
 ciples of justice and humanity. 
 
 In regard to the other subject, the instruction 
 of the Hindoos, many different opinions have 
 been delivered in the volumes alluded to, the 
 most prominent of which are the two following : 
 First, that Hinduism is, upon the whole, as good 
 as Christianity, and that therefore conversion to 
 Christianity is not necessary. This deserves no 
 reply. The second opinion is, that it is indeed a 
 
 * Memoir, p. 20. 
 
254 Clmsttan Eeseaitfres. 
 
 sacred duty to convert the Hindoos, but that 
 we must not do it by force. With this opinion 
 the Author perfectly coincides. To convert 
 men by any other means than those of persua- 
 sion, is a practice lit only for the Inquisition, 
 and completely at variance with the tenor of 
 every page which he has written. The means 
 of conversion, which he has recommended, are 
 those which are appointed in the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, namely, " Preaching, and the Word of 
 God." The first and present means are thtf 
 translation of the word of God into the various 
 languages ; and the next are the labours of teach- 
 ers and preachers. 
 
 The Author is not, nor has he ever been, the 
 advocate for force and personal injury toward 
 the Hindoos. No : he pleads the cause of hu- 
 manity. The object of his Work, and of his 
 Researches, has been to deliver the people of 
 Hindoostan from painful and sanguinary rites ; 
 to rescue the devoted victim from the wheels 
 of Moloch's Tower ; to snatch the tender infant 
 from the jaws of the alligator; to save the aged 
 parent from premature death in the Ganges ; to 
 extinguish the flames of the female sacrifice, and 
 to " cause the widow's heart to sing for joy." 
 
 Another object of his Work has been, to shtfw, 
 that while the feelings of the Christian are pain- 
 
ecclesiastical stablfeljtoenk 255 
 
 fully affected by the exhibition of these suffer- 
 ings and atrocities, Infidelity, on the other hand, 
 can behold them, and DOES behold them, with 
 all the coldness and apathy of Voltaire. And 
 this is the great practical triumph of Christia- 
 nity over philosophical unbelief. While by the 
 former, the best feelings of our nature are melio- 
 rated, and improved, and softened, and extend- 
 ed ; they become by the influence of the latter, 
 sullen, and cold, and torpid, and dead. 
 
 The remaining opinion on this subject, which 
 is worthy of notice, is the following : " The 
 " conversion of the Hindoos to Christianity is 
 " indeed a solemn obligation, if practicable : 
 " but the attempt may possibly displease the 
 " Hindoos, and endanger our Empire." This 
 fear is grounded solely on an ignorance of facts, 
 and on the remoteness of the scene. Christia- 
 nity began to be preached to Hindoos by Euro- 
 peans, 300 years ago, and whole provinces arc 
 now covered with Christians. In the present 
 endeavours of Protestant Missionaries, the chief 
 difficulty which they generally experience is to 
 awaken the mind of the torpid Hindoos to the 
 subject. They know that every man may chuse 
 the religion he likes best, and profess it with 
 impunity ; that he may lose his cast and buy a 
 cast again, as he buys an article of merchandize. 
 
256 Clw'sttan SJesearcf)e& 
 
 There are a hundred casts of religion in Hindoos- 
 tan ; and there is no-common interest about a 
 particular religion. When one native meets 
 another on the road, he seldom expects to find 
 that he is of the same cast with himself. They 
 are a divided people. Hindoostan is like the 
 great world in miniature ; when you pass a 
 great river or lofty mountain, you generally 
 find a new variety. Some persons in Europe 
 think it must be a novelty to the Hindoos to see 
 a Missionary. There have been for ages past, 
 numerous casts of Missionaries in Hindoostan, 
 Pagan, Mahomedan, and Christian, all seeking 
 to proselyte individuals to a new religion, or to 
 some new sect of an old one. The difficulty, 
 as the Author has already observed, in regard 
 to the Protestant Teachers, is to awaken atten- 
 tion to their doctrine.* 
 
 The general indifference of the natives to 
 
 * In fact, there is scarcely one point in their mythological 
 religion that the whole race of Hindus have faith in. There 
 are sectaries and schismatics without end, who will believe only 
 certain points that others abjure : individuals of those sects dis- 
 sent from the doctrines believed by the majority : other philo- 
 sophical sceptics will scarcely believe ariy thing, in opposition to 
 their easy-faithed brethren, who disbelieve othing Hence 
 may, in part, be discerned the liability under which inqui- 
 rers labour, of being misled by sectaries into receiving 
 
ecclesiastical establishment 257 
 
 these attempts, whether successful or not, has 
 been demonstrated by recent events. After the 
 adversaries of Christian Missions had circulated 
 their pamphlets through British India, with the 
 best intention no doubt, according to their 
 judgment, announcing the intelligence that 
 some of the English wanted to convert the 
 inhabitants by force, and to blow Hindoostan 
 into a flame ; the natives seem to have consi- 
 dered the information as absurd or unintelligible, 
 and to have treated it with contempt. For 
 immediately afterwards, when, by the defection 
 of the British troops, the foundations of our 
 empire were shaken to their centre, both Ma- 
 homedans and Hindoos (who, if they wished to 
 rebel, needed only to sound that trumpet which 
 was first sounded by a Senior Merchant in 
 Leadenhall-street, no doubt with the best 
 intentions) evinced their accustomed loyalty, 
 and crowded round the standard of the Supreme 
 Government in the hour of danger.* 
 
 seism as orthodoxy, and of forming general conclusions from 
 individual or partial information. But, in fact, there is NO 
 
 GENERAL ORTHODOXY AMONG HlNDOOS. See the Hindoo 
 
 Pantheon, p. 180, by Edward Moor, F. R. S. published in 
 1810. 
 
