Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2007 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/christianresearcOObuchrich CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES IN ASIA: KITH NOTICES OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES INTO THE ©rteiital languages. '• Aiitl I saw another Angelfly m the micUt of neaveii, having the KVERLASTING GOSPE L to preach unto Uiera tliat dwell on the 1 'a> ti), and to eycry n^)|i^0^q^§n^^l^^||^oQgue, and people." Rev. xiv. 6- Rev. CLAUDre«=*»6»5NAN, D. D LATE VICE PUOVOST 0» THE COIiLEGE OF FORT WILLIAM IN BENGAL, AND iMEMBER OF THE ASIATIC SOCIETY. FIFTH EDITION. LONDON • Fvbitcd by (i. Sidney, XorthuTpberland-stred ; FOit T. CADELL AND W. DAVIES, I>f THE STRANO. X7-^'y ,/ CONTENTS Page Introduction — The Callege of Fort-William 1 The ChixNBSe 10 The Hindoos 17 Juggernaut ,••• • • IS) Proceedings of the East India Company, conceraing Juggernaut 33 Immolation of Females 39 Hindoo Infanticide *.....'«•»... 46 letters of King George I. to the Missionaries 60 Tranquebar , 65 Tanjore 70 Tritchinopoly 79 Versions of tlu Scriptures for the Hindoos S2 The Shanscrit School »,...., , 85 The Ceylonesb 89 The Malays 96 The Syrian Christians in India 106 Heading the Scriptures to the People favourable to the perpetuity of a Church 122 The Malabar Bible 142 Syriac Bible 143 Romish Christians in India 145 Inquisition at Goa ,,i,, • 150 CONTENTS Page Versions of the Scriptures for the Romish Christians I'JC* The Persians 1?^ The Arabians 188 The Conversion of Sabat IDf) The Arabic School for the Translation of the Scrip- tures 205 The Jews in Asia LMO Their MSS. of the Scriptures 22/ The Ten Tribes 234 Restoration of the Jews 239 Versions of the Scriptures for the Jews 2-iG Bibliotheca Biblica in Bengal 205 The Armenians , 255 Vestiges of the Doctrines of Revelation 261 Ecclesiastical Establishment for British India ....... 270 Letter on this- subject from Dr. Watson, bishop of Llandaif, to the Author 28« Conclusion 2'M A List of WttUKs on the Civilization of the East ; being the compositions whicli gained the Vihcs, or were presented to the Universities in pompetition for tho Piwes^ instituted by Dr. Buchanan 297 CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES, IN ASIA. 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 willi the principles and order of the Church of Eng- land, it might be a proper subject for their coun- tenance and co-operation. A more detailed ac- count, therefore, will probably be read with in- terest. 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 pro- gress of Christianity with little concern, may b^ induced to regard it with a humane solicitude. s fntroT»ttct(an. In the College of Fort-William in Bengal, there was a department for translating the Scrip- tures into the Oriental languages ; and, so early as 1805, (the fifth year of its institution) a com- mencement had been made in certain languages. The first version of any of the Gospels in the Persian and Hindostanee tongues which were printed in India, issued from the Press of the College of Fort-WiUiam. The Persian was su- perintended by Lieut.-Colonel Colebrooke, and the Hindostanee by William Hunter, Esq. The Gospels were translated into the Malay lan- guage by Thomas Jarrett, Esq. of the Civil Service. — The principal Oriental translator, in the Persian department, was Mirza Fitrut, a native of the dominions of the Great Moghul; and the head translator, in the Hindu depart- ment, was Meer Buhador Ulee, a, Hindu. The College was founded on the 4th of May, \ 800. After it had flourished for almost seven years, during which period it produced nearly 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- . * See '' First Four Years of the College of Fort-William ;*' p. 219. Cadell and Davies. gntrotructton. _ s sure, the translations of the Scriptures and some other literary works were suspended.^' * Establishment of the College of Fori William. Marquis Weliesley Visitor. Rev. David Brown, * , . Provost. Rev. Claudius Buchanan, Vice Provost. Members of the College Council. The Provost and Vice Prpvost 3 the Hon. Henry Weliesley, Sir George Barlow, Bart. J. H. Colebrooke, Esq. and J. H. Harington, Esq. Charles Rolhman, Esq. — Secretary to the College Council, Professors. 3. H. Colebrooke, Esq Shanscrit. Francis Gladwin, Esq. -| N. B. Edmonstone, Esq. >. . . . Persian. Matthew Lumsden, Esq. -^ Capt. John BailHe, Arabic. John Gilchrist, Esq. "^ Capt. James Mouat, >. . . . Hindostanee. Lieut. Macdougall, J Rev. W. Carey, Bengalee. Rev, N. Poezold, Tamul. T TT TT • i T- S Laws and Regulations J. H. Harnigton, Esq ^ ^^ ,^^ Company. Rev. C. Buchanan, Greek and Latin Classics. Dr. James Dinwiddie, Mathematics. Mr. Du Plessy, French. W. Hunter, Esq.M.D. Examiner in Persia and Hindostanee. NATIVE TEACHERS. Pundits, Moulvees^ and Moonshees, 50 and upwards. P> S 6 fiitroauction. 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 terri- tories of the Company ; but to extend it to every part of the East, where fit instruments for trans- lation could be found. With this view, they aided the designs of the Baptist Missionaries in Bengal, of the Lutheran Missionaries in Coro- mandel, belonging to " the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge," and of the other Mission- aries in the East, connected with Societies in England and Scotland : and also patronised those Roman Catholic Missionaries in the South of that there are now two institutions instead of one. His Lord- ship proposed that the two institutions should be in India com- bined in one, and his reasons were, that the organs of speech in youlh are more flexible at an early age for learning a new language : and that the constitution of young persons assimilates more easily to a strange climate. There are various advantages, however, in having the elementary Institution at home, which may counterbalance these reasons j and if it continue to be con* ducted with the same spirit and effect which have hitherto dis- tingulslicd it, I think that the present plan is preferable. fntratruction/ 7 India whom they found qualified for conducting useful works. About the same period they ex- erted themselves in circulating proposals for the translation of the Scriptilres into the Oriental Languages, by the Baptist Missionaries in Ben- gal, and in promoting subscriptions for that object by all the means in their power; and when it was proposed to the Governor-General (Lord Minto, then just arrived) to suppress this Mis- sion, a memorial was addressed to the Govern- ment 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 disqovered 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 tlie present state and recent history of the Jews in the East ; and to discover what persons might be fit instruments for the promotion of learning in th^ir respective countries, and for maintaining a future corres- pondence on the subject of disseminating the Scriptures in India. In pursuance of these ob- jects, the Author visited Cuttack, Ganjarn, Visa- gapatam, Samulcotta, Rajamundry, EUore, On- gole, Nellore, Madras, JVIailapoor, Pondipherry, Cudalore, Tranquebar, Tanjore, Trjtchinopoly, Aughoor, Madura, Palamcotta, Ramnad, Jaffna.- patam, Columbo, Manaar, Tutecorin, Angengo, •* Of the Books published in Britain on the discussion re- lating to Missions and the state of India^ the most sensible and authentic are, in general, those written by learned men of Ui^ IJniversities who hav.e aever h^en in the East. Quilon, Cochin, Cranganor, Verapoli, Calicu^^*"*^ Tellichery, Goa, the Pirate coast, and other places between Cape Comorin and Bombay ; the interior of Travancore, and the interior of Mala- bar; also seven principal Terhples of the Hin- doos, viz. Seemachaium in the Telinga country, Chillumbrum, Seringham, Madura, Rarnisseram, 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 Travancore a second time before his return to England. Those nations or communities for whom translations of the Scriptures have been commenced under the patronage or direction already alluded to, are the following t the Chinese, the Hin- doos, 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. io Cl)rfettan me0eai:cl)e0 THE CHINESE. In the discussions concerning the promulgation of Christianity, soiiie writers have confined their views entirely 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 respectSj far i 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 jgift," the Bible. It further degraded the doctrine of the Cross by blending it with Pagan rite;s* The means of obtaining a version of the Scrip- tures in the Chinese language, occupied the minds of the Provost and Vice Provost of the college of Fort-William, at an early period. It appeared to them an object of the utmost importance to pro- cure an erudite Professor, who should undertake siiclV a work : for, if but a single copy of the "Scriptures could be introduced into China, they might be transcribed' in almost every part of that immense Empire. Another obje(>t in view was to introduce some knowledge of the Cliinese Language among ourselves ; for although the Chinese Forts on the Tibet frontier overlook the Company's territories in Bengal, there was not a person, it was said, in the Company's service in India, who could read a common Chinese letter. After much inquiry they succeeded in procu- ring Mr. Joannes . Las-sar, an ^Armenian 'Chris- tian, a native of China, and a proficient in the Chinese Language, who had been en^ployed by the Portuguese at Macao^ in conducting their official correspondence with the Court-of Pekin-. He was willing" to, r^inquTgh' hi-s tomriiercial pursuits, and to attach himself to the college, for a salary of ^450 ^ year. But as the order for reducing tlie 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 pdvate cbaracteri'- He entered immediately on the translation of the Scriptures into .the Chinese Language, and thiis 12 C|)rfettan m^mt^ts work h^e has continued to cany on to tl>c pre- sent time. Butjs ^s his services might be made otherwise useful, they fCtsolved to establish a clas$ of youths under hh tuition ; and as they could not obtain the young civil servants of the Company for this purpose, they proposed to the Baptist Missionaries that Mr. Lassar should reside at Serampore, which is near Cal- cutta, on the following condition ; ^hat one of their elder Missionaries, and three at least of their youths, should immediately engage in the study of the Chinese Language. Dr. Carey declined the offer, but Mr. Marshman accepted it, and was joined by two sons of his own, and a son of Dr. Carey ; and they have prosecuted their studies with unremitted attention for about five years. In the year 1807, 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 Arch- bishop of Canterbury, for the Lambeth Library, as the FIRST fruits of the Chinese Institution in Bengal. — 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 entertained. His Excellency Lord iVIiivto, Governor-General of India, in his first annua! Speech to the College of Fort-WilHam, has recorded the following testimony to their pro- gress in the language, and to the importance of their attainments. *' If I have not passed beyond the legitimate bounds " of this discourse, in ranging to the extremity of those "countries, and to the furthest island of that vast " Archipelago in which the Malay Language prevails, " J shall scarcely seem to transgress them, by the short " and easy transition thence to the language of China. *^ I am, in truth, strongly inclined, whether regularly " or not, to deal one encouraging word to the merito- " rious, 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 impreg- ** nable 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 facul- ^^ ties 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 *f which took place on the 10th of this month (Febru- " ary, 1808,) at Serampore, in the Chinese Language, *^ 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. It is •' enough for my present purpose to say that these young " pupils read Chinese books and translate them ; and " they write compositions of their, own in the 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 admitted ^-^ a dawn of day through that thick impenetrable cloud : *^ they have passed that Occanum dissociabilem^ which ^^ for so many ages has insulated that vast Ettipire from '' the rest of mankind. " I must not omit to commend the zealous and per- '^ severing 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 Ver- " SIGNS in the Chinese Character, of the Gospels " of Matthew, INIark, and Luk6, throwing open that " precious mine, with all its religious and moral trea- '' sure, to the largest associated population in the *• world."* When this Chinese class was first established, it was ordained that tliere should be regular * See Collfge Report for ] 808. re^pectinff t\)t CI)ine2e^ 1 5 public Examinations and Disputations, as at the College of Fort-Wiliiam. The excimination in September, 1808, (a few months after the above Speech of Lord Minto was pronounced) was held in the presence of J. H. Harington, Esq. Vice-President of the Asiatic Society, Dr. Ley den, 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, coi>- *' taining the Original Text, with a transla- " tion ; to which is prefixed a Dissertation on '^ the Chinese Language, pp. 877, 4 to." to be followed by four volumes more. This trans- lation will be received with gratitude by the learned, and will be considered as a singular monument of the indefatigable labour of an English Missionary in the acquisition of a new language. While treating of the cultivation of the Chi- nese Language, itj^s just that we should notice 1 6 Ct)rtstiEn Eesearcl^es also the endeavours of the London Missionary Society in the same department. While Mr. Lassar and Mr. Marshnian are translating the Scriptures at Calcutta, Mr. Morrison is pro- eecuting 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 acquiring a complete knowledge of the language is by no means sO distant as what he once expected. " It has *^ proved of great advantage to him that he " copied and carried out with him the Chinese " translation of the Gospels preserved in the *' British Museum, which he now finds, from " his own increasing acquaintance with the ^* 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 Tes- tament is fit to be printed ; and that he pro- poses to publish also a Dictionary and a Gram- mar of the language, the last of which is al- ready " prepared for the press."* The expense to the London Missionary Society for the cur- ^ See their Report {or^lO, p. 22. respecting tl)e E)mlrao0. 17 rent year, in the Chinese department alone, is stated to be ^500. We greatly admire the liberal spirit which animates this institution, in the prosecution of its noble designs. The foregoing notices of the progress of Chi- nese literature will, it is presumed, be accept- able to many ; for the cultivation of the Chi- nese language, considered merely in a political point of view, must prove of the utmost ad- vantage to this country, in her further trans- actions with that ancient and ingenious, but jealous, incommunicative, and partially civilized nation. THE HINDOOS. It is admitted by all writers that the 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 be- comes then of importance " to ascertain what " have been the actual effects of Christianity *' in those interior provinces of Hindostan, c 18 Ci)ri5tiau MmmtW " where it has been introduced by the Christian *' Missionaries; and to compare them with such *' of their countrymen as remain in their pristine ** Idolatry." It was a chief object of the Au- thor's tour through India, to mark the relative influence of Paganism and Christianity. In drder then that the English nation may be able to form a judgement on this subject, he will proceed to give some account of the Hindoos of Juggernaut, and of the native Christians in Tanjore. The Hindoos of Juggernaut have as yet had no advantages of Christian instruction : and continue to worship the Idol called Jug- gernaut. The native Christians of Tanjore, until the light of revelation visited them, wor-' shipped an Idol also, called the great Black Bull .of Tanjore. And, as in this brief work the Author chiefly 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 Pro- vinces. vt^putms tf)t Jj)mtiaas. 19 Extracts from the Autiiou's Journal in his Tour to the Temple of Juggernaut in Orissa, in the year 1806. ^ jpuddruck in Orissa, May dOth, 1 80G. ' We know that we are approaching Juggernaut (and yet we are more than fifty miles from it) by the liuman boije& which we have seen for some days strewed by the way. At this place we liave 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 have been two months on their march travelling slowly in the hottest season of the year, with their w ives and children. Some old persons are among them who wish to dje 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. Whereyer J turn my eyes, I meet death in some shape or other. Surely Juggernaut cannot be worse than Buddruck.' 20 ctrtstian iaeseatcl)es( * In siglit of Juggernauty \2th June, 1806. ^ Many thousands of pilgrims have accompanied us for some days past. They cover the road before and behind as far as the eye can reach. At nine o'clock this morning, the temple of Juggernaut appeared in view at a great distance. When the multitude first saw it, they gave a shout, and fell to the ground and worshipped. I have heard nothing to-day but shouts and acclamations l)y 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 who laid himself down at every step, measuring the road to Jug- gernaut, by the length of his body, as a penance of merit to please the God.' * Outer Gate of Juggernaut, \2thJune, ISOG. < 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 loolied round respecting tl)e ^mtioos* 2 1 for my guard. A guard of soldiers had accompanied me from Cuttack, the last military station 5 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 indulgence, that they were poor, that they could not pay the tax ; but I was not aware of their design. At this moment, when I was within a few yards of the gate, an old Sanyassee (or holy man) who had travelled some days by the side of my horse, came up and said, ^ Sir you are in danger ; the peopl* 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 seeiqg 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 themselves. 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 1 apprehended that many of them would have been suffo- cated, 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 chcumstance alone prevented the loss of lives. Notice of the event was immediately commu- nicated to Mr. Hunter, the superintendant of the temple, who repaired to the spot, and sent an additional guard to the inner gale, lest the people should force that also ; for there Is an outer, and an inner gate to the town 22 €\)xMim i^eseaicljes • 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) tiiisting to the phy- sical weight of their mass, v^ill rii^ke, what he called, a charge on the armed guards, atid overwhelm them ; the guards not being willing, in such circumstances, to oppose their bayonets.*' ^^ JuggeiiWLut, I4thjun€, 1806*. * 1 have seen Juggernaut. The scene atBuddruck 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 ni^merpus, 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 receive equal adoration, and sit on thrones of nearly equal height/ * This ^morning I viewed the Temple ; a stupen- dous fabric, and truly commensurate with the extensive sway of ' the horrid king.' As other temples are usually adorned with figures emblematicar of their religion, sq Juggernaut has representations (numerous and varied) of that vice, which constitutes the essence of his wor- ship. The walls and gates are covered with indecent, eoiblems, in massive and durable sculpture. — I have als.O; visited the sand plains by the sea, in. some places whiten- ed with the bones of the pilgrims ; and another place a little way out of the town, called by tlie English, the Golgotha, where the dead bodies are usually cas.t forth ; and where dogs and vultures are ever seen.'* ' The grand Hindoo festival of the Rutt Jattra, takes place on the 18th inst. when the idol is to be brought 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 superintendant of the temple, formerly a student in the College of Fort William ; by whom I am hospitably entertained, and also by Captain Fatton, and Lieut. Woodcock, commanding the military force. Mr. Hunter distinguished himself at tiie College by his proficiency in the Oriental Languages, He is 4 gentleman of polished manners and of classical taste, * The vultures generally find out the prey first ; and begin with the intestines ; for the flesh of the body js too firm for their beaks immediately after death. But the dogs soon receive notice of the circumstance, generally from seeing the Hurries, or corpse-carriers, returning from the pladel Oti the approach of the dogs, the vultures retire a few yards, and wait till the body be sufficiently torn for ea«y deglutition. The vultures and dogs often feed together j and sometimes begin their attack before the pilgrim be quite dead. There are four animals which may be seen about a carcase, at tb? same time, viz. the dog, the jackal, the vulture, and, th<^ Hurgeela, or Adjutant, called by Pennant^ the Gigantic Cranes 24. ct)risttan iaeseatct)es The agreeable society of these gentlemen is very refresh- ing 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 at Juggernaut. They said they were now so accustomed to them, they thought little of them. They had almost forgot their first impressions. 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 circumstan- ces which render Juggernaut noisome in an extreme degree. The senses are assailed by the squalid and ghastly appearance of the famished pilgrims ; many of whoiii die in the streets of want or of disease ; while the devotee's, with ' 'clotted hair and painted flesh, arc seen practising their various austerities, and modes of self- tWrturlel Persons of both sexes, with little regard to conceiatmerit, sit down on the sands close to the tawn ih pubHc view ; and the sacred bulls walk about among them and eat the ordure.*^ ' The vicinity of Juggernaut to the sea probably pre- vents the contagion, which otherwise would be produced by the putrefactions of the place. — There is scarcely any verdure to refresh the sight near Juggernaut; the tenhiple and town being nearly encompassed by hills . of .'mwrf, which has been cast u,p:in the lapse of ages by the surge of the.pcean.. All is b.arren and desolate to the eye ; and * This singular fact' was pointed out to me by the gentlemen here. There is no vegetation fdr ihe sacred Bulls on the sand- plains. They are fed generally with vegetable^, ;fr of tire God began. — A high priest mounted the car in front of tl«t idoU and pro- nounced liis obscene stanzas in the eirs oi the poiple ; who responded at intervals in the same strain. * These * songs,' said he, * are the deiia^ht of the God. His car * can ortly move when lie is pleased with the song.'— The cur moved on a little way and then stopped. A boy of about twelve years was then brought forth to attempt something yet more lascivious, if peradventurc the God would move. The * child perfected the prais6* of his idol with such ardent expression and gesture, that the God was pleased, and the multitude, emitting a sensual yell of delight, urged the car along.— After a few minutes it stopped again. An aged^ minister of the idol then stood up, and with a long rod in his hand, which he mdved with indecent action, completed the variety of this disgusting exhibition. — 1 felt a consciousness of doing brought hira 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 fear of the elephant, lest he should injure human life, was remarkably exemplified on this occasioii. Though th« 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 j and Mr. Hunter ordered her to be supplied with every thing that might conduce to her recovery. 28 €l)mtim laesearrijes wrong in witnessing it. 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 Moloch's worship are obscenity and blood. We have seen the former. Now comes the blood.' * After the tower had proceeded some way, a pilgrim announced that he was ready to offer himself a sacrifice to the idol. He laid himself down in the road before the tower as it was moving along, lying on his face, with his arms stretched forwards. The multitude passed round him, leaving the space clear, and he was crushed to death by the wheels of the tower. A shout of joy was raised to the God. He is said to smile when the libation of the blood is made. The people threw cowries, or small money, on the body of the victim, 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 tjiat the Proprietors of India Stock could have attended the wheels of Juggernaut, and seen this peculiar source of theur revenue/ resjjertmg tt)e IDlnBoos^ ^9 ^ Juggernaut^ 20th June, 1806. ** Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood •* Of human sacrifice, and parents' tears." Milton. ^ , The horrid solemnities still contiRue. Yes- terday 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 hec but her bones.' ' And this, thought I, is the worship of the Brahmins of Hindostan, and their worship in its sublimest degree ! What then shall we think of their private manners, and their moral principles ! For it is equally true of India as of Europe. If you would know the state of the peo- ple, 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.* so Ct)rt5ttan iae^^earrijes ^ Juggernaut^ 2l^t Jiine^ 1806. "' 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 arid 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 in 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 vSpeaking 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, ' 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 resipectmg tl)e I^mUaos. 3 1 languages in use by those who are resident, are tlic Orissa and the Telinga. Tlie border of the Telinga Country is only a few miles distant from the tower ()f Juggernaut.* * Chilka Lake, 24th June, • . I felt my mind relieved and happy when I had passed beyond the confines of Juggernaut. I cer- tainly was not prepared for this scene. But no one can know what it is who has not seen it. — From an eminencef on the pleasant b^nks 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 extended empire of Moloch in the heathen world, I cherished in my thoughts the design of some ' Christian Institution/ which, being fostered by Britain, my Christian country, might gradually undermine this baleful idolatry, and put out the memory of it for ever/ * It will give pleasure to the reader to hear, that a transla- tion of the Holy Scriptures is preparing in Orissa and Telinga, the languages of Juggernaut. f Manickpatain, S2 Cljrfetian EesearcJ)e0 Annual E.rpenses of the Idol Juggekj^aut^ 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 - - 10,989 13/3 5. Ditto of his elephants and horses - - - 3^030 3/8 6. Ditto of his rutt or annual state carriage 6,713 839 Rupees 69,616 £ 8702 ^ In Item third, * wages of his servants,* are included the wages of the courtesans, who are kept for the sendee of the temple. ^ 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, 1 806) with upwards of 2001. sterling worth of English broad cloth. ' Of the rites celebrated in tlie interior of Juggernaut, called the Daily Service, I can say nothing of my own knowledge, not having been wifhin the temple.'