vice. the honour of whose name the author is and national superstitions. The tendance at his demon shrine and serlocal authorities looked with a jealous and lowering aspect on the«During his stay in England, these first Evangelists; they had been unwelcome facts naturally became the taught to cherish harsh feelings theme of conversation between the Chief towards those men, and to hold Justice and his friend, Mr. Wilberforce; their errand in derision and dis- peculiarly happy to be able to assolike. It was thought that the vo- ciate with the history of the commencetaries of Bramha would rise in ment of this mission. The same CAUSE arms at the suspicion that a new which has added unperishable glories to that honourable name, brought Mr. Wilreligion was to be forced upon herforce into acquaintance with Doctor them; that a spirit of alienation Coke, and our Missionary labours among and insurgency would be infused the enslaved Africans. Doctor Coke had into the native population, and the gratification to enjoy the intimate that our Indian empire would be friendship of Mr. Wilberforce to the end of his days; and it was in consequence shaken to its foundation at the of the honourable mention made by Mr. first step of a missionary on the Wilberforce, of the Missionary system shores of Hindostan. Amid such of the Wesleyan Methodists, that the feelings as these, the difficulties undertaken by that Society to the imChief Justice desired to see a mission which at all times surround the portant island, over whose best interests establishment of missions were inconceivably multiplied, and it was a remarkable interference of Providence that brought to England at a critical juncture, a gentleman of high official character, admirably qualified by his wisdom and right feeling, to direct the counsels of the evangelical well-wishers of India into a right train. "In the year 1809, the Honourable Sir Alexander Johnston, the Chief Justice of the Island of Ceylon, paid a visit to England, for the purpose of securing to the various descriptions of natives, within the jurisdiction of his Court, the British birth-right of trial by Jury. This benevolent Judge, whose name will be handed down to posterity, as the giver of this privilege to the Ceylonese, was also desirous of bringing that interesting people more fully under the influence of the principles of our holy religion. Christianity had for ages, in some form or other, been the religion of a part of the Ceylonese; but by the political changes to which their island had been subject, owing to the European wars, most of their religious institutions had fallen into disuse and decay; and at that time, little else but a Christianity extremely and inconceivably nominal could be found. Excepting among the Roman Catholics, who were furnished with subordinate objects of hope, and fear, and worship; there were very few even of those who called themselves Christians, but were open idolatorsthousands of them worshippers of that evil and malignant spirit, termed in Scripture the Devil, and Satan'-and many avowedly Capoas, or priests in at he had been accustomed to watch with so much lively concern."-pp. 13-15. Mr. Wilberforce communicated these circumstances to Dr. Adam Clarke, by whom they were laid before the Methodist Conference, but difficulties occurred to prevent an immediate prosecution of the plan suggested. Dr. Coke, one of Mr. Wesley's coadjutors, who had long been actively engaged in the cause of missions, and anxiously awaiting some favourable opportunity for obtaining a footing in our Indian territories, eagerly availed himself of this opening, and, steadily directing his efforts to this object, at length embarked for Bombay in December 1813, in company with six missionaries, four of whom were in the Lady Melville, and two, Messrs. Haryard and Clough, with the Dr., in the Cabalva, Jonathan Birch, Esq., commander. Dr. Coke, with much zeal and kind-heartedness, seems to have been but little of a man of business, though he took exclusively upon himself the whole direction and management of the Instead of taking proceedings. the counsel of such as were more conversant with the details of life in Hindostan, an expensive outfit was made up of articles altogether unsuitable to the climate. So far, moreover, was the Dr. from contemplating the contingency of his own death on the voyage, and so completely does he seem to have considered himself as the prime mover of the enterprize, that, when his dissolution actually took place, the missionaries were left without money or credit, and but for the uncommon kindness of Captain Birch, and the christian liberality of Mr. Money, would have been turned adrift in a foreign land, without even the means of subsistence. In fact, the wellbeing of the mission, under God, seems to have depended on the sagacity of Messrs. Harvard and Clough, who conducted themselves with perfect discretion and forecast, while the worthy passengers of the Lady Melville were comforting themselves with a scrap of waste-paper, under the notion that it "would enable them to draw on England to any amount!"