 * A worthy Clergyman belonging to the Presidency of Fort 
 St. George, who witnessed the troops marching against each 
 
 S 
 
258 Cljrfetian 
 
 There is one argument for the expediency of 
 an Ecclesiastical Establishment, which the Au- 
 thor did not insist on strongly in the Memoirs, 
 from motives of delicacy: but recent events 
 have rendered the same reserve no longer 
 necessary. He will proceed therefore to disclose 
 a fact which will serve to place the motives for 
 recommending such an establishment, in their 
 just light. It is not the giving the Christian 
 Religion to the natives which will endanger our 
 Empire, but the want of religion among our own 
 countrymen. After the disturbance among the 
 British Officers in Bengal in 1794, which for a 
 time had a most alarming aspect, being of the 
 same character with that which took place lately 
 at Madras, a Memorial was presented to the 
 
 other, and knew not for a time, what would be the fate of the 
 Empire j after the danger was over, makes the following most 
 Just and striking reflection, in a letter to a friend. " It cannot 
 f< but have occurred to every reflecting mind, in looking back 
 " on past scenes, if it had pleased God in his providence to have 
 " dispossessed us of our dominions, how little would have 
 " remained to shew, that a people blessed with the light of the 
 " glorious Gospel of Christ, had once born sway in this land ! 
 " But now," (he adds exultingly, in allusion to the Translation 
 of the Scriptures) " the Word of God in the languages of all 
 ff India, will be an enduring MONUMENT of British Piety and 
 " Liberality, for which the sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiv- 
 (f ing will ascend to the Most high, to the latest generations." 
 
ecclesiastical esteWfefjment 259 
 
 Marquis Wellesley, on his accession to the 
 government, by persons who had been long in 
 the service of the Company, and who were well 
 acquainted with the circumstances of the Em- 
 pire at large; representing the necessity of a 
 " suitable Religious Establishment for British 
 India;" and illustrating that necessity by the 
 events which had recently taken place in the 
 army. That Memorial referred to the almost 
 total extinction of Christian worship, at the 
 military stations, where the seventh day was 
 only distinguished by the British Flag; and 
 noticed the fatal consequences that might be 
 expected from large bodies of men, far remote 
 from the controlling power of the parent state, 
 enjoying luxury and independence, and seeing 
 nothing, from youth to age, of the religion of 
 their country. It shewed further, that, of the 
 whole number of English who go to India, not 
 a tenth part return ; and assigned this fact as a 
 reason why their religion should follow them to 
 the East ; that it might be, in the first place, a 
 solace to themselves, in the dreary prospect of 
 dying in that land (for of a thousand soldiers in 
 sickly India, there will be generally a hundred 
 in declining health) and secondly, " that it 
 " might be some security for their loyalty to 
 
Christian 
 
 " their king, and their attachment to the princi- 
 " pies of their country." 
 
 It required not a Memorial to apprize Marquis 
 Wellesley of the truth of these facts, or of the 
 justness of the reasoning upon them. The 
 necessity of a meliorated state of society for 
 the English armies, was made evident to him by 
 his own observation ; and it cannot be doubted 
 that, had that Nobleman remained in India, to 
 complete the plans he meditated for the advan- 
 tage of that country, and had his coadjutor, 
 Mr. Pitt, lived, a suitable Religious Establish- 
 ment would have been, by this time, proposed 
 to the East-India Company, for every part of 
 their dominions in Hindoostan. But Marquis 
 \Vellesley had another and a more imperious 
 service first to perform, and this was, to SAVE 
 
 THE BODY OF THE EMPIRE ITSELF. British 
 
 Hindoostan was, at that moment, surrounded 
 by strong and formidable enemies, who were 
 putting themselves " in the attitude of the 
 tiger," as a Vakeel of Tippoo expresed it, " to 
 leap upon the prey." And this service that 
 great Statesman achieved under Divine Provi- 
 dence, first, by destroying the Mysorean 
 Empire, under Tippoo Sultaun, and thereby 
 extinguishing the Mahomedan power in Hin- 
 doostan; secondly, by overwhelming the 
 
ecclesiastical Establishment, 261 
 
 hitherto invincible Mahrattas ; and lastly, by 
 forming on the frontier a league of strength, 
 which, like a wall of iron, has saved the country 
 from native invasion ever since; notwithstanding 
 its subsequent critical and exposed state, in 
 consequence of frequent changes of the Supreme 
 Government, and of dissensions in our army. 
 The services which that Nobleman performed 
 for our Empire in the East were very ill under- 
 stood at the time : his views were so compre- 
 hensive, that few men could embrace them : 
 They are more generally acknowledged now ; 
 but it is to be apprehended that some years 
 must yet elapse, before all the beneficial conse- 
 quences of his administration will be fully made 
 known to his country. 
 