* * At the Temple of Juggernaut, the English Government levy a tax on pilgrims as a source of revenue. The first law. vts^ttUns tl)t ^inym&^ 33 JUGGERNAUT IN BENGAL. Lest it should be supposed that the rites of Juggernaut are confined to the Temple in Orissa, or that the Hindoos there practice a more crimi- enacted by the Bengal Goverhptient for this purpose,was entitlejJ "^ A Regulation for levying a Tax from Pilgrims resorting to the " Tenaple of Juggernaut, and for the superintendance and *' management of tlie Teraple.-^Passed 3d of April, 1806." Another Regulation was passed in Bengal, in Apql, I8O9, re- scinding so much of the former , as related to the ^'interior management and cpntroul" of the Temple; .l?ut sanctioning the levying the tax from pilgrims for admission to the temple ; allotting a sum toward the expenses of the idol 5 and appointing an officer of Government to collect the tax. ,0f this second Regulation, the author received no intimation until the third edition of this work was put to pre$s, In the former editions, it was stated that the Temple was under the immc^l^te manage- ment and controul of the English Government ; which , he is now happy to find was not the fact at the time. , Whether the account of the riew Piegulation had reached England before the 1st of July, 1810, when he had occasion first to notice the sul^- ject, he does not know. But he has it now in his power to communicate to the public the following authentic information, which, injustice to the Honorable Court of Directors, ^s to the part they have taken in this matter, ought to be known. When the Bengal Government first announced their Regu- lation of the 3d of April, 1606, to the Court of Directors, (which they did by letter, dated l6ih May, 1 806,) they com- D 34 C^ti^im laestavfijes 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 raunicated their intention of naaking the following alterations therein J— namely, to permit " certain officers of the Tempi* " to collect their fees directly from the pilgrims agreeably t« " former usage, instead of receiving the amount of those fees "■ from the public treasury : to allow the Pundits, who are to " superintend the affairs of the Temple, to be elected by par* " ticular classes of persons attached to it, instead of being " appointed by the Government j and to vest hi the Pundits *' so elected, the entire coritroul over the Temple and its mi- *' nisters and officers, as well as over- the funds allotted for its " expenses j restricting the interference of tlie officers of " Government to the preservation of the peace of the town, " to the protection of pilgrims from oppression bnd extori ion, "^ and to the collection of the- tax to be appropriated to' the use " of Government." When this subject came under the notice of the Court of Directors in the year 1808, they thought it proper to propose a distinct statement of their opinions upon it to the Bengal Government; and they prepared a letter, wherein they en- joined, that the Government should not elect the priests who were to superintend the affairs of the Temple, or exercise a controul over its ministers and officers, or take the mannge- iTsent of its funds ; and that the exercise of the authority of the government should extend only to objects falling directly within the province of the magistrate, as the care of the police, the administration of justice, and the collection of suckj tt^tttins tfje l&inBo0S. 35 sbed at the very doors of the English, ahiiost under the eye of the Supreme Govenurient. 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 a tax, professedly for these ends, as should be required for the due attainment of them ; not subjecting the Hindoos to any tax for access to their place of devotion, or under the notion of granting them a religious privilege, or of tolerating Idolatiy, in consideration of money. The Coutt of Directors, however, were over-ruled in this proceeding by a superior authority, which thought it sufficient to acquiesce generally in what the Bengal Government, in their above-mentioned letter of l6th May, I8O6, proposed should be done. By the same superior authority another dispatch was sub- stituted to that effect, in which it uas stated, that as the talL on pilgrims resorting to Allahabad and Ju^ernaut, was estab- lished during the Nawaub*s and the Mahratta Government, there did not appear to be any objection to its continuance under the British Government. This substituted dispatch went, as the law directs, in the name of the Court of Directors, although it was in opposition to their sentiments. But, before it arrived in Bengal, tlie Government there had passed, by their own authority, th« Regulation of April, I8O9. That part of the province of Orissa, which contains the Temple of Juggernaut, first became subject to the Brltisli ilmpire under the administration of Marquis Wellesley, who permitted the pilgrims at first to visit Juggernaut without pay- 36 €\)xMm Eesratcljes* the residence of Governor Hastings, and within view of the present Governor-Generars e diminished, and the practice itself eventually abolished? Or have the F)^oprietors of India Stoch at any time instructed the Court of Directors to attend to a point of so much conse- quence to the character of the Company^ and the honour of the 7iation ? That the abolition is practicable has been demonstrated : and that too by the most rational and lenrent measures : and these means have been pointed out by the Brahmins themselves.* . . ,. ■ ; ■ : ^ "funeral pilej hot not one of his wives sacrificed themselves *' on this occasion. This ceremony is less expected from the " wife than from the Racheli -, and these unfortunate females "conceive it a point of honour to consume themselves wiUi "their Lords." See Colonel Walker's official Report, dated 15th March, 1808, traii-^mitted by the Bombay Government to the Honour- able Court of Directors. Paragraph l60. * See them detailed in " Memoir," before quoted, p. 4^, resjiertmg tl)e 8>triDio«* 45 Had Marquis Wellesley remained in India, and been permitted to complete his salutary plans for the improvement of that distant Emr pire (for he did not finish onehalf of the civil and political regulations v^^hich he had in view, and had actually commenced) the Female Sacrifice would probably have been by this tim^ abolish- ed.* The humanity and intrepid spirit of that nobleman abolished a yet more criminal practice, which w^$ considered by the Hindoos as » religious^ .f;te» and consecrated by custom, I meau the Sacjkifige of; Children. His Lord? ship had been, informed that it had been a cus- tom of the Hindoos to sacrifice children in conr sequence of vows, by drowning thfenvor e^^posing them to Sharks and Crocodiles; and that twenty- three persons had perished a^t Sa^gor in one month (Jaquary 1801,) m^y of whom were sacrificed in this manner. He immediately iu- stituted an inquiry into the principle of this ancient atrocity, heard }vhat Natives and Euro- peans had to say on the subject ; and then passed a law, " dechring the practice to be murder, " I>unishable by death." — The law is entitled, " A Regulation for preventing the Sacrifice of I f ft '" *■» " «''■ *ifeid..p.47 46 Cf)ris!t(an J&tmxt\^m *' 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 wom6n as the sacrifice of children. Has this fact ever been denied by any man who is competent to offer a judgement 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 autrior will not cease to call the Attention of the English Nation to thi^ SUBJECT. HINDOO INFANTICIDE ; OR, MURDER OF FEMALE CHILDREN, The following relation will shew what humaE nature can believe and perpetrate when destitute of the light from heaven. respecting tlje l^tnacos. 47 Among the Hindoo tribes called theJAREjAH, in the provinces of Cutch and Guzerat, in the West of India, it is a custom to destroy female infants. " The mother herself is commonly ** tlie executioner of her own offspring. Wo- *' men of rank may have tlveir slaves and atten- " dants, who perform this office, but the far ** Cfreater number execute it with their own " hands."* — In defence of this practice, tliese tribes allege, that the education of daughters is fxpensive; that it is dithcult to procure a suit- able settlement for them in marriage ; that the preservation of female honour is a charge of soli- citude in a family; and that when they want wives, it is more convenient to buy them, or solicit them from another cast, than to breed them themselves, * " They appear to have several methods of destroying the '" infant^ but two are prevalent. Immediately after the birth " of a female, they put into its' mouth some opium^ or draw " the umbilical cord over the face, which prevents respiration. *' But the destruction of so tender and young a subject is not " difficult, and it is affected without causing a struggle." Col. Walker's report, paragraph 55. — Col. W. further states, that DadajeCy the Chief of Raj-kut, being interrogated as to the mode of killing the infants, emphaticaHy said, ** What diffi- f culty is there in blasting a flower ?" — He added, in allusion to the motives for infanticide, " that the Ruharies or Goat *' Herds in his country, allow the male kids to die, when " there are many of them brought forth." 48 Cljrfetfan Eesearcftes This atrocity has been investigated and brought to light by the benevolent and truly laudable exertipns of the honourable Jonathan Duncan, Governor of Bombay ; to whom huma- nity is now indebted for one of her greatest vic- tories. Mr. Duncan had instructed Colonel Walker, late Political l^esident in Guzer^t, to inform him^iqlf, (in a ^Ulitary progress ^tiUrougli that province) of the nature an4 extent xxf J:l>€ practice of Infanticide, and iu the uame of th^ British Government, to enc^lcavqur to ^fFec,t it& abolition. The Bou^bay Governi,neut Ijias now transmitted to tlie Cour^t^f Dir<^ctai*^ the qi^oial report frpm thfit officer,., 4a ted the ]5t^ IVJarch, 1808; and from t^liis doc^iJ^eat,, detail^ql in 99^ paragraphs, the foUovviufg facts are giv^ii ip« tl)e public. This disclosure seems to hajV'P b^e^j di- rected by Providence, a't this time, -4o art! the councils of the British nation, whcnconsrclering, tlie obligations which a,re, due from a.Chrisliau empire, in regard to the niQral impifov^nienjt -of its heathen subjects. But the fact of Blindoo Infanticide is by no means nevv'.^^ Mr. Duncan himself was instrumental in abolishing the ci'imjQ amoug the tribe of the Raj-kumars, in Juan pore, * See it is noticed in " Memoir of the Expediency of aoEe- cleiiastical Establishment for Briti^i India." resperting tt)t \UntiooQ. 4y ivLur Benares in tli^e }ear 1789. Indeed, the unnatural custom seems to have subsisted for more than two thousand years ; for both Greek and Roman liistorians mention it^ and refer to those very places (Barygaza or Baroach) where it is now to be found. The number of , females who were thus sacrificed in Cutch and Guzerat alone, (for it ii. })ractised in several other pro- vinces) amounted, by the very lowest computa- tion, (in 180?) to three thowsand annually. Other calculations vastly exceed that number. Lieut. -Colonel Alexander Walkek had lirst the honour of appearing before this people, as the>j»^dvocate of humanity. He addressed them in his otficial character, and, as ambassador lom the British nation, he entreated them to ^KJltr their daughters to live. It seems tliat they had uieans of aj)preciatino' the private cliaracter V of tins oliicei\ and' they respected his virtues : but in regard to this moral negotiation, they peremptorily refused even to listen to it. — The foliowino- are extracts of letters addressed to him on the occasion. f.vttcr Jrom the Jarejah Jehajee of Murve(\ to ColanelJralkcr, — Uth Sept. 1807. *^ Your letter, Sir, 1 have received, in which It is writ- en to rear up and protect our daughters: but the cir- 50 Cljrtstian Eeseaitijes cumstances of ttis case are, that from time immemorial the Jarejahs have never reared their daughters, nor caa it now be the case." From the Mother^ of J era jke to Colonel Walker, Q4.th Sept. 1807. " Your letter has been received and its contents un- derstood. You have called upon Koer Jehajee to rear up his daughter; but it is so, that for many years past none of the Jarejah tribes have ever reared their female offspring. Further particulars of this concern you will learn from Koer Jehajee*s writing; and you must excuse him on this score." — See No. 13, referred to in Colonel Walker's Report. Zetter from Futteii Mahomed, Jemadar to Colonel IValker,—2]st Oct. 1807. ^' It is notorious that since the Avatara (or Incarna- tion) of Sri Chrishna, the people (Jarejahs), w^ho are de^«?cended from the .fadoos, have, during a period of 4D()0 years, been accustomed to kill their daughters, '^ and it has, no doubt, reached your knowledge, that all .of God's creation, even the mighty Emperors of Hin- dostan, — besides all others, the conductors of the affairs of this world, have preserved friendship with this Courts and never acted in this respect (female infanticide) unrea- sonably. But you, who are an Amir (Lord) of the Great Sirkar, the Honorable Company, having written to me on this subject^ I hfivc drrivcd much uneasiness, for it does itspecttng tlje ^(11X1000. ^1 lidt accord with your good character. This Durbar has always maintained friendship with the Honorable Com-* pany ; and, notwithstanding this, you have acted so un- reasonably in this respect that I am much distressed.— No one has, until this day, wantonly quarrelled with this Court, who has not, in the end, suffered loss. — Do not again address me on this subject." — See No. 20, as above* How conclusive, in regard to any further interference, would these letters have been deemed by some ! '^ What more it would be *' said, can be done wiih prudence, — Enthusiasm ■^^ alone would dictate further solicitude about ** this matter." But Colonel Walker did not desist from his benevolent purposes, because he met \vith some obstacles; because he wished io overcome them.'* He sought opportunities of * When Mr. Duncan, the Governor of Bombay, apprized the Supreme Government in Bengal of his intention to endea- vour to abolish the practice of murdering female children in Guzerat, he received in answer, an expression of their appro- bation in the following measured terms ^ dated the 31 st July, 1806. " We cannot but contemplate with approbation the con- *' sTderation^ of humanity, which have induced you to-com- ** bine, with the proposed expedition, the project of suppresR- ''* ing the barbarous custom of female infanticide. Bat the " speculative success even of that benevolent project^ cannot E 2 ^'J Cljrfettan lResearcl)e0 informing the understandings of the peo])lc in respect to tlie nature of the crime; and he dis- covered that it was generated directly by Pride, Avarice, and the alleged inferiority of xvoman, '* By discussing the subject frequently in the " public Cutcherry, (tlie Court of Justice) and *' exposing the enormity of the practice, as *' contrary to the J3recej)ts of religion and the *' dictates of nature, every cast came at length " to express an abhorrence of Infanticide; and ** the obstinate principles of the Jarejahs began '^ to be shaken." And what was the result! Within twelve nionlhs of the date of the fore- going letters, Jarejah Jehajee himself, Jeha- jee's mother, and Futteh ]\Ia homed, formally abjured the practice of Infanticide, and were soon followed by the Jarejah tribes in general. .fj.iiAjEE* first transmitted a writing to the fol- lowing eflcct : '' From motives of iViendship ''' the lionqrable Company have urged me to '' preserve my daughters,-^To tliis I consent -" if the chiefs oi' Nowanaggar and Gondal ** be considered to justify the prosecution of measures, which ** mayACxpose to hazard the essential interests of the state ; " although, as. a collateral object, the pursuit of it would be " worthy of the benevolence and humanity of the Briti«l« " Government." — Moot s Hindu Infanticide, page 37. ns^tttins tf)e IDtnlrooe. 5S *' agree." Shortly after, these chiefs did agree, and bound themselves by a solemn engagement, in 1808, to discontinue the practice. About the end of the year 1809> many of the Jarejah Fathers brought tlieir infant daughters to Colonel Walker's tent ; '' and exhibited them ** with pride and fondness. Their mothers and '* nurses also attended on tliis interesting occa- " sion. True to the feelings which are found " in other countries to prevail so forcibly, tlje ** emotions of nature here exhibited were ex- *' tremely moving. Tlie nu)thers placed the " infants in the hands of Colonel Walker, call- *' ing on him to protect what he alone had " taught them to preserve. These intants they *' einpiiatically called nrs children."* The following; is an extract of a letter from the Government of Bombay to the Honorable the Court of Directors, dated £Oth January, fyOi). — " We congratulate your llonoui'able Court on the prospect thus afforded, of extir- pating from the Peninsula of Guzerat a cus- tom so long prevalent, and so outrageous to humanity. This object will not be lost siglit of: and, trusting to the aid of Divine Provi- dence, we look with con(idence to i.ts <^radua!, * Moor's Hindu Infanticide^ p. 30J. but certain, accomplishment, to such a degree, as may form an Era in the History of Guzerat, lastingly credittible to the English name and influence." This event affords an invaluable lesson con- cerning the character of the Hindoos, and the facility of civilizing them. What was effected in Guzerat, in regard to the murder of chil- dren, is equally practicable in Bengal as, to the burning of women, and at Juggernaut as to self-murder under Moloch's Tower. " By dis- " cussing the subject frequently,*' says Colonel Walker, ** in the pLd3lic Cutcherry, and expos- '* ing the enormity of the practice, as contrary ** to the precepts of religion and the dictates *' of nature, the obstinate principles of the ** Jarejahs began to be shaken." Now we would ask, what is there to. prevent the custom of BURNING WOMEN ALIVE from being dis- cussed in the public Cutcherry of Calcutta, and '' exposing the enormity of the practice, as " contrary to the precepts of religion and the ^* dictates of nature ?" The English nation have a right to demand an answer to this question from tlie supreme Government in Bengal, respectins tlje !j)inlioos;. 55 The number of females sacrificed in the pro- vinces of Cutsh and Guzerat, amounted (as was before mentioned) to three thousand 'dud upwards annually. " The Jarejahs," says Colonel Wal- ker, ** will sometimes remark, that their Gunts *' (or Priests) are poor and despised ; which " they made no scruple of attributing to the ** sin of Infanticide, and from the wrath of *' God for havino; the weio'htof that crime on '* their heads. This singular opinion, expressed *' nearly in their owrl words, instead of pro- " ducing an abhorrence of the act, has served " to confirm their idea, that they have nothing ** to do with its j^espoiisihility and punishment." — Par. I89. It is worthy of remark, that in almost all countries, it is usual to impose the chief responsibility for national immorality on the Priests ; and we think with mi,ich justice. The moral turpitude of the rites of Juggernaut is, in this way, excused by the people. — " It is," say they, the sin of the Priests, not ours." In Christian countries, also, there is sometimes a secret persuasion in the minds of men, that the Priest preaches the doctrine of " the God of this world, and not thq doctrine of Christ." But they try to jus rify themselves in listening to it, and in " conforming to the world." It is, say they, the sin of the Priest, not ours. It 56 Cljrtsttau Eesearcljes will, we apprehend, appear to be an aweful thing, at the hour of death, to have entered into the Priest's office, A Jarejah cliief, by name IIuttajee, who had preserved his daughters, contrary to the custom^ brought them to the British camp to be vaccinated. They were between six and eight years of age, but they wore turbans, and were dressed and habited like boys, to avoid the taunts and reproaches of the people ! — '' As if ashamed or afraid of acknowledging '^ their sex, (even to the English) they assured' " Colonel Walker that they were not girls ; *' and with infantile simplicity, appealed to *^ their father to corroborate their assertion." — Par. 137. How shall we be able rightly to comprehend the mental debasement of tills ]}eople ! No sooner doth God create an im- ■^nprtal soul in a female form, than the parent destroys it ! And if, by , any means, the infant escape for a few \years, she is contemplated as a reproach to their cast ! And yet, abliorrent to natural feeling as this may appear, it is certain that it is only the c.ttrcme degree of a prin<:iple, which is commoh to all the nations of the earth where Christianity is not kno\.vn, — namely, a disposition to degrade the female character. — For, unless a man can consider woman as a ttspectms t!)e lJ)mtJO0S. 57 partaker of the inimoitality of the Gospel, and " as being an heir together with him of the " grace of life," — 1 Pet. iii. 7^ — he will not ac- count her his e(|ual, or as entitled to eqnal iionour. He will estimate iier being in the scale merely of brute strength, and of power of in- tellect; that is, he will consider her as his iiif trior, and as formed to be tlie shive of his j)leasures. — And, we may add, the ur/idditij of Europeans tends directly to the same result. It is on record in the annals of nations, that ])hilosophy, as well as idohitry, debased thus the female sex. Christianity alone ever did, Christianity alone ever can, i>ive due honor to the Character of WOMAN, and exalt her to her just place in the creation of God.* It will give pleasuK^ to the mothers in Great Britain to hear that a n^u^iation of tlie Holy Scriptures is preparing for the inhabitants of Guzerat. * See, on this subject, Aupeiuiix to the *' Eras of Light," preached, by the Author, before the University qi Cam- bridge. , t The Guzeraftee has been cultivated by Mr, Drummond, Surgeon on the Bombay Establishment, who composed a Dic- tionary and Grammar in that language. And it appears, from «he Reports of the Missionaries at Serampore, that they had 68 cinMim WitmRui)t$ T A N J O R E. The Letters of King George the First to tlie IMissionaries in India, will form a proper introduction to the account which it is now intended to give of the Christian Hindoos of Tanjore. The fnst Protestant Mission in India, was founded by Bartholomew Ziegenbalg, a man of erudition and piety, educated at the tJn- versity of Halle, in Germany. He was ordain- ed by the learned Burmannes, bishop of Zealand, jn his twenty-third year, and sailed for India ?n 1705. In the second year of his ministry he founded a Christian Church among the Hindoos, which has been extending its limits to the pre- sent 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. He \Vas also patronized by " the Society for promoting Christian commenced a version of the Scriptures in Guzerattee. The Jarejahs are described by Governor Duncan, of Bombay, as *' possessing but a very slight sense of religion ; professing, " indeed but little more than nominally the Hindoo faith, and *' living almost inditferent to the doctrines of any of the ** Sastras." — Moor's Infanticide, p. 39. respecting ti)t g)irit!aas, 59 Knowledge," which was superintended by men of distinguished learning and piety. The King and the Society, encouraged the Oriental Mis- sionary to proceed in his translation of the Scriptures into the 'Ta?7?ul tongue, which they desi2:nated '* the o-rand work." This was indeed THE GRAND WORK ; for ivhcrcver the Scriptures are translated into the vernacular tongue, and are open and common to all, inviting enquiry and caiusinp' discussion, they cannot remain - ' a dead letter." When the Scriptures speak to ja heathen in his own tongue, his conscience re- sponds, *' This is the word or God." How littk is the importance of a version of the Bible in a new language understood by some. The man who produces a translation of the Bible into a new language, like Wickliffe, and Luther, and 2iegenba]g, and Carey) is a greater benefactor to mankind than the Prince who founds an Empire. For the " incorruptible seed of the word " of God" can never die. After ages have resolved, it is still producing new acces- sions 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 his primary endea- Vour to evangelize the Hindoos, will appear from 60 Cl)rfetian Eesearrijes the following letters, addressed to the Mission- aries by his Majesty. "George, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, ^^ France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. to '• the Reverend and Learned Bartholomew Ziegenbal- " gius and John Ernest Grundlerus, Missionaries at '' Tranquebar, In the East Indies. « ./ " Reverend and Beloved, *' Your letters, dated the 20th of January of tlie present ^' year, were most welcome to us ; not only because the *^ work undertaken by you of converting the heathen to '^ the Christian faith, doth, by the grace of God, prosper, *^ but also because that, In tliis our kingdom, such a " laudable zeal for the promotion of the gospel prevails. " We pray you may be endued with health and strength ^' of body, that you may long continue to fulfil your ^' ministry with good success ; of which, as we shall be '* rejoiced to hear, so you will always find us ready to *^ succour you in whatever may tend to promote your " work, and to excite your zeal. We assure you of the " continuance of our royal favour. " GEORGE R, *' Given at our Palace of Hampton " Court, the 23d of August, '^ A. D, 1717^ III the 4th year '^ of our reign." The King continued to cherisli, with nuich solicitude, the interests of the mission, after the death of Zfegenhalgius ; and in ten years from the date of tlie foreo;oino^ letter, a second was lesipertms tl)e ipmtioos. 6i addressed to the members of the mission, by his Majesty. " Reverend and Beloved, ^' From your letters dated Tranquebar, the 12th of " September, 1725, which sometime since came to hand, " we received much pleasure ; since by them we are in- " 'formed, not only of your zealous exertions in the pro- *• secution of the work committed to you, but also of *^ the happy success which hath hitherto attended it, *' and which hath been graciously given of God. " We return you thanks for these accounts, and it will " be acceptable to us, if you continue to communicate " whatever shall occur in the progress of your mission. *' In the mean time, we pray you may enjoy strength '^ of body and mind for the long continuance of your *' labours in this good work, to the glory of God, and the *' promotion of Christianity among the heathens ; that iU " perpetuity may not fail in generations to come.