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The Abbé Dubois's Second Position, "Are the Translations of the Holy Scriptures into the idioms of the country, likely to conduce to the conversion of India?" brought to the test of Scripture.

This dense cloud of predictions from the mouth of God "who cannot lie," having settled for ever the First of the two points on which the whole of our author's book rests, the Second, "Are the means employed for this purpose, and above all the translation of the Holy Scriptures into the idioms of the country, likely to conduce to the conversion of India?" may be settled with equal ease, if we can ascertain what were the means appointed and owned of God in apostolic times for the salvation of the heathen. We may as well previously ascertain, however, what kind of converts to Christianity the apostles aimed at making.

We shall find on examining the subject closely, that their object was not that of merely bringing nations into a state of nominal christianity, but that of bringing in'dividuals into a state of real holiness. When our Lord sent forth Paul as the Apostle of the Gentiles; we find him sent, "to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive an inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith in him.” Accordingly the Apostle declares that the Roman converts were "full of goodness," as well as "filled with "all knowledge," and that the Ephesian converts were "created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Hence he tells them, that if they had been taught by him as ~ the truth is în Jesus, they would "put off the old man

which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." He also describes the Philippian converts, as filled with the fruits of righteousness to the praise and glory of God's grace; he tells the Colossian converts, that they had "put off anger,” wrath, malice, filthy communication out of their mouth; and the Thessalonians that they had turned from idols to serve the living and true God.

Further he solemnly informs the Corinthian converts, that "neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God;" and the Hebrew converts, that "without holiness no man shall see the Lord." We find also that while the Apostle John declares that all liars (whether christians or not,) shall have their portion in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, he affirms respecting the heavenly state, "there shall in no wise enter therein any thing that defileth." From these passages and many others which might be adduced, it is evident, that to bring a man merely to a nominal profession of Christianity while he continues in sin, does not bring him a step nearer the kingdom of heaven, except as it renders it possible that he may hereafter forsake sin and turn to God. Nay, that with this exception, it places him in a worse state than a mere heathen; since, if he continue thus, the gospel will be to him "a savor of death unto death," instead of being "a savor of life unto life." Our enquiry therefore must be, what are the means described in scripture as employed to bring heathens individually from a course of sin to a life of righteousness?

In the very beginning of the gospel, we are told that these means were, the word of God. Our Lord in his

parable of the sower expressly declares," the seed is the word of God." Thus, in whatever way it be sown, whether verbally, or disseminated in a written form, the pure, unadulterated word of God is the only seed which our Lord and his Apostles deemed capable of producing converts filled with the fruits of righteousness to the praise and glory of God. Other kinds of seed might produce other fruits, but the word of truth alone could produce righteousness and true holiness, literally “the holiness of truth." This truth bursts upon us with irresistible evidence in our Lord's prayer for his disciples, and those who should hereafter believe on Him; "sanctify them through thy truth, thy wWORD is truth."

With this agree the various testimonies given respecting the nature and properties of the Divine word. Such is that given in Psalm xix. and recognized by St. Paul as exemplified in apostolic times; "The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." Yet these testimonies refer wholly to the Old Testament, the giving of which to the heathen our author so feebly attempts to ridicule ! How different are his ideas ou the subject from those expressed by the Holy Spirit! But which accord most with the mind of God "who giveth the increase," Paul tells us Rom. viii. "and be that searcheth the heart, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit."

To the united testimony of David and Paul we may add that of James, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures." And, "wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and

receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able save your souls." Here we find, that while the Spirit of God was pleased to confirm the truth of the gospel to that and all succeeding generations, by such a pro fusion of miraculous gifts, it was by the word of God, that he was pleased to convert men and renew them unto righteousness and true holiness. Has God now rejected this, and chosen other means? Let our author tell us where this is revealed. To us it is of the highest importance to learn, since to labor in God's work with means he has never appointed, and will therefore never bless, is laboring in the very fire, of which our author's experience furnishes abundant proof. He has thus labored with other mans for thirty years, "watering the soil with his tears," without seeing in return a single plant of genuine, scriptural piety. For any such new revelation however, it is in vain to look; for, "with the Father of lights there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Peter's testimony is no less decisive against the Abbé than those of his fellow-apostles. In a passage already alluded to, he declares the "word of God," "the truth," to be the means by which men were born again, or created anew, and by which their souls were purified. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth, through the Spirit,-see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently; being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever." And in ch. ii. 2, he describes the word as being the proper food of the Christian convert, as really as milk is the food of the new-born infant. "As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby." In his second Epistle ch. i, he further informs us, that through

the exceeding great and precious promises which it contains, men are made partakers of the Divine nature: he in ch. ii. calls Christianity "the way of truth;" and in ch. iii. "the way of righteousness." Further, in ch. iii. we find him urging their attention to the Scriptures then extant, "I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance that ye may be mindful of the words of the holy prophets."

We thus find the Abbé's Second Position when brought to the test of the unerring word of God, to be flatly opposed to the declarations of our Lord and of his apostles, and totally at variance with the apostolic practice left on record as a pattern for the conduct of missionaries to the end of time. We are decidedly told, that although conversion to Christianity is not merely assuming its name, but a being created anew in righteousness and true holiness, and that without this no christian can be saved, "since without holiness no man can see the Lord;" still the means used to effect this change, are invariably, THE WORD Of God, "able to save the soul:" and that while all nations are to be turned to God, all their idols being famished, this is to be effected wholly through the instrumentality of the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God.

We have but one step further to go in order to put it beyond even the possibility of doubt, that "the translation of the Holy Scriptures into the idioms of the country, is not only "likely to conduce" to the conversion of India, but the very means by which alone it can be effected; and this is, to enquire whether the Scriptures can produce any effect without being translated. This is a question, which, though a child might solve, yet as it is the Abbé's last resort, we will carefully examine. In apostolic times as many of the Jews at Jerusalem as understood

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