 It has been a subject of wonder to many in 
 England, that our army should at any time 
 betray symptoms of disaffection in India, when 
 no instance of it occurs elsewhere. But the 
 surprise will cease, when the circumstances 
 before mentioned shall have been duly weighed, 
 Of the individuals engaged in the late distur- 
 bances at Madras, there were perhaps some, who 
 had not witnessed the service of Christian wor- 
 ship for twenty years ; whose minds were im- 
 pressed by the daily view of the rites of the 
 Hindoo religion, and had lost almost all memory 
 of their own. It is morally impossible to 
 
262 Cfrrfetian 
 
 live long in such circumstaces, without being in 
 some degree affected by them, That loyalty 
 is but little to be depended on, whether abroad 
 or at home, which has lost the basis of religion. 
 
 The true spring of the irregular proceeding, 
 contemptuous remonstrance, and ultimate disaf- 
 fection of the military in India, is this : Large 
 bodies of troops at a great distance from Bri- 
 tain, which they never expect to see again, be- 
 gin, after a long absence, to feel more sensibly 
 their own independence, while their affection 
 for their native country gradually diminishes. 
 And if, under such circumstances, they have 
 not the restraints of religion, (for what is obe- 
 dience " to the powers that be" but the restraint 
 of religion ?) and if they have not the frequent 
 view of Christian worship to recal their minds, 
 by association of ideas, to the sacred ordinances 
 and principles of theip country, it is impossible 
 to foresee to what degrees of rebellion or infatu- 
 ation they may proceed. It is unjust to ascribe 
 these proceedings to the casual acts of the Go- 
 vernor for the time being. Indiscreet measures 
 on his part may form the pretext ; but the true 
 cause lies much deeper. The Company's Offi- 
 cers in India are as honourable a body of military 
 men as are to be found in the world, the Author 
 knows them, but they are in peculiar circum- 
 
Ctfiesiasttoi establishment 263 
 
 stances ; and if any other description of troops 
 were in their stead, passing a whole life in such 
 an unchristianizing service, the same causes 
 would still produce the same effects. 
 
 The most alarming consideration, while things 
 remain in their present state, is this, that, in pro- 
 portion as our empire increases, and our force in 
 India grows stronger, the danger arising from 
 the foregoing causes becomes the greater. 
 These are obvious truths, on which it is not ne- 
 cessary to dilate. But there is another subject 
 allied to this, which the Author thinks it a 
 solemn duty to bring before the public. 
 
 Not only are our troops denied su.i table religi- 
 ous instruction, when they arrive in India, but 
 they are destitute of it, during their long voyage 
 to that country. The voyage is, on an average, 
 six months. Now, provision ought certainly to 
 be made for Divine worship, and for spiritual 
 consolation to the soldiers, during that period ; 
 for it is sometimes a period of great sickness, and 
 of frequent death. Indeed there ought to be a 
 Chaplain on board of every India ship contain- 
 ing one hundred souls. 
 
 * The East- India Company require the Commander or Pur- 
 ser of every ship to read prayers on Sunday, when the wea- 
 ther permits. The service is performed, in many cases, in 9 
 
Ciw'stian 
 
 They who profess to believe in the Christian 
 Religion, ought also to believe in the superin- 
 tending providence of God ; ought to believe 
 that the Divine blessing will accompany those 
 designs which are undertaken in his name, and 
 conducted in his fear. If we were a heathen 
 nation, then might we send forth our fleets with- 
 out a prayer, and commit them, for a safe voy- 
 age, Cl to goddess Fortune and fair winds." But 
 we are a Christian nation, though not a super- 
 stitious one ;and, however individuals may con- 
 
 serious and truly impressive manner 5 and the acknowledged 
 good effects in such cases, convey the strongest recommendation 
 of the measure which has been proposed. One important duty 
 of the Chaplain of an Indiaman might be, to superintend the 
 studies of the young Writers and Cadets proceeding to India; 
 who for want of some direction of this kind, generally pass the 
 long voyage in idleness, lounging on the quarter deck, or 
 gambling in the cuddy. So important has this subject been 
 considered, that, during the administration of Marquis Welles- 
 ley, a detailed plan for carrying the proposed measure into 
 effect was actually transmitted to a Member of the Court of 
 Directors, to lay before the Court. If it were made an indis- 
 pensable qualification of the Chaplain, that he should under- 
 stand the rudiments of the Persian and Hindoostanee Languages, 
 and the common elements of geometry and navigation, for the 
 instruction of the Midshipmen, his services would be truly 
 important, merely in his secular character. Every truly 
 respectable Commander in the Company's service, must be 
 happy to have an exemplary Clergyman on board his ship. 
 
ecclesiastical stablfelwtenk 26*5 
 
 sider it, it is certain that our countrymen in ge^ 
 neral view the performance of the offices of reli- 
 gion with great respect; and that, in particular 
 circumstances on board ship, no duty is more 
 acceptable, none more interesting, none more 
 salutary and consoling. Such scenes the 
 Author himself has witnessed, and from those 
 persons who have witnessed such scenes, he has 
 never heard but one opinion as to the pro- 
 priety of having a Clergyman to form one 
 of the great family in a ship, in these long, 
 sickly, and perilous voyages. When the 
 news arrived in England last year of the loss 
 of the seven Indiamen in a distant ocean, how 
 gratifying would it have been to surviving 
 friends, if they could have been assured that the 
 offices of religion and the consolations of its 
 ministers, had been afforded to those who pe- 
 rished, during their last days !* These events 
 have a warning voice ; and it is not unbecoming 
 a great and respectable body of men, like the 
 East-India Company, to attend to it. The 
 
