ARTICLE X.

The claims of Jesus; a sermon preached in Calcutta, on Sunday, Sept. 23, 1821. By William Adam. Calcutta, printed at the Eurasian press, Chouringhee. 1821.

Unitarianism and Trinitarianism contrasted. A sermon delivered at the ordination of the Rev. Jared Sparks, to the pastoral care of the first independent church in Baltimore, May 5, 1819. By William Ellery Channing, minister of the church of Christ in Federal street, Boston. Calcutta, reprinted at the Unitarian press, 1822.

THE attention of the religious, as well as of the learned world, has of late years been much directed to Hindostan. The population of that country comprehends Christians, Mohammedans, Parsees (or disciples of the religion of Zoroaster,) Jews, and Hindoos. Christianity had a footing in India at a period of unknown antiquity. Vasco de Gama, when he first visited the Malabar coast about the year 1500, is said to have found fortyfour churches. It is their tradition that the Apostle St. Thomas introduced the Gospel into India, and Dr. Buchanan was shown the place where he landed. The Mohammedans, who in some parts of Hindostan are the largest class of the population, are descended from the Arab, Persian, and Tartar invaders who at different times overran this rich and fertile country. The Parsees are numerous in the neighbourhood of Bombay, and further west towards the boundary of Persia. The Jews abound in the south of the peninsula, and are divided into black and white Jews. The latter say they came from India after the destruction of the second temple. The former are supposed to have emigrated at a much earlier period. But the mass of the inhabitants are Hindoos, the Aborigines of the country.* Their numbers have been variously estimated, from forty to two hundred millions. The former estimate is probably nearest to the truth.

The Brahminical religion is coextensive with the territory of Hindostan. Of the sacred books, which expound it, those held in the highest veneration are the Vedas, which are said to have been written by Brahma, the first deity in their mythology. The period of their composition is probably a question of interminable controversy. According to Sir William Jones, the remotest age to which they can be asssigned is a hundred years before the time of Moses, though the Brahmins claim for them a rauch higher antiquity. Besides these, there are several other

*The Brahmins have a tradition that their ancestors came from the north, and brought their religion and customs into Hindostan.

ancient books of subordinate authority, as the Upavedas, the Vedangas, and the Institutes of Menoo.

These books comprise not only the religious, but the political and scientific system of the Hindoos. Their theology, as it has been understood both by foreigners, and, in recent times at least, by natives, is the grossest idolatry. The principal divinities are three ; Brahma the creator, Vishnoo the preserver, and Seva or Mahadeo the destroyer and reproducer. The wife of Brahma is Seraswattee, the goddess of learning; of Vishnoo, Sree the goddess of plenty; and of Seva, Parvatee the goddess of time. Vishnoo has been incarnate nine times, and is expected to appear again. Besides these, there is a prodigious number of inferior deities, presiding over the elements, death and hell, the rivers, plants, animals, minerals, heavenly bodies, &c. The Hindoos believe in a future life and retribution, and in a transmigration of souls. Their religious duties are part of them innocent; such as frequent ablutions, and abstinence from animal food, a duty inferred from the doctrine last named. Others are of the most heinous character; such as self torture and immolation; infanticide, and burning of women. With regard to their morals, there is an extraordinary difference of testimony. By some who have described them, they have been praised, and by others condemned, in terms altogether unqualified. The Abbé Dubois and Mr. Ward, missionaries among them, describe them · as being depraved to an unprecedented, and most unnatural degree. Mr. Hastings on the contrary, whose opportunities of knowing them were inferior to none, represented them as gentle, benevolent, and as exempt from the worst propensities of human passion as any people upon the face of the earth; faithful and affectionate in service, and submissive to legal authority." Sir John Malcolm deposed before the British house of commons that the Hindoos of the interior are not more distinguished by their lofty stature, and robust frame of body than they are for some of the finest qualities of the mind;' and another individual, who had been thirty-two years among them, said upon oath; "if schools established in every village for teaching reading, writing and arithmetick, the general practice of hospitality and charity among each other, and above all a treatment of the female sex, full of confidence respect and delicacy, are among the signs which denote a civilized people, then the Hindoos are not inferior to the nations of Europe.' It is generally allowed that they are humane and voluptuous,-the virtue and vice of their climate; and there is a considerable agreement in representing them as artful and regardless of truth. Whether this representation is extensively just, or only with respect to the trading part

who may have learned their dexterity from foreigners with whom they have trafficked, is an unsettled question. Of their intellectual habits we may form some judgment from the assertion of the Hindoo editor of the Brahminical Magazine, in the third number of that journal, that during a few years past, hundreds of works on different subjects, such as theology, law, logick, grammar and astronomy, have been written by the natives of Bengal alone.'