— They were soon undeceived, and after eating a hearty breakfast at a tavern, were confounded by finding themselves "actually without the means of paying for their first meal in India!" "Mr. Clough and myself," writes Mr. Harvard, "then communicated to our companions the measures we had taken subsequent to the death of Doctor Coke; and furnished them with a copy of the letter we had given to Captain Birch, with his reply to it. They cordially ap proved of our conduct. As Captain Birch had presented me with a letter of introduction to Mr. Money, it was proposed that I should wait upon that gentleman, and avail myself of that opportunity to state our circumstances, and request hsm to assist us in our extremity. Tremblingly alive to the peculiarity of our situation, we united in earnest sup plication to God, in whose hands are the hearts of men, beseeching him to open our way, and to direct us in our difficulties. I was about to leave the tavern on foot, as we had come to it; but our party, with tender affection, would not allow me to expose myself to the beams of a vertical sun on their business; but insisted upon my engaging a palanquin. I was accordingly taken by the hamalls to the office of Messrs, Forbes and Co. in the Bombay Square. Mr. Money had not yet come to the office, but was expected in half an hour; munication from and I was shown into an apartment, to wait his arrival. As soon as I had taken my seat, the peculiarity of my intended application struck my view. I was about to request a commercial gentleman, to whom we were all entire strangers, to become our agent, without any comEngland; and to advance us money, a correspondent in with no other security than our assurance that it should be repaid. Losing sight for the moment of our recommendatory letters, the absence of a letter of my application impossible; and I anticipated a refusal, with a smile at our simplicity, in hoping for such an accommodation, without more adequate security. I endeavoured, however, to dismiss these distressing thoughts, and lifted up my heart to God. I presently heard the sound of footsteps; and my feelings were in a state of con credit seemed to render the success of flict which it would be difficult to describe. When Mr. Money entered the room, his appearance at once relieved me from my anxiety. Looking with much kindness, he enquired if my name was Harvard? and requested me to sit down, saying he was glad to see me." I took out my pocket-book, to present Captain Birch's note of introduction; when he said, Mr. Harvard, I am per fectly acquainted with all the circumstances of your situation. Your excellent Captain has been to breakfast with me this morning: he has given me every necessary information; and I shall be very happy to advance you any money My feelings, as may be easily supposed, on the credit of your society at home." were at that moment unutterable. The disinterested kindness of Captain Birch, in having so early entered into our affairs, and the noble generosity of Mr. Money, in more than anticipating ny request, filled me with an admiration and dered me unable to express my gratitude esteem for those gentlemen, which renin any suitable terms."-pp. 113-115. Mr. Harvard was introduced by Captain Birch to the Governor, Sir Evan Nepean, who gave them a most courteous reception, and assigned to them for their residence a wing of his own countryseat. In June the missionaries, with the exception of Mr. Harvard, and his wife, whose situation rendered the voyage inexpedient, embarked for Ceylon. The arrangements and the principal events connected with the mission are so fully known to the public through the official chan nels, that we shall not attempt to follow these worthy men in their various movements, but give an extract or two from the valuable miscellaneous matter collected by Mr. Harvard. His account of that interesting people, the Persees, legitimate descendants of the ancient Persian fire-worshippers, is exceedingly interesting. "The Persees, a numerous and respectable class of the natives of Bombay, were driven from Persia, the land of their forefathers, by a sanguinary Mahomedan persecution, or conquest. They possess a great portion of wealth and intellect, and consequently possess considerable influence. They pay religious worship to fire and water, by which they pretend the Supreme Being is represented. A few among them, it is said, have attained to great abstraction of mind, and superiority over the natural passions. They have a regular priesthood, and a species of patriarchal government among themselves. They avow their subjection to the laws of the Presidency; but they have also laws of their own, to which they all submit; and punishments are inflicted in private, for those offences which are not cognizable by the common law. "They keep regular seasons of prayer. At the rising and setting of the sun they publicly worship the orb of day. The sea-shore of the Esplanade near the Fort of Bombay, at those seasons, is crowded with bowing and prostrate Persees; the more religious among them seek a retired spot, where