English
This may at length awaken their in- dolence, andi|^imulate their curiosity j and may solicit their JKtentiqn, without alarming their prejudices. % u3 *■■ , 1 294 "ftat such a pJan, if pursued under proper restrictions would be harmless, no doufet has been entertained ; of its success -it is inipos^ible to "hazard more than a probable conjefture. But the necessity of a regular Clergy, to carry even ^, this measure into execution, is hot less apparent. They could; judge more a;ccurately than we can pretend to determine, concerning the number tof dialefts, into which the proposed versions should be made ; and what parts, it might be most proper to submit successively to consideration. To judge of the precise periods, which are projier to pursue this task ; to know when to raise, and when to remit exertion ; to lund^rstcind what parts will operate most forcibly on different minds, or on the same mind under different circumstaacfis ; these will requhe a long and inti- . rnate acquaintaace with the inanhers of the inha- bitants, as well as nice discernment a®d .gemeral knowledge of the motives, which prompt the human heart : but this knowledge is absiojuibdy • necessary. An indiscriminate circulation of our translations will defeat everysMultaiy effeft, which a judicious dispersSoia of thefn tJii^ in time produce: they will either feeeome the sport, of the winds, or fan iht Ssmes of jealousy atad sedition. 295 The necessity of forming ;a British ecclesis|stical establishment in India will be still more evident, if we consider it as an instrument, capable of countera£ling the misguided and pernicibus eflForts of other religious sefts^ to alienate the affefitions of the natives from our gavermerit. I speak not only of unautborized tiiissionaries among our- selves, but of the emissaries of our enemies, under tlse mask of religion. If the probable subjugation of Brahminism, at some distartt period, were the only benefit td be contemplated from the establishment df an episcopal Church, that probability itself mi^ht be the principal point to be discussed : but there are advantages unequivo- cal and immediate, to be expe£led. Among the >vast vari^y of se£ls prevalent through Hindoos- tan, many of the natives, are entireSly out of the pale of the Br^hminical '^faith ; arid there are numbeFs, the offspring of Europeans and A'siaties, who are insurmountably excluded from all participation in the. ireJigious institutions lof Ijbeir country. 1%ese compose a body, already powerful, and which may hereafter become for- midable. Among these, the labors of a Protestant Clergy mighi ifee adivantageously and ^fllsKually •exerted. It is well known that in one presidency alone,* there are more fhaa foiir hundred thousand J Fort St. George. VA 296 French Papists, all aftive in disseminating their religion,; anditogether with their religious tenets, theSr political, 'principles. , If an agreement in external ceremonies, be, a ground of union in matters of faith, many of the Hindoos would: be more likely to be convserted by the ChUfeh of Rome, than by any other Church. Nor is this a vague surmise. The vfenerable Swartz Was heard to lanientj that many of his Indian converts, disgusted at the simplicity of his mode of worship, , embraced an early opportunity of. going over tc i the Romish ..Communionj allured and conge- nially gratified by the pageantry and splendor of its ordiuances. While our enemies, and while the dissenters from our establishment, are thus unweaHed in their exertions, it is not for us to be . indifferent. If England had long since planted a 'Church in her Indian^ possessions, that Church ; would now have fornipd the strongest bulwark of £,:Jher power; would have preserved the Hindoos j, from "being ;irritated by the goad of fanaticism ; and would have preserved thousands of British subjefts from the worst of evils, infidelity. , The third proposition w.hieh.,inay be laid down on this subje£t is, that no attempts; at coiiverting ' the; Hindoos can be safely prosecuted, unless, under a conviftion, that their eflScacy will be slow. 2^7 This is not a jpjroposition which demands only a cold assent; it shodld regulate every movement.'; It is not statfed : with i a view to repress*any well directed 'aftivity ; but to prevent that relaxation of afilivity, which alvvays follows the disappointment or delay of visionary expect- ation. If atiy man can be led to imagine, that an edifice, vvhich has resisted the, impetuous attacks of Mohaaimedan bigotry, and the undermining approaches of Jesuitical craft, is to be suddenly or speedily razed to the gfound ; his benevolence must be praised at the expence of his discretion. We^may on this occasion learn a useful lesson from our enemies, "Let Christianity," said the infidel rulers of