 * The Rev. Paul Limrick was a passenger on board one of 
 these ships. Mr. Limrick was second Chaplain at the Presi- 
 dency of Fort- William - } an amiable, benevolent and respectable 
 man, whose loss will be heard of with deep regret by a large 
 body of the inhabitants of Calcutta, and of his friends in 
 Europe. 
 
Legislature has not neglected a subject of this 
 importance. It is required that every ship of 
 the line should have a Chaplain; and we have 
 lately seen some of our most renowned Admirals, 
 both before and after battle, causing the prayers 
 and thanksgivings of the fleet to ascend to the 
 God of heaven. 
 
 There still remains one topic more, to which 
 the Author would advert. It may be presumed to 
 be the wish of the major part of this nation, that 
 whenever a Missionary of exemplary character 
 and of respectable recommendation, applies to 
 the East India Company for a passage to our 
 Eastern shores, his request might be treated 
 with indulgence. In him we export a blessing 
 (as he may prove to be) to thousands of our 
 fellpw-creatures ; and his example and instruc- 
 tions, and prayers, will do no harm to the ship 
 in which he sails. While the East India Com- 
 pany retain the sole privilege of conveyance 
 to India, the nation would be pleased to see 
 this condescension shewn to persons in humble 
 circumstances, whose designs are of a public 
 character, and acknowledged by all men to be 
 pious and praise-worthy. The Author will 
 conclude these observations with a paragraph 
 which he has found in a manuscript of the Rev. 
 Mr. Kohloff, of Tranjore, the successor of Mr. 
 
Ccclestastftal CstaWtslwenf, 267 
 
 Swartz, which has been just transmitted for 
 publication : 
 
 " It is a remarkable fact, that since the foun- 
 " dation of our Mission, which is now one 
 " hundred years, and during which period 
 " upwards of fifty Missionaries have arrived 
 " from Europe ; among the many ships that 
 " have been lost, there never perished one ves- 
 
 " SCl WHICH HAD A MISSIONARY ON BOARD."* 
 
 The following Letter, written by Dr. WAT- 
 SON, Bishop of LLANDAFF, on the subject of an 
 Ecclesiastical Establishment for British India, 
 was published in Calcutta, in the year 1807. 
 
 Calgarth-Park, Kendak, 
 
 l4thMay, 1806. 
 
 " REVEREND SIR, 
 
 " Some weeks ago I received your MEMOIR 
 of the expediency of an Ecclesiastical Establishment 
 for British India ; for which obliging attention I now 
 return you my best thanks. I hesitated for some time 
 whether I ought to interrupt your speculations with my 
 acknowledgments for so valuable a present; but on 
 
 * MS. materials for the Life of Swartz. 
 
26s Christian 
 
 being informed of the noble Premium, by which you 
 purpose to exercise the talents of Graduates in the 
 University of Cambridge, I determined to express to 
 you my admiration of your disinterestedness, and zeal 
 in the cause of Christianity. 
 
 " Twenty years and more have now elapsed since, 
 in a Sermon, before the House of Lords, I hinted to 
 the then Government, the propriety of paying regard 
 to the propagation of Christianity in India ; and I have 
 since then, as fit occasions offered, privately, but WIT 
 successfully, pressed the matter on the consideration 
 of those in power. If my voice or opinion can, in future, 
 be of any weight with the King's Ministers, I shall be 
 most ready to exert myself, in forwarding any prudent 
 measure for promoting a liberal Ecclesiastical Establish- 
 ment in British India ; it is not without consideration 
 that I say a liberal Establishment, because I heartily 
 wish that every Christian should be at liberty to worship 
 God according to his conscience, and be assisted therein 
 by a Teacher, at the public expence, of his own per- 
 suasion 
 
 " The subjects you have proposed for the work 
 which shall obtain your Prize, are all of them judicious- 
 ly chosen, and if properly treated (as my love for my 
 Alma Mater persuades me they will be) may probably 
 turn the thoughts of the Legislature towards the measure 
 you recommend. 
 
 " The Salutaris Lux Evangelii, by Fabricius, pub- 
 lished at Hamburgh in 1731, will be of great use to 
 the candidates for your Prize; and his Index Geogra- 
 phicus EPISCOPATUUM Orbis. Christianity subjoined to 
 
ecclesiastical establishment 269 
 
 that work, might, if accompanied with proper Notes, 
 afford a very satisfactory elucidation of your third 
 head. 
 
 " God in his providence, hath so ordered things, 
 that America, which three hundred years ago was 
 peopled by none but Pagans, has now many millions 
 of Christians in it ; and will not, probably, three hun- 
 dred years hence, have a single Pagan in it, but be 
 occupied by more Christians, and more enlightened 
 Christians than now exist in Europe. 
 
