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I A .C4G -^^ ~? / w THE WANT OF INDIA : AS MANIFEST IN THE SPIRITUAL AND SOCIAL DEGKADATION OF HER PEOPLE. A LECTURE DELIVERED BEPOllE THE gurmoutb JJoinrg Pen's ll^xutmix ^ssotlntioir, BY EEV. GEOBGE CHRISTIE. HALIFAX, N. S. : JAMES BARNES & CO., PRINTERS. 1809. ilamoufab, Sartlj 2-(tt 1850, ev. and Dear Sir, — The Young Men's Christian Association and the public of Yarmouth • Jneral feel deeply indebted to you for your interesting and in.tructxvo ,n S^^''''\^'\];''l'^. ^^^^try has for a considerable time been occupy ;:X:J:::; of r Iti-n. recent .onts i^o brought to light ,«cstu>n naturally arises Wt ^^^ ^^^^.^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^.^^ tue nouie «;;r- ;*^ ,C;e :::l heen given by different .inds. I of ,ts people ^;^;7; ^^^^,,t,^ i„ yo,r lecture is the corzcct one. am convinced '^'^l'''^.2llZ--ire.^y circulated and prayerfully read^ The Biblc-and the B ble "^l^"" / / ; „,iiiio„g „f that unhappy canpermanenUyelevate^an^ other places, there are country In ^^^^ ^^^^^J^' ^ ^,,,. j,, direct influence upon the heart some who undervalue GocU I dy ^^ ^^^^.^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ .^^ .^^.^ ''\^rcr^ AU ilus ysLL, they say! arc nearly of e.ual import- rect effects, ah rtUoiuu j ^„.^,„,.n"_«< thev all serve the same « tUpv have many doctrines in common — iney an b^^iy cessfuUy meets tncse arg .vmrmthies of the Chr stian world. edTandllya^that the c.mmunity in general participate m the same ^' Hoping that you may be induced to comply, I remain, respectfully and sincerely yours, JOHN THOllBURN, Secretary. RrT. Christie . THE WANT OF INDIA. F^ w f . vn earth.' Poets and amateur philosophers have written much res- pecting a fabulous period of our world's history, which they call the " Golden Age." They carry us back to the remote ages of a dim antiquity of which they know no more than oth- er people— but which they assume to have been distinguish- rfl by ' pur'^r state of morals, and a degree of contentment r " ^ncss of which, alas, society has never had experience, ry btj^an to be written. There is, however, good oub, the '.'orreetness of the picture which they have 1 i <- Lijle at least, gives us no hint that it has ever '■^euv since *' mankind began to multiply on the ' Say n J. tlio-i what is the cause that the former days were better than these, for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this." The people of India, being, as all admit, a very ancient na- tion, have received a fair share of notice, so, that, if all were true that li.is been written and spoken, no person could fail to adopt the conclusion, that the esvablishment of British author- ity, and, particularly, interference with old customs and laws, has been to that nation a curse and not a blessing. But, more particularly, the interference of christian missionanes to un- dermine the ancient faith, by the introduction of the christian religion, has already proved injurious ; and. If persisted in, may prove the cause of still greater misery. The class of writers to which I ixjfer are not, indeed, anxious to force upon us the first part of this conclusion— viz., that the establishment of British authority has been injurious. The injury, as they would have us believe, arises from the conduct of those who, under British protection, have discoun- tenanced idolatry, and endeavoured to introduce a purer wor- I 7*i ship, along 'v^'ith such changes in the institutions of the people , as the hivvs of God seem to require. Tliore are not many who would undertake to prove that tliere is any thing in Christianity, calculated to injure a hu- man being. And those who have tried to preserve India from its influence have not found it convenient to adopt that kind of argument. Their argument is, " Christianity will excite the jealousy of the natives, and may lead to the overthrow of British authority." And then, to prove that there is no object to be gained, sufficient to justify tlic English in running such a risk, they endeavour to persuade the public that the state of morals and religion, in that country, is so near the standard which Christianity sets up, that even christians and philanthro- pists may be very well satisfied with things as tiiey are. Ard while there may be some who are sincere in urging such objections — having no knowledge of the country or the morals of the people, ti'cre are others ready to join them in their op- position to Chrr,tianity — simply on the ground of personal aversion to the doctrines of the Bible, and practical godliness. Hence it is that, from the days of Voltaire down to our own times, we have had men wlio labored to prove heathenism im- maculate ; and rejected as impossible, superstitions which the most unexceptionable authorities assure us do exist. The men in high places in the British Government who are understood to oppose the evangelization of India, are a little more guarded in their expressions, than the prince of infidels already named ; but the animus which they and others on their side display, is scarcely more commendable. Many of them have attempted to mislead the public mind, by one-sided quotations from the religious writings of the Hindoos — taking care to keep back other parts which, given, would most cer- tainly have proved, that the little truth which their wise men held, has been hidden and corrupted, by the most enormous errors that ever entered into the imagination of a rational being o» T!