^ « GEORGE R. " Given at our Palace at St. James's, *' the 23d of February, 1 727, in " the 30th year of our Reign." But these Royal Epistles are nOt the only evangelic documents, of high anthority, in the hands of the Hindoos. They are in possession of letters written by the Archbishop of Canter- bury, of the same reign v\ who supported the * Niecampius, Hht. Mist. t Archbishop Wake. 62 . Cljrtsttan Wit^tdixti)ts interests of the mission with iinexmnpledlibera-* 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 aj)pears to have been written by him as President of the " Society for *^ promoting Christian Knowledge." " To Bartholomew Ziegenbalghis^ and Johu &nest ** 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 tlie *^ 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- "• tancc ; I am constrained to magnify that singular "■^ grodness of God in visiting nations so remote ; and ^' to account you, my Brethren, highly honoured, whose ** ministry it hath pleased him to employ in this pious *' work, to the glory of his name, and the salvation of *^ so many millions of souls. '• Let others indulge ip a ministry, if not idle, ccr- " tainly less laborious, among Christians at home, ^^ Let them enjoy in the bosom of the Church, titles *^ and honours obtained, without labour and without " danger. Your praise it will be (a praise of endless " dnrat;ion on earth, and followed by a just recompense ^' in heaven) to have laboured in xher your 64 Cljrt^^tian Eeseaicljes " endeavours, and will subdue unto himself, by your '' mQans, the whole Continent of Oriental India. . '^ O happy men ! who, standing before the tribunal of " Clirist, shall exhibit so many nations converted to his " fiiith by your preaching ; happy men ! to whom it " shall be given to say, before the assembly of tlic whole '* human race, ' Bcliold us, O Lord, and the children ^' whom thou hast given us-' happy men! who being '' justified by tlie Saviour, shall receive in that day the " reward of your labours, and also shall hear tliat glorious " encomium ; ' Well done, good and faithful servants, " enter ye into the joy of your Lord.' " May Almighty God graciously favor you and your " labours in all things. May he send to your aid fellow- '• labourers, such aiid as inaiiy as ye wish. May he '•' increase the bounds of your Churches. May he open '' tlie hearts of those to whom ye preach the Gospel of " Christ, that hearing you, they may receive life-giving " faith. May he pn^tect you and yours from all evils '' and dangers. And wlien 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 hnth v;ro- " served you in It, grant to you tlit- ri'\'.;^. 'i labour, an iueorrujjtible crown of glor\ . "These are tlie fervent wishes and j.-rd)! i;, oi. \\uv- " rable Brethren. " \ our most faithful '• fellow-servant in Christ, ^^ GULIELMUS CANT. From our JPalace at Lambeth, ' January 7, a. d. J/l^." Providence bath been pleased to grant the prayer of tlie King, ^' that the work might not fail in generations to come; and tlie prophecy of bis Archbishop is hkely to be fulfilled, that it should extend '^ over the whole Continent of " Oriental India." — After the first Missionary, Ziegenbalg had finished his course, lie 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, Ja^nicke Gericke, and Swartz, whose ministry has beea continued in succession in different provinces, unto this time. The present state of the Mis- sion will appear by the following extract from the Journal of the Author^s Tour through these provinces. * Tranquehar, 25th August, 1806. ^ Tranquebar was the first scene of the Protestant Mission in India. There are at present three Mission- aries here, superintending the Hindoo congregations. Yesterday I visited the Church built by Ziegenbalg. His body lies on one side of the Altar, and that of his fellow Missionary, Grundler, on the other. Above ar^^ the epitaphs of both, written in Latin, an' {>lates of brass. The Church was - 66 Cijvfelian Kesearc!)e5 and Zlegenbalg, 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 Ziegenl>alg, in the lower apartment of which the regis- ters of' the Church are still kept. In these I found the name of the first heatlien baptised by him, and recorded in his own hand-writing in the year 1707* — In Zie- , genbalg's Church, and from the pulpit where he stood, I first heard the Gospel preached to a congregation of Hindoos, in their own tongue. The Missionaries told me that religion had suffered much in Tranquebar, of late years, from European Infidelity. French prin- ciples had corrupted the Danes, and rendered them in- different to their own religion, and 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.' — On^ 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 Tranque- bar celebrated a Jubilee, in commemoration of the Jiftieth 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, the Govern- ment would not give it any public support; in con- sequence of which the Jubilee was not observed with ' respecting tlje Ibinftco^* ^7 that solemnity which was intended. But in other places where there were few Europeans, it was celehiated by the native Christians with enthusiasm and every demon'-' stration of joy* When I expressed my astonishment at; this hostility, the aged Missionary, Dr. John, said, ' I have always remarked that the disciples of Voltaire ai'e the true enemies of Missions, and that the enemies of Missions are, in general, the disciples of Voltaire, ' Tanjore, SOth 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, wlio informed me that the Rajah had appointed the next day at 1 2 o'clock to receive my visit. On the same day I went to a place called Swartz's garden. It is close to the Christian village, where the Rev. Mr. Kolhoff resides. Mr. Kol- hofF is the worthy successor of Mr. Swartz ; and with him I found the Riev. Dr. J©hn, and Mr. Horst, two other Missionaries who were oi^ a visit to Mr. KolhofF. Next day I visited the Rajah of Tanjore, in company with Major Blackburne. When the first ceremonial wa0 over, the Rajah conducted us to4he grand saloon, which was adorned by the portraits of his ancestors ; and im- mediately, led me up to the portrait of Mr. Swartz. He then discoursed for a considerable time concerning ^ that F 2 6s Cfjrfettan Eeseardjes ' good man' whom he ever revered as ' his father and guardian/ The Rajah speaks and writes English very ^ intelligibly. — I smiled to see Swartz's picture amongf ' these Hindoo kings^ and thought with myself that there are many who wquld think such a combination scarcely possible. — I then addressed the Rajah, and thanked him, 'in the name of the Church of England, for his kindness to the late Mr. Swartz, and to his successors, and parti- cularly for his recent acts of benevolence to the Christians residing within his provinces. The missionaries had just informed me that the Rajah had erected ' a College for Hindoos, Mahometans, and Christians ;* in which provision wa^ made for the instruction of ^ fifty Christian children.' His PJighness is very desirous that I should visit this College, wjiich is only about sixteen miles from the capital. — Having heard of the fame of the ancient Shanscrit, and Mahratta Library of the kings of Tanjore, I requested his highness would present a catalogue of its volumes to the College of Fort- William -, which he was pleased to do. It is voluminous, and written in the .^lahratta character j 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 Beeiiy 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 obtai;i 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. KolhofF informed me that Major Blackburne has promoted the interests of tlie Missions by every means in his power. Major Black- burne 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. ' 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, T^itchinopoly, Madura, and Palamcottah. They want help. Their vineyard is increased, and their labourers are decreased. They have had no supply from Germany in the room of Swartz, Jsenicke, and Gericke ; and they have no'prospect of further supply, except from ^ the Society for promot- ing Christian Knowledge ; who they hope will be able to send out English Preachers to perpetuate the Mission.* 70 Ci)t(sttanKeseartt)es ' Tanjore Sept 2, 1806. ' 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 pra-^ ceeded to the Church built by Mr. Swartz within the Fort. From- Mr. Swartz's pulpit I preached in English from Marlt xiii. 10. ^ And the Gospel must first be published among all, nations.' The English gentleriien 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 Mr. Whitfield, on his first going to Scotland, was sui*pris- ed at the rustling of the leaves of the Bible, which took place immediately on his pronouncing bis text (so diffe- rent from any thing he had seen in his own country) so I was surprised here at the sound of the iron pen engraving the Palmyra leaf. Many persons had their Olios in their hands, writing the sermon in Tamul short-hand. Mr. Kolboff assured me that some of the elder Students and Catechists will not loose a word of the preacher if he speak deliberately.* This, thought t, is more than some of the Students at our English Universities can do. This apti- tude of the people to record the vvords of the preacher, renders it peculiarly necessary ^that tlie 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 thfe 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. Tlie 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, ancT that you have lost your cast with th^ 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 beef^ from the beginning. Every faithful Christian must lose cast for the Gospel 3 even as Christ himself, the Fore* ^ It i& well known that natives of Tanjore and Travancore can write fluently wh.it is spoken deliberately. They do not look much at their olias while writing. The fibre of the leaf guides the pen. 72 Cljrisitian W^mttW runner, made himself of no reputation, and was despised and rejected of men. In like_ manner, you will be despise^; 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 inheritance, through Jesus Christ our Lord.' He then adds, ' What, my beloved Brethren, shaH you obtain in heaven ?' They answer, ' A new name and a better inheritance, through Jesus Christ our Lord.' It is impossible for a stranger not to be affected with this scene. — This custom is de- duced from Zi^genbalg, who proved its us6 by long expe- rience. ' 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, t see here no skulls, no self-torture, no self-murder, no dogs and vul- tures 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 have iiever known the iiative character but under the greatest disadvantages^ as in Bengal. It certainly surprised rnyself ; and when I reflected on the moral condtict, up*':^;^^ right dealing, decent dress, and decorous manners of the native Christians of Tanjore, I found in my breast a new evidence of the peculiar excellence and benign influence' of the Christian Faith. ^ At four b^clock in the afternoon, we attended Divine Service at the Chapel in the! Mission Garden out of the Fort. The Rev. Mi\ 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. Kolhoff^ presided at the exercise in the schools : on which occasion the Taniul Sermon was repeated ; and thd boys' ollas ex- amined. ' In coriscquence of my having expressed a wish to hear Sattianaden preach, Mr. Kolhoff^ had given noticd 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 ' Marvel- lous 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 of the sun, or of the moon.* In quoting a passage from Scripture, he desired a lower minister to read it, listening to it as to a record ; and then proceeded to the illustration. The responses by the audience were more frequently called for than in 74 €i)vMm Eesieardjes 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 h(Sx something of the progress of Christianity in the North of India. They said they had heard good news frofti Bengal. I told ihem that the news were good, but that Bengal was exactly a hundred years behind I'anjore. . ' I have had long conversations with the Missionaiies relating to the present circumstances of the Tanjore Mission. It is in a languishing state at this moment, in consequence of the war on tlie Continent of Euro]>e. 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 v of the English Government and of the Native Princes. When he was dying, he said, ' Let the cause of Christ be my heir.' When his colleague, the pious Gericke, was departing, he also bequeathed his property to the Mission. And now Mr. Kolhoff gives from his private funds an annual sum ; not tliat he- can well afford it ; but the Mission is so extended, that Iwj gives it_, he told me, to presf rve tli^ n,ew aB4.TcP>^t|B congregations ii\£mtena\ He stated that there were upwards of tea thousand Pjro- • testant Christians belonging to the Tanjore and Tinnavelly 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 yetthei'e are some copies of the Tamul Scriptures still to be sold at Tran- xjuebar; 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 remembered in Tanjore. They lamented much tliat they were desti- tute of the aid of a printing-press, and represented to me tliat the progress 6f Christianity had been materially re- tarded of late years by tlie want of that important auxi«- iiary. 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 Tranquelmr Mission and the Madras * 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 stilj without one. Printing is certainly the legitimate instru- ment of the Christian for the promulgation of Christianity. 1?Ve Frotestnnts have put it into the hands of the Brahmins, and w« ought to see to it that the teachers of our own religion are poi- sed of au equa} ad^aotage. 76 Cljrtsittan iae5earcl)es Mission have botli possessed printing-presses for a long* period j by the means of which they have been exten- sively useful in destributing the Scriptures and religious publications in several languages. The Mission Press at Tranquebar may be said to have been the fountain of all the good that was done in India during the last century. It was established by Ziegenbalg. From this press, in conjunction with that at Halle, in Germany, have proceed- ed volumes in Arabic, Syriac, Hindostanee, Tamul, Telinga, Portuguese, Danish, and English. I have in my possession the Psalms of David in the Hindostanee Language, printed in the Arabic character ; and the His- tory 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 Hindostanee Language in quarto, published at the same press ; an important fact which was not known at the College of Fort William, when Professor Gilchrist commenced his useful labours in that Language.' * Tanjore, Sept, 3, 180(5. * 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 Tan* jore Court.* — The Missionary, Dr. John, accompanied me to the palace. The Rajah received him with much kindness, and presented to him a piece of gold cloth, Of the resident Missionary, Mr. Kolhoff, whom the Rajah sees frequently, he spoke to me in terms of high approbation. This cannot he very agreeable to the Brah- mins 'y but the Rajah, though he yet professes the Brah- minical religion, is no longer obedient to the dictate of the Brahmins, and they are compelled to admit his supe- rior attainments in knowledge.— I passed the chief part of this morning in looking over Mr. Swartz's manuscripts and books : and when I was coming away, Mr. KolhofF 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 tiiiue of his death ; for Mr. Swartz seldom preached to the natives icith- eut previous study, I thought I saw the image of Swartz in his successor. Mr. KolhofF is a man of great simpli- city of manners, of meek deportment, and of ardent zeal in the cause of revealed Religion, and of humanity. jHe walked with me tlirough the Christian village close to his house ; and 1 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.'f * It is now placed in the public Library of the University of Cambridge. t That I may give to those who are interested in the promo- Uon of Christianity in the East, a more just view of the cha.- 7 s €t)vmim mmmfii^ ^ September- 4t7i, iSO($, ' Leaving Tanjore, I passed through the woods in-* habited by the CoUaries (or thieves) now humanized by Christianity. When they understood who 1 was, they followed me on the road, stating their destitute condition. meter of Swartz's successor, the Rev. Mr. Kolhoff, I shall sub- join an extract of a Letter, which I have since received from the Rev. Mr. Horst. " Tanjore, Sept. 24th, ISO/, *' The Rev. Mr. KolhofF is sometimes rather weak, on ac- count of so many and various cares that as&ail 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 2501. sterling) cut 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 j and for various pioQ3 uses. To him as Arbitrator and Father, apply all Christians that are at variance, disturbed from without or from within, out of service or distressed 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 sta- tion, exejcise 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 congregations, belong- ing to the Mission of Tanjore, afford Mr. Kolhoff' frequent op- j^ortunities to relax his mind, and to rqcruit bU health and sp'i- reispecttng tije 5)m6oos^* 79 ill regard lo religious instruction. They were clamorous for Bibles. They supplicated for teachers, ' We don't want bread or money from you,' said they ; * but we \vant the word of Go^/-— Now, thought I, whose duty is il to attend to the moral wants of this people ? Is it that 4;f the I'nglish nation, or of some other nation ?' ^ Tritckinopoly, September 5tli. * The first Church built by Swartz is at this place^ It is called Christ*s Church, and is a large building, capable of containing perhaps two thousand people. The aged Missionary, the Rev. Mr. Pohld^ presides over this Church, and over the native congregations ■ at this place. Christianity flourishes ; but I found that here, as, at other places, there is a ' famine of Bibles.' The Jubilee vTiS celebrated on the 19th of July, being the hundredth year from the amval 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 rits, by making occasional short excursions to see these new Christians, who were professed ihievts only a few years ago, and many of them are now an honour to the Christian professioUf and industrious peasants. It is pleasing to behold the anxiety with which a great number of our Christian children inquire at such times when their father will return j -and how they run several miles to meet him with shouts and clapping of hands, and hynlns of thanks to God, as soon as they djscern his palankeen Ota distance." 80 eijristtau Eesearcljes Son, and of the Holy Ghost.*— At this station, thfi'e are about a thousand English troops. Mr. Pohle being a Germari, dojes not speak English very well 5 but he Is reverenced for his piety by the English ; and both officers and men are glad to hear the religion of their country preaclied in any way.— On the Sunday morning, I preach- ed in Christ's Church to a full assembly from these words, ^ For we have seen his Star in the East, and are come to worship him.' Indeed, what I had seen in these provinces - rendered this text the most appropriate I could select. Next day, some of the English soldiers came to me, desi- ring to know how they might procure Bibles. ^ It is a delightful thing,' said ozie of them, ^ to hear our own religion preached by Our own countryman.' I am inform- ed'that there are at this time above twenty English regi- ments in India, and that not one of them has a chaplain. The men live without religion, and when they die, they bury each other ! O England, England ! it is not for thine own goodness that Providence giveth thee the treasures of India ! ^ I proceed hence to visit the Christian * Churches iij the province 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, 18 JO, the Rev. Mr. Brown preached a Ser- mon at Calcutta, in which he represented the petition of the Hindoos for Bibles. A plain statement of the fact was sufficient to open the veBptttin^ ff)e t)tnlii0O0. %i hearts of the public. A subscription wasimme- cliately set on toot, and Lieut.-General Hewitt, Commandev-td-Chief, then deputy Governor in Bengal, subscribed 5^501. ' The chief officers of government, and the principal inhabitants of Calcutta, raised the subscription, iti k fe\V days, to the sum of lOOOl. sterling, ^^liistructianfe were sent to Mr. Kolhoff to buy irp'-aH ' the copies of tlie Tamul Scriptures, to distribute them at a small price amongst the natives, antl order a new edition to 'fee printed off without loss of time.* * The chi6f names in this subscription, besides that of General Hewitt, were Sir Jbhn Royds, Sir W. Bmroughs, John Lumsden, Esq. George Udney, Esq. J. -H. Hiarington, Esq. Sir John D'Oyley, Colonel Carey, John Thornhill, Esq. H. C. Plowden, Esq. Thos. Hayes, Esq. W. Egerton, Esq. &c. &c. Thn?, whHe we are disputirt^ 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. 82^ Cljtistian iaesearc|)fs VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES FOR THE HINDOOS. Havi^kg now seen what the Hindoos are in their state of idolatry, as at Juggernaut, and in Bengal; and what they may becojne under the in^fluence of Christianity, as at Tranquebar, Tritchinopoly> and Tanjore, it remains that we give some account of the translation of the Scrip- tures into the languages of the Hindoos. There are five principal languages spoken by Hindoos in countries subject to the British Empire. These are, the Hindostaneey wliich pervades Hindostan generally; and the four languages of the four great provinces, viz. the Bengalee, for the province of Bengal ; the Ttlinga, for the Northern Sircars; l\\Q Tcnmd, for Coroniandel and the Carnatic ; and the Malay allm or Malabar y for the coast of Malabar and Travancore. Of these five languages, there are two into which the Scriptures are already translated ; tlie Tamid, hy 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 Hiiidostanee, by the llev. Henry Martin, B. D. Chaplain in Bengal ; the JMalabar, by ^lar Dio- nysius, Bishop of the Syrian Ciiristians in Tra- vancore ; both of which translations will be noticed more particularly hereafter; and the Ttlhiga, by Aixanda Rayer, a Telinga Brahmin, by birth a JNIahratta, under the superintendance of Mr. Augustus Desgranges, at Vizagapatam, a Missionary belonging to the London Soci- ety.* Ananda Rayer, a Brahmin of high cast, was lately converted to the (Christian faith, and has given undoubted proofs of the serious impres- sion of its principles on his heart.f It is remark- * The Christian church has now to lament the loss of two of the Tr:ui,s]ators of the Holy Scriptures, mentioned in this page, viz. the venerable bishop of the Syrian church. Mar Dionysias, and the j oung missionary, Mr. Augustus Desgranges, Tlitir WORKS do follow them. P^eV. xiii. 14. '^ Pray ye, therefore, the I^rd of the " Harvest that ye would send forth more labourers into his *' Harvest." Luke x. 2. Second Edition. t The Account of Ananda Rayer *s converfiion is given by tJie Rev. Dr. John, the aged missionary at Tranquebar, in a letter to Mr. Desgranges.— -This Brahmin applied^ (as maTiy Brahmins and other Hindoos constantly do) to an older Brah- min of some fame for sanctity, to know *' what he should d6 *' that he might be saved ?" The old Brahmin told him, that he muit repeat a certain prayer four iack of times : that is^ 84 Cijrtstian IReseardjes: able that versions of the Scriptures should' be now preparing for the Mahoniedans and Hin- 400^000 times. This he perfornoed in a Pagoda, in six months 5 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 ? 'th% Priest gave him some Christian books in the Telinga language, and, after a long investigation of Christianity, the inquiring Hindoo had no doubt remaining on his mind, that '' Chrtst was the '' 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 Taujore and Tranquebar, professed to have a purer faith, and had got the Bible translated, and worshipped no images, he visited Dr. John and 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 ; 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 jjuto the Telinga language. Dr. John recommended Anapda Bayer i '* for he was averse," says he, ''to undertake any '^ worldly employment, and had a great desire to be useful to ^^ his brethren of the Telinga nation." The reverend Mis- sionary concludes thus : " What Jesus Christ hath required of '^ his followers, this man hath literally done 5 he hath left /' father, mpther, sisters and brothers, and houses and lands, **. for the Gospel's sake," . . ■ See Dr. John's Letter, dated 29th January, 1S08, -coramu* iiicated to the Bible Society by the Rev. Mr. Brown. tioos, by their own converted countrymen ; — namely, the Persian and Arabic versions by Sabat the Arabian ; apd the Telinga versior/ by Ananda Rayer, the Telinga Brahmir* Tiie latter has translated the four Gospels, and the Acts of the Apostles. The progress of Sabat in his translations will be noticed here- after. THE SHANSCRIT SCHOOL. The Baptist Mission, in Bengal, commenced about the year 1793 ; and to it chiefly belongs the honor of reviving the spirit for promoting Christian knowledge, by translations of the Holy Scriptures. By . the cultivation of the Shanscrit language, which is the parent of ]^any others, tliey find it easy to superintend visions in the connate tongues, such as the Orissa, MahmtU/y Bengalee^ Caniata, and G^*- z€7'atiee. The primeval Shanscrit, like an aged Hanian Tree, has many daughters growing round her in Hindostan. Dr. Carey is dis- tinguished for his acquisitions in this language, and has published a copious Grainmar of it. 86 Christian Eeseavcftes lie has also composed short Grammars in the Mahratta and Ben2:alee tongues : and, in con- jiinction with liis fellow-missionary, Mr. Marsh- man, has translated into English two volumes of the ancient Shanscrit work, called the Ra- mayioia ; and performed various other services to Oriental literature. The labours of Mr. Marshman in the Chinese, have been alread}^ noticed. The followins: is the state of the translations at the Mission Press at Serampore, as extracted from the last Report, g»|)an£)crit. Bekgalee, OllISSA, . Mahratta, . HiNDOSTANEE, New Testament printed ; and part of the Penta- teuch. The whole Bible printed. New Testament printed ; and part of the Old Testament. Gospels and Acts printed. New Testament printed to the end of Romans. Besides these languages, and the Chinese before-mentioned, translations had been com- menced in the Seik, the Carnata, Tel'wga, Ga- zer at tee, and Barman, reBpecting t\)t l^inaooof. 