 " Africa is not now worse fitted for the reception of 
 Christianity than America was, when it was first visited 
 by Europeans; and Asia is much better fitted for it, 
 in as much as Asia enjoys a considerable degree of 
 civilization ; and some degree of it is necessary to the 
 successful introduction of Christianity. The commerce 
 and colonization of Christian states have civilized 
 America, and they will, in process of time, civilize and 
 christianize the whole earth. Whether it be a Christian 
 duty to attempt, by lenient methods, to propagate the 
 Christian religion among Pagans and Mahomedans, can 
 be doubted, I think, by few \ but whether any attempt 
 will be attended with much success, till Christianity is 
 purified from its corruptions, and the lives of Christians 
 are rendered correspondent to their Christian profession, 
 may be doubted by many : but there certainly never was 
 a more promising opportunity of trying the experiment 
 of subverting Paganism in India, than that which has 
 for some years been offered to the government of Great 
 Britain. . 
 " " The morality of our holy religion is so salutary 
 
270 
 
 to civil society, its promises of a future state to con* 
 solatory to individuals, its precepts so suited to the 
 deductions of the most improved reason, that it must 
 finally prevail throughout the world. Some have thought 
 that Christianity is losing ground in Christendom. I am 
 of a different opinion. Some ascititious doctrines, 
 derived from Rome and Geneva, are losing ground 
 amongst learned men ; some unchristian practices 
 springing from ignorance, bigotry, intolerance, self- 
 sufficiency of opinion, with uncharitableness of judg- 
 ment, are losing ground among all sober-minded men ; 
 but a belief in Jesus Christ, as the Saviour of the world, 
 as the medium through whom eternal life will be given 
 to all who obey his Gospel, is more and more confirmed 
 every day in the minds of men of eminence and eru- 
 dition, not only in this, but in every other Christian 
 country. From this praise I am not disposed to exclude 
 even France itself, notwithstanding the temporary 
 apostasy of some of its philosophers from every degree 
 of religious faith. I cannot but hope well of that 
 country, when I see its National Institute proposing for 
 public discussion the following subject; 'What ha 
 f been the influence of the reformation of Luther, on 
 
 * the political situation of the different states of Europe, 
 
 * and on the progress of knowledge ? ' especially when 
 I see the subject treated by Mr. Villers, in a manner 
 which would have derived honour to the most liberal 
 Protestant in the freest state in Europe. 
 
 " It is not to be denied, that the morals of Christians 
 in general fall far short of the standard of Christian 
 perfection, and have ever done so, scarcely excepting 
 
ecclesiastical establishment 271 
 
 the latter end of the first century. Yet, notwithstanding 
 this concession, it is a certain fact, that the Christian 
 religion has always operated to the production of piety, 
 benevolence, self-government, and the love of virtue 
 amongst individuals, in every country where it has heen 
 received ; and it will every where operate more power- 
 fully, as it is received with more firm assurance of its 
 truth ; and it will be every where received with more 
 firm assurance of its truth, as it is better understood ; 
 for when it is properly understood, it will be freed from 
 the pollutions of superstition and fanaticism among the 
 hearers, and from ambition, domination, and secularity 
 among the teachers. 
 
 " Your publication has given us in England a great 
 insight into the state of Christianity in India, as well as 
 into the general state of Learning amongst you ; and it 
 has excited in me the warmest wishes for the prosperity 
 of the college of Fort- William. It is an Institution 
 which would have done honour to the wisdom of Solon 
 or Lycurgus. I have no knowledge personally of the 
 Marquis Wellesley, but I shall think of him, and of his 
 coadjutors in this undertaking, with the highest respect 
 and admiration, as long as I live. 
 
 " I cannot enter into any particulars relative to an 
 Ecclesiastical Establishment in India; nor would it, 
 perhaps, be proper to press Government to take the 
 matter into their consideration, till this country is freed 
 from the danger which threatens it : but I have that 
 opinion of his Majesty's Ministers, that they will, not 
 only from policy, but from a serious sense of religious 
 duty, be disposed to treat the subject, whenever it come* 
 
272 
 
 before tVem, with great judgment and liberality. May 
 God direct tbeir counsels ! 
 
 " ' Our Empire in India/ said Mr. Hastings, * has 
 oeen acquired by the sword, and must be maintained by 
 the sword.' I cannot agree with him in this sentiment. 
 All Empires have been originally acquired by violence, 
 but they are best established by moderation and justice. 
 There was a time when we shewed ourselves to the 
 inhabitants of India in the character of tyrants and 
 robbers; that time, I trust, is gone for ever. The 
 wisdom of British policy, the equity of its jurisprudence, 
 the impartiality of its laws, the humanity of its penal 
 code, and above all, the incorrupt administration of 
 public justice, will, when they are well understood, make 
 the Indians our willing subjects, and induce them to 
 adopt a religion attended with such consequences to the 
 dearest interests of the human mind. They will rejoice 
 in having exchanged the tyranny of Pagan superstition, 
 and the despotism of their native princes, for the mild 
 mandates of Christianity, and the stable authority of 
 equitable laws. The difference between such different 
 states of civil society, as to the production of human 
 happiness, is infinite ; and the attainment of happiness 
 is the ultimate aim of all individuals in all nations. 
 " I am, 
 
