ment of Serampore, aided and superintended by the abilities of Mr. Carey, Professor of the Shanscrit and Bengalee languages, has undertaken the translation of some of the most ancient and authentic works of literature in the former of these languages."

Of the Missionaries sent out by the London Society, I do not believe there is an individual who is either "ignorant or illiterate;” though, doubtless, as in all other bodies of men, there are diversities of talent and learning. And with respect to enthusiasm, after what has been quoted from Major Scott Waring, no Christian need be offended at his calling him an enthusiast.

This gentleman has furnished himself with various reports from the Missionary Societies. Among others, he has met with a Sermon, preached in May last, before The Society of Missions to Africa, and the EasT, of which Society Admiral Lord Gambier is a Governor. It seems then, that India is not altogether "thrown into the hands of schismatics." But at the end of this sermon is an account of a brahman, as given by Mr. John Thomas, in the Baptist Periodical Accounts. (Vol. I. pp. 22-26.) Let any one that fears God read that account, and compare it with these remarks upon it. "I had the curiosity," says he, "to inquire after Mr. Thomas, and his convert, and I heard that they both died raving mad in Bengal." (p. xlvi.) We may suppose this information, as well as the preceding, was received from the gentlemen lately returned from India. It is worthy of them. Parbotee, however, is neither dead nor insane. And Mr. Thomas, though his mind was deranged for a month or two, at one period of his life, yet died sane and happy. Mr. John Fernandez, the gentleman before referred to, says, “Mr. Thomas was deranged for a short time; and after his recovery, lived with my father at Dinagepore, for a considerable time before his dissolution, when he died very happy. As for Parbotee, I am almost certain that he is still alive. He was so, however, when I left India, in 1806. I saw him myself."

It is remarkable that this gentleman is for tolerating the Roman Catholic Missionaries, and all others, indeed, except "those who possess this new mania for conversion, so unaccountably taken up." (p. xlix.) We perfectly comprehend him; and, I hope, shall profit by the hint. It signifies but little with him how many Missiona

ries there are, nor by what names they are called, so that they are not in earnest for the salvation of men. We will follow his example:—while we adhere to that denomination which appears to us to approach nearest to the scriptures, we will recognize the Christian, in whatever communion we may find him. We will rejoice in the good which is done by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, even though they are offended with their Missionaries for nothing, that we can conceive, but their exercising the common duties of hospitality to ours.*

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*

Major Scott Waring, among other Missionary Reports, has procured No. XVI. of the Baptist Periodical Accounts, and proposes giving us some extracts" from it. Before he does this, however, he presents us with a few particulars, by way of introduction; but all as the reader would suppose, gathered from this said No. XVI. First, he informs us that "Nine English Missionaries are employed by this Society in Bengal alone." (p. liii.) What a number, then, must they employ, the reader would suppose, in all the other provinces of India! It happens, however, that in no other province of Hindostan have they ever employed a single Missionary. Whether the gentlemen lately returned from India informed the author of the great numbers of these Missionaries scattered all over the country, or however he came by the idea, his mind is certainly full of it, and it has led him into a curious train of reasoning. "The jealousy and the alarm," says he, "which has pervaded the whole of the Carnatic and Mysore, has been but partially felt in Bengal, because [there] the efforts of the English Missionaries have hitherto not extended beyond a few inconsiderable villages, and the populous city of Dacca." (p. li.) They have been more extensive, then, it should seem, in the Carnatic and Mysore! The truth is, I believe that NOT AN ENGLISH MISSIONARY HAS ENTERED

See the last Report of the Committee of this Society, No. IV. p. 165. They acknowledge the documents they possess to be quite insufficient to enable them to form a judgment of the true ground of certain disorders; but “Missionaries from an Anabaptist Society, and from that called the London Missionary Society," have called upon them, and, it seems, received some countenance from them; and therefore this Committee thinks proper to throw out a suspicion, that they may have been the occasion of these evils!

EITHER OF THESE COUNTRIES. Nearly the whole of what has been hitherto done, is confined to Bengal; for though the London Society has five or six Missionaries in other provinces, some of which may be near to the Carnatic, yet the time is so short, that they have scarcely been able, at present, to acquire the languages. But in Bengal the Baptist Mission has existed for a number of years, and the labours of the Missionaries have been much more extensive than our author would seem, in this instance to apprehend: yet there these alarms have been but partially felt!" Who does not perceive the consequence?

EFFECT OF MISSIONARY EXERTIONS.

THESE ALARMS ARE NOT THE

Major Scott Waring goes on to inform his readers of a number. of particulars, in a manner as though he had collected them from our own Report. Among other things, he speaks of Mr. Carey as "having apartments in the College for the reception of his brother Missionaries, when they visit Calcutta," and repeats the story of "Mr. Thomas, and his convert Parbotee, dying mad in Bengal." (p. liii.) Did he learn these particulars from No. XVI, or from the gentlemen lately returned from India? It were singular indeed, if a professor in a college had no apartments in it, and were not at liberty to receive any person who may call upon him.

