an age.

gations. The Quakers, who are of all people best adapted to spread Christianity among the heathen, are so few in number, that according to the common chances of nature, they would not produce a missionary in It is only the methodistical Christians who are numerous enough, zealous enough, enthusiastick enough to furnish adventurers for such a ser vice, and wealthy enough to support the charge of such expensive undertakings. We must not, therefore, inquire whether the persons thus laudably employed are the best that could be imagined-they are the best that can be found.

All sects and all professions have their peculiar language; and it must be admitted that none is so odd and extraordinary as that of the professors of certain modes of religion. An old journalist of this very sect, in summing up the praises of a young "She walked like a woman, says:

he-goat before the flock." These missionaries and their English brethren abound in such strange appropriations of scriptural phraseology. When Andrew Fuller preached to them before their departure, he said: "It is a great encouragement to be engaged in the same cause with Christ himself. Does he ride forth as on a white horse, in righteousness, judging and making war? Ye are called, like the rest of the armies of Heaven, to follow him on white horses, pursuing the same glorious object." Thomas, when he approaches Bengal, rejoices to be so near a flock of black sheep: but his vivid imagination having thrown out the metaphor in that half sportive mood, which minds the most serious delight in, pursues it with the passion of a poet: "I long," he cries, "to run and roll away the stone from the well's mouth, that they may drink." When Carey mourns over the "leanness of his own soul," and has much sweetness in a sermon, and when Fountain remembers to have had pretty strong convictions of sin, and

VOL, II.

remorse of conscience, "at eight or nine years old," it is pitiable to find such men expressing themselves in such a fashion. But it were more pitiable if we despised them because their fashion is not as ours;-if we did not pass lightly over the weak. ness of men, who have the zeal and the sincerity, the selfdenial and the selfdevotement of apostles. Hear "Never did Thomas, when he says: men see their native land with more joy than we left it; but this is not of nature, but from above." Hear him also, when, pouring out his heart to one of those relations of whom he had taken leave for ever, he exclaims: "If it were not for my engagement in the mission, I could come to old England to morrow, and kiss the ground I trod on, and water it with tears of joy, as the glory of all lands" ---and then say, if the man who, with such feelings abandons his country for ever on such an errand, is to be regarded with contempt or with admiration. A single extract will show how eminently well this madman, as it pleases the anti-missionaries to call him, was qualified for his work.

"A large company of Brahmans, Pundits, and others, being assembled to hear him, one of the most learned, whose name was Mahashoi, offered to dispute with him. He began by asserting, that God was in every thing: therefore,' said he, every thing is God-you are God, and I am God.' Fie, fie, Mahashoi!" answered Mr. Thomas, why do you utter such words? Sahaib, meaning himself, is

6

in his cloths; therefore [pulling off his

hat and throwing it down] this hat is Sahaib! No, Mahashoi, you and I are dying men; but God ever liveth.' This short answer confounded his opponent, and fixed the attention of the people while, as he says, he went on to proclaim one God, ane Saviour, one way, one faith, and one cast, without and beside which all the inventions of man were nothing.'-Another time, when he was warning them of their sin and danger, a Brahman, full of subtilty, interrupted him by asking: Who made good and evil?' Hereby intimating, that man was not account-. able for the evil which he committed. 'I

know your question of old,' said Mr. Tho

#

mas; 'I know your meaning too. If a man, and their zeal for God, their man revile his father or his mother, what selfdevotement, their indefatigable a wretch is he! If he revile his Gorom, you reckon him worse : but what is this, industry, and their unequalled learn turning to the people, in comparison of ing. These lowborn and lowbred me. the words of this Brahman, who reviles chanicks have translated the whole God! God is a holy being, and all his Bible into Bengalee, and have by this works are holy. He made men and devils time printed it. They are printing holy; but they have made themselves the New Testament in the Sanscrit, vile. He who imputes their sin to God is

the Orissa, Mahratta, Hindoostan, and 2 wretch, who reproaches his Maker. These men, with all their sin-extenuating Guzarat, and translating it into Pere notions, teach that it is a great evil to sick, Telinga, Karnata, Chinese, the murder a Brahman; yet the murder of language of the Sieks and of the Burmany Brahmans does not come up to mans; and in four of these languages this. For if I murder a Brahman, I only they are going on with the Bible. Exkill his body; but if I blaspheme and reproach my Maker, casting all blame in traordinary as this is, it will appear his face, and teach others to do so, I in