87 It has been objected that the same persons cannot possibly arrive at a critical knowledge of so many languages. And it is true that every one of the above is as difficult to acquire and pronounce, as French, Greek, or Latin ; and, perhaps, there is no instance on record of a man being able to preach or compose, in more than two languages well. But it is to be understooil that tlie natives themselves are pro- perly the translators ; and if we have confidence in the integrity of the man, we may depend with some certainty on the integrity of the translation. Besides, it is well known that it does not require a profound knowledge of a language, to superintend a translation in it, and to detect wilful and flagrant error. For in- stance, a scholar in England may judge of the accuracy of a version from the Greek language, though he cannot preach in Greek. Another consideration is, that no translation can be absolutely perfect. Our English translation is not perfect ; nor is it necessary that it should. Slight variations in words affect not the essen- tial doctrines, or important facts, of the Bible, any more than spots in the sun obscure its light. The light of truth still shines upon us, the Will of God is still revealed to us, though the idiom of the language in which it is con- veyed, be changed from age to age ; or though some of the original words, in which that Will was first given, he lost from the page for ever. It is, moreover, to be considered how impor- tant it is that even the smallest portion of Holy Scripture be translated into a Jiew language. — '* All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, " and is profitable for instruction in righteous- " ness." — 2 Tini. iii. iG. A single book, a sin- gle chapter has often been blessed to the con- version of individuals, both in England and iu India; and they have died in the faith without knowing much of other parts of the Bible. How many excellent Christians in our own country die in early life, without knowing any thing of the prophetical books ? — How many remain ignorant, even to advanced years, of the spiritual analogies of the Levitical Law ? We have no hesitation in^ laying down this posi- tion : The more tramlations ef the Scriptures the Missionaries commence, the better. Even in their most imperfect. state, like Wickliife's ver- sion in a remote age, they will form a basis for gradual improvement by succeeding generations. Besides, the very best translation nmst, in the lapse of ages, change with a changing lan- guage, like the leaves of a tree w^hich fall in autumn and are renewed in spring. The two original languages of Revelation are by the Providence of God preserved to us, (how won- derful that Providence !) and remain constant ; but the living tongues will be ever varying and flowing, like a stream, to the end of time. 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 schoolmasters were appointed to each church- ship. The Dutch goverpment never gave an official appointment to any native who was not a Christian ; a distinction which was ever consider- ed by them as a wise policy, as well as a Chris- tian duty, and which is continued by his Majes- ty's Government in Ceylon. Perhaps it is not generally known in England, that our Bengal and Madras Governments do not patronise the native Christians. They give official appoint- ments to Mahomedans and Hindoos generally iu 90 Cijrfetmu iaf^earcl)e5 preference to natives professing Christianity. The chief argument for the retention of this system is precedent. It was the practice of the first settlers. But it has been often observed, that what might be proper or necessary in a factory, may not be tolerable in a great Empire. It is certain that this system confirms prejudice, exposes our religion to contempt in the eyes of the natives, and precludes every ray of ho])e of the future prevalence of Christianity at the seats of government. Jaffna-patam, in Ceylon, Sept. 27, 180C. * From the Hindoo Temple of Ramisseram, 1 crossed 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 religion 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, Now Sir Alexander Johnston*, Chief Justice of Ceylon. the friend of learning, and of Cliristianlty. 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 cornnmnications are truly valuahle. — It will ho scarcely hclicvcd in England, that there are here Protestant Churches under the King's government, which are without ministers. In the time of BAL».7i:us, the Dutch preacher and historian, there were tJiirty-hco 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 IN r. Palm, a solitary Missionary, who has heen sent out hy the London Society, and receives some stipend from the British government. I visited Mr. Palm, at his residence a few miles frojn the town of Jaffna. He is prosecuting the study of the Tamul language ; for that is the lan- guage of this part of Ceylon, from its proximity to tlie Tamul continent. Mrs. Palm has made as great pro-^ gress in the language as her hushand, and is extremely active in the instruction of the native women and chil- dren. I asked her if she had no wish to return to Europe after living so long among the uncivilized Cingalese. No, she said ; she was ' all the day long happy in the com- munication of knowledge.' Mr. Palm has taken pos- session of the old Protestant Church of Tilly-Pally. By reference to the history, I found it was the church in which Bald£EUS himself preached (as he himself men-r tions) to a congregation of two thousand natives ; for a view of the Church is given in his work. Most of those liandsome Churches, of whi: h views are given in the 9s Cijvfettan T^muul)m 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 inhabitants, no Clergyman has been yet appointed. The only Protestant preacher in the town of Jaffna is Chmtian Daiid^ a Hindoo Cateclnst sent over by the mission of Tranquebar. His chief mi- pistrations are in the Tamul tongue 5 but he sometimes preaches in the English Language, which he speaks with- tolerable propriety : and the Dutch and English resort tp hear him, I went with the rest to his Church; when he delivered extempore a very excellent Discourse^j ■which his present Majesty George the Third would not have disdifined to hear. And this Hindoo supports the inteiests of the English Church- in the province of Jaffna. The Dutch Ministers who formerly officiated here, have gone to Balavia or to Europe, The whole district is now in the hands of the Rornish priests from the College of Goa ; who perceiving the indifference «tf the English nation to their own religion, have assume^ quiet and undisturbed possession of the land. And the English Government justly preferring the Romish super- stition 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 wliich 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, op Ceylonese.' ti^perttnjj tlje €^lmm, 95 * Columbq, iu CeyloUy lOth Marchy 180S. ^ . I find that the South part of the island is in much tlie same state as the north, in regard to Christian instruction. There are but two English Clergymen in the v.hole island. ^ 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 itf 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 Boodha, -as the Israelites turned to Baal and Jshteroth It is perhaps true that the religion of Christ has never been so disgraced in any age of the Church, as it has been lately, by our official neglect of the Protestant Church in Ceylon. ^ I passed the day at Mount Lavinia, the country resi- dence of General Maitland, the Governor of Ceylon ; and had some conversation with his Excellency on the religi- ous state of the country. He desired I would coi^mit to writing and leave with him a memorandum of inq.iiiries v/hich 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 xspre. His excellency expressed his conviction that M €i)mtm Eeseavrijes some Ecclesiastical Establishment ought to be given te 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 Ecclesiasti- cal Establishment to the Continent of India. I told him 1 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 tilings 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 tlie island. It gave me great pleasure to find that General Maitland, and the senior Chaplain at Columbo, the Honourable Mr. Twisletonj had afforded their patronage in the most liberal manner to these useful teachers. Government has allowed to each of them an annual stipend.— In re- turning from the country I passed through the groves of Cinnamon, which extend nearly a mile in length. Cey- lon is believed by some of the Easterns, both Mahome- dans and Hindoos, to have been the residence ol' the first man (for the Hindoos have a First Man, and a Garden of Eden, as well as the Christians) : because it abounds in * Trees pleasant to the eyes, and good for food ;' and is famous for its rare metals and precious stones. ' There is geld, bdellium, and the onyx-stone.' The rocky ridge which comiccts 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: land there is a sepulchre of immense length, which they ca\l 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 wonderful that the most valuable of all trees should grow in luxuriance in such an arid soil without human tulture. I compared them in my mind to the Ceylon Christians in their present state, who are left to flourish by themselves under the blessing of heaven, without tliuse external and rational aids which have been divinely appointed to nourish the Church of Christ.' ^ Columbo, \ltfi March, 1808. * I have conversed with intelligent persons on the :neans of translating tliq Scriptures into the Cingalese J^anguage. 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 arc by computation 500,000 natives iu Ceylon professing Christianity, and that there should not be one complete copy of the Holy Scriptures in the vernacular tongue, Samuel Tolfr\-, Esq, head of a civil department in Coliim- bo, is a good Cingalese scholar, and is now engaged la compiling a Cingalese dictionary. I proposed to him to undertake the completion of the Cingalese Version ; whic^ is easily practicable, as there are many learned Cingalese 96 Cijtfettan Kesearcfjes Christians in Columbo. He professed himself ready to engage in the work^ provided he should receive the sanc- tion of the government. I mentioned to him what had passed in rriy conversation 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 Worlc, 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 Cey- lon. 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 has caused Bishop Por- teus*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 bjC called her Malay Empire. The extensive dominion of the Dutch in t\\^ Iqdian Ocean, .is de>'olving upon the English ; and it may be expected that Bri- tain will soon be mistress of the whole of the Malayan ARcmPELAGO. But^swef increase dur territories, -we increase our obligations. Our duties to our Hindoo Empire have been long enough the subject of discussion : let us now tfurn our attention to the obliarations which we 6 we to our Malay Empire. We are now about to take possession of islands, peopled by numbers of Protestant Christians. For in every island where tlie Dutch established 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 be deferred j " till a more convenient season," will have no opportunity of offering the advice in regard to some of the islands : for, behold, the natives are Christians already. They profess the religion of the Bible. Let it be Our endea- vour, then, to do more justice to these our new ^Protestant subjects than we have done to the Christians of Ceylon. We have less excuse in the present instance, for the Malay Scriptures are already translated to our hands. What a noble field here opens to th^view of the " Society *' for promoting Christian Knowledge/' and of the Bible Society !. Here there is ample room fop a praise- worthy emulation, and for the ut- most exercise of their benevolent exertions. 0ns IT 95 €t)rt£;tian Ke^earcfjej^ 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 t* the general language of their extensive domi- nions 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 Jarrett, Esq. of the Honourable Com- pany's Civil Service, was preparing a version of the Scriptures in the Western Mala}- ; for which undertaking he was well qualified, having resid- ed twelve years in Sumatra. When the progress of the Biblical translations was interrupted in the College, Mr. Jarrett prosecuted the work, after his return to Madras. He has had, as an assistant in tlie design, a learned Malay of the rank of Rajah in liis own country, who came from Sumatra for the purpose. Mr. Jarrett has also made considerable progress in compiling a copious Malay Dictionary, which he commenc- ed before he left the island. His labour, it is to be hoped, will not be lost to the public ; for * A complete version of the Malay Bible was published in (he Arabic character at Batavia, 5 vols. 8vo. in 1758, undei l4ie direction of Jacob Mosscl, Governor- General of tiie Diitci possessions in the East Indies. Ihe 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 territories, and is the proper place for the culti- vation of the Malay language, being situated close to thel main land of Malacca. As there is a Col- leo^e in Benjjalfor instructiho: the English in the or? o o languages of the continent of Hindostan, 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, it is probable that Penang will, in tlie progress of Eastern civihzation, become the great empo- rium of Asiatic Commerce. Its sudden eleva- tion, is a prognostic of its future celebrity. It is situated on wliat may be called, '' the hi^l - way," in which ships sail from either hemi^iphcTe; and is the very centre of British navigation in tlie East. The author resided on this island for about a month, and was greatly surprised at the variety of langiiages which are spoken, and iit the different races of men who present tbemsdves to view in this infant -settlement. The mcrchan'.s ; rj chiefly of the Malay, and 100 Cljnstian JRegeardj^s Indo-Chinese nations. Jolm 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 our notice in regard to the Malay regions, is J. C. Leyden, M. D. Professor of Hindostanee in the College of Fort-William. To him the learned world is indebted for ^' a, Dissertation on the Languages '^ and Literature of the Indo-Chinese nations/' just published in the Asiatic Researches, in which he illuminates a very dark subject, and opens a new view to Great Britain of her insular pos- sessions in Asia. Dr. Leyden takes the lead in this most useful science, in the East, being possessed of very rare talents for general Philo- logy, wJiich he has applied almost suddenly, and with admirable effect, to the Oriental Languages, If this erudite scholar should prosecute his re- searches for some years to come, with equal assi- duity and success, he will promote, in the^tost effectual manner, the general civilization of the East, by opening the way for the future exer- tions 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 respecting t!)e iHalaps. loi Malacqa, 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 eve^y island where they established a Govern- ment, yet the greater part of the Malay islands are involved in darkness. The natives are of three general casts. Pagans, Mahomedans^ and Chinese. The Mahomedans chiefly inhabit the shores, and the Pagans the interior parts of the islands. The barbarism of the interior nations 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 Batja tribes, to kill and eat their criminals, and pri- soners of war; but the researches of Dr, Leyden have led to the discovery, that they sometimes sacrifice their own relations. *^ They themselves 103 Cf)rfettan Eesearcljes *' declare," (sci}^s he,) ^* that they frequently eat ** their own relations when aged and infirm: an4 '' that not so much to gratify their appetite, as to perform a pious ceremony. Thus, when a " man becomes infirm and weary of the ^vorld, ** he is said to invite his own children to eathini ** in the season when salt and limes are cheapest. - He then ascends a tree, round which his friends " and offspring assemble, and 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 descend. The victim descends, *^ and those that are nearest and dearest to him ^* deprive him of life, and devour his remains in *^ a solemn banquet."* These cannibals inhabit the interior of the island of Sumatra, on the shore of which is the English settlement, Bencoolen, or Fort- Marlbo- rough. We have been settled there for a long period, and trade with the inhabitants for thetr spices, in return for the pepper which the na- tives give us, it would well become our character as a Christian nation, were we now, at length to offer them the New Testaynent. Another description of barbarians in the Eastern Isles, are the Haraforas, called by the * 4siatk Researches, Vol. X. p. 208. tespettmoE ti)e i^alaps. 1 03 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 *^ Baftas, and drink out of their skulls; and the *' ornaments of their houses are human skulls " and teeth."* When the author was at Pul9r Penang, he saw a Chief of the IVIalay 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, when he 'lay dead at his feet. The foregoing circumstances have been de- tailed to shew lA^hat Paganism is in its natural state, and to awaken some desire of civilizing a people, who are now so accessible to us. Cer- tain Philosophers of the school of Voltaire and Gibbon, have been extravagant in their eulo- gium of man in a state of nature, or in some other state devoid of Christianity; and it is * Ibid, p. 217. 104 Ct)rt5ttan aesearctjesf to be lamented that some Christian writers have tried to draw the same picture. But Paganism, in its best estate, is well described by one line of the Poet : Monstrum, horrendum, informe, ingens cui LUMEN" ademptum. — — Virg. No quarter of the globe promises to be more auspicious to Christian Missions than the Ma^ layan Archipelago. In regard to the probable success of our endeavours, the Dutch have aU ready shewn what is practicable. The natives are of different casts, and are a divided people, The communication is easy from, island to island ; our own ships are continually plying on their shores. The China fleet pass through twice, or oftener, every year ; and with most of the is- lands we have intercourse by what is called in India the country trade. And now there M^ill 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 thQ 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 lan~ guage of the Celebes is callH the Bugis, or Bougese.* The natives of Celebes are distin- guished for their vigour of niiiid, and strength of body ; and are acknowledged to be the first of the Orang Timo7\ or Eastern men. Litera- ture was formerly cultivated am.ong them. Dr. Leydei) enumerates fifty-three different volumes. " Their songs," says he, " and romances, are " famous among all the islands of the East/' Their language extends to otlier islands, for they formerly carried their conquests beyond the Moluccas, The man who shall first tran3- late the Bible into the language of the Celebes, will probably be read by as many islanders as have read the translation of Wickliffe. Let us consider how long these nations have waited for Christian instruction, and contemplate the words of the prophecy, " The isles sliall wait *' for HIS Law."— Is. xliii. 4. -The facilities for civilizing the Malayan isles are x:ertainly very great; and tUes)^ facilities are our strongest encouragement to make the attempt. Both in our translation of the Scrip- * 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/i? einployed in compiling a code of Malay laws^ in the JVJalay and Bou^ise Languages. 106 CljrfetianJaesieaitljes tures 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 afforded to us by Providence. Thus the most valuable and important translation of the Scriptures 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 security to the teachers ; and (judging from human pro- bability) the greatest facilities for the conversion of the people. THB 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 founjJ 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 Chris- respecting tlje ^prfaus. lor km King; for the Syrian Christians had for- jinerly regal power in Malay- Ala.* The name ,or title of their last King was Bcliarte; and he dying without issue, the dominion devolved on the King of Cochin and Diamper. When the Portuguese arrived, they were agreeahly surprised to find upwards of a hun- idrcd Christian Churches on the coast of Mala- bar. But when they became acquainted with the purity and simplicity of their worship, they were offended. " These Churches," eaid the Portuguese, '^ belong to the Pope." — " Who is the Pope?" said the natives, " we never heard of him." The European priests were yet more alarmed, when they found that these Hindoo Cliristians maintained the order and discipline of a regular Church under Epispocal Jurisdic- tion : and that, for 1300 years past, they had enjoyed a successi'. n of Bishops appointed by the Patriarch of Antioch. " We," said the}', *' are of the true faith, whatever you from the * Malay-Ala is the proper name for the whole country of Travancore and Malabar, comprehending the territory between the mountains and the sea, from Cape Coraorin to Cape Illi or Dilly. The language of these extensive regions is called Malay-alim, and sometimes Malabar. We shtill use the word ^l^dabar as being of easier pronunciation. 103 Cljvfeliau Ee£ieatTl)es . ** 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 tlie Syrian Bishop, Mar Joseph, and ,§ent him prisoi^er to Lisbon, and then convened a Synod at one of the Syrian Churches called Diamper, near Cochin, at vi^hich the Romish .Archbishop Meriezes presided. At this compul- sory Sinod, 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 tltey neither invoked " Saintf:, nor worshipped Images, nor believed ** 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 tosuffei:. 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 tliey refused to pray in Latin, and insisted on retaining their own language and Liturgy. This point they said they would only give up with their lives. The Pope 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 while, they proclaimed eternal war against the Inquisition; they hid their books, fled to the mountains, and sought the protection of the Native Princes, who had always been proud of their alliance. Two centuries had elapsed without any par- ticular information concerning the Syrian Chris- tians in Malav-Ala. It was doubted bv manv whether thev existed at all: but if thev did 110 C^rfettaix iSesearcije^ exist, it was thought probable that they ihiiii possess some interesting documents of Christiaii antiquity. The Author conceived the design of visiting them, if practicable, in his tour through Hindostan. He presented a short memoir on the subject, in 1805, to Marquis Wellesley, then Governor-general of India; who was pleased to give orders that every 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 Rujaii of Travancore, iii 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: Fii'sf, to inves- tigate their literature and history, and to collect Biblical manuscripts. Secondly, if he should find them to be an intelligent people, and well acquainted with the Syriac Scriptures, to endea- '\'our to make them instruments of ilhiminating the Southern ])art of India, by engaging them in translating their Scriptures iiito the Native Languages. He iiad reason to believe that this had not yet been done; and he was prepared uot to wonder at the delay, when he rejected mperting t!)e g^prtaas, in 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. * Palace of Tramncore, I9th0ct, 180G. ^1 have now been a week at the Palace of Trlvan- durum, where the Rajah resides. A letter of introduction from Lieut.-Colonel Macaulay, 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 ditFen^nt 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 very reasonable. I assured His Highness that their Shasicr 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 bead, 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 (ot Prime Minister) thought the character something like what he had seen sometimes in the it2 C^tsttan iaesearrijes houses of the SoonanL 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 Dcwan to send proper per- sons with me as guides. ^ I requested that the Rajah would he pleased to pre- sent a Catalogue of all the Hindoo Manuscripts in the Temples of Travancore to the College of Fort-William in Bengak 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 Ramlsseram, 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.'- ' Chinganoor ; a Church of the Syrian Chmtiam. Nor, IC-th, 180G. ' From the palace of Travancore I proceeded tn Mavely-car, a,nd thence to the hills at the bottom of the high Ghauts which divide the Carnatic from Malay-Ala. The face of the country in general, in the vicinity of the * These three Catalogues, together with that of the Rajah pf Cochin, which the Author procured afterwards, are now deposited in the College of Fort-William, and probably contaiu all the Hindoo literature ©f the South of Inclia, respecting t\)t B^^vim^, 1 1 3 .iiountains, exhibits a varied scene of iiill and dule^ and ninding 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 tlie grandeur of the- scenery in this country is, that the adjacent mountains of Travan- core are not banen, but are covered with forests of teak wood (the Indian oak,) producing, it it said, the largest timber in the world. ^ The first view of tljc Christian Churches in this sequestered region of Hindostan, connected with the idea of their tranquil duration, for so many ages, cannot"' fail to excite pleasing emotions in the mind of the beholder. 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 the Cathedral Churches, the shrines of the deceased bisiiops are placed on each side of the altar. Most of the Churches are built of a reddish stone,* squared and * This stone possesses a singular property. At the quarry it is so soft that it may be pared with a knife, and modelled in any fashion with ease 3 but when exposed to the air, it indurates like adamant. Dr. Francis Bucharian, of Bengal, wished me to bring home ^ specimen of this stone, which he had not seen in any of rhe collections in Britain. I 114 Cljrfotuin JRe^eatcljes polished at the quarry ; and are of durable construction* The bells of the Churches are cast in the founderics of the country: some of them are of large dimensions, and have inscriptions In Syriac and Mai: y-alim. In 5tppro.?.ching a town in the evening, 1 once heard the sound of the bells among the hills ; a circumstance which made me forget for a moment that I was in Hindostan, and reminded me of another country. * 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 ns 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 ^Vest. Tliey had been so little accustomed to ^ee a friend, that they could not believe that I was come with any friendly purpose. Added to this, I had some v jbefoive me I thought I -could discover tlj^ intelligence of Christiaqity-. But at tl^e same time, J. jpcrceived;^ all aiQund,. ^yip^tpms of povcit^^and ppUticJ^ depressio|:^,., J^ |tl>|? .Qipi^ches^^ m^d i^, tUe p^pple^ ^tjiere \\'a3 /the aif of fallen , gre^itness. 1 s^id to the senior ^Pilicst, ' Xo\i ^JPP^F^ ^? iDp like a people who have knowa better, d^ys.' ,^Jit \s {^jj^i^ go/ said , lie- ,.^./. We are in ;^a, ;4^gen^rate. .^V^fe.cptfjjp^red >v^t,|i ,(j>^,;'^^ He.poticed, .that . tlji,^rt^.pei]3on|d,privj|^gp^ tPi^W ^^^ <¥? g;er^.ral nc^t .t;a the Nats, t^e. nobility ^j[ |the. cowntiyi; but ;jhey ^J^'^,,1^n^roached by degrees, ^(^ft jQ||r^prqpei:ty^ till we have been reduced to the humble- state in which you iiud AS-- The glory, iqf.o^r Church l^^.j^ass,^^! aw^y^ but.;vve,]^Ojp,e your i\ation ,\v^Ij)^pyiye it^^i'n/ |l-Qbsei:ycd .thi^t !^;tlxp,.<^lory of^^ C^^juj-|:}h,^Qpul^ Fiever ^j^, .if it preserved ^the Bilile/ f^W« Jiave preserved the Bible/ said he^ ' the J-^jnfJqp ^Pyipi^s ji;iever .toucjied our liberty of c.WSci^^ice, ^ . M^^^y^'^^fi^ (f^^*^>^1y P^ ^ -^^fi^S ^'^^V them, in political pQyyer^^ j^nd ^Jiey respect Q\ix religJQn. \Yc have also convjc.^t^ f\'P^^ ^^^^ *^ tirpe; but in this Cli|i:^tljan, ^jpty^.we ave< . rij^t ^so active as >ve once \y.ere; besides, it is not so creditable now to becojijic Christian, ia.G^-^]o\v„^s|ate/ ;!