France, when they restored at least the nominal profession of it, "descend slowly and silently to the tomb : it is not possible at once, or by violent measures, to extirpate the religion of eighteen centuries." They were per- feftly right. They were right according to what they conceived the Christian Religion to be, and what the Brahminical system really is, a strufture firmly cemented by interest on the one hand, and by terror on the other. ' .It • It is not possible, we may also say on the present occasion, at once, or easily to subdue a religious system, which we know to have subsisted izgs tiiider nearly ihe same form, more than tihree thousand years. Whatever progress can be made in the work, must be made by gradations almost imperceptible ; and let us not rudely attempt to force an effe£l, which, if ever produced at alJ, must be matured by the utmost delicacy, patience, and discrimination. The Hindoos are already, ki some degree, influenced by the prevaileiace of Eu- ropean customs, in the ordinary comimerce ©f life : they already own the salutary efiefts of British le- gislation ; many of their cruel and pernicious rites, springing out of igheir superstition, have been restrained by the iSmeJy interference of British power; more may hereafter be gradually and gently abolished. But as for their religion, we may be assured, that it is the kst thing which diey will relinquish ; that they will retain many of its outward ceremonies and positive instito- tions, when their utility Shall be no^^geT acknow- Jedged, and when tbfeir sigriificancy shall be no longer under&tood. In contentplating the causes, which oppose the conversion of the Hindoos to Christianity^ there are some, which have been eiilSrely disregarded ; and othtfrs, which have been stated in a manner, diametrically o^osite to truth. In the first place, we have heard it asserted. 299 ' that tliere is a maulfest analogy; betwteen some fundameartal tenets of ibe. Christian faith, and the leading dpftrines of Brahminisra. The dofilrines of the Trinity, of the Incarnation, and of the Atonement, have been particularly specified ; and a couclu^on has thence been drawn, that this resemblajice between the two systems, will pre- dispose the miads of the Hindoos^ towards the reception <of Christianity ; that far from revolting atitSfmysteries, many are already familiar to them. Without pausing a moment to enquire into th nature of this resemblance, we may contend, that this eircumstance, will pei-baps have no weight, or if it should have aay weight, will, instead of a facility, prove an impediment. That a^sisnailarity of opinion in leading articles, f^rms a basis of union In matters of religion, is a very disputable position, when we refleO: on the almost infinite vaiFjiety of CibrisilSan se£ls, and on the slight causes, which have Jed to their separation But the Hindoo has no johjfi^iion to allow the olivine authOiity of ihe Christian religion : he enter tailns a respeift for ev-ery reiligjon. The nearer them that Christianity can be made to apptoach towairds Brahminism, J^e more^rongly will be be confirmed in his favorite idea, that " heaven is a I'SOO palace, to .which there are many avenues*'; and the less reason will he see for relinquishing the faith of his ancestors. ' . ' bar ■ ' ' '■ - ' Another cause stated, as tending to facilitate the conversion of the Hindoos, is the flexibility of their chara^er- That this flexibility Extends to points cionnefited with their sacred instit&tions, has never been proved j on the con trary^ rigid, adherence to their ancient superstition, was alWays understood to be their national charafteristic ; untili among other novelties, this faft, san6Jtioned^ by the experience of ages,' has lately been repre- sented as unfounded, and in pra£tice has been coriipletely set at defiance. That the intemperate zeal of our fanatical missionaries, has excited the apprehensions of the Brahminical order, is abun- dantly proved from their own letters and journals. It cannot indeed be denied, that the most absurd and ludicrous passages have been sele£ted from these singular produftions, for the purpose of expo- sing their authors to ridicule ; but no man has ever presumed to contend, that these passages are forgeries. If'their own statements be entitled to any credit, no farther argument need to be urged against either their coftipetency to the task, or against this supposed pliability in the Indian charafter. i 301 The real disposition of the Hindoos has indeed been little understood, arid grossly misrepresented. Naturally 'passive; and indoletit, they may^ not always be roused to warmth, even in defence of - their religion. They are known generally to avoid debate on the subjeQ;, and even apparently to acquiese in the arguments of iheLr opponents.