The first missionary operations in Hindostan in recent times were begun soon after the Europeans gained a footing in the east. Goa was taken by the Portuguese in 1510, and within as short a period as gave opportunity for the condition of the country to be understood with any accuracy, St. Francis Xavier set off under the patronage of John III. to christianize it. Perhaps no person who has engaged in such an enterprize since the primitive times of Christianity was better qualified for it than this intrepid, indefatigable, self denying and accomplished Jesuit. The chief scene of his success was however not Hindostan, though he baptized there some thousands of idolaters in one month. In Japan he founded a church which at one time is said to have consisted of 600,000 persons, and was on his way to China, when he died, about eleven years after his arrival in India. The ancient Syrian Christians on the Malabar coast of coursefell under the notice, of their Catholic neighbours, and at a council held by the Archbishop of Goa, in 1699, their books were condemned to the flames. A part made a compromise, and their descendants are called the Syrian-Roman Christians. The total number of the three classes is estimated at 200,000. Next to the Roman Catholics, the greatest number of converts has been made by the Lutherans of Denmark. The missionaries Ziegenbalg and Plutscho established themselves in 1706 at Tranquebar, 120 miles below Madras on the Coromandel coast. Their operations and those of their successors were subsequently extended through the Carnatic, and into the neighbouring provinces. More than fifty missionaries have been employed, among whom was that man of admirable endowments and virtue, Swartz. He went to India in 1750, and died there in 1807. The mission has for some years past been under the patronage of the English society for promoting Christian knowledge. The whole number of converts, up to the year 1747, which we understand to include Europeans as well as natives, was reckoned at 8056. Dr. Carey a few years since, stated the number of natives who had been baptized since the establishment of the mission at 40,000. That the number of real converts, however, is harder to be ascertained, appears from the following particuNezo Series-Vol. V.

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lar account of one tenth part of them, given by Brown in his history of missions (I. 241.) in a passage which we understand him to quote from the transactions of the Missionary society.

"In the course of this journey, Mr. Gericke baptized about 1300 persons, and after he left the country, the native teachers formed eighteen new congregations, and baptized 2700 people, so that the whole number amounted to no fewer than 4000. Highly as we venerate the character of Mr. Gericke, we cannot but express the strongest disapprobation of his conduct on this occasion. Had the most of these people afforded such evidence of their sincere conversion to the christian faith as to warrant their baptism, this certainly might have ranked among the most extraordinary events in the history of the church in ancient or modern times; it might even have been considered as a kind of parallel to the day of Pentecost. But we see nothing in the account to authorize such an exalted idea of it; and indeed we are sorry to understand that most of these people have little knowledge of christianity, and still less of its spirit. Their chief inducement for professing themselves christians, was a hope which they foolishly entertained, that they would then be exempted from the publick burdens.'

The next considerable enterprize of this nature is that of the English Baptists. Carey and Thomas went to India in 1793, and the principal scene of operations was six years after fixed at Serampore, near Calcutta, on the arrival of four other missionaries. Among these were Ward and Marshman. Ward had been a printer, and Marshman a schoolmaster, and to these occupations ti ey have chiefly devoted themselves in furthering the objects of their mission. More than six years passed without an idolater being converted; but in 1800 one native was baptized, and the following year five others. We have now,' says Mr. Marshman, (Oct. 4th, 1801) six baptized Hindoos, whom we esteem more precious than gems. Yet we need great prudence in our conduct towards them. We have to encourage, to strengthen, to counteract, to advise, to disapprove, to teach, and to do all in such a manner, as to endear our Saviour and ourselves to them.' Nineteen were baptized in the two following years, but already the missionaries were much afflicted by the irregularities of some of the native brethren.' In 1811, the whole number of persons who had been baptized, including Europeans, who were about two fifths of the whole, was 426.Some' says the periodical account of that year have died in the faith; some have been excluded on account of impropriety in their behaviour, though most of these have been again restored; and some, we regret to add, have relapsed into Paganism, and that in some instances not long after their baptism. But yet the greater part

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of them adhere stedfastly to their Christian profession, and though it cannot be denied that they have many imperfections, yet their character has been materially improved by the Gospel, and is in many respects ornamental to it.' In 1818 the baptists had eleven missionaries at Serampore and Calcutta, and fourteen European agents in other parts of the peninsula; most of them in Bengal. At the same time, Winslow, in his history of missions, says that it had been stated, though he does not know upon what authority, that the number of supposed converts exceeded a thousand.

But it is not in the number of their converts that the most honourable proof of the Baptist labours is seen, Dr. Carey, either perceiving that it was not chiefly by preaching that he was essentially to serve christianity in India, or else giving way to his extraordinary genius for literary occupation, soon applied himself to the task of translating the scriptures into the Indian languages. The Quarterly Reviewers, no indulgent judges,when laurels are to be awarded to a man not college bred,-call him the most learned orientalist that ever lived, and his immense labours do even more than justify this praise. Four years ago versions of the Bible into forty four different languages were either printed, or entirely or partly prepared, and this great work of literary toil and Christian benevolence, was proceeding at the expense of about 13,000 dollars annually.

Other English societies have employed missionaries in Hindostan. In 1805 two agents of the London Missionary Society established themselves at Vizigapatam, a city in the province of Orissa, about half way between Calcutta and Madras. They lived but a short time, and were succeeded in 1809 by two others. Other missionaries of this society have been fixed at Travancore, Madras, in the Mysore country, and near Calcutta. We have seen no record of any success of theirs, except the conversion of a Brahmin, who became a preacher, and was employed in translating the scriptures.

The American board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was instituted in 1810. For a very short time the project seemed to languish, but in the following year a donation of thirty thousand dollars was received from one individual, and considerable contributions from other sources. The attention of this society was first directed to India, and five missionaries were sent out to that country early in 1812. Two of them, soon after their arrival, announced that they had become Baptists, and withdrew themselves from the service of their employers. In 1814, one of the remaining three returned home; the other two fixed their residence in Bombay, which has ever since been the seat of the