<§ ^h^n'poio^^4,,p[jt. tP.^as a f^- 1 18 Cl}ri<^tian Eesearcljes boory 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, Ms in a low state amongst us. Our copies are few in number; and that number is diminishing instead of increasing ; and the writing out a whole copy of Sacred Scriptures 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 women came round to hear. 1 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 Testa- ment was printed in Syriac as well as the New. I told hmi it was, but I had not a copy. They professed an earnest desire to obtain some copies of tlie wJioIe Syriac Bible; and asked whether it would be practicable to obtain one copy for every church. * I must confess to you,' said Zecharias, * that we have very few copies of the PropJwtical 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 Malayalim, (or Malabar,) the vernacular language of the country. The Syriac is now only the learned lan- guage, and the language of the Church : but we gene- rally expound the Scriptures to the people in the verna- cular tongue.' ^ I then entered on the subject of the translation of iiui respecting njt ^prtan^; 119 Scriptures. He said ' a version could be made witli critical accuracy; for there were many of the Syrian Clergy who were perfect masters of Loth ]angua.i,es, having spoken thern from their infancy.' ^ But,' said lie, ' our Bishop will rejoice to sec you, uiid to discourse with you on this and other subjects.' 1 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. * If I understand you right,* said I, ' the greatest blessing the English Cburcli can bestow upon you, is the Bible.* * It is so,* said he. ' And what is the next greatest V said I. ' 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 tlic Prince of the country would permit. They wished to know what were the principles of thu English Govern- ment, civil and religious. I answered thjxt our, Govern- ment might be said to be founded generally on the principles of the Bible. ' Ah,' said old Zecharias, ' that must be a glorious Government which is founded on the principles of the Bible.' The Priests then desired 1 would give them some account of the History of the English nation, and of our secession from their enemy the Church of liome. And iu return, I requested they would give jne some account of their History. — My no Ci)rt5t(au Ee£;eatct)es communications with the Syrians are rendered very easy,, by means of an Interpreter whom 1 brought with me all the way froni the Tanjore country. He is a Hin- doo 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 pretty well, and is as much interested in favour of the Syrian Christians as I myself. Besides Mr. Swartz's catechist, there are two natives bf 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 undei;stand the pronunciation of the Syrians. I hope to be bet- ter acquainted with their language before I leave the countTy.^ ' RaiMel, a Syrian Church, Nov. I2th, 1806. * This Church is built upon a rocky liiil on the banks of the river, and is the most remote of all the Churches in this quarter. The two Kasheeshas here are Lucas arid Mattai (Luke and Matthew.) The chief Lay members are Abraham, Georgius, Thoma, and Philippus. Soine of the Priests accompany me from Church to Church. I have now visited eight Churches, and scarcely believe that I am in the laud of the Hindoos ; only that I now respecting tlje g)prums. 1 2 1 and then see a Hindoo temple on the banks of the river. I observed that the bells of most of the Churches are within the building, and not in a tower. The reason they said was this. When a Hindoo temple happens to be near a church, the Hindoos do not like the ])ell to sound loud, for they say it frightens their God. — I per- ceive 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 thfe Sunday. Their Li- turgy is that which was formerly used in the Churches of the Patriarch of Antioch. During the prayers, there w^ere intervals of silence : tlie priests 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 Churclies, 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 service, a ceremony takes place which pleased me much. The Priest, (or Bishop, if he be present) comes forward, and all the people pass by him' as they <^o out, receiving lils benediction individually. If any rtian has been guilty of any immorality, he does not receive the blessing; and this, in their primitive and patriarchal state, is accounted a severe punishment. Instruction by preaching is little in use among them now. Many of tlie old men lamented the decay of piety, and religious knowledge ; and spoke with pleasure of the record of ancient times.— They have some ceremonies 12^ €\)vUtitiM Umaitljc^ nearly allied to those of the Greek Church. Herc/asfin all Churches in a state of decline, there h too much formahty in the wOiship. But they have tlie Bible and a scriptural Liturgy; and these will save a Church in the worst of times. Tliese may presence the spark and life of reh'gion, though the flame he out. And as there M'cre but few copies of the Bible among" the Syrians, (for cvcrr copy was transcribed with the pen) it is highly probable tliat, if they had not enjoyed the adv-antag-e of the daily prayers, and daily portions of Scripture in their Liturgy, ther^ would have been, in the revohit ion of ages, no Ycstige of Christianity left among them.* ^ In 3 Batson like ours^ overflowing with knowledge, men are not always in circumstances to perceive tlic value of a scrip- tural Liturgy. When Christians arc well taught, they tbii^k' they waiit something better. J>ul the young and the ignorant, who form a great proportion of the community, are editied by a httle plain scriptural instruction frequently repeated. A smalJ 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 scriptural Liturgy ! For when the Bible is gone, or when it ceases to be read to the people, what is there left ? Witness the Presbyterians in the West of England, and some other sects, who are said to have become Arians and Socinians to a man. Eight chapters of holy Scripture, on an average. Including the Psalms, are read to the people on tvery sabbaib day, in ihe Church of England. J^our chapters are recommended to be read on every Sabbath day by the ** Direc- tory for public Worship" in the Church of Scotland, viz. "One ^ 'riie doctrines of the Syrian Christians are few in number, but pure_, and agree in essential points with tliosc of the Church of England : so that, although the body of '' chapter of each Testament at every meeting." But, in con- sequence of its not being positively ordained, (as in the Church of England) not one chapter is now regularly read. When, therefore, a minister of the Kirk chuses to deviate fronv the evangelical doctrines of the confession of faith, (which will sometimes happen) what, we would ask, is there left for the people ?* The Puritans of a former age in England, did not live long enough to see the use of an evangelical Formulary. By them, the experiment of a pure church devoid of form, was made under the most favourable circumstances. I know not what was wanting of human and local circumstance, according to their own principles, to give peculiar doctrines perpetuity, for they assumed that an establishment and human ordinance are ot no service in supporting or perpetuating the Church of Christ. But yet with the first generation of men (who had their educa- tion ■* The Kirk of Scotland is, we believe, the only national (Church in the world in which the Holy Scriptures are not read. When its ministers are asked why they do not conform to the authorised Bitual for the public worship of the nation, and read the word of God regularly to the people, they answer that " the people do not like it." But, if it be true that the people r>o NOT LIKE to hear the Scriptures read in the house of God, thfs extraordinary fact is the strongest proof that can be adduced ©f the necessity of reading them, and of beginning to read them without delay. How can it be expected that the blessing of God should continue to accompany the ministrations of any Church where his holy word ceases to be solemnly read to the people ? 124 Cl)rfettan Eeseard)e5 the Church appears to be ignorant^ and formal, and dead, there are individuals who are alive to righteousness, who tion in Halls and Colleges) the spiritual fervor seemed to pass away. Instead of increasing, it decreased and declined in most places, till little more than the name was Jeft. For when the spirit is gone, (in a church having no form) rmthing is left. In the mean time, there was a revival of religion in England (not amongst them, but in Hails and Colleges 5) in the midst of rational forms and evangelical articles : *' for so it seemed GOOD UKTO GOD ;" and from that source is derived the greater part of pure religion now professed in this land, under what- ever 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 > for that form is best for the time, which is best' administered. Christ left no form : (though he approved of the forms which he found) because Churches in different climates must have difFere'nt forms. "There are differences of administrations, (saith the Apostle) but the same Lord." 1 Cor. i. 12. " One " man esteemeth one day above another. He that regardeth " the day, (as Easter and Pentecost) regardeth it unto the '^ Lord 5 and ii€ that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he ." doth t^ot regard it." Horn. xiv. 6. We are not to " despise a weak brother, for whom Christ died," (I Cor. viii. 11.) though he be destitute of learning, and think he possesses all that is necessary for regulating a Church, when he has got the leaves of the New Testament ; when the truth is, that a know- ledge of cotemporary history and languages is as necessary to understand certain facts of the New Testament, as the facts 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 JEaipiss, respecting tlje ^pmns. 1^5 sre distinguished from the 'rest by their purity of life, and are sometimes censured for too rigid a piety. ^ The following are .the chief doctrines of this ancient Church : ^ 1, They hold the doctrine of a vicarious Atonement for the sins of men, by the blood and merits of Christ, and of the justification of the soul before God, ^'^ by faith ^lone/' in that atonement, * 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. ^ 3. In regard to the Trinity, the creed of the Syrian Christians accords with that of St. Athanasius, but with- out the damnatory clauses. In a written and official communication to the English Resident of Travancore, the Metropolitan states it to be as follows : ^^ We l)elieve in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, ^' three persons in one God, neither confounding the ^^ persons nor dividing the substance, one in three, and '** tl»ee in one. The Father generator, the Son genera- *^ ted, and the Holy Ghost proceeding. None is before " or after the 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, Sabelius, Macedonius, Manes, Mar- cianus, Jullanus, Nestorius, and the Chalcedonians ; and concludes, " That in the appointed time, thrqugh 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 vzG Cf)ri5tian iaesearcljes of the Holy Ghost, and was incarnate God and man." ^ In every Church, and in many of the private houses, here are manuscri})ts 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/ * Caiide-nad, a Church of the Syrian ChristianSy November 23, 1806. ' This is the residence of Mar Dionysius, the Metro- politan of the Syrian Church. A number of the Priests from the other Churelies 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 v.as drest in a vestment of dark red silk ; .a large golden cross hung from his neck, and his venerable beard reached below his girdle. Such, tliought I, was the appearance of CInysostom in the- fourth century. On public occasions, he wears the Episcopal mitre ; a muslin robe is thrown over his under garment, and ia his hand he bears the crosier, or pasto- ral siaff.-— He is a man of highly respectable character in his Church, f^minent for his piety, -md for the atten- ticn he devotes to his sacred functions. I fmivd him to be far superior in general learning to any of liis clergy v. horn I had yet seen. He told me that all my conversa- tions with his Priests since my arrival in the country had been communicated to liim. * You have come,' said he, to visit a declining Church, and I am now an old man : hut 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 rtgard to the translation and print- ing of the Holy Scriptures. ' I have already fully con- sidered the subject,* said he, ' and have determined to superintend the work myself, and to call the most learn- ed of my clergy to my aid. It is a work which will iliu- minate these dark regions, and God w^ll give it his ])les- snig.' I was much pleased when I heard this pious resolution of the venerable man ; for I had now ascer- tained that there are upwards of 200,000 Christians in the South of India, besides the Syrians, who speak tfie Malabar Language.' — -The next subject of importance ir my mind, was the collection of useful manuscripts in the ( luddaic and Syriac Languages ; and the Bishop was pleased to say that he would assist my inquiries and add to my collection. — He descanted with gieat satisfaction o[j the hope of seeing printed Syriac Bibles from Eng- land: and said they would be ' a treasure to his Church/ ^ Candc-nad, 24th Nacember, ISOtJ. * Since my coming amongst this people, I had che- rished the liope that they might be one day united with V2S Cijrtsitiatt iaeiseait!)e5 the Church of England. When I reflected on the im- mense power of the Romish Church in India, and on our inahility 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 Church 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.— 1 had hitherto observed somewhat of a reserve in those with.whom I had conversed on this matter : and now the caurjc was explained. The Bishop's chaplains confessed to me that they had doubts as to the purity of Englisli Ordination. ^ The English,' said they, ' may be warlike and great people ; but their Church, by your own ac- count, is but of a recent origin. Whence do you derive your Ordination r' ' From Rome.' ' You derive it from a Church which is our ancient enemy, and with wlilch we would never unite.' — They acknowledged that there migiit be salvation in every Church where ^ the name of Christ was named;' but in the question of an union, it was to be considered that they had existed a pure Church of Christ from the earliest ages ; that if there w^as such a tiling in the world as Ordination by the laying on of hands, in succession from the Apostles, it was probable that they possessed it ; that there was no record of history or tiaditlon to impeach their clalui. I observed that there was reason to believe tliat the same Ordination respertmg tt)e g^prtans^ 129 '^lad descended from the Apostles to the Church of Rome. ^It might be so : but that Church had departed from the faith.' I answered that the impurity of the channel had not cornipted 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 Eng- land was entitled to reckon her Ordination to be higher or more sacred than that of the Syrian Church. This was the point upon which they wished me to be explicit. They expected that in any official negotiation on tlris subject, the antiquity and purity of Syrian Ordination should be expressly admitted. ' Our conversation was reported to the Bishop. He wished me to state the advantages of an Union. One advantage would he, I observed, that English Clergymen, or rather Missionaries ordained by the Church of Eng- land, might be permitted hereafter to preach in the numerous Churches of the Syrians i in India, and aid them in the promulgation of pure religion, against the pre- ponderating and increasing influence of the Romish Church; and again. That Ordination by the Syrian Bishop might qualify for preaching in the English Churches in India ; for we had an immense Empire in Hindostan, but few Preachers : and of these few 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 130 Cf)rfetian Eesearcljes dignity and purity of our Church/ I told him, we did not wish to degrade, we would rather protect and defend it. All must confess that it was Christ's Church in the midst of a heathen land. The Church of England would be happy to promote its welfare, to revive its spirit, and to use it as an instrument of future good in the midst of her 'Own Empire. I took tliis 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 \hat some customs liad 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 J had authority from my own Church to make any proposition to him. I answered that I had not : that my own Church scarcely knew tiuit the Syrian Church existed : but I could ahti- ci])ate 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 w^as yet in its infancy. — Next day, the Bishop, after conferring with his clergy on the subject, returned an answer in writing to the ^ following effect: '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, be used his official designation, ' Mar Dionysius, Metropolitan of rfepectms tlje g>prian5. 131 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 are well skilled in the Syriac Language.' ' Cande-nad, 25th Nov, ' The Bishop was desirous to know something of the other Churches which had separated from Rome. I was ashamed to tell him how many they Were. I mentioned that there was a Kasheeslia or Presbyter Church in our own kingdom, in which eveiy Kasheesha was equal to another. ' And are there no Slmmshanas T (Deacons in holy orders.) ' None.' ^ And what, is there nobody to overlook the Kasheeshas r' ' Not one.' '• And who is the Angel of their Church?' (alluding to the form of the seven Churches in Asia. Rev. ii. 1) ^ They have none.' ^ There must be something imperfect there,' said he.* * It is proper to state, for the satisfaction of those who may differ in opinion with the venerable Bishop, that in the Syriac translation of the New Testament, there is no proper word for Bishop other than Kasheesha. The words Kasheesha and Shum- shana, or properly Me-shumshana, are the two terms for the two orders of Bishop and Deacon, in the third chapter of 1st k2 132 C^rfetCan Eesearcljeg Tills led to die 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 5 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 liney and in a country of frost and snow.' Timothy. The terms Episcnpos and Methropolita have been introduced into the Syrian Church from the Greek. Th© Bishop seemed to be more surprised at the striking out th« aaored order of Deacon, than at not finding the order of a superinrending Priest or Bishop. re^pectinff tfje g^priaus?* 1 33 * Udiamper, Bee. ISOG. * From^ Cande-nad I returned to the sea-coast to visit i/ieiit.-Coloncl Macaulay, the British Resident in Tra- vancore. He is at present on the island of Bal-gatty, called i)y the natives the Pepper- Jungle. 1 have derived much y^aluable information from this intelligent officer, who p:>sscs&es a- better knowledge of the South of India than I suppose any 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 Udlamper, or as it is called by the Portuguese writers, Diamper. This was formerly the residence of Bellartc, 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 15f)9, when he burned the Syriac and Chaldaic books. The Syrians report, that while th.e flames ascended, he went round the Church in procession 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 tlie Scriptures. He was rather indisposed, and said he felt the infirmities of advanced years, his age being now seventy-eight. I promised to sec him once more before I left the country.' 1 34 ^ ; Cljrfetian EesJeaicIjes ' Cranganore,^thDec. IS07. ^ 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. Tliere was formerly a town- and Fort at Cranganore, the Portu- guese having once tliought of making it tjie 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 at Cranganore, and subject to liim 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 he went to preach at Melapoor and St.* Thomas's Mount, on the coast of Coromandel, where he was put to death. — The fact is certainly of little consequence ; but I am satisfied that we have as good authority for believing that the Apo§-; tie Thomas died in India, as that the Apostle Peter die4 at Rome.' respecting tlje g^grians. 135 ^ Vevapoli, Dec, 1806. * 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 Vicai* super- intends sixty-four Churches ; exclusive of the forty ^ five governed by the Archbishop of Cranganore, and exclu- sive ofthe 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 have 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 p^iohibitus.' Almost every step I take in Chris- tian India, I meet with a memento of the Inquisition. The Apostolical Vicar, however, does not acknowledge its authority, and places* himself under British protec- tion. He spoke of the Inquisition with just indignation, 1 56 , Cljrfefian iHrj>earc!)e<^ and, in the presence of the British Resident, called if * a horrid Tribunal.' .1 asked hbn vvliether he thought I might with safety visit the Inquisition, when I sailed past Goa, theye being at this time a Britisli force in its vicinity. It asserted a personal jurisdiction over natives v*dio were now British subjects : and it was proper the English Government should know something of its present state. The bishop answered, ' I do not know what you might do under tlie protection of a British force ; but I should not like (smiling, and pressing his capacious sides,) to trust m?/ body in their liands.' ^ We then had some conversation on the subject of giving the Scriptures to the native Roman Catholics. I had heard before, that tbe 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 tliinking of the good gift you are meditating for the native Christians ; hut believe me, the Inauisition will endeav^our to coun- teract 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' h.im whether he thought they ■would be happy to obtain the Scriptures ? — ' Yes,' an- jswered he, ' those who have heard of them.' I asked if he had got a Bible himself ? — ^No,' he said ; ' but he had seen one at Goa.' itspccting tlje §)j)rians. \^' 4^7- '"' ??;, ■< ^ Angamalee, a Syrian Town, containing three Churches, January, I8O7. * I have penetrated once more inland to visit the Syrian Churches. At the town of Cenotta, I was surprised 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. TJve Syrian Christians then conducted me to their ancient church. I afterwards sat down on an eminence ahove the town to contemplate this interesting spectacle ; a Jewish Synagogue, and a Christian Church, standing ov^r against each other; exhihiting, as it were, during tnany revolving ages, the Law and the Gospel to the view of the heathen people. ^ Angamalee is one of tlie most remote of the Syrian ' towns in this direction, and is situated on a high land. This was one J the residence of the Syrian Bishop. , The inhabitants told me, that when Tippoo Sultan in- vaded Travancore, a detachment of his cavalry penetra- ted to Angamalee^ where they expected to find great wealth, from its ancient fame. Being Mahomedans, 'they expressed their abhorrence of the Christian reli- gion, by destroying one of the lesser Churches, and sta- bling their horses in the great Church. In this place I have found a good many valuable manuscripts. I had been led to suppose, from the statement of the Portuguese historians, that possibly all the Syriac MSS. 138 Cljmtian iReseardjfS 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 tliey saved the Bible ; being content to order that the Syriac Scriptures 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 Johan- nes, Bishop of India, signed his name at that council in A. b. 325. The Syriac version of the Scriptures was brought to India, according to the popular belief, before the year 325. Some of their present copies are certain- ly of ancient date. Though wiitten 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 liad less of a corroding quality, it has 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 mountains, which merits a particular description. It contains the Old and New Testaments, engrossed on strong vellum, in large folio, having three columns in a page ; and is written with beautiful accuracy. The character is Es- trangelo Syriac ; and the words of every book are niim- hei'ed. 'But the volume has suffered injury from time or neglect. In certain plaices 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 pen, or from the partial corrosion of the ink. I scarcely expected that the Syrian Church would have parted with tliis manuscript. But the Bishop was pleased to present it to me, saying, ' It will be safdr in your hands than in our own ;' alluding to the revolutions in Hindostan. — ' And yet/ said he^, ^ we have kept it, as some think, for near a thousand years.' — ^ I wish," said I, ' 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 manuscript ; and, no doubt, it is the right reading. The disputed passage in 1 John v. 7- is not to be found in it ; nor is this verse to be found in any copy of the Syrian Scriptures, which I have yet seen.* The view of these copies of the Scriptures, and of the Churches which * 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 the learning and argument on both sides of the subject 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 Avians 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 -, or That the general Church should directly forge and insert it ?" This appears to the author to be the just mode of stating the question 3 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-stone. 140 Cfjrisitiau Ee£)earci)e5 contain them, still continues to excite a pleasing astonish- ment in my mind : and I sometimes question myself, whether I am indeed in India, in the midst of the Hin^ doos, and not far from the equinoctial line. How won- derful it is, that during the dark ages of Europe; whilst ignorance and superstition, in a manner, denied die Scriptures to the rest of the world, the Bible should have found an asylum in the mountains ofMalay-ala; where it was freely read by upwards of an hundred Churches 1 ^ But there are other ancient documents in Malabar, not less interesting than the Syrian Manuscripts. The old Portuguese historians relate, that soon after jhe arrival of their countrymen in India, about 300 years ago, the Syrian Bishop of Angamalce (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, tlrey had been unaccount- ably 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, foi* 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 that these ancient Tablets have been recovered within this last month by the exertions of Colonel Macaulay, mpecttns; fl)e g^prians. i4i the British Resident in Travancore, and are now officially deposited with that officer. '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 iides of the plate, making in all eleven pages. On the plate reputed to be the oldest, there is writing per- spicuously engraved in nail-headed or triangular-headed letters, resembling the Pei'sepolitan or Babylonish. On the same plate there is writing in another character, which is supposed to have no affinity with any existing character in Hindostan. The grant on this plate appears to b^ witnessed by four Jews of rank, whost^ names arc distinctly engraved in an old Hebrew character, resem- bling the alphabet called the Palmyrenei and to each name is prefixed the title of * Magen,' or Chief, as the Jews translated it.