English
" Is it policy to aim at the correfition of the moral depravity of the Hindoosi while we leave our British youth to the coritagion of evil example, and to the enervating influence of an eastern climate, without' making scarcely an effort to fortify their minds by religious impressions I Is it coiisistency to propose the introduction of a pure system of doftrines, • of which our own praftice shews, that we entirely disregard' their-titility and efficaty ; while the native of Hindoostan, in speaking of the religious faith of his British, conqiieror, desig- nates him by the. appellation of " the.Infidel" ? Is it wisdom, to expend vast sums on an objeft, which some will call visionary, and. all must allow to be pf doubtful attainment, while we omit 287 every opportunity of effefting, what no one who is alive to the happiness of, mankind, but will ac- knowlege to be safe and salutary ; which, if wisely condu£ted, cannot be attended with 'hazard, and must be produftive of Certain benefit ? Is it benevolence, benevolence, which' can be justified on any rational principle, to shew a more lively regard for the welfare of those, whose conne£iion with us otiginated,, and will, be determined by commercial interest, than for those who are united to us by every tie, which can endear man to man j who are connefted either by interest, consan- guinity or friendship with almost every individual in the British empire ? These Suggestions might be enlarged on with efFe£l j they might be urged with greater force ; but to insinuate them how-' ever lightly, is sufficient for every purpose of conviSion. Though for several considerations of importance, which will readily occur, but which it would be foreign to, the present purpose to specify, it might - . be impolitic to hold out inducements to the great mass of the British population in India, which might bind them too strongly to the interests of that country, & consequently weaken their attach- ment to their native land ; yet any motives, which might induce a body of pious and regular Clergy 3SS to sfittier there > any adtiantages, wfech ^i<rhile they might! be sufficitenttO'satilfy the vklttduS Ibve'of in- depentdehce, "v^^ould rwJfcbe strong enough to gratify' tfeei dreams of avarice jjouigbt perhaps ba pro|)Osed with sucfcess, aahdi certainly could^ be liable to no welt-founded! obje£Hon. That such a- measure, would effectually tend to raise the standard of morals, whioh<3 dis^uBe of the rtjelins' of religious iHstriJBajibHi would riecessafily relax, would be a benefit so obvious, tbat? to enlarge en' it, W6uld weakei? its force. There are" othter. and siibor- dina*e= advantages S'eserving of notiee, but which might ultimately prove df incalculable utility. A Clergy of this description in the opportuni- ties of leisute, which' their situation would afford, might be profitably employed in eicploring thbse" recondite sources of Oriental literatuffe, which might both enlarge the stock of general know- ledgey and add new confirmation to the truths of revealed 'rdligiant'' That so much has hitherto been effected* by our couHti'ymen, aniid the inc^- sant occupations of ag^ive life, i^U fully repel the illiberal and unjust irisiiiuatiori, that their whole attention has been absorbed in' the acquisition of wealth, or directed to objects of uiilawfal ambi- tiotts; but what might Hot be expected'^ from a body of meuj w^hose profession isf so' intimately 289 connefted with literature, and whose disposition would naturally prompt them te cultivate those branches of knowledge, which would be generally useful to the public, as well as peculiarly interest- ing to the religious world. To this advantage may be adderf* another of still greater weight. Such a measure would ef- feftually remove an objeftion, which has been urged against the plan of educating the British youth in India. Whatever difference of opinion may be entertained in a general point of view, concerning the comparative advantages of a do- mestic, or of a foreign education, for those natives of Britain, who are employed in our eastern settle- ments ; certain it is, that a numerous body of them cannot be educated at home. Adequate, means of instrufition must therefore be devised for those who are born in India, and who are destined to be employed in the service of that country. It has however been said, that the ge- neral state of learning is there at so low an ebb, , that whatever superior advantages may be attain- ed by an Indian education, with respeS to the acquisition of the native languages, yet they .are more than counterbalanced by the difficulty of acquiring the elements of general knowledge.", "■ Dr. Tennant. 