^ ^or is tills all of wliicli the eliristian lias to complain. While these men have found, incorporated with the ancient writings of the IlinJoos, some of the doctrines of the liible, and parts of the history of God's dealings with the children of men, they have credited these things to heathenism ; and then claimed for their sages an inspiration similar to that which the writers of the Scriiitures possessed. They have fonnd, among heathens, some sublime sentiments respecting God ; and mingled, with the masses of absurdity which their writings contain, some things are found similar to what we read in the Bible, on other subjects. These they put side by side with our scriptures — either to undermine the authority of what is known to be God's word — or to show that this revelation can- not, after all, be so very wonderful or authoritative — seeing we can find among heathens the very doctrines which chris- tians pretend to have received as an immediate revelation from Heaven. Thus they suppose they have proved — first, the sufficiency of reason as a guide in religion — and then, that all religions have about the same authority ; or in other words, that one is about as good as another. Now, I believe it is a ftict, that some of the leading doctrines of the christian religion are to be found in the sacred books of the Hindoos. Some of their writings, though containing much that is fabulous, do really present some particulars that correspond, to a surprising extent, with the scriptural account of the advent, birth, miracles, death and resurrection of Christ. Some of the leading doctrines of the christian religion, such as the existence of God — subsisting in three Persons, the atonement, and the influences of the Spirit, are said to be found in their writinjrs. From what I know of the ancient mythology of the Greeks and Romans, I have no difficulty in believing that such wri- tings exist. Truth, it has been remarked, is stranger than fiction. This may, emphatically, be said of the truths of the Bible. Now, supposing it possible for tliein to obtain a know- ledge of sucli tbing* as are revealed in tbe Scriptures, we can readily understand tie effect whieb tbey would bave nj)on tbeir minds. Tbe taste for tbe marvellous would be n;ratilied — and, by ujcorporating Bible stories witb tiieir own writings, tbey would render tbem more attractive. And, by the reve- lation of marvellous occurrence*, tbey would command gi'cat- er reverence among tbeir countrymen. Tbe argument of tbe Iniidel, in view of these things, is ve- ry different from mine. He would make them tell against tbe authenticity of the Bible. Accordingly, instructed by the German Rationalists, bis argument would run in some such form as this — The stories which we have in the liible about Jesus Christ, his words, and his doctrines are not veritable facts. They are myths ; or fanciful representations of some peculiar ideas which were in the mind of the writer — the real nature of which we do not understand. As proof of this, lie will tell us to look at India. There, you will find writings very similar to the christian scriptures ; but which, being found among that ancient people, must bave originated in their own imaginations ; and could not bave yuch an origin as chris- tians claim for tbeir Bible. Read, says the infidel, the wri- tings of the ancient philosophic Brahmins, and there you will find doctrines like your own. And, in order to render the subject still more inexplicable, he will repeat on Brabminical authority, the huge lie — that these writings have been among the Plindoos, not for thousands, but for millions of years ! Now, in reference to all these things, -ve have a plain, and I think, very satisfactory answer. First, Europeans who have examined the Indian Chronology, find that it cannot be depended on, and they have reduced to thousands of years, what was formerly counted by millions. Secondly, with res- pect to those writings which contain portions of scripture his- tory, and the sublime doctrines of revelation, there need be no ilillioiiltj in accounting for their existence. All inankiml are, oiiginally, desceniled from tiie same stock. As they spread abroad over the face of the earth, tliey carried with them the traditions of their ancestors, and oueh knowh'dge as had, at that time, been acquired, either by the efforts of man or by immediate revelation from God. Hence, we firul, among all nations, a remarkable similarity in their tradiiions about sucli events as the " Creation," the " Fall of man," the " Flood," and other important fact ** Instory. Hero, then, is one source of the knowledge of iha Hindoo wise men. In the next place, let us remember that Indip, had the means of extending that knowledge wh: ii n,t first was confined to traditions. In my former lecture, 1 showed that India had been visited, for commercial purposes, more than a thousand years before the Christian era. It liad also been the theatre of wars, brought to them from the West, by Darius and Alex- ander. IJetween two and three centuries before the Christian era, the Old Testament Scriptures v.-ere translated into Greek. Those Scriptures, we know from history, were very extensive- ly circulated ; and every man familiar with history, is aware that the effect o'' their being read was to produce a very ge- neral expectation of the appearance of Onk in our world who, though in human form, was also described in the glowing lan- guage of projdiecy as the " Wonderful, Counsellor, the I.Iighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." This story about a coming ^-^aviour very soon spread so widely that before the time of Christ's appearing, it had been stolen from the Jewish Scriptures to be engrafted upon the heathen Hteraiure of that period. Let any person for exam pie read the 4tli Eclogue of Virgil which was written about forty years before Christ came into our world, and he will be able to judge of the influence which, the Old Testament Scrip- tures had begun to exert upon the minds of men. The noRm referred to is addressed to Pollio a noblo Roman, on occasion i of tlie birtli of a i^on. But the language is such as could ne- ver have had its fiillilment in one who was only man — and therefore all competent critics believe that he wrote with Isa- iah's picture of Jesus before his mind. Again, the sybilline oracles among the Romans and Greeks were at this time borrowing from the page of Prophecy, to exalt their credit among the people. In fact, in every coun- try of which wo have particular information, we find that, at that time, the scripture doctrine of the Messiah was at- tracting attention and exerting an influence. The '• wise men li-om the East" who saw " His star," and " came to worship Ilim", may not have come from India ; but if not, it wrisfrom a country in that direction. They came too, influenced by the reports which had been gathered from the Jewish Scrip- lures. And it is only reasonable to suppose tnat a country? as far advanced as India in the knowledge of [thilosophy, would be attracted by the strange story which had got abroad (»ver the world, by the translation of the Jewish Scriptures into one of the most widely spoken languages of that day. Moreover, India was visited at a very early period, by Ciwistian missionaries. According to the generally received tradition, the Apostle Thomas labored in India. Other names are also given of christian ministers who labored among that people. We find the name of a Bishop of India among those who were present and subscribed the proceedings of the Coun- cil of Nice, A. D. 325. ^Mohammedans admit that Christianity had been planted in India before their religion. In fiict, there is reason to believe that eve/ since the days of the Apostles, there have been some Christians in that country. In 18G7 Dr Buchanan found a society of 200,000. Can we not, now, understand how it comes to pass that the writings of the Hindoos contain some doctrines and historical statements similar to vvhat we have in the Bible ? The love of all rude nations for the marvellous would be suirieient to create an interest in the stories which we have in the Scrip- tures ; and, as we saw in the case of the " Sybilline oracles," they would naturally borrow from such \vritings whatever they thought most likely to excite the wmder ortlie people. With respect to the pretended antiquity of their writings, I have already observed, that this is denied by men who inves- tigated their chronology, altogether independent of the ques- tion before us. The dates of events as given in the histories of ancient nations, ( are so uncertain) that a person can make nearly what he pleases out of them. The following remarks by the authors of the History of British India are sudicient in my opinion to settle the question of Indian dates. They say— '' There is ojie circumstance which breaks, at once, the spell of this imaginary duration (being over millions of years). Al- though India possesses nothing which can appi-oach to the cliaracter of history, many of her princes and great men pre- serve lists of kings, whi'ch, from their coincidence, though found in different and distant quarters, ajijjear to be substan- tially correct. These extend through the whole of the three ages into which their chronology has been divided, but, instead of the almost endless roll of names whieh ought to have been sup[)lied during two millions of years, we find by Mr lientley's list, in the "Treta," only sixty-six, and in the" I)wai)ar," for- ty-seven kings: consequently, the potentates of the first peri- od must have had an average reign of 1!»,():}G, those of the se- cond, of 1«,3H3 years. IJut, if weas-ign to the Indian mon- archs the average of human life, we sliall reduce these a^^es to an extent perfectly consistent with Euro[)eau history, and the IMosaic r(>cords. Sir ^Vm. Jones expresses his belief that " the old Indian astronomers had made more accurate calculations than ap[)ear in tlieir books, but concealed their knowledge from the peo- ple, with a view to impose on them in regard to the antiquity of their nation." But there is another argument bearing upon the subject to which Infidels, at least, cannot very consistently oliject. It is this— Some of the doctrines which we find incorporated with 10 the writings of the Hindoos have invariably been clenied by the men wlio reject the authority of the word of God— be- cause, they say, they pre contrary to reason. We find, for example, in their writings, a statement of the doctrine of the Trinity. Now, this I firmly believe, is a doctrine that till reveal- ed " never entered into the heart of man." We believe it, not because we can reason it out, but solely, because we find it in the Bible. Where, then did the Hindoo get it? Common sense, and common honesty, can give but one reply—" the Bi- We are then justified in assuming that those passages in the Hindoo Books which contain doctrines similar to ''what we liave in the Bible, are not the products of the Hindoo mind ; but, at some period or other, have been learned from those M'ho enjoyed the benefit of divine communications. And if even the little which they now possess is not the fruit of their own reasoning, it is vain to expect that their pretended teach- ers Will be able to do more for them in the time to come— Ihe conclusion therefore is evident that they ought to be fur- nisned with the heavenly oracles, a knowledge of which makes wise unto salvation, and secures many advantages even in the present life. But my audience will perceive more clearly my reason for maintaining that India should be visited with the light of Christianity,when I show how utterly useless, and even niinous those scraps of christian truth must be to the people, in gener- al— overlaid as they are, with mountains of error. I do not know a single article of the christian faith which has not been so entirely corrupted, as to make it the seed of some awfully degrading or ruinous error. Important truths have been used as food for a wild and impure imagination, till the literature of the people has been so blasted and defiled as to prove a curse to them instead of a blessing Even those truths which suggest themselves to the mind independent of religion alto- 11 i gether — such as the " existence of God" have been seized np- on, by their philosophers and professed rehgious teachers ; and, either to suit the prejudices of the corrupt heart, or to enable tliem to retain their hold of the popuhar mind, they have been so completely corrupted, as to prove utterly useless. Yes, my hearers, that nation respecting whose religion and philosoi)liy Infidels speak with so much respect, instead of worshi{)ing " one God the maker of Heaven and earth," have over three hundred and thirty millions ! I will now read to you a part of the description which the Apostle Paul gives of Heathenism. It is applied, as you are aware, to the inhabitants of ancient Greece and Rome, — and it is not less strikingly descriptive both of ancient and modern heathenism, in India. Rom.l. 18— 25. 18th " For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold (i e, detain or keep back) the truth in unrighte- ousness ; 19th. " Because that which may be known of God is mani- fest in them ; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20th. " For the invisible things of Him fioin the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead ; so that they are without excuse : 21st. " Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful ; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 2:..id. " Professing themselves to be wise they became fools, 23 rd. "And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24th. " Wherefore God also "■ave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own he.a'ts, to dishonor their own bo- dies between themselves : • 25th. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and M^or- shi[)ped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed fui'cvcr. Amen." 12 Be fori ig 1(1 IS port Scripture. e proceed, mtained in , . i'"' """ w ^^enpiure. Ill the first place, ,t appears that ll,e,-o are some truti,., whiel, maybe dis- eoverea „. .