— It may be doubted, whether there exists in the world any documents of so great length, which are of equal antiquity, and in such faultless pre- servation, 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 on copper-plates a fac simile of the whole, for the pur- pose of transmitting copies to the learned Societies in Asia and Europe. The Christian and Jewish plates toge- ther make fourteen pages. A copy was sent in the first 1 4'2 CI)rfettan Eesearcijei^ instance to the Pundits of the Shanscrit College it Trichiur, by direction of the Rajah of Cochin ; but^they could not read the character.* — From this place I •proceed to Cande-nad, to v^isit 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 Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark, beau- * 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. respecting tlje ^prians. i43 tifiilly printed, was received in England some time ago. This version of the Scriptures will be prosecuted until the whole Bible is completed, and copies circulated throughout the Christian leo-ions of Malabar.* 9 THE SYRIAC BIBLE. It has been further in contemplation to print * The Author received from the Syrian Christians the name* •f several Christian churches in Mesopotamia and Syria, with \vhich 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 Maho- medan dominion, for several ages ; and the Author promised the Syrian Bishop that he would visit them, if circumstances permitted. For this purpose fte intended to have returned from India to Europe by a route over land, and he had proceeded as far as Bombay for that purpose ; but the French influence at the Court of Persia at that time, prevented him. He has it now in contemplation 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 lite- rary 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 witli the translation of the Scriptures, and the extension of Christianity. 144 Cljrfettan iRes;eaitI)e£5 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 tire 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 w^as 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- ciation, and of cultivating the Knowledge oi'iha 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 Cinistians in Malabar, and by tiie Ncs- torian and Jaco])ite Christians in Persia, Arme- nia, andTartary, who also use the Syriac Lan-* scuaire. THE ROMISH CHRISTLVNS IN LNTDIA. Is every age of the Church of Rome, there have been individuals, of an enlightened piety, who derived their religion not from ** tlie com- mandments of men," but from the doctrines of the Bible. There arc at this day, in liAix u6 C1)rts;tian Kesearrijei^. and in England, members of that communion, who deserve the aifection and respect of all good men; and Mdiose ctdtivated 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 profess, some of which nuist be extremely painful to the feeling of Protestants, in their social intercourse with Catholics ; such as, *'That there is no salvation "out of the pale of the Romish Church.'' This exclusive character prevents concord and^ intimacy between Protestant and Catholic fami- lies. On the principles of infidelity they can as- sociate very easily ; but on the principles of Religion, the Protestant must ever be on the defensive; for the Romish Church excommuni- cates him ; and although he must hope that ^cm^ individuals do not maintain the tenet, yet Jiis uncertainty as to the fact, prevents that cordiahty which he desires. Many excellenf Catholics suffer unjustly in their intercourse with' Protestants, from the ancient and exchi- sive articles of their own Church, which they themselves neither profess nor beHeve. If they will only intimate to their Protestant friends, that rhey renounce the exclusive principle, and that they profess the religion of the Bible, no moreseeuis requisite to form with such persons the sincerest friendship on Christian principles. At the present time we see the Romish Re- ligion in Europe u'ltJiout dominion ; and hence it is viewed by the n.ere 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 Ron« is, as having dominion ; and possessing it too within the boundaries of the British Empire. In passing through the Romish Provinces lA the East, though the AuiJior had bffore hear4 I- ^ 148 Ctjiistian Eeseatrijes* rtmch of the Papal corruptions, he certainly did notexptct to see Christianity in tlie 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 tlie Gospel of Christ. In some places the doc- trines of both are blended. At Aughoor, situa- ted between Tritchinopoly and Madura, he visit- ed a Christian Church and saw near it, (in Oc- tober i 806) a Tower of Juggernaut, which is employed in solemnizing the Christian festivals. The old Priest Josejjhus accompanied him to the spot, and while he surveyed the idolatrous caF and its painted figures-, the Priest gave him a particular account of tlie various ceremonies which are performed, seemingly unconscious himself of any impropriety in them. 'J'be Au- thor went with him afterwards into tlie Church, and seeing a book lying on tlie altar, opened it ; but the Reader may judge of his surprize, wlien he found it was a S\ riac volume, and was in- formed that the Priest himself was a descend- ant of the Svrian Christians, and belonp-ed to what is now Called theSyro-Roman Church, the \\ hole service of whicli is in Syriac. — Thus, by the intervention of tlie Papal power, are the ceremonies of Moloch consecrated in a manner hy the sacred Syriac Language. What a heavy responsiblity lies on Rome, for liaving tlius corrupted and degraded that pure and ancient Church ! While tlie Author viewed these Christian cor- ruptions in different phices, and in (hffcrent forms, he was always referred to the Inqui- sition at Goa,. as the fountiiin-hcad. He })ad long cherished the hope, tliat he should be iMc to visit Goa, I)efore he left India, His chief ol)jects were the following: , 1. To ascertain wliether the Inquisition actu- allv refused to recoo-nisc the Bible, amon": tlie Romisli Churches in British India. 2. To in(|uire into the state and jurisdiction of the Inquisition, particularly as it affected British su])jects. 3. To learn what was the system of education for the Priesthood ; and 4. To examine the ancient Church-libraries in Goa, wdiich 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 frecjucnt burnings, fVas still in operation, though under some re- striction as to the publicity of its proceedings; and that its power extended to tlie ^'xtrcmc 150 C|)i'fettan IRegearclj^s* boLimlary of Hindostan. That, in the present eivilized state of Christian nations in Europe, an Inquisition should exist at all under the-r au- thority, appeared strange; hut that a Papal tri- bunal of this character should exist under the implied toleration and countenance of the Bri- tish Government; that Christians, heing suh- jects of the British Empire, and inhabiting the British territories, should he 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 AUgustinians, Jan, 23, ]808. * On my arrival at Goa, I was received into the bouse of Captain ScliuVler, the British Resident. The British force here is commanded by Colohel Adams, of His Majesty's 78th Regiment, with whom I was formerly well acquainted in Bengal.* Next day I * The forts in the harbour of Goa, were then occupied by British troops (two Kiiig's regiments, and two regiments of Native infantry) to prevent its falling into the hands of the French. >vas introduced by these gentlemen to the Vice-Roy of Goa, the Coimt de Cabral. I intimated to His Excellency my wish to sail up the river to Old Goa,* (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 tlie 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 ])arpose of enquiring into the state of the Inquisition. Th^se gentlemen informed me, that I should not be able to accomplish my design without ditliculty ; since every thing relating to the inqqisItiqiJi was conducted in a very secret manner, the most :r.cSsp|iC;t- able of the Lay Portuguese themsftives being ignomnt pf its proceedings ; and that, if the Priests wepj to discove^- my object, their excessive jealousy and alarm woultj prevent their communicating with me^ or satisfying iny inquiries on any subject. ' On receiving this intelligence, I perceived tliAt it would be necessary to proceed with caution. I was, in * There is Old and New Goa, The old city is about eight miles up the river. The Vice-Roy and the chief Portuguese inhabitants reside at New Goa, which is at the mouth of the river, within the forts of the harbour. The old city, where (he Inquisition and the Cliiirches are, is now almost entirely de- seited by the secular Portuguese, and is inhabited by the Priest.s alone. The unheallhiness of the place, and the ascendancy of the Priests, are the causes assigned for abandoning the ancient city. 352 Cl;mtian laeseanljt^ fadt, about to visit a republic of Priests, wbosc (loiTiIiiTori had existed for nearly three eenturies ; whose province it was to prosecute heretics, and particularly the teachers of heresy; and from whose authority and sentence there was no appeal in India.* ' It happened that Lieutenant Kempthorne, Comman- der of His Majesty's briir Diana, a distant connection of my own, was at this time in the harbour. On his learn- ing that I n)eant 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. ' We proceeded up the river in tlie British Resident's barge, accompanied by Major Pareira, who was well qualified, l)y a thirty years' residence, to give information concerning local circumstances. From him 1 learned that there were upwards of two hundred Churches and Chapels in the province of Goa, and upwards of two thousand Priests. ^ On our arrivai at tlie city,t 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. Were the British Government, for instance, to prefer a com- plaint against the Inquiskion to the Portuguese Government at G:>a, it could obtain no redress. By the very constitution of the Inquisition^ there is no po.wer in India which can invade its jurisdiction, or even put a question toil on any subject. t We entercLi the city by the p^hicv'* 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 Samorin's P;\Iace, in which Vasco de Gama was first received. The Samorin was the first native Prince against Clje Eomisil) Cl)ri5ttau5. 133 all the Churches were shut, and we were told that tliey would not be opened again till two o'clock. I mentioned to Major Pareira, tliat I intended to stay at Old Goa some days 3 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 i[i any of the Churches or Convents, and that there were no private houses into which I could be admitted. I said 1 could sleep any where ; I had two servants with me, and a travelling bed. When he per- ceived that I was serious in my purpose, he g-ive direc- tions to a civil officer, to clear out a room in a building which had been long uninhabited, and wliich was then used as a warehouse for goods. Matters at this time presented a very gloomy appearance ; and 1 had tlioughts of returning with my companions from this inhospitable place. In the mean time we sat down in the room I have just mentioned, to take some refreshment, while Major Parcira went to call on some of his friends. Duyng this interval, I communicated to Lieutenant Kempthornc the object of -my vi it. I had in my pucket ' Dellon's Ac- count of the Inquisition at Goa^* and 1 mentioned some whom the Europeans made war. The empire of the Samorin has passed away j and tiie empire of bis conquerors has passed away : and now imperial Britain exercises dominion. JMay imperial Britain be prepared to give a good account of her stewardship, when it shall be said unto her, '* Thou raayest 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 1 54 Cljristtan Ee£{earcl)es. particulars. While wc were conversing on the suhjecf, the great bell began to toll ; the same which Dellon observes always tolls, before day-light, on the morning of tkc Auto da F^. 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 t^'hcre we were then sitting. The gentlemen went to the window to view the horrid mansion; and I could seti 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 ^rnight now suddenly be thrown, without the possibility of rescue. ^ At two o'clock we went out to view the Churches, which were now open for the afternoon service ; for there are regular daily masses ; and the bells began to assail the ear in every quarter. * The magnificence of the Churches of Goa, far ex- ceeded any idea I had formed from the previous descrip-» tion. Goa is properly a city of Churches ; and the wealth of provinces seem to have been expended in their erec- tion. The ancient specimens of architecture at this place far excel any thing that has been attempted in mo- dern times in any other part of the East, both in gran- deur and in taste. The Chapel of the Palace is built Auto da Fe, when some heretics were burned ; at which he walked barefoot. After his release he wrote the history of his confinement. His descriptions are in general very accurate. after t!i^ plan of St. Peter's at Rome, and is said to be V. 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 exqui- site art, and his coffin is enchased with silver and predoUs stones. The Cathedral of Goa is worthy of one of the principal cities of Europp 1 and the Church and Convent 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. ' But what a contrast to all this grandeur of the Churches is the worship offered within ! I have been present at the service in one or other of the Chapels every day since I arrived ; and I seldom see a single worshipper, but the ecclesiastics. Two rows of native Priests, kneeling in order before the altar, clothed in coarse black garments, of sickly appearance, and vacant coun- tenance, perform here, from day to day, their laborious masses, seemingly uncoliscious of any other duty or obligation of life. * The day was now far spent, and h\^ companion^ were about to leave me. While I was considering whe- ther I should return With them. Major Pareira said he would first introduce ir.c to a Priest, high in office, ithiJ oti^ of the most lednled nien in the place. We accord- ingly walked to the Convent of the Augustinians, where I was presented to Joseph a Doloribus, a man well advanced in life, of pale visage and penetrating eye, rather of a reverend appearance, and possessing great fluiency of speech and urbanity of manners. At first sight he presented the aspect of one of those acute and 156 Cl)rtotian iae£;eai'cl)e£i. prudent men of the world, tlie learned and respectable. Italian Jesuits, some of wliom are yet found, since the demolition of their order, reposing in tranquil obscu- rity, in different parts of the East. After half an hour's conversation in the Latin language, during vvhich he adverted rapidly to a variety of subjects, and" enquired concerning some learned men of hiv own Church, wliom I had visited in my tour, he politely invited me to take up my residence wiiii him, during my stay at Old Goa. I was highly gratified by this unexpected invitation ; but Lieutenant Kempthorne did not approve of lea\Lng me in the hands of the Inquisitor. For judge of our surprize, wheri we discovered that my learned host was one of the Inquisitors of the Holy OfBce, the second member of that august tribunal in rank, but the first and most active agent in the business of the department. Apart- ments 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 whieli I wished to investigate. I breakfast and dine with tlie Inquisitor almost every day, and he generally i)asse5i his evenings in my apartment. As he considers my enqui- ries to be chiefly of a literary nature, lie is perfectly candid and communicative on all subjects. ^ Next day after my arrival, I was introduced by my learned conductor to the Arcliblshop of Goa, We found him reading the Latin letters of St. Francis Xavier. On my adverting to the long duration of the city of Goa, while other cities of Europeans in India had ;suifer,ti(l from war or revolution, tlie Archbishop observed^ lhH| the preservation of Goa uas owing to the prayers p/.i>jt, Cf)e Eomisit) Cljristtans. 157 t^rancis Xavler. 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, bespeaks him a man of learnings 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 Archiepiscopul Library, which possesses a valuable collection of books. — As I passed through our Convent, in returning from tbe Archbishop's, I observed among the paintings in the cloisters, a portrait of the famous Alexis de Menexcs. Archblsbop of Goa, who held the Synod of Diamper, near Cochin, in 13IiD, in A burned the books of tbe Syrian Christians. From the inscription underneatlv I learned tbat he was the founder of tbe magnificent Church and Convent in which I am now residing. - , * On the same day I received an invitation to dine with tbe chief Inquisitor, at his house in the country. The second Inquisitor accompanied me, and we found a respectable company of Priests, and a s\imptuous enter- tainment. In the library of the chief Inquisitor I saw a register, containing tlie present cstaldishment of tlie Iiujuisition at Goa, and tbe names of all the officeis. On my asking the chief Inquisitor whether the establisii- ment was extensive as formerly, he said it was nearly the same. I bad hitherto said Irttle t(^ viiy person con^ cerning the Inquisition, but I had iiiciirectly gleaned much information concerning: it^ not only fn-'in die 1 5 8 Cl)rtstian iRmRvt\)m. Inquisitors themselves, but from certain Priests, whoip | visited at their respective convents ; particularly from a Father in the Fransciscan Convent, who had himself repeatedly witnessed an Auto da Fe. ' Goa, Augustinian Convent , 26th Jan. 1808. 'On Sunday, after divine service, whicli 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 tlie third chapter of St. John's Gospel, in the Latin Vulgate. I asked the Inquisitor whether he believed in the influence in tlie 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 cf tlie Spirit, and could be hut Vsn emblem. We next adverted to the expression of St. Jo]\n in his first Epis- tle ; ' This is he that came by ivater and blood : even Jesus Christ ; not by water only, but by Wi.tcr and blood .-—blood to atone for sin, and water to purify the heart ; justification and sanctlficatlon : both of which were expressed at the same moment on the Cross. The Inquisitor was pleased with tiie subject. By an easy transition we passed to the importance of the Bible itself, to illuminate the priests and people. I noticed to him that after looking through the colleges and 'Schools, there appeared to nie to be a total eclipse of Scriptural light. He acknowledged that reli- l^on and learning were truly in a degraded state. 1 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 aftei'wards, desiring to know by what means they might procure copies. This enquiry for Bibles was like a ray of hop^ beaming on the walls of the Inquisition. ^ I pass an hour sometimes in tlie spacious library of the Augustinian Convent, and think myself suddenly transported into one of the libraries of Cambridge. There are many rare volumes, but they are chiefly theolo- gical, and almost all of the sixteenth century. There are few classics ; and I have not yet seen one copy of the 4»rigioal Scriptures in Hebrew or Greek.* * Goa, Augustinian Convent, 2'JthJan, 1808. * On the second morning after my arrival, i was' surprised by my host, the Inquisitor, coming into my apartment clothed in black robes from head to foot : for the usual dress of his order Is white. He said he was going to sit on the Tribunal of the Holy Office.' ^I presume, Father, your august Office does not occupy much of your time ?' ^ Yes,' answered he, ' much. I sit ©n the Tribunal three or four days every week.' ' I had thought, for some days, of putting Dellon's book into the Inquisitor's hands ; for if I could get him to advert to tlie facts stated in that book. 1 should be ab!*' 160 Cljrtstuin laesiearrije^, to learn, by comparison, the exact state of the Inquisitiort at the present time. In the evening he came in, as usual, to pass an liour 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 Del Ion's book, which was lyintif 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, deil'Inquisition de Goa,' pronounced he, with a slow articulate voice. He had never seen it before, and began to rcjid with eagerness. lie had not proceeded far, before he betrayed evident syiuptoms of uneasiness. He turned Iiastily to th-j 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 thdn 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 tl>e broad Italian accent, * Mendaeium, Mendacium/ Ire- quested he would mark those ])assages Vvliloh were untrnc, and we should discuss them afterwards, for that I had other books on the subject. ^ Other books,' said he, and he looked with an enquiring 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 niglit that a circumstance happened which caused my first alarm at Qoa. My servants slept every night at my chamber door, in the long gallery whiel' is e -mmon to all the apartments, and not far distant from th<^ servants of the Convent. About midnight 1 rvcis , Clje iSamisI) CI)rtsttans. i6i waked by loud shrieks and expressions of terror, from some person in the gallery. In the first moment of surprise I concluded it must be the Alguazils of the Holy Office, seizing my servants to carry them to the 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 3. 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 disturbance, and said the boy's alarm proceeded from a ^ phantasma animi,' a phantasm of the imagination.' 'After breakfast we resumed the subject of the Inquisition. The Inquisitor admitted that Dellon's descriptions of the dungeons, of the torture, of the mode of trial, and of the Auto da Fe were, in general, just.; but he said the writer judged untruly of the motives of the Inquisitors, and very uncharitably of the character of the Holy Church ; and I admitted that, under the pressure of his peculiar suffering, this nright 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 extract^ 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 wa5 now generally believed in Europe that these enormities no longer existed, and that the Inquisition itself has been totally suppressed ; but that I was conceri;ied to find M 162 Cl)i:fetian iaesearc!)es. that tills was not the case. He now began a grav^ 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 remainedupwardsof 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 stak^ His alleged crime was, charging the Inquisition with cruelty, in a conversation he had with a Priest at Davian, a Portuguese town in another part of India.' '' During the months of Norember 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 Fd was gene- rally celebrated on the first Sunday In Advent, because on thrt day is read in the Churches that part of the Gospel in which mention is made of the last judgment; and the Inquisitors pretend by this ceremony to exhibit a lively emblem of that awfiil event. I was likewise convinced that ther© 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 w,hich were opened at the hours of meals. — However, the first and second Sundays of Advent pnssed by, without my hearing of any things Jind I prepared to undergo another year of melancholy capti- vity, when I was aroused from my despair on the 1 1th of January, by the noise of the guards removing the bars from |he door of my prison. The Alcaide presen ted me with alw- m)t Komts!) Cljristians. \63 ' I had already discovered, fro in written or printed documents, that the Inquisition of Goa was suppressed by Royal Edict in the year 1775, and establisJied bit, 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 ray 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 j 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 inform- ed 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, jcalled the Samarra, the ground of which is grey. The por- trait 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 wirii devils, and flames of fire. *' The great bell of the Cathedral began to ring a little before sun-rise, which served as a sigfral to warn the people of M 1* 164 Cl)rt5tian Kesearclje^. again in 177-^- The Franciscan Father before men- tioned witnessed the annual Auto da Fe, from 1770, to 1775 • " It was the humanity, and tender mercy 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 Inqui'' sitor was sitting at the door with his secretary by him, and that he delivered every prisoner into the bands of a particular per-t son, 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 com« menced by the Dominican Friars ; who have this honour, be- 'cause St. Dominic founded the Inquisition. These are followed by the prisoners who walked 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 precedence of me. The women weVe mixed promiscuously with the men. We all walked bnrefoot,. and tlie 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 spec- tacle ;" for the Inquisition takes care to announce it long before, in the most remote parishes. At length we arrived at the Uhurch of St. Francis, which was, for this lime, destined for the celebration of the Act of Faith. On one side of the Altar tS'as the Grand Inquisitor^nd his Counsellors ; and on the other . thfe'Vi^erc^r^tSf* t^oa and his Court. All the prisoners are seated to-Heara Sermon. I observed that those prisoners who wor« \h^ horrU-lf Carrochas Came in last in the processioH. One oT a good King," said tlic old Fatlier, " whicli abolished the Inquisition." But immediately on his death, th«; power of the Priests acquired the ascendant, under, the Queen Dowager, and the Tribunal was re-establishe^l^ ^^tev a bloodless interval of five years. It has continued the Augustin Monks ascended the pulpit, and preached fo a quarter of an hour. The sermon being concluded, tv o readers went up to the pnlpit, one after the other, and rend 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- sJave for five years, — After the sentences were read, they sum- moned forth those miserable victuns who were tiestined to be immolated by the Holy Inquisition. The images of the here- tics 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 Alcalde, 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 were 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 J and the moment they have replied to this question , the executioner seizes them, and binds them to a stake in the midst of the faggots. The day after the execution, the por- traits of the dead are carried to the Church of the Dominicans. The heads only are represented, (which are generally very accurately drawn ; for the Inquisition keeps excellent limners for the purpose,) surrounded by flames and demons 3 and underneath is the name and crime of the person who has betn burned." Rdation del'Imjulsition dc Goa, chap. XXIV. iC6 Cljrfettan me0earf|?e£^^ 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 repaired to convict a criminal than yere before neccssaryj' and.. ^ that the Auto da Fe shouid not be held publicly aS before ; but that the sentences of the T? ibunai sliowld be executed privately, withia the walls of the inqnisitioipi.