2§0 The establishment of a regular Clergy, equal to the wants of the British population, wouM at once remove this obstacle. The progress in the Oriental languages, whiek their situfltion would enable them to make, joined with their superior proficiency in general knowledge, would eminent- ly qualify them for the task of education, in India as well as in Europe} and among the variety of opinions, which prevail on other ques.- tions, it seems established by tacit consent and by universal custom, that this impontant duty cannot be confided to better, or more able hands But it may here be enquired, whether all the schemes, which have been prqje£ted with so much benevolence, for the conversion andi moral im- provement of the Hindoos, are to be indiscrimi- , nately condemned ? Are they to be at once given up, merely for the purpose of introducing an .ecclesiastical establishment ? This: is by no means intended. But here it will be propertolay down a second proposition : that no scheme for the coaversioa of the Hindoos, catt be safely prosecuted, unless under the- superintendance of a British, ecclesias- tical establishment. 291 There is one afestacle of great magnitude, in the way ofc'^afny attempt towards the conversion of the Hindoos to Ghriistianity, but which is seldom noticed as such ; which is, that the majority of the British population in India, are adverse to thg^ measure. This fa£l is not only indisputable in itself ; but it is a fa£t, which men of different opinions are forward to proclaim. The most tedious propagandists acknowledge it, and hastily, or even uagenerously, impute it to religious infidelity, or at best to indifference. Their opponents equally acknowledge it, and bring it forward as a decisive airgument against the propriety, the policy, and the prafifidability of the measure. But it is mentioned, in thi place, with neither of these views. It is mentioned to shew, that whatever be thd causcj the result will be precisely the same. - While this opposition continuesj all hOpes of success, in the ordinary course of events, are absolutely chimerical* To suppose that any so- ciety, pr joint societies in this kingdom, can carry into executioaa work of suchi magnitude and dif- . ficulty, not only without the CO -operationj-but in dire^ contradiftion to the decided opinion' of so powerful an interest, is an idea wjiich may perhaps be entertained by heated zeal, but can never stand the test of dispassionate judgment. Will not th.e u2 Brahmin, already sufficiently attached to his own prejudices, be 'more strongly confirmed in them, when he perceives, that although a few solitary individuals are eager to oppose them, they are regarded with complacency and even with respeft, . by char^ftfrs of the, highest estimation and au- thority ? If there be no aftive opposition, yet a coldness and disgust will be shewn to the agents in the measure, which will be readily perceived by the Hindoo, who will not fail to convert them to his own sidvantage. *■ ' By the adoption of the expedient proposed, by providing an ecclesiastical establishrneot for our fellow subjefits, this opposition to the conversion of the Hindoos would not perhaps be destroyed ; 'but we should then be enabled to ascertain on what grounds this oppesition was founded. If scepticism, and a general indifference to -all religion, be so prevalent in the East, this, would be the most likely ^method to subdue their pre- dominance. Infidelity, we well know, more frequently proceeds from inconsideration, from want of attention to serious concerns, than from any other cause; nof can it be a mat- tei-.of surprise, that an aversion from religion should prevail, where the opportunities of re- ceiving any religious impre^sjoris are so rare. 293 t as sometinies not to occilr 6nce in the cours#of a whole life." By an establishmeHt of the inistitu- tions of a pifotestant episcopal Church, these scep- tical opinions A^ould be considerably diminished;*" Any opposition to the dissemination of Ciyistian- ity among the Hindoos^ would then no Ipn^er ' proceed from concealed hostility, or avowed un- belief; and if the same opinion concerning the propriety and prafiticability of the attempt, should then be retained, that opinion could only be assigned to a rational conviftion of its danger.^; In the course of the various speculations, which have been hazarded on this interesting subjeft, a debate has frequently arisen, whether our pur- pose may be more efFe£lually promoted, by the qqiet dispersion of our Saaptures, or by the more aftive labors of ChlffiRan missionaties. The almost total failure, which the missionaries, e^her of former or of the present times, have experien- ced, would clearly point out the necessity of adopting some other method. The design of supplying the Hindoos with a version of the whole, or of part of ourScriptures, intheir different languages, has been thought to unite every ad- vantage.