"In the Company's list of college officers he is styled Mr. William Carey; but the Bible Society have given him the dignified title of Reverend." (p. liii.) He might be called Doctor Carey, or Professor Carey. Whether either of these titles would be less displeasing to this gentleman, I cannot tell. If not, whenever he has occasion to correspond with him, he may lay aside all titles, and call him, as I do, Mr. Carey. I can answer for it that it will give him no offence.

As to the attempts to prove from the Missionaries' own accounts, that they have "caused considerable uneasiness among the people of the villages," Major Scott Waring may make what he can of them. If he had given extracts, as he proposed, and referred to the pages, it would have appeared that no such sensation was ever produced with respect to government. It was confined, as Mr. Carey says, "to abusive language from a few loose persons;" or, at most, to ill treatment of the native converts, and which, in every

instance, they have borne with Christian meekness and patience. No such thing as a disturbance, endangering the peace of society, has occurred. The "alarm" which the appearance of a European is allowed to excite, (p. lviii.) respects him not as a Missionary, but as a European; and it is for the purpose of avoiding this, as much as possible, that the labours of the native converts are encouraged. This writer seems to think it sufficient to discredit all Missionary attempts, that he can prove, from our own accounts, that we have strong prejudices to encounter, and judge it expedient, instead of violently attacking them, to proceed in as still and silent a way as possible.

A very heavy charge is preferred against one of the Missionaries, as having perverted the words of our Lord: Think you that I am come to send peace on the earth? I tell you nay. Yet nothing is alleged to prove it a'perversion, except that the gospel inculcates the mild doctrine of peace on earth, and good will to men. (p. lix.) The direct influence of the gospel is, no doubt, what he says of it; but what if, owing to the depravity of men, it should, in many instances, occasion the most bitter enmity and opposition? Is the gospel accountable for this? Christian compassion has been known to excite the foulest resentment in some men. What then? Is Christian compassion ever the worse?

The remarks on the journey to Dacca, (pp. liv. Iv.) show what Major Scott Waring wishes to prove; but that is all. If what he calls "the proper line for the British government to pursue," had been pursued on that occasion, the young men had not been interrupted. I say the young men; for it was not Mr. Carey, but Mr. William Carey, his second son, who accompanied Mr. Moore. "They distinguished," we are told, "between the brahmans, and the people at large." Yes, they had reason to do so; for the people were eager to receive the tracts, but some of the brahmans were offended; and this is common on almost all other occasions. "Should we be mad enough to make the same distinction, our destruction is inevitable." One would think, then, the destruction of the Missionaries themselves would not only be inevitable, but immediate. As the brahmans are displeased with none but them and the native converts, if they escape, there is no cause for others

to fear. The truth is, the common people are not so under the influence of the brahmans as to be displeased with hearing them publicly confuted. On the contrary, they will often express their pleasure at it; and when the latter remain silent, will call out, 'Why do you not answer him?" But "Lord Clive and Mr. Verelst, in the year 1766, were not so mad as to advise a poor creature who had lost cast to abandon his ridiculous and idolatrous prejudices, and to embrace the true religion." (p. Ivi.) If I were to say, they were not so wise and so good as to do so, I should be as near the truth; and my saying would bear reflection in a dying hour, quite as much as that of Major Scott Waring.

"We may conceive the narrow bigotry by which these men are actuated, by the conduct of Mr. [William] Carey, and Mr. Moore, to some native Christian Catholics, whom they met with in a village, when they were driven from Dacca by the Magistrate and Collector?" And what was it? Why, "to these poor Catholics, they pointed out the errors of Popery, and warned them of the danger of worshipping and trusting to idols." (p. Ix.) And this is bigotry! Such bigots they certainly were and are.

To prove the absolute inutility of the dispersion of one edition of the New Testament, and of twenty thousand religious tracts, a letter from Mr. Carey is cited, which speaks of their being " but few months in which some were not baptised; of three natives having joined them the last month, and two the month before; but of their being under the necessity of excluding several for evil conduct." (p. lx.) If Major Scott Waring be not more successful in his opposition than he is in his proof, Christianity may still go on and prosper in India. I suspect it was from a conscious want of this important article, that he was obliged to fill up his pages with such terms as "bigots," "madmen," "mischievous madmen," &c. &c. There is nothing so provoking to a man who is desirous of proving a point, as the want of evidence.

In the course of several years, they have made about eighty converts, all from the lowest of the people, most of them beggars by profession, and others who have lost their casts. The whole of them were rescued from poverty, and procured a comfortable subsistance by their conversion." (p. xli.) That is, reader, thus