more so, when it is remembered, fect, I destroy, I devour both body and that of these men one was originally soul, to all eternity.'-Being on a jour, a shoemaker, another a printer at ney through the country, he saw a great Hull, and a third the master of a multitude assembling for the worship of charity school at Bristol. Only fourone of their gods. He immediately approached them; and passing through the

teen years have elapsed since Thomas company, placed himself on an elevation, and Carey set foot in India ; and in near to the side of the idol. The eyes of that time have these missionaries all the people were instantly fixed on him, acquired this gift of tongues. In wondering what he, being a European, fourteen years these lowborn, lowzneant to do. After beckoning for silence, bred mechanicks have done more tohe thus began : ' It has eyes . [pausing, and pointing with his finger to the eyes of wards spreading the knowledge of the image ; then turning his face, by way

the Scriptures among the heathen, of appeal to the people] but it cannot than has been accomplished, or even see! It has ears ... but it cannot hear! attempted by all the world besides. It has a nose ..

but it cannot smell! It has hands but it cannot handle ? It be the best proof of their diligence

A plain statement of the fact will has a mouth ... but it cannot speak;

and success.

The first convert was neither is there any breath in it.' An old man in the company, provoked by these baptized in December 1800, and in selfevident truths, added : 'It has feet; seven years from that time has the but it cannot run away! At this a uni- number amounted to 109, of whom versal shout was heard. The faces of nine were afterwards excluded or the priests and Brahmans were covered with shame, and the worship for that suspended, or had been lost sight of. time was given up.”

Carey and his son have been in BenNothing can be more unfair than gal fourteen years; the other brethe manner in which the scoffers thren, only nine. They had all a difand alarmists have represented the ficult language to acquire before they missionaries. We, who have thus could speak to a native; and to preach rindicated them, are neither blind to and argue in it required a thorough what is erroneous in their doctrine, and familiar knowledge. Under these or ludicrous in their phraseology. circumstances the wonder is, not that But the antimissionaries cull Olt they have done so little, but that they from their journals and letters all

have done so much. For it will be that is ridiculous, sectarian, and tri- found, that even without this difficulfiing; call them fools, madmen, tin- ty to retard them, no religious opikers, Calvinists, and schismaticks ;

nions have spread more rapidly inz and keep out of sight their love of the same time, unless there was some

remarkable folly or extravagance to # His teachers

l'ecommend them, or some powerful

sermons.

worldly inducement. Their progress tected from violence; and all cramwill be continually accelerating; the ming with cow dung prohibited on difficulty is at first, as in introducing pain of retaliation with beef tea. vaccination into a distant land; when Let it not be deemed that this is the matter has once taken, one subject spoken disrespectfully. Far from desupplies infection for all around him, preciating church establishments, our and the disease takes root in the earnest wish and desire is, that they country. The husband converts the may be extended. Let there be one wife, the son converts the parent, in India, the more magnificent the the friend his friend, and every fresh better. Make Dr. Barrow a bishop or proselyte becomes a missionary in an archbishop there, if it be thought his own neighbourhood. Thus their fit. Build a St. Paul's at Calcutta, sphere of influence and of action and raise the money by evangelical widens, and the eventual issue of a

But do not think, even if struggle between truth and falsehood this were done, to supersede the is not to be doubted by those who Baptist missionaries, till you can probelieve in the former. Other mis- vide from your own church such sionaries from other societies have men as these ; and it may be added, now entered India, and will soon be such women also as their wives. come efficient labourers in their sta. Why will not the church of England tion. From government, all that is adopt a policy more favourable to asked is toleration for themselves, her views ? Sectaries, such as these, and protection for their converts. instead of being discountenanced, The plan which they have laid for should, in fact, be regarded as usetheir own proceedings is perfectly ful auxiliaries. Their services, inprudent and unexceptionable ; and deed, are desultory ; but, like the there is as little fear of their provo- Pandours and Croats of military powking martyrdom, as there would be ers, they may precede the main body, of their shrinking from it, if the cause and, by their real and intrepidity, of God and man require the sacrifice. contribute to facilitate the success of But the converts ought to be pro- the regular force.

