English
Xhe same fancied pre-enii^ieyRC^, which theQreek once assum,ed pyerj foreigners, from his attain-' ments in ,sci,^nce ,or his acfiieve^ments jn the field, the Hindoo claims from his religion. What, in the formerj J was founded; pn SjOme reg,§pna;ble PjTeteijsipn^,: ^i^;.rnjglgi [inippl.ihini to: ^main- tain, .thp,-;S];^P9idij;5l of y^fl^ich h^ bpa^tedj Ifas proved, ampng: the Hfi^dopSJ^iP ^PPty i v,?t}nt, which can raisf i no emotion , in. others,; but pity pr contemp(t,. '-^^i^®thingi;is:i][j.oi:e cpntei^pfible t)ian,,ay3yan,f/ ,^^ -a,f ?Htirpp;it commQiji an[y)ijig t|}^fi>,; ^.^Stprn^ipf;, degifadajtifinj , ;wf)iich th^y , ll^y,^ applied to d!?si|gn3^,,(fijr^t,,jitheir. Grirqcian,; a^rid afterwards, their Mohammedan conquerors. A HindppjjthpyglVjpppressqd by the sharpest penury, with i^qa^q-fjij' gUfl^ciejat.to tsijpply.the^ cr^;vring?,pf huflgeri,. wb^W rhe jpdakes bijs scanty meal, draws a pirele rpyji^ihim,, 5Kllich he wpuld thinlqpplluted, if the greatest potentate on earth should presume to enter. s6i The religious • system then 6( the Brahmins, considered as it affetts those who are subje£ted to its authority, is, in tlie Highest degree, intokraiit; as it regards the inhabitants of other countries, and the professors of other religions, it is repulsive and unsocial. In its internal economy, it possess- es all the properties of Inquisitorial tyranny, though its power is liot concentrated, nor its e>pefatiotfs*'dire£ledj by a common head ; in its external deportinent,' it assumes the contrafted spirit of Judaism, though not like that, softened by the liberal views of its proplietic writing's, which proclaim universal acceptance to all the 'Uations of the earth. Like the Jewish law, while the iBrahminical religion has restricted the inter- course of its professors with the inhabitants^ of all other countries, it has superadded to- the reserve of its cautionary restriftiOtiS, personal aohorrence and con'^empt, - It maiy' indeed be doubted whether the unqua- llfil^d praise of beheyolprice, which sorjie Europe- ^aiis are eager Vo claim for the iHin^po chara£ler, may riot be attributed to the absolute submission, ^'Whiffi the native of Hindoostan pays to his con- queror, froni, a motive of fear. But therens an essential difference between the passive acqui- . c^C^jnce arising from indolence or terror, and s 3 262 thfitdisinterqst^^ forbearance which compassion- ates while it copd^mns; which, though it discri- minates between jth^ merit pf individuals, yet never insists on that, merit, as a preliminary to its beneficpnce, But since this indifferepce to the speculative opinioris of others, hqsbeenrepresented as consti- tuting one of the inost amiable features in the Hindoo religion, and has been, insidiously con- trasted with the aftive zeal, for proselytism, which distinguishes Christianity; it may not be improper to discuss the question, how far this desirei of extending itself, detrafts from the beneficial ten- dency of the Gospel ; oj- wbether it be not rathiCr an indication of its divine origin, and have not been of considerable efFeft, in promoting .the happiness of mankind. If the Christian rehgion had confined its bene- fits to any parti9ular nation, or to any particular description of men ; if it had formed- an insur- mountable barrier of exclusion to the greaier part 6f mankind ; if it had indiscriminately condemned all who were thus invplunt'arijy excluded ; it might in some degrefe hay^ deserved those accusations of intolerance, with which it has been sometimes Stigmatized by its enemies. If it had pjrphibited 263 its professors from extending its doftrines ; if it had consigned to eternal jnisery all who were ignorant of them, it might have engendered ar- rogance and cruelty. But Christianity . is not founded on such principles. Even that doftrine which has been assailed with the greatest viru- lence, the doftriae of the atonement, is, in its pra£tical efFefts, calculated to produce sentiments of the mosbt unbounded philanthropy. It teaches that the benefits of this sacrifice are unlimitted in their efficacy ; that they have a retrospe£tive influence in sanftifying the virtues of those who saw the, promises afar off; and that they have an influence in sanctifying the virtues of those who were never acquainted with the conditions of the Christian covenant. If any superior priveleges are annexed to the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ, they are conferred on a condition of obedience to the evangelical declaration ; ** to whom much is given, of him shall be much required :" and among the most important of the duties which are thus imposed, is the communica- tion of divine truth by every rational method. When indeed Christianity claims loutself the title of being the only true revelation^of the will of God, of being " the way, the truth, and the life," it claims no more than every religion S4 264 must assume which pretends ta be of divine origin. The idea that, the Supreme Being is pleased, with a variety of religions, and with different modes of v worship, is a supposition willingly entertained by the votary of super- stition, because it affords a palliation for those errors which he is unable to defend. This supposition is also warmly applauded and insidi- ously defended by the infidel, because it amounts to a tacit confession, that all pretensions to revela- tion rest on the same uncertain basis. But the notion is, perhaps, of all others, the most irrecon- cileable to the attributes of God ; it is the most destru£live of sound morality. It would not only level all distinfitions Jjetween truth and error, but wquld justify every crime committed under the mask of sanSity. If an impartial estimate be formed concern- ing the effefts, which have, resulted from that desire of extension inseparable from a true faith in the promises of , the Gospel, they will be found in a high degree beneficial. It has been justly remarked, that " it is well for the inhabi- tants of Hindoostan, that they did not fall ,un4er the dominion of Europeans at an earlier period, before the influence of knowledge and-philosophy badi dispelled the gloomy bigotry of the western Qi65 world,; and rendered it less incapable df forbear- ance to opposite opinions."' There can be no doubt, that, under the pretence of disseminating Christianity, the greatest ' enormities have beeri committed, 'and the most unjustifiable ' methods have been adopted. ' > : It may be justly questioned however, whetber a wish of coifVe?rsion has been the true cause of these atrocities. : The love of national aggrandisement, or of private interest, has proved a fertile source pf calamity, as well since the introduftion of Christianity, as before ; ^and this passion has often disguised itself under a zeal for feligioni But Christianity is not chargeable with these evils, , nor can they be justly imputed to the desire of extending the Christian faith. On the contrary, not only are such methods . of; pnopagation in -dire£l (Opposition to the precepts of the Gbspel, rbut these precepts have .opierated sensibly, in checking this intolerant spirit, even intheVorst of times. The atrocious : c?-ueJties infliflied "by Spain on the inhabitants of the New World, are never recalled to our recolleftion, unaccorap&ijied by the thought that they were inobiy'resistedi and eloquently exposed, by the piety ' of a Christian ? Ur. Tennaat. 266 missionary.* In modern times, since the principles of Christianity have been better understood, the tendency of this disposition in its professors to diffuse its doftrines, has been less equivocally-^ displayed. Though, an unfeeling stoicism has attempted to deride its efforts as visionary, and though enthusiasm has often afforded occasion for the ridicule of affe£led prudence j yet the propagation of the Gospel has not only dif- fused the blessings of civilization, but has es- sentially distinguished the colonial policy of modern nations, from that of ancient times. Where in the history of Athens or of Rome, shall we look for any tenderness or solicitude, respefting the welfare of provincial settlements? They were regarded merely as Jnstruments> to facilitate schemes of conquest or of plunder j the power of the parent state was frequently ex- erted to restrift, but seldom to proteQ; or to foster. How could anxiety for the melioration of the moral chara£ler, be consistent with that destitationof fixed princjples which amalgamated all religious opinions ? $iich a wish can never be formed, such a plan can never be rationally executed, but on the basis of Christianity ; which with, inilexible striftness 'inculcates that, there is but " one faith," but with genuine benevolence * Lej Caws. 267 teaches that " God hath iftade of one blood all nations, fot to dwell on all the face of the earth." It would be, pursuing the subjeft too far, to enter linto a discussion of those other defefts in the Brahnjinical system; which contraft laenevo- lence, and weaken the foundations of all moral obligation. It should however be mentioned, that this aystem inculcates the pernicious doc- trine that it is presumption in the lower orders, to attempt the performance of ' those virtues, •yvhich exclusively belong to the higher ; a tenet which strikes at the yery existence of society. This religipn also permits the praftice of some present evil, for the purpose of obtaining a remote good ; and it proceeds on that principle, insepa- rable from all false religions, that the exa£t per- forinance of e3ctemal ordinances is a sufficient compensation for the negleft of moral duties. A; survey of the various evils resulting from a code ol .