they may perform their ceremonies unseen and uniterrupted. I have frequently observed the man who had the charge of our garden, standing by the side of the well-by a vessel of water--or exposed to the rain-repeating his prayers aloud; when he always untied the girdle which fastened his dress. His devotions did not, however, wholly engross his attention. If any of the workmen had omitted to obey his orders, or any thing struck his recollection, as necessary to be done, he would, in the midst of his prayers, vociferate to the workmen; and when the matter was arranged, return to his unfinished prayers. In answer to my enquiries, he informed me, that their religion allowed them to speak to any one during prayer, provided they did not open their mouth, so as to separate the upper and lower teeth; and though he was often obliged to be angry with the men for their neglect of duty, yet when at prayer he always kept his teeth closed.' This may be a tradition of the common people only. "The Persees have a very great reverence for fire, by the side of which they perform their devotions in their houses. No inducement will prevail on servants of this class to carry fire; and neither persuasions or threats will induce them to extinguish the sacred element, though it be only to put out a lamp. Europeans generally have gauze hung round their beds, called musquito curtains, as a de fence from those venomous little insects. The inside of the curtain having been well beaten out by a towel, the servant secures the bed-clothes after the master is in bed, to prevent the musquitos from entering; otherwise sleep would be impossible. At the Governor's house, shortly after our arrival, two of our party had retired to rest, and had not put out the lamp, which, not being aware of his religious aversion, they desired the servant to do. The boy told them, he could not extinguish his god; but that he would call a servant of another caste to do it.' To prevent any further difficulty, one of them rose, and put out the lamp himself."-pp. 190–192. Amid the luxurious enjoyments and ostentatious habits, in which the Europeans are too apt to indulge themselves while resident in India, infidelity will of course find a ready reception, and its influence on the natives cannot fail to be extensively injurious. An instance strikingly in point occurred within Mr. Harvard's own experience. "During an illness with which I was afflicted while at Bombay, I was attended by a Gentoo physician, possessed of much intelligence, and evidently, in many re spects, a very superior man. I occasionally drew him into conversation on religious topics; but, unhappily, was not the first Englishman with whom he had conversed on the subject of Christianity; and he had formed his opinion from his first impressions. Looking me stedfastly in the face, one day, he replied to some of my remarks,- All Englishmen not speak like you, Sir, about this matter--I was know one gentleman--Mr. Z.-he say, Christian religion all lies-nonsense--and he call Mr. A. fool--silly--because he make prayer at Christian church.'"--p. 212. Mr. Harvard's constitution at length gave way under repeated attacks of disease, and in February, 1819, he sailed for England, which he reached in July, with broken health, but the happy conviction that he had sacrificed it in the best of causes. 30. "Though I returned," he writes, "to my own country with a constitution shattered, and the prospect of a premature grave; yet, calmly reviewing all the way which the Lord hath led me, I reckon that the trials and sufferings I have endured, are not worthy to be coinpared with the comforts 1 enjoyed, and the prospects by which my soul was aniWith a mated in the Missionary cause. deep conviction of my insufficiency for a work so arduous, I count it the highest honour of my life that I was permitted to embark in it. Neither discourage ment, disaffection, nor disgust, occasioned my return. Nothing but a conviction that my life could (humanly speaking,) be preserved by no other measure, induced me to abandon my post. "A missionary spirit, I trust, still animates my bosom; and, were my bodily strength restored, I would gladly embark again in the same glorious undertaking; in which case I would prefer the island of Ceylon to any other field of missionary labour of which I have any knowledge. But bereft of that strength, I would animate my Christian brethren, of every denomination, who are able to sustain the labour, to go forth to the help of the Lord against the mighty.-To those who are engaged in preaching among the heathen the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to the promoters and conductors of Christian Missions in general, I address the animating exhortation of the Apostle, Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord!"