 " Reverend Sir, 
 " Your obliged and faithful Servant, 
 
 R. LLANDAFF. 
 " To Rev. DR. BUCHANAN, 
 
 Vice-Provost of tlte College 
 of Fort-lVittiam, Cakutta" 
 
(273) 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 IN the progress of these Researches the Author 
 has found his mind frequently drawn to consider 
 the extraordinary difference of opinion, which 
 exists among men of learning, in regard to the 
 importance and obligation of communicating 
 religious knowledge to our fellow-creatures. 
 And be has often heard the question asked by 
 others, What can be the cause of this discre- 
 pancy of opinion ? For that such a difference 
 does exist is most evident ; and is exemplified at 
 this moment in some of the most illustrious 
 characters for rank and learning, in the nation. 
 This is a problem of a very interesting character 
 at this day, and worthy of a distinct and ample 
 discussion, particularly at the seats of learning. 
 The problem may be thus expressed. *' What 
 " power is that, which produces in the minds 
 " of some persons a real interest and concern 
 " in the welfare of their fellow-creatures ; 
 " extending not only to the comfort of their 
 " existence in this world, but to their felicity 
 <f hereafter; while other men who are apparently 
 " in similar circumstances, as to learning and 
 
 T 
 
274 Christian 
 
 " information, do not feel inclined to move 
 one step for the promotion of such " objects?" 
 The latter, it may be, can speculate on the 
 philosophy of the human mind, on its great 
 powers and high dignity, on the sublime virtue 
 of universal benevolence, on the tyranny of 
 superstition, and the slavery of ignorance ; and 
 will sometimes quote the verse of the poet, 
 
 " Homo sum : humani nil a me alienum puto :" 
 
 but they leave it to others, and generally to the 
 Christian in humble life, to exercise the spirit of 
 that noble verse. This is a very difficult pro- 
 blem; and it has been alleged by some that it 
 cannot be solved on any known principles of 
 philosophy. The following relation will proba- 
 bly lead to principles by which we may arrive at 
 a solution. 
 
 There was once a King in the East, whose 
 empire extended over the known world, and his 
 dominion " was to the end of the earth." Du- 
 ring the former part of his reign, his heart was 
 filled with pride ; he knew not the God of hea- 
 ven ; and he viewed with the utmost indiffe- 
 rence the nations over whom he ruled, worship- 
 ping idols of wood and stone. But it pleased 
 the King of kings to dethrone this haughty mo- 
 
Conclusion* 275 
 
 narch, to cast him clown from his high estate, 
 and to abase him in the dust. And after he had 
 been for a time in the furnace of affliction, and 
 his proud heart was humbled, God graciously 
 revealed himself to him in his true name and 
 character, and then restored him to his former 
 prosperity and power. The penitent king thus 
 once more exalted, and filled with admiration 
 at the discovery of the ONLY TRUE GOD, imme- 
 diately fssued an edict to the whole world, set- 
 ting forth the greatness of the Most High, as- 
 serting his glory, and inviting all nations to 
 4< praise and magnify HIM that liveth for ever, 
 " whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, 
 c< and his kingdom is from generation to genera- 
 " tion." This memorable edict began in these 
 sublime terms: 
 
 "NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE KING, UNTO ALL 
 e PEOPLE, NATIONS, AND LANGUAGES, THAT 
 
 tf DWELL IN ALL THE EARTH, Peace be multl- 
 
 cc plied unto you. I thought it good to shew 
 " the signs and wonders which the Most High 
 " God hath wrought toward me. How great 
 " are his SIGNS! How mighty are his WONDERS 1" 
 Having recounted the judgment and mercy of 
 God to himself, he thus concludes ; " Now I 
 " Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour 
 " the King of Heaven, all whose works are truth, 
 
 T 2 
 
276 cimstian i&eseatcljes. 
 
 " and his ways judgment ; and them that walk 
 *' in pride he is able to abase."* 
 
 uch a proclamation to the nations of the 
 earth was a noble act of a king, and ought to 
 be had in perpetual remembrance. It reminds 
 us of the last charge of HIM " who ascended 
 up on high :" Go, TEACH ALL NATIONS. It 
 discovers to us the new and extended benevo- 
 lence, greatness of mind, and pure and heavenly 
 charity, which distinguish that man, whose 
 heart has been impressed by THE GRACE OF GOD. 
 How solemn his sense of duty ! How ardent to 
 declare the glory of his Saviour! His views 
 for the good of men, how disinterested and 
 enlarged! It is but too evident, that all our 
 speculations concerning a divine Revelation, 
 and the obligation imposed on us to study it 
 ourselves, or to communicate it to others, arc 
 cold and uninteresting, and excite not to action,. 
 C until, through the tender compassion of God, 
 " the Day-spring from on high visit us, to give 
 " light to them that sit in darkness;"! to 
 humble our hearts, at the remembrance of our 
 sins against God, and to affect them with a just 
 admiration of his pardon ing mercy. 
 
 * Daxriel, 4th chapter. f Luke, ii. 79. 
 