„„„t „,e aid of revelation-.™.,,, .,„„ ,Z Jl *^ e», as ,. upon ,he mh.Js of beings eons.i.nted as we are. ^voI»cfGodn,erea.,on, and that internal light whieh we nil eonscence. That knowledge ,o whieh .h'e Apostle par- eularl, refers is what may be acp.ired respecting God" en as ns " e.erna. power and Godhead." Unbi„:sed r a- «. . ea»d.y eondnets to the eonelnsion that .here is a God The ex,s.enee of the natural world suggests the faet ,o\ ,t that A Inch ,s far harder to believe-" the eterni.y of .natter " C nse,eneo also has something to do with the es.ablishm of 1". onv,e„on n, the mind. For it is harder than people of m.o>. And so complete therefore is the proof for the exis- tence of God, tha. many have deelared it impossible for Tl a foo that denies the existence of a God. No,v, .he same ^ns,derat,ons that tend to establish the belief tha, there "a C.od naturally lead ,o ,he farther eonelnsion tha, He must ,os! se s boundless per.ee.ious: henee the Apos.le says " Hise e ::: ri::""' "^"""^"''"-'^ "-e-.ood by .berthings ;,•„; nid! n"' n-"-' '""™™''' '""='" '" '^""^ ™'* "«" ■■«"s«n, un- ulgc of the d.vme character. The Apostle goes no farther rule. We saw as you remember, that the temples in India are al- ways supplied with a number of females who have sacrificed to the objects of idolatrous worship that which is more valua- ble than human life. These 'temple-women," as they are called, are trained for the part which they have to act : and, as a preliminary, they receive an education. Arthur, whom I have quoted more than once, says " Except Ine hapless gills destined to the profession of " temple-women" no female is permitted to learn to read or write." Let the person who is disposed to think lightly of the pri- vileges and enjoyments for which we are indebted to the Bi- ble and Christianity, recal the tacts which have been brought forward at this time. Let him who des[)ises the sacred vol- ume, and pleads for the supremacy of reason, and affirms its 29 .uflieioney to meet all the wr.nts of l,„n,.„ society, ,un, ,o ,hc pages of &.oek and Roman his>o,y-or ,o .he Jnnals of I„- aia ; and ,1 these do not convince him of his error I will be- -eve , at he is blind, iecause he hates that UesJd] tool to P ee ons pr.v.leges which he enjoys, in this world-and ,„ «lm^ we owe our hope of a blessed immortality, beyond the get the pnvdeges winch Christianity has conferred „„on their .ex They should also endeavour to comprehend the respon- s.hd,ty as well as the honor of the station which God has mark ed out for them And, while occupying their station withhe: comu,g d,gn,ty, let them not forget to exercise all their infiu. tirt°nd to "r"^^""'"' °f ■"°-'i'y »'l -ligion, and all that te„d» to make a community honorable and happy. You wll no need, or this purpose, to get up " AVomanTRi.l ts" onve„t,„ns. If you are christians, you will have no e'onfi- denee m any such measures as we sometimes read of among our Amer,can neighbours. The Bible, and not those soeiTtief has brought you the privileges which you enjoy. Ho I ,o' tl.e B,b std , as your " Magna Charta." Honor it. LI erence .t. Teach y„ar children to follow your examp Ihen, you wd get all the privileges and honors which it claL for you-and beyond this, there is nothing to which you cl really be entitled. ^ And shall ] refuse, in this place, to plead (he cause of those unhappy daughters, wives and widows i„ degraded India, Z enjoy not the privileges with which you a^e favored? N ey must not be forgotten-more especially, as now, the ^Z p..e of I„d,a ,s a part of Her Majesty's dominions just a« we J. By the t,es of a common nature, then, and y th^tfe of earthly governntent, they are our sisters ; and should ex- cte our n„ercst and have a place in our prayers. Abn^t 30 I twenty years ago, some English ladiea formed a society for their benefit, which has already accomplished good, in some places. But there is vastly more to be done. May not No- va Scotia yet have the honour of doing something for the peo- ple of the East ? We can, at least, do something in the way of collecting funds to aid in the circulation of the Scriptures ; and we can pray for the diffusion of light in that degraded country. But, in speaking of human miseries as attendant upon lica- thenism, we cannot confine our remarks to one sex. We may adopt, in reference to India generally, the strong language of the Apostle, and say, The whole nation is "groaning and tra- vailing in pain," under the crushing weight of Pagan idolatry^ and its dire effects. The wail of misery and hopeless wretch- edness is ever ascendmg from that benighted land. And ne- ver will the evil be cured, till the" Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings," and dispel the gross darkness which in the mean time, envelopes that people. Instead of the Gan-