-pp. 323, 324. Such a work as the present is the best answer to the miserable gainsayings of the Abbé Dubois. It demonstrates unanswerably that there is not only a mighty machinery employed, but that it is beginning to do its work. Priests of Paganism are giving up their delusions; in Ceylon they are casting away the yellow robe, in Hindostan they are rejecting the privileges of caste. The prejudices of the people are yielding; the advantages of education are felt, and the young are receiving that instruction of which it is the specific character to make wise unto salvation. We have shown by the length of our critique that we think highly of Mr. Harvard's volume, and we are persuaded that such of our readers as may purchase it upon our recommendation will not be The account of Captain Knox's ་་་་་་་་་་ A Summary of the Principles and IT has been justly observed that upon of evidence-and they will hamper him in so many niceties of disputation, enmesh him so vexatiously in the nets of sophistry, that he will be glad to extricate himself by an indignant rejection of all this unprofitable manoeuvring, and a resolute restriction of the debate to essential differences. We have a fearful allegation of high crimes and misdemeanors, against the Roman hierarchy; we have recorded our firm and unanswerable protest against its bloody usurpations and abominable idolatries, and in a general way our most effectual plan will be to throw its abettors on their defence, rather than to meet them in vague skirmishing over the wide field of polemics. Even in this tiresome warfare, it will, however, be sometimes expedient to engage, if for no other purpose than that of showing that on whatever ground they may provoke the conflict, we are always ready to encounter and able to defeat them. Mr. Birt, in this well-written series of lectures, has taken up the general argument, and discussed the leading questions in a sensible and satisfactory manner. He first examines "The claim of the Church of Rome to the appellation Catholic," and inquires, 1st, "Is the Church of Rome the universal Christian Church?" 2dly, "Is the Church of Rome the true Church of Christ ?" To both these questions a decided negative is forcibly maintained; we shall extract part of the an swer to the last. "I ask, can the solemn sanctions of an immutable morality, proceeding from the paramount authority of the eternal God, move and regulate that breast which admits the dispensing power of the Pope? Will that man feel and acknowledge the exceeding sinfulness of sin, who regards papal indulgences as matter of bargain and sale? What sort of dependence will he who assists at the repeated propitiatory sacrifice of the Mass, exercise on the offering of Christ "once for all?" The doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist by transubstan sion; tiation, is surely the grossest absurdity that was ever imposed on human beings-well were it only an absurdity! It derogates from the dignity of Christ, both human and divine; it invalidates his sacrifice; it throws discredit upon the apostolic testimony to his death and burial, to his resurrection and ascenand destroys the soul of the worshipper, by giving to his worship the character of idolatry. Thus, the very purpose of shewing forth the Lord's death' is defeated, and the attention is entirely withdrawn from that indispensable requisite to salvation, a spiritual participation of the body and blood of Christ. In the same proportion, is the obedience of him who thought it graded and vilified, by the popish docno robbery to be equal with God,' detrine of human merit, and of justification by the imputing of human righteousness. Ah, how many who have paid to the priest an exorbitant price for a supererogatory human righteousness, will be driven away at last in shame and coufusion, because they have not a wedding garment!" ་ Time would fail, now to speak of the invocation of saints, so opposed to an exclusive reliance on the intercession of Him who is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him;' of the distinction between mortal and venial sins, a distinction so fruitful of immorality and impiety; of extreme unction, and absolution of the sick and dying; of purgatory, which takes away the fear of hell; and of prayers and masses for the souls of the departed. All these, and many more, spring from the false and corrupt notions and principles of the Romish superstition, and indicate the true character of the soil in which they thrive. cun "Ah, my brethren, how evil must be the tree which bears such pernicious fruit! Yet this we are called on to acknowledge as the true Church of Christ, or if you will, the Holy Catholic Church.' Shall we obey the requisition? God forbid ! Is that the true Church of Christ, whose spirit is altogether anti-christian, where superstition and idolatry exclude piety towards God, and faith in Christ, where the evidences of Christianity are obscured by ningly devised fables,' and where the will of Christ is altogether contradicted and opposed? A community in which God is dishonoured by daring invasions of his prerogative, in which the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God is made of 'none effect,' in which the Holy Spirit is quenched, and in which men are led blindfold to perdition-styles itself 'The Church of Christ!' Shall we assent to this? again I say, God forbid !" "— pp. 35-37. |