* ' In this particular, the constitution oi d.e n^w IiJiE|uisg[-; tion is more reprehensible thai* that of tha o!d orie; fwr, as tbe old Father expressed h, ' Nuac si^ lUi^f; non reve- lat Inquisitio/—- Formerly tiae friends of those anfortonate persons who were thrown into its prison, had the mclan-» eholy satisfaction of seeing thcni once a year walkiOg in ,the procession of the Auto da F^ ; or if they were con- demned to die, they witnessed their death, and JiiOttmed for the ^^Rfl. But now they have no means of learning for years whether they be dead or alive. The polipy of this new mode of concealment appeaj-s 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 conccrnhig the nature and frequency of the punishments within the walls. He said he pos- sessed no certain means of giving a satisfactory answer ; that eveiy thing transacted there was declared to be ^ sacrum et secretum.' But tins he knew to be true, that there were constantly captives in the dungeons ; that some of them are liberated after long confinement, but that they nevef speak afterwards of what passed within tlic place. lie added that, of all the persons he had known, who had been liberated, he never knew one who did not carry about Avith 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 tlie melioration of the Inquisition was the superior humaniUj of the Inquisitors. I remarked that I did not doubt the humanity of the existing ofBcers } but wJiat availed huma- nity in an Inquisitor? he must pronounce sentence according to the Laws of the Tribunal, which are notori- ous enough ; and a relapsed Heretic must be burned in the flames, or confined for life in a dungeon, whether the Inquisitor be humane or not. ' But if/ said I, * you would satisfy iny mind completely on tliis subject, shew me the Inquisition.* He said it was not permitted to any person to sec the Inquisition. I observed that mine might be considered as a peculiar case ; that the character o^ the Inquisition, and the expediency of its longer con- tinuance had been called in question -y that I had myself written on the civilization of India, and might possibly publish something more upon that subject, and that it could not be expected that I should pass over the Inqui- sition without notice, knowing what I did of its proceed- ings ; at the same tinie 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- municate with me very fully on the subject, and tliat in ajl our discussions we had both been actuated, I hoped, by a good purpose. The countenance of the Inquisitor evidently allercd. on receiving this intimation, nor did it ever after wholly regain its wonted frankness and placi- dity. After «ome hesitation, however, he said he would take me with him to the Inquisition the next day.-— I was a good deal surprized at this acquiescence of tlic Inquisitor, but I did not know what was in his mind.' * Goa : Augnsi'mian Comment, 2Sth January , 1808. ^ When I left tlie Forts to come up to the Inquisition, Colonel Adams desired me to write to him ; and he added half-way between jest and earnest, " If I do not hear from " you in three days, I shall march down the 78th and ^' storm the Inquisition." This I promised to do. But, having been so well entertained by the Inquisitor, I for- got my promise. Accordingly, on the day before yester- day, I was surprised by a visit from Major Braamcamp Aid-de-Camp to His Excellency the Vice-Roy, bearing a letter from Colonel Adams, and a message from the Vice-Roy, proposing that I sliould return "every evening and sleep at the Forts, on account of the imhealthiness of Goa. 'This morning after breakfast my host went to dress for the Holy Ofiice, 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. I thought that his countenance was more severe than liS al; and that his attendants were not so civil as before. Tlie truth was, the mid}2lght scene was stjil on V ni'nd. The Inquisition is about a quarter of a mile .1 from the convent, and we proceeded thither in our Ct)e iaomfel) Clivfetians;^ m Manjeels,* On our arrival at the place, the Inquisitor said to me, as we were ascending the steps of tlie outer stair, that he hoped I should be satisfied with a transient view of thp 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 tke door by a number of well-dressed persons, who, I afterwards understood, were the familiars, and attendants of the Holy Office. They bowed very low to the Inquisitor, and looked with surprise at me. The Great Hall is the place in which the prisoners are marshalled for the procession of the 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, reflect- ing on its former scenes, the Inquisitor walking by my side in silence. I thought of the fate of the multitude of my fellow-creatures who had passed through this place, condemned by a tribunal of their fellow-sinners, tlieir 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 * 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 heads of four men. Sometimes a footman runs before, having a staff in his hand, to which are attached little bells or rings, which he jingles as he runs, keeping time with the motion of the bearers. 170 Cf)rfetCan Ecseardje^f. souls back again, that she might allow them a little further probation?' The Inquisitor answered nothingv but beckoned me to go with him to a door at one end of the hall. By this door he conducted me to some small rooms; and thence to the spacious apartments of the chief Inquisitor. Having surveyed these he brought me back again to the Great Hall ; and I thought he seemed now desirous that I slrould dej)ait. ' Now, Fatlier," said I, * lead me to the dtrngeofts below; I want to see the captives.' — * No,* said he, * that cannot be.'— I oow be- gan to suspect that it had l>een in the mind of tiie Is- qursitor, from tlie beginning, to shew me only a certaia part of the Inquisition, in the hope of satisfying my Inquiries in a general way. I luged him with earnest- ness, 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 sl»ew me the prisons and the captives. I should then describe only what I saw ; but now the subject was left in awful obscurity. — ' Lead me down/ said I, ' to tiic 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 hai^e been here, how long it is since they belield ihe light of, the sun, and whether they ever expect to see it again. Sliew me the Chamber of Torture; and declare what modes of execution, or of puaislmient, are Ci)e JRomisl) Cljrfetians. 171 now practised within the walls of the Inquisition, in lieu of the public Auto Ja F^. If, after all that has passed, JPather, 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 intentions, (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 toanSwer this question ; for I shall believe your word :— -How many prisoners are there now below, in the cells of the Inquisition ?' The Inquisitor replied, * That is a question which I cannot answer.* On his pronouncing these words, I retired hastily towards the door, and wished him farewell. We shook hands with as much 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. • ^ From the Inquisition I went to the place of burning in the Camp Santo Lazaro^ on the river side, where the victims were brouglit to the stake at the Auto da Fe. It is close to the Palace, that the Vice-Roy and his Court may witness the execution ; for it has ever been tlie policy of the Inquisition to make these spiritual executions appear to be the executions of the State. An old Priest accompanied me, who pointed out the 1 72 Cj)rfetian ISeseardjes?. place, and described the scene. As I passed over this inelaDclioly plain, I thought on the difference between 'the pure and benign doctrine, whicli was first preached to India in the Apostolic age, and tliat bloody code, which, after a long night of darkness, was announced to it under the same name ! And I pondered on the mysterious dispensation, 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 tin's tribunal should yet exist, unawed by the vicinity of British hu- manity 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 w^ere 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. ' When I arrived at the Inquisition, and had ascended the outer stairs, the door-keepers surveyed me doubt- ingly, but suffered me to pass, supposing that I had returned by permission and appointment of the Inqui- sitor. I entered the Great Hall, and went up directly towards the tribunal of the Inquisition, described by Dellon, in which is the lofty Crucifix. I sat down on a form, and wrote some notes, and then desired one of tlie attendants to carry in my name to the Inquisitor. As I walked up the Hall, I saw a poor woman sitting by * Colonel Macaulay, who is now in England. herself, on a bench by the wall, apparently in a discon- solate state of mind. She clasped her hands as I passed, and gave me a look expressive of her distress. This sight chilled my spirits^ The familiars told me she w^ 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 ; and he conducted me with a quick step towards 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 1* He answered nothing. When we arrived at the head of i\ie ^reat stair, he bowed, and I took my last leave of .Joscphlis a D6toribus, without utteiing a word. It will be well understood for what purpose the foregoing particulars concerning the Inqui- sition at Goa, are rehearsed in the ears of the British nation. *' The Romans/' says Montes- quieu, " deserve 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 observed by respectable writers, that the English nation ought to imitate tins example, and endeavour to induce her allies "to 174! Ci^risttarx EesearcijeSi abolish the human sacrifices of " the Inquisi- tion ;" and a censure has been passed on our Government for its indiiference to this subject.* The difference to the Inquisition is attribut- able, we believe, to the same cause which has produced an indiiference to the religious princi- ples which first organized the Inquisition, The mighty despot, who suppressed the Inquisition in Spain, was not swayed probably by very powerful motives of humanity ; but viewed with jealousy a tribunal, which usurped an indepen- dent dominion; and he put it down, on the same principle that he put down the Popedom, that he might remain Pontiff and Grand Inqui- sitor himself. And so he will remain for a time, till the purposes of J^rovidence shall have been accomplished by him. Bat are we to look on in silence, and to expect that further meliorations in human society are to be affected by despotism, or by great revolutions ? " If," say the same authors, *' while the Inquisition is destroyed in Europe "by the power of despotism, we could entertain " the hope, and it is not too nmch to entertain " such a hope, that the powerof liberty is about to " destroy it in America, we might, even amid Edin. Rev. No. XXXII. p. 449. " tlie gloom that surrounds us, congratulate our *' fellow-creatures on one of the most remarkable " periods in the history of the progress of human ^^ society, the final erasure of the Inquisition ^^ from the face of the earthr^ It will indeed be an important and happy day to the earth, when this final erasure shall take place ; but the period of such an event is nearer, \xt apprehend, in Europe and America, that 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 Inquisitions of the earth ? Shall not we, in the mean while, attempt to do something, on Christian princi- ples, for the honour of God and of humanity ? 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 de- clare our wishes, at least, for the abolition of these inhuman tribunals, (since we take an ac* tive 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 tliat of the Immolation ^ Ibid. p. 429. 176 Ci)rfettan Eeseacdjes. of Females in Bengal : with this aggravation iu regard to that atrocity, that the rite is perpetrat- ed in our own territories. Our humanity in Eng- land revolts at the occasional description of the enm'mity ; but the ipatter comes not to our own business and bosoms, and we fail even to insi- nuate our disapprobation of the deed. It may be concluded then, that while we remain silent and unmoved spectators of the flames of the Widow's Pile, there is no hope that we should be justly affected by the reported horrors of the Inqui- sition. TIIANSLATION 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 Ccylonese, and the Portuguese. We have already had occasion to notice the three first, The Tamul version has been long since completed by the Protestant Missionaries; and the Malabar and the Ceylonese are in course of publication. — It is now proper ta explain 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 oj^" that nation. Their descendants people the coasts from the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope^to the Sea of China; beginning from Sofala, Moca- ranga, Mosambique, (where there is a Bisiiop,) Zinzebar, and Melinda, (where there are many churches,) on tlie east of Africa; and extending round by Babelmandel, Diu, Surat, Daman, Bombay, Goa, Calicut, Cochin, Angen- go, Tutecorin, Negapatam, Jaffnanatain, Co- 1 urn bo, Point de Galle, Trail cjuebar, Tan- jore. Tritchinopoly, Porto-Novo, Pondicherry, Sadras, Madras Masulipatam, Calcutta, Chin- surah, Bandel, Chittagong, Macao and Canton ; and almost all the islands of the IMalayan 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 qould not hear of a single copy of the Portu- guese Scriptures. There is a Portuguese Press at Tranquebar, and another at Vepery near Mmdras ; and pecuniary aid only is wanted from Europe to multiply copies, and to (Circulate them 178 Cl)rt£;tiau Eeseaucftes round the coasts of Asia. The Portuguese Lan- guage is certainly a most favourable medium for diffusing tlie true religion in the maritime pro- vinces of the East. THE COLLEGES AT GOA. GoA will probably remain the theological school to a great part of India, for a long period to come. It is of vast importance to the inte- rests of Christianity in the East, that this source oF instruction should be purified. The appointed instrument for effecting this, is the Bible. This is '' the salt which must be thrown *^ into the fountain to heal the waters." 2 Kings ii. 21. 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 dis- tinctl}^ expressed to the Author, by several authorities, that they will gladly receive copies of the Latin and Portuguese Vulgate Bible .Vom xha- hands of the English nation. ttspectmij tlje pers^ians. 179 THE PERSIANS. The Christian Religion flourished very gene- rally in Persia till about a. d. 651 ; when, the Persians being subdued by the Saracens, Maho- niedanism gradually acquired the predominance. Constantine the Great, addressed a letter to Sapor, King of Persia, which is j)reserved to this day, (in Eusebius) 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. 39.5. 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 Chrysostorn, that " the Persians, having translatetioi tsu^cc yvvuixo^ 'CTeTro^vEv/AEvc?, The argument of Chrysostoni 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* isi cerning which act of faith and love our Sa- viour uttered the following prophetic declara- tion . " Verily, I say unto you, Wheresoever " this Gospel shall be preached throughout the '* whole world, this ai^so that she hath done *' shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." Mark xiv. 9. — The Isles of Britain who were last in the above enumeration, are now the^r^^ to restoj-e this memorial to the Persians as well as to other Mahomedan nations, who w^ere to lose it generally, during the great prophetic period of 1260 years. A ver^on of the four Gospels, and of the Pentateuch in the Persisn Language of a former age remains to this day. It is a faithful trans- lation, and seems to have been made immediately from the Syriac;* but the dialect and orthogra- phy are so ancient as to be scarcely intelligible even at Ispahan. 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 16'02, ^' and '^ was permitted by Sultan Murad to build con- " vents in all parts of the Empire. "f But they went into Persia, as into other countries, not * This is the version of the Polyglot. f Fabricii Lux Evang. p. 639. 182 Cfjmttan Kesearcljes with the design of instnicting men in the holy sbriptures, but of teaching them the tenets and ceremonies of Rome. To this day, they have not }3ubhshed, under all the advantages of tolera- tion which they enjoyed, a translation of the Bible, or even of the New Testament, into the Persian Language. It is a reproach to Christians that the only endeavour to prockice a version of the Scrip- tures into tlie 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 bkish, when they read the following authentic relation of an attempt n^ade by a Per- sian king to procure a knowledge of our reli- gion. *' Towards the close of the year J 740, Nadir ^"'Shah caused a translation of the four Eyan- *' 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 •* Mahomedan Priests. resperting tl)t jpersiang. isj • him at Ispciliau. As to the latter, the Malio- '' iiaeclan Priests, tliey coukl not be gainers, '* since the change of religion, if any, Avas to '* be in prejudice of Mahomcclanism. Besides, •'* Nadir's conduct towards them had been severe, *' to an extreme and unprecedented degree; '' many of them, tlierefore, gave Mirza Mehdee *^ large bribes to excuse their absence. Among '- the Christians summoned on this occasion, " only one Romish P/iest, a native of Persia, '' was a sufficient master of the language to -' enter upon a work of so critical a nature. '* As to tlie 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 '^ jVIirza 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 chiefguide was an 6f«ae/z/^^;Y/Z?/c '' cmd Persian translation. Father de Vignes, a " Romish Priest, was also employed in this " work, in which he made use of the Vulgate 1 84 Ct)il5t(au Eesearcljes *' edition. They were but six months in '^ completing this translation, and transcribing '^ several fair copies of it. " In May following, Mirza Mehdee, with " the Persian Mullahs, and some of the Chris- *^ tian Priests, set out from Ispahan 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 ^' 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." — 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 expense of the journey."* This version of the Gospels, prepared by command of Nadir Shall, 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,f * Hanv/ay's Travels. f Rev. H. Martyn. respecting tlje IPerst'ans. is5 who observed, 'Mhat if this was the same, he ^' did not' wonder at Nadir's contempt of it." The number of natives, ah*eady professing Christianity in Persia, and who are prepared to receive a translation of the Scriptures, is very cons derable. They consist of four or five classes, viz. the Georgian, the Armenian, the Nestorian, the Jacobite,. and the Romish Chris- tians. The Georgiam have the Bible in the Georgian Language, which M^as printed at Mos- cow in 1745; but the language is not so gene- rally cultivated among the higher ranks as the Persian. It probably bears the same relation to the Persian, which the Welsh does to the English. The Ai^menians have a version of the Bible in their own proper tongue, but the copies are few in number. The Nestoriaii and Jacobite Christians use the Syriac Bible ; but it is yet more rare than the Armenian. There are, besides, multitudes of Jexvs in Persia, who, as well as these different classes of Christians, com- monly 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, and is the usual language of judicial proceedings under the Bri- tish Government in Hindostan. It has been 186 €l}vMm Eesearcljes called *' the great Eastern language of corres- " pondence and state affairs;"* and is to be estimated as next in importance to the Arabic and Chinese, in regard to the extent of territory through which it is spoken ; it being generally understood from Calcutta to Damascus. Here then is a language, spoken over nearly one quarter of the globe, the proper tongue of a great kingdom, in which an attempt has already been made by royal authority to obtain a translation of the Christian Scriptures; and where there are, at a low computation, two huil- dred 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. Tiie cause of the little jealousy concerning 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 populatioi> ;. and se- condly. That the Persians themselves profess so lax a system of Islamism that they have been accounted by some IMussulmans a kind of heretics. It will form an epoch in the history of Persia, * See Richardson's dissertation on the Persian Language. re<5pecting tlje Persians. is? vvlien a version of the Old and New Testaments shall begin to be knoM'n 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 Per- sian, He must, moreover, have access to the Scriptures 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 translator of the Scriptures in the College of Fort-Wilham. These versions by Sabat and Mirza, are conducted under the syperintendance of the Rev. Henry Martyn, who is himself an * See Report of Translations by Rev. Henry Martyn, here- after quote^l, 188 €i)n3ttau iResearcljes 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 deposited in the Bibliotheca BiBLiCA, at Calcutta, for sale. THE ARABL\NS. 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 1 might preach him among the heathen ; im- mediately I conferred not \vith flesh and blood ; 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 tlie 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 coun- try, and the manners and customs of the people, arc nearly the same.;]: There are some circumstances which remark- ably distinguish Arabia; a recollection of which in connexion with others, ought now to draw our attention to it. Arabia and the neif>:hbourin - 2000 2000 French - - - - - 500 500 German - - - » - 500 Datdi _ - - - . 500 Danish _ ^ - - - 500 Spanish - - ^ .. - 200 Latin - - - - - 100 lOO Italian ----- 100 100 Hebrew ----- iOO Greek - - - . - 100 100 Syriac ----- — 100 Swedish ^ » - - - 50 Pnissian ----- 5Q Itussian ----- 50 Armeiiiaii, \ Malay, and >As many copies as can be pvocure/J. Arabic, J Attached to the Bibliotheca Biblica is a Translation Ltbiiauy, containing- books for the use of the Traniilatois of the Scriptprcs. As this Library is not complete, many of the necessary works not being procurable in Ipdia, i list of the voUinies required will be published ; in the hope that learned bodies, and individuals having dupHcates, will be pleased to present them to the Bibliotheca Biblica in Ben2:al. 3BftUatI)eca MWm. 255 This institution was first organized by tlie Rev. Mr, Brown, with a full reliance on the patronage of the British and Foreign Bihle Society, which has cordially embraced his views, and of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, and of the Universities in the United kingdom, which we hope will enrich its Translation Library. The Rev. David Brown, Senior Chaplain of the East-India Company in Bengal, formerly of Magdalen College, Cambridge, has now been twenty-seven years resident in India ; and is the zealouspromoter of Sacred Learning in the East. He is educating his three sons in India,^ solely'- 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 Hebrezv and Syriac Languages; rightly judging that a knowledge of these forms the best foundation for ability to produce accurate translations of the Scriptures in the other Oriental Tongues. But they have now added to these first Languages tie Arabic, Per- 4iia?i, and Hindostajiee^ which tliey pronounce like natives of the East. They hav§ had the advanta^-e of the best teachers in the different Janguagesj particularly of ShaioMj an eoiinent 254 Clnisttan EesearrljeiS Hebrew scholar 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 tbeir education at the University, and to enter the Church, with the view of their returning to exercise their ministration 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 alaroeand refined society the doctrine and the example of a faithful minister of the Gospel. Marquis Cornwallis first recommended him to 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 upright and disinterested chai-acter. In the many Governments u;hich have succeeded, there is not one, as the Author believes, which has not recorded a public testimony to the merits of their Senior Chajdain. Marquis Wellesley, in particular, h.onoured ])ini with his confidence and esteem, to the end of his administration. It was under the ausj^ices of that Nobleman, that Mr. Brown instituted the ''Calcutta Cha- ritable Fund for distressed Europeans and otlicrs, of which it ma\' be truly said,- that it has" been a Fountain of Mercy to thousands in Bengal for ten years past, it having been estabhshed in the first year of the new century.* Mr. Brown would have probably returned from In'dia 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 Ijengal, have not perniitted him to increase his fortune suitably. And now, the prospect which o])ens 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 Ch\irch, makes him willing to remaiii a few years longer in India. Tin: ARMENIANS. * A LEAiiNiD author, in a work published about the begi lining of the last century, entitled " The * This Institution not only assists ojcasionally, but pensions permanently, Europeans, Mahon^eJaus, and Hindoos. 256 Cf)rfetcan me^eaccljeg ^^ Light of the Gospel, rising on alt nations^'' ob- ^^ serves that the Armenian Christians will be emi- " nently qualified for the office of extending the " knowledge of Christianity throughout the na- ** tions of Asia."* This is undoubtedly true. Next to the Jews, theArmenians willform themostgene- rally useful body of Christian IMissionaries. They are to be found in every principal city of Asia; they are 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 a wealthy, industrious, and enterprising people. They are settled in all the principal places of India, where thej^ arrived many centuries before the English. Wherever they colonize, they build Churches, and observe the solemnities of the Clnistian Religion in a decorous manner. Their Ecclesiastical Establishment in Hindostan is more respectable than that of the English. Like us, they have three Churches in the three capitals, one at Calcutta, one at Madras, and one at Bombay; feut they have also Churches in the interior of the country .-{' The Bishop sometimes * Fabricii Lux Evangelii, p. 651. t In Bengal alone, they have Churches at Dacca, Sydalad^ and Chinsurah. visits Calcutta; but he is not r^aiclepjt • there.. The proper country of' these Christina i^.Aripe- nia, the greater part of which is subject to the Persian Government; but they are seq.tterecl all over the Empire, the commerce of Persia being chiefly conducted by Armenians. Their Pa- triarch resides at Erlvan, not far from Mount Ararat* The history of the Armenian Church i3 very interesting. Of all tjie Christians in central Asia they have preserved themselves most free fron^ Mahomedan and Papal corruptions. The Pope assailed them for a ^time with ^reat violence, bat with little effect. The Churches in lesser Ar~ meiijia indeed consented to an .