FROM THE LITERARY PANORAMA.

at eve;

Memoirs of British Quadrupeds, illustrative principally of their Habits of Life,

Instincts, Sagacity, and Uses to Mankind, arranged according to the System of Linnæus. By the Rev. W. Bingley, A. M. Fellow of the Linnean Society, and late of Peterhouse, Cambridge. With Engravings from original Drawings, executed chiefly by Mr. Samuel Howitt. 8vo. pp. 500. London, 1809. Price 18s.

OBSERVATION is the very You cannot bar my constant feet to trace life of natural science; and a habit

The woods and lawns, by living streani, of observation, is a source of pleasure to those who practise it, almost in- Let health my nerves and finer fibres dependent of adventitious enjoy

brace, ments. Thomson seems

And I their toys to the great children to have

leave, felt the full force of this principle, Of fancy, reason, virtue, nought can me when he exclaims:

bereave." “I care not Fortune! what you me deny ; The contemplation of nature is, You cannot rob me of free Nature's when rightly conducted, a medium

grace ; You cannot shut the windows of the sky, of virtue and devotion. Through which Aurora shows her importance, to younger minds espebrightening fạce.

oially, that it be judiciously directed

It is of great

herbs, restored him to perfect health. No room, had the hardiness to pat Bess upon creature could be more grateful than my the cheek; an indignity which he resents patient after his recovery; a sentimented by drumming upon her back with such which he most significantly expressed by violence, that the cat was happy to escape licking my hand, first the back of it, then from under his paws, and hide herself. the palm, then every finger separately, • I describe these animals as having then between all the fingers, as if anxious each a character of his own.

Such they to leave no part unsaluted; a ceremony

were in fact; and their countenances were which he never performed but once again, so expressive of that character, that, upon a similar occasion. Finding him when I looked only on the face of either, extremely tractable, I made it my custom I immediately knew which it was. It is to carry him, always after breakfast, into said that a shepherd, however numerous the garden, where he hid himself, gene- his flock, soon becomes so familiar with rally under the leaves of a cucumber vine, their features, that he can, by that indicasleeping or chewing the cud till evening. tion only, distinguish each from the rest; In the leaves also of that vine he found a and yet, to a common observer, the differfavourite repast. I had not long habituated ence is hardly perceptible. I doubt not him to this taste of liberty, before he be that the same discrimination, in the cast gan to be impatient for the return of the of countenances, would be discoverable time when he might enjoy it. He would in hares ; and am persuaded that among invite me to the garden, by drumming a thousand of them, no two could be found on my knee, and by a look of such ex- exactly similar ; a circumstance little sus.. pression as it was not possible to misin- pected by those who have not had opporterpret. If this rhetorick did not imme- tunity to observe it. These creatures diately succeed, he would take the skirt have a singular sagacity in discovering of my coat between his teeth, and pull the minutest alteration that is made in a at it with all his force. Thus, Puss might place to which they are accustomed, and be said to be perfectly tamed; the shy- instantly apply their nose to the examiness of his nature was done away; and, nation of a new object. A small hole on the whole, it was visible by many

had been burnt in the carpet. It was symptoms, which I have not room to enu. mended with a patch, and that patch in merate, that he was happier in human a moment underwent the strictest scrusociety, than when shut up with his tiny. They seem, too, to be very much natural companions.

directed by smell in the choice of their * Not so Tiney. Upon him the kindest favourites. To some persons, though treatment had not the least effect. He they saw them daily, they could never be too was sick, and in his sickness had an reconciled, and would even scream when equal share of my attention; but if, after they attempted to touch them; but a his recovery, I took the liberty to stroke miller coming in, engaged their affection him, he would grunt, strike with his fore

His powdered coat had charms feet, spring forward, and bite. He was, that were irresistible. It is no wonder however, very entertaining in his way. that my intimate acquaintance with these Even his surliness was 'matter of mirth; specimens of the kind has taught me to and in his play, he preserved such an air hold the sportsman's amusement in