Conclusion, 277 
 
 Let Great Britain imitate the example of the 
 Chaldean King ; and send forth to all the world, 
 her TESTIMONY concerning the True God. She 
 also reigns over many nations which " worship 
 idols of wood and stone ;'' and she ought in 
 like manner, to declare to them c; the SIGNS and 
 WONDERS of the Almighty." And, in this 
 design every individual will concur, of every 
 church, family, and name, whose heart has been 
 penetrated with just apprehensions of the Most 
 High God ; having known his judgments and 
 experienced his mercy. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 Kirly Hall, 
 Boroughlridge. 
 Pel. 15, 1811. 
 
 G. SIDNEY, Printer, Northumberland-street, Strand* 
 
WORKS 
 
 ON THB 
 
 CIVILIZATION OF THE EAST. 
 
 Sold chiefly by Mess. CADELL ty DAVIES, Strand, London. 
 
 BEING 
 
 The COMPOSITIONS which gained the PRIZES, or were present- 
 ed to the UNIVERSITIES in competition for the PRICES, insti- 
 tuted by Dr. BUCHANAN. 
 
 
 Published in 1805. 
 
 1. A GREEK ODE, on the Subject TENESGH <J>fl2, Let 
 
 there be Light." Ode Grseca Praemio dignata quod 
 donavit Academiae Cantabrigiensi Vir Reverendus 
 CLAUDIUS BUCHANAN, A. B. Coll. Regin. Cantab, 
 et Vice-Prsepositus Collegii Bengalensis in India 
 Orientali. Auctore G. PRYME, A. B. Trin. Coll. 
 
 2. A GREEK ODE, on the Subject rENESen d>nz," Let 
 
 there be Light." Ode Praemio a Reverendo Viro 
 CLAUDIO BUCHANAN, S.T. P. Etonensibus Pro- 
 posito dignata. Auctore T. RENNELL, Coll. Reg, 
 Eton. Alumn. 
 
 3. COLLEGIUM BENGALENSE : Carmen cui Prae- 
 
 mium BUCHANAN#:UM a Senatu Academiae Glasgu- 
 ensis adjudicatum est. ALEXANDRO MAC ARTHUR, 
 Auctore, 
 
280 
 
 -* 
 
 4. COLLEGIUM BENGALENSE : Carmen prsemio a 
 
 Reverendo Viro CLAUDIO BUCHANAN, S. T. P. 
 Etonensibus Proposito dignatum. Auctore G. P. 
 RICHARDS, Coll. Reg. Eton. Alumn. 
 
 5. VATICINIUM GANGIS : Indiam Res Imperil an- 
 
 tiqui lapsas indignatam, Ganges ex latebris vocat, 
 Collegium Bengalense monstrat, laetiora multa 
 vaticinatur ex Collegio condito oritura. A THOMA 
 BROWN, M. D. -Presented to the University of 
 Edinburgh in 1805 : published in 1808. 
 
 6. ODE in COLLEGIUM BENGALENSE : Premio 
 
 dignata quod Alumnis Collegiorum Aberdonensiiim 
 proposuit Vir Reverendus CLAUDIUS BUCHANAN, 
 Collegii Bengalensis Praefectus Vicarius. Auctore 
 ALEXANDRO ADAMSON, A. M. Coll. Marischal. 
 Aberd. Alumno. Published in 1808. 
 
 7. A POEM on the RESTORATION of LEARNING 
 
 in the EAST ; which obtained Dr. BUCHANAN'S 
 Prize. By CHARLES GRANT, Esq. M. A. Fellow 
 of Magdalen College, Cambridge. Printed at the 
 University Press, 1805. Price 3s. 6d. 
 
 8. A POEM on the RESTORATION of LEARNING 
 
 in the EAST ; by the Rev. FRANCIS WRANGHAM, 
 M. A. F. R. S. of Trinity College, Cambridge. 
 Printed at the University Press, 1805. Price 
 s. 6d. 
 
281 
 
 9. The RENOVATION of INDIA, a Poem. By 
 THOMAS BROWN, M. D. Presented to the Uni- 
 versity of Edinburgh in 18Q5 -.published in 1808. 
 In one volume, small 8vo. Price 6*. 
 
 Published in 1 806. 
 
 10. An ESSAY on the best Means of CIVILIZING the 
 
 Subjects of the BRITISH EMPIRE in INDIA, 
 and of diffusing the Light of the Christian Religion 
 throughout the Eastern World ; to which the Uni- 
 versity of Glasgow adjudged Dr. BUCHANAN'S Prize. 
 By JOHN MITCHELL, A. M. In one vol. 4to. 
 Price 15s. in boards. 
 
 11. A DISSERTATION on the best Means of CIVIL- 
 
 IZING the Subjects of the BRITISH EMPIRE 
 in INDIA, and of diffusing the Light of the 
 Christian Religion throughout the Eastern World ; 
 which obtained Dr. BUCHANAN'S Prize. By the 
 Rev. WM. COCKBURN, A. M. Fellow of St. John's 
 College, and Christian Advocate in the University 
 of Cambridge. Printed at the University Press. 
 4to. Price 3s. 6d< 
 
 12. A DISSERTATION on the best Means of CIVIL- 
 
 IZING the Subjects of the BRITISH EMPIRE 
 in INDIA, and of diffusing the Light of the 
 Christian Religion throughout the Eastern World. 
 
282 
 
 By the Rev. FRANCIS WRANGHAM, M. A, 
 F. R. S. of Trinity College, Cambridge. Price 
 3s. 6d. 
 
 13. A DISSERTATION on the best Means of CIVIL- 
 IZING the Subjects of the BRITISH EMPIRE 
 in INDIA, and of diffusing the Light of the 
 Christian Religion throughout the Eastern World: 
 to which Dr, BUCHANAN'S Prize was adjudged by 
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 TENNANT, M. M. LL. D. and M. A. S. lately one 
 of His Majesty's Chaplains in India. Printed at 
 the University Press. In one vol. 4to. Price in 
 boards 125. This was published in 1808. 
 
 14. A SKETCH of the State of BRITISH INDIA, 
 
 with a View of pointing out the best Means of 
 Civilizing its Inhabitants, and diffusing the Know- 
 ledge of Christianity throughout the Eastern 
 World : being the Substance of an Essay on these 
 Subjects; to which the University of Aberdeen 
 adjudged Dr. BUCHANAN'S Prize. By the Rev. 
 JAMES BRYCE. In one vol. 8 vo. pp. 381. Price 
 in boards 10s. 6d. This was published in 1810. 
 
 Published in 1807- 
 
 15. A SERMON, on the Translation of the SCRIP- 
 TURES into the ORIENTAL LANGUAGES: 
 preached before the University of Cambridge, on 
 
283 
 
 May 10, 1807. By the Rev. FRANCIS WRANG- 
 HAM, M. A. F.R.S. of Trinity College, Cam- 
 bridge, Printed at the University Press. [This 
 and the three following Sermons were not the sub- 
 jects of Prizes, but a gratuity was presented to the 
 four Reverend Preachers whom the Universities 
 were pleased to select for the occasion.] 
 
 16. A SERMON, preached before the University of 
 Cambridge, on the 28th June, 1807 ; agreeably to 
 the Institution of the Rev. CLAUDIUS BUCHANAN, 
 By the Rev. JOHN DUDLEY, M. A. of Clare Hall. 
 Cambridge. Printed at the University Press. 
 
 I?. The Expediency of Translating our SCRIPTURES 
 into several of the ORIENTAL LANGUAGES, 
 and the Means of rendering those Translations 
 useful, in an Attempt to convert the Nations of 
 India to the Christian Faith : a Sermon preached 
 by special appointment before the University of 
 Oxford, Nov. 8th, ISO?. By the Rev. WM. 
 BARROW, of Queen's College, LL. D. and F. S. A. 
 Author of an Essay on Education, and the Bampton 
 Lecture Sermons for IJ99. 
 
 18. The DUTY and EXPEDIENCY of Translating the 
 SCRIPTURES into the current LANGUAGES 
 of the EAST, for the Use and Benefit of the 
 Natives : a Sermon, preached by special Ap- 
 pointment, before the University of Oxford, on 
 *he 29th of November 1807. By the Reverend 
 
284 
 
 EDWARD NARES, M. A. late Fellow of Merton 
 College, and Rector of Biddenden, Kent. 
 
 Published in 1808. 
 
 19. A DISSERTATION on the PROPAGATION of 
 
 CHRISTIANITY in ASIA; in Two Parts. 
 
 To which is prefixed a brief Historic View of the 
 Progress of the Gospel in different Nations since 
 its first Promulgation ; illustrated by a Chrono- 
 logical chart : To which the University of Oxford 
 adjudged Dr. BUCHANAN'S Prize of 500Z. By 
 the Rev. HUGH PEARSON, M.A. of St. John's 
 College, Oxford. In one volume, 4to. pp. 227- 
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 20. CHRISTIANITY in INDIA; an Essay on the 
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 Cunningham, A.M. late Fellow of St. John's 
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 21. A HISTORICAL REVIEW of the Commercial, 
 
 Political, and Moral State of Hindoostan, from 
 the earliest Period to the present Time ; the Rise 
 and Progress of Christianity in the East) its 
 
285 
 
 present Condition ; and the Means and Probability 
 of its future Advancement. With a Map, illus- 
 trating the relative Situation of the British Empire 
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 Vicar of Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. In one large 
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 PUBLISHED IN INDIA. 
 
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 1. PRIMITIVE ORIENTALES, VOL. I. Containing 
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 A SERMON, Preached at the New Church, Calcutta, 
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 1800: being the Day appointed for a GENERAL 
 THANKSGIVING to Almighty God, for his late 
 signal Mercies vouchsafed to the British Do- 
 minions in Asia, in averting the perils which 
 threatened them by the defeat of Tippoo Sultaun, 
 and the final overthrow of the Mahomedan power 
 in Hindoostan. By the Rev. CLAUDIUS BUCHANAN, 
 A.B. Chaplain at the Presidency of Fort-William. 
 
 " They imagined such a device as they were not able to perform ." 
 Ps.xxi. 11. 
 
 Published by order of the Governor-General in Council. 
 
288 
 
 Published by Messrs. CADELL and DAVIES, 
 Strand^ London. 
 
 BY THE SAME AUTHOR, 
 
 1. MEMOIR of the Expediency of an ECCLESIASTI- 
 
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 In one volume, royal 4to. Price in boards 15$. 
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