^i^jon 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 w^as muqh ampng them, " how the Armenian Cbrjstiai?s .have pre- " served their faith equally againsjb the vexa- ** tious oppression of the Mahomedans their *^ Sovereigns, 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 s 258 C!)rfettau Eesearcijesi^ '* artifices and expences of the Court of Rome, *'; to eflfect this object ; but all in vain."* The Bible was translated into the Arnieniaa 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.'^ This Bible has ever re- mained in the possession of the Armenian peo- ple ; 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 assembled in 1662, and resolved to call in aid the art of Printing, of which they had lieard in Europe. For this purpose fhey applied first to France, but the Catholic Church refused to print their Bible. At length it was printed at Am- sterdam in iGGGy and afterwards two other edi- tions in 'l 66s and I69S. Since that time it has ■* Chardinj vol. II. p. 232. f Mr, Joannes Lassar, who is now making a version of the .Scriptures in the Chinese Language, in Bengal, is an Arme- nian Christian, and translates chiefly from the Armenian Bible. But he also understands English, and consults the English version. b^n printedxat Venice. One of the editions which the Author has s^en, is not inferior, in beauty of typography, to the EngHsli Bible', How far these editions might have supplied the Churches in Persia at that time, he does not know ; bitt, at present, the American Scfiptures are very rare in that country, bearing no pro- portion to the Armenian population ; and, in India, a copy is scarcely to be purchased at any price; The Armenians iri Hindostan are o'ur own Subjects^ They acknowledge our government^ in India, as they do that of the Sophi in Persia; and they are entitled to our regard. They have preserved the Bible in its purity; and their doctrines are, as far as. the Author knows, the doctrines of the Bible^ Besides, they maintaia 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 partj as fellow-Christians? Are they for ever to be ranked by us with jews^ Mahome- dans, and Hindoos?"* Would it not become * Sarkies Joannes, ah Armenian merphant of Calcuttd> ^hen be heard of the King's recovery from illness, in 1/89, s 2 t6o CI)rfettan Eesearcljes. us to approach nearer to these our subjects- endeavour to gain their confidence, ahd con- ciliate their esteem ? Let us, at least, do that which is easily practicable. We are in posses- sion of the means o^ printing, which they liave not. Let us print the Armenian Bible, and employ proper persons from among* themselves to superintend the work, and encourage them to disperse their own faithful copy throughout tlie East. Let us shew them, that the diffusion of the Scriptures is an undertaking to which we are not indifferent ; 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, e^el^ subject which is of great importance to Christianity, is worthy the notice of our Go- ve rn me n<,. as well as of individuals and so- cieties.. , The printing -press^ which shall be :^.;;'i^na>f the GD\'prnQr-General. IDottxinm of mebelatton* ^6:j employed in multiplying copies qf 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. VESTIGES OF y^E DOCTRINES OF REVELATION IN THE EAST. In passing through the regions pf the East, and surveying the various rehgious system^ which prevail, the mind of the Christian tra,vel- 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 thouglits 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- ^62 €l)vMimx W^mnul)t^. ing; viz. The Trinity in Unity; the Incarna* tion of the Deity; a Vicarious Atonenieat for Sin ; and the influence of the Divine Spirit on the mind of man. Now if we shoiild he ahle to prove, that all these are represented in the systems of the East, will any man venture to affirm that it liappens hy chanced 1. The d^^ctrine of tlie Trinity. The Hin- doos beheve in one God, Brahma; and yet they represent him as sub^i^ting 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 i)iost ancient 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 1808 ; nor has he seen any work of art in the East^ which he contemplated with greater wonder : wMther considered with re- spect to its collossal size, its great antiquity, the beauty of the sculpture, or the excellence * Le commun des Indiens 'n'ad6re qu'une seule de ces trot's divinities : mais quelques Savans 'addressent encore feurs prieres " aux trois rcunis. — II y a m^me des Temples entierenqent f* consacres a cette espece de Trinif^ :" (such as Perfienc^d in Travancore.) Sonnerat^ Vol. l. 151. IDoanm^ of IRebelation. 263 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. 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 w^orks an immense antiquity, and attri- bute the workmanship to the Gods. The Temple 6f Elephanta is certainly one of the wonders of the world, and is, perhaps, a grander effort of the ingenuity of |nan, than the Pyramids of Egypt.* * Extract of a letter from the Author to W.T. Money, Es^. Bombay. " Honouralk Company's Ship Charlton^ " Dbar 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 i 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 w<)uki suggest. Whencr6 "'then Have tlte Mirtdoos derix^ed the idea of a'TlRitjjj^E God? It should seerfi^s if 1^5 ilJhat thedii^pidated pillars be rebuilt entire of hewn stones ifti<^r^ejbloclas^ of , granite of .the mountain, after the original model 3 the decayed- bases of the colunis, still standing, to be s'trongly cased with the same stone j and the broken limbs of fh^^fi^ui*^ •'toested in the flesh." Hence their fables of the Avatars, .or Jntariiations of Vishnoo. And this clodtfine is .found oyer almast the- W.holeiof Asia. Whenoe the'ii 'origi- nated this idea *' that God should become man quished) is, I think; a .cqnjmendable. undertaking. Eyery 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." * It certainly cannot be proved that the Triad at Elephanta is older than the Christian era. , And if it be older, \ve are yet to consider that the Mosaic record^. brought dowp the notion of a Trinity fifom the earliest, ages. The inqdern, Jews contend against ^tl^is fact, that they may not seem to countenance an ar- gument for the truth, of Christianity 5 but if they will read their ownTargums, they will see 'that their for*6fathers confessed it; as in the following instance. '' Come and behold the mystery *' of the word Elohim. Thei^e are three degrees, and each de- " gree is sole. Notwithstanding they are One j and are uni- V^ "Wd into one J nor is one of them divided from another. '' ^''R. SIMEON BEN JOCHAI. '^ In Zoher ad scTii, Levit. sectionem." ^66 Christian Eesearcl)es* and take our nature upon him r" The Hhidoos do not consider that it was an Angel merely that became man (like some Philosopheiis in 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 prophecies that went before it? Jesus the Mes- siah is the true AVATAR. S. The Doctrine of a vicarious Atonement for sin, by the shedding of blood. — To this day in Hindostan, 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 an4 bloody kid carried on the shoulder* 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, she is Hack in visage, and has a necklace composed of the skulls of men. Kalee is the goddess whom the Deceits (professsional robbers in India) propitiate by sacrifice and offering, before they go out oq their nocturnal depredations.! t About the year 1799> a handsome swoxd was presented by the supreme Government in Bengal to Mahmud Nazir, a Da- rogah, in the district of Din rgepore, fqr his service in ap" ^mtnnt^ of laebelation. $67 to Hiiidostan ; throughout tlic whole East, the doctrine of a sacrifice for sin seems to exist in one form or other. Ever since " Abel offered It zvas a custom for the chief magistrate of police, in Cal- putta, (an English officer) to go out of the city in procession with the liindoos, 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 Pripsts, in the name of the English Government," because he never witnessed it. Nor will he say more on the subject : because he has not heard whether it be now a custom. P is unjust that the character of the present Government should suffer froqi the lalitqde in Teligious notions of some of the first governors. It ivas also the custom for many of the English in Calcutta to j^ccept of invitations from the Hindoos, to be present at the- Nautchy or dance, at the Festival of the Doorga foojah, cele- brated in honour of their God DOORGA. At these Nautches, 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, acconipanied by various pauslc, and sing songs and hymns to his honour and gloiy. ■J'he Eiiglish are accommodated with seats to look on. We prehending a gang of robbers, some of whom were killed on the spot After the apprehension, the scene pf their depre- dations was visited by Thos. Parr, Esq. magistrate of the district, in company with his assistant, Willi.lm Cunninghame, Esq. now of Lainshaw, Ayrshire. When they arrived at the place of their retreat, " a temple of the Hindoo Goddess '' Kalee was pointed out to them, where the gang were ^' accustomed to propitiate the Goddess, before they issued /* forth on their t^octiirnal Errands of plunder ^nd blood." £68 C})rigtian Eegearcljes. 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 if for a constant memorial to mankind that *' without shedding of blood, there is no remis- " sion of sin." Heb. ix. 22. 4. The ipfluence of the Divine Spirit on the minds of men. In the most ancient writ- ings of the Hindoos, some of which have been published, it is asserted that *' the divine spirit, or light of holy knowledge," influences the minds of men. And the man who is the sub- ject of such influence is called " the man twice born." Many chapters are devoted to the du- would not insinuate that any of the English bow to the Idol j •and we shall suppose that those who attend the ceremony, do it without thought, being merely swayed by the fashion of the place, and unconscious 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 dwelling amongst Idola- ters, to beware lest their actions should be misinterpreted j for it is very possible that their polite acquiescence in being cere- moniously seated in the presence of the God, and witnessing the honours paid to him, may be considered by some of the igno- rant Hindoos, as a tacit approbation of their worship. 2?octr(nes of iRebelation. 269 ties, character, and virtues of " the man twice born." Other doctrines might be illustrated by simi- lar analooies. The characters of the Mosaic ceremonial law pervade the whole system of the Hindoo rituaPand worship. Now, if these analogies were merely partial or accidental, they would be less important : but they are not accidental, 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 inhabi- tants have lost sight of the only true God, and they apply their traditional notions to false Gods. These doctrines are unquestionably relics of the first faith of the earth ; they bear the strong characters of God's primary revelation to man, which neither the power of man, nor time itself, hath been able to destroy ; but which iiave endured from age to age, like the works of na- ture, the moon and stars, which God hath created, incorruptible. 270 Cijrlstian UtmttW, ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENT FOR BIlITISII INDIA. Eefoke the Author left Lidia, he pubUshed a *' Memoir of the Expediency of an Ecclesias- " tical Establishment for our Empire in the ** East.'* The design of that work was first sug- gested to him b}' Dr. Porteus^ late Bishop of London, who had attentively surveyed the state of our dominions in Asia; and he was encouraged by sul^sequent communications with the Mar^ quis Wellesley, to endeavour to lead the atten- tion of the nation to the subject* That publi- cation 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 th« 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 Hindoos, Ccclestasttcal ©Btablisl)ment* 271 But the instruction of the Hindoos is entirely a distinct consideration, as was carefully noted in the Memoir. At the end of the first part is the following paragraph : " It will be remembered, that notliing which '* has been observed is intended to imply that " any peculiar provision should be made imme- " diately for the instruction of the natives, , ** Any expensive establishment of this kind, " however becoming our national character, or " obligatory on our principles, cannot possibly ^' be organised 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, themembers of that Church '^ will be the best cfualified 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 Alahomedan or Hindoo in the land. For, besides the thousands of British Christians, who live and die in that country, there are hundreds of - -- - - III ■ n o w i n I ■ -I T ti * Memoir, p. 20. :^/% Cljrtetian Eeseaitijes. '?.-70 tliousancl^ 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 canno.t^ be contemplated by the Legislature, for a moment, without perceiv- ing its abs9lute! propriety ou 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 as not necessary. This deserves no reply. The second opinion is, that it is indeed a sacred duty to convert the Hindoos, but that we must not do it by force. With this opinion the Author perfectly coincides. To convert men by any other means than those of persua- sion, is a practice fit 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 the translation of the Word of God into the various €rcl^0totical C5!tablfef)ment 723 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 Hindostan from painful and sanguinary rites ; to rescue the devoted victim from the wheels of Moloch's Tower ; to snatch the tender infant from the jaws of the alligator ; and from the murderous hands of the more unnatural mother : to save the aged parent from premature death in the Ganges by the unnatural son ; to extin- guish 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 shew, that while the feelings of the Christian are pain- 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. T 274 Cl)rt£;tfan Eeisearcijes. 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 are 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 ; and that he may lose his cast and buy a cast again, as he buys an article of mer- chandize. There are a hundred casts of reli- gion in Hindostan ; and there is no common in- terest about a particular religion. When one native meets another on the road, he seldom ex- pects to find that he is of the same cast with himself They are a divided people. Hindos- tan is like the great world in miniature; when you pass a great river or lofty mountain, you generally find a new variety. Some persons iu Europe think it must be a novelty to the Hin- ecclesiastical ©stablfeDittent ^i^ doos to see a Missionary; There have been for ages past, numerous casts of Missionaries in Hindostan, Pagan, Mabomedan, arid ChHstian^ all seeking to proselyte individuals to a ne^v religion, or to some new sect of ati old one. The difficulty, as was before observed, in regard to the Protestant Teachers, is to awaken atten- tion to their doctrine.* The general indifference of the natives to these attempts, whether successful or not, ha«i 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 * 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 dissent from the doctrines believed by the majority : " other philosophical sceptics will scarcely helitve any thing, " in opposition to their easy-faithed brethren, who disbelie^ve *' nothing. Hence may, in part, be discerned the liabiiity " under which inquirers labour, of being misled by sectaries *' into receiving schism as orthodoxy, and of forming general *' conclusions from individual or partial information. But, in " fact, there is no genlkal orthodoxy among Hindoos." See the Hindoo Pantheon, p. ISO, by Edward Moor, Es^. F. R. S. pub! he! in ISIO. T 2 276 Cljrtstian IReseaiTljesJ. judgement,) announcing the intelligence that some of tl^e English wanted to convert the inhabitants by force, and to blow llindostan into a flame ; the natives seem to have consider- ed 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 oui 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 in- tentions) evinced their accustomed loyalty, and crowded round the standard of the Supreme Government in the hour of danger.*' * A worthy Clergjrman belonging to the Presidency of Fort St. George, who witnessed the troops marching against each 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 '^ but have occurred to every reflecting mind, in Jooking back " On past scenes, if it had pleased God in his providence to have '' dispossessed us of our dominions, how little wquld have '' remained to^hew, that a people blessed with the light of the " glorious Gospel of Chrijst, had once borne sway in this land I " But now," (he adds exultingly, in allusion to the Translation ©f th* Scriptures) *' the Word of God in the languages of aH ecclesiastical ©0tat)lfel)tneut tii There is one argument for the expediency of an Ecclesiastical Establishment, which the Au- thor did not insist on strongly in the Memoir, from motives of delicacy : but recent events have rendered the same reserve no longer neces- sary. He will proceed therefore to disclose a fact which will serve to place the motives for recommending sucliati establishment;, in their just light — It is not the giving the Christian Reliofion to the natives which will 'endanQ:er our Empire, but the want of religion ainong our oxvn countrymen. After the disturbance among the British Officers in Bengal, in '17i94, 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 Marquis Wellesley, on his accession to the go- vernment, by persons who had been long in the service of the Company, and who were well acquainted with the circumstances of ' ihe 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 '* India, will be an enduring Monument of British Piety and *' Liberality, for which the sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiv- ^' ing will ascend to the Most High, to the latest generatioos." gts , Cijrfettan )3,tpmti0, ^rmy. That Memorial referred to the ahiiost total extinction of Christian worship, at the jnilitary stations, where the seventh day was only distinguished by the British Flag ; and jioticed 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 independance, and seeing jiothing, frojB youth to age, of the religion of tlieir coimtry. . It shewed farther, that, of the whole number of English who go to India, not a tenth part return : and assigned this fact as a reason v/hy 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 qf a thousand soldiers in sickly India, there wiUpbe generally a hundred in declining hea.lth ;) and secondly, " that it ^/ might be some security for their loyalty to " their king, and their attachment to the prin- *' ciplcs 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 ne- cessity of a meliorated state of existence for the English armies, w^as made evident to him by his own observation ; and it cannot be doubted that, had that Nobleman remained in India, to ecclestottcal ©stablisljment 279 complete the plans which he meditated for the advantage 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 tlieir dominions in Hindostan. But Marquis Wellesley had another and a moi-e imperious service first to perform, and that was, to save THE BODY OF THE EmPIRE ITSELF. British Hindostan was, at that moment, surrounded by strong and formidable enemies, who were putting themselves ** in the attitude of the tiger," as a Vakeel of Tippoo expressed it, " to leap upon the prey." And this service that great Statesman achieved, under Divine Provi- dence, first, by destroying the Mysorean Em- pire, under Tippoo Sultaun, and thereby ex« tinguishing the Mahomedan power in Hin- dostan ; secondly, by overwhelming the hitherto invincible Mahrattas; and lastly, by forming on the frontier a league of strength, which, like a wall of iron, has saved the country from native invasion ever sinc.e; 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- «8o Cljrfetian Kesearc^e^. 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 dulv weig:iied. Of the individuals engaged in the late disturb- ances at Madras, there were perhaps some, who had not witnessed the Service of Christian Avor- 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 me- mory of their own. It is morally impossible to live long in such circumstances, without being in some degree affected by them. That loyalty is but little to be depended on, whether abroad or at home, which has lost the basis of religion. 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- ecrtesfastical CeitabUsljntmt. ss } 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 4heir native country gradually diminished. And if, under such circumstances, they have not the restraints of religion, (for what is obe- dience ** to the powers tliat 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 thei? 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- stances; and if any other description of troops were in their stead, passing a whole life in such an iinchristianizing 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 j^sa Cjjrigtian Eesearri)es. the foregoing causes becojnes the greater. These are obvious truths, on which it is not ne- cessary to dilate. But there is another subject, alh'ed to this, which the Author thinks it a solemn duty to bring before the public. Not only are our troops denied suitable reli^ gious instruction, when they arrive in India, but they are destitute of it, during their lotig voj/age 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 : fpr it is sometimes a period of great sickness, and o^; 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 isperforrped, in many cases, in a serious and truly impressive manner 5 and tlie acknowledged good effects in such cases, convey the strongest recommendation of the measure which has been proposed. One iqiportant duty of the Chaplain of an Indiaraan might be, to superintend the studies of the young Writers and Cadets proceeding to India j 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 in tp. They. who believe in the Christian Religion, profess also to believe in the superintending providence of God; and are taught to hope 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, " to goddess Fortune and fiiir winds." But we are a Christiap nation, though not a super- stitious one ; and, however individuu:s may con- sider it, it is certain that our countryrnen in general view the performance of the offices of religion with great respect ; and that, in parti- cular 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 h^ve witnessed such 3cenes, he has effect was actually transmitted to a Member of the Court of Directors, to lay before the Court. Jf it were madean indis^ pensable qualification of the Chaplain, that he should under- stand the rudiments of the Persian and H'mdostanee tianguages, 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. 284 CljvtstiEain laesearcljes?* 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 grati- fying would it have been to surviving friends, if they could have been assured that the offices of religion, and the consolation of its ministers, had been afforded to those who perished, during their last days! These events have a warning voice; and it is not unbecoming a great and re- spectable body of men, like the East-India Com- pany, to attend to it. The Legislature has not neglected a subject of this importance. It is required that every ship of the line should have a Chaplain ; and wq have lately s^en some of our most renowned Admirals, both before and after battle, causing the prayers and thanks- givings 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 cha- racter, and of respectable recommendation, ap- plies to the East-India Company for a passage to our Eastern shores, his request might \k. €tcle£;iasttral ©!5tabltgf)ment. 285 treated with indulgence. In him we export a blessing (as he may prove to b,e) to thousands of our fellow-creatures ; and his example and instructions, and prayers, will do no harm to the ship in which he sails. While the East India Company retain the sole privilege of conveyance to India, the nation would be pleas- ed 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 Au- thor will conclude these observations with a paragraph which he has found in a manuscript of the Rev. Mr. KolhofF, of Tanjore, the suc- cessor of Mr. Swartz, which has been just trans-^ mitted 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 up- *^ wards of fifty Missionaries have arrived from " Europe ; among the many ships that have " been lost, there never perished one vessel, '^ WHICH HAD A MISSIONARY ON BOARD."* The following Letter, written by Dr. Wat- son, Bishop of Llandaff, on the subject of * MS. materials for the Life of Swartz. 286 Cijrfetiau i3,mmtl)ts. an Ecclesiastical Establishment for British Indkj M^as published in Calcutta, in the year 1807. '^ Calgarth-Pdrk, Kendat^ 14th Mmj, 1806. '^ Reverend Sir, " Some weeks ago I received your Memoir of the expediency of an Ecclesiastical Establishment for British India ; for which obliging attention / 1 now return you ray best thanks. I hesitated for some time whether I ought to interrupt your speculations with my acknowledgments for so valuable a present; but on being informed of the noble Premium, by which you purpose to exercise the talents of Graduates in the Uni- versity of Cambridge, I determined to express to you my admiration of your disinterestedness, and zeal in the cause of Christianity. " Twenty years and more have now elapsed since, in a Sermon, before the House of Lords, I hinted to 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 unsuccess- fully, 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 ipoasure tor pro- moting a liberal Ecclesiastical Establishment in British India ; it is not without consideration that I say a liberal Establishment, because I heartily wish that every Chris- tian should be at liberty to worship God according to his conscience, and be assisted therein by a Teacher, at the public expense, of his own persuasion. eccle£(ia£(ttral establts!)ittent, 287 ** The subjects you have proposed for the work which shdl obtain your Prize, are all of them judiciously chosen, and if properiy 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, published at Hamburgh in 1731, will be of great use to the Candi- dates for your Prize ; and his Index Geographicus Epis- coPATUUM Orbis Christian^ subjoined to that work, might, if accompanied with proper Notes, afford a very satisfactory elucidation of your third head. " God in his providence hath so ordered things, that America, which three hundred years ago was peopled by none but Pagans, has now many millions of Christians in it; and will not, probably, three hundred years lience, have a single Pagan in it, but be occupied by more Christians, and more enlightened Clyistians, 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 Muhomedans 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 283 €\)ii> LIBRARY JUL25 U!IE \%5 JUL 26 1955 OCT 141957 2kl'63ZF§ '"£6 2 81981 IN STACKS JUN181963 ^^ REC'DLD pv 12 1986 •* 'JUL 3 1963 rtS 7*87 JUN10'65J REC'D LD JUN 9 '65 -8 PM ^mo.wsc Jl-100m-9,'47(A5702sl6)476 GENERAL LIBRARY - U.C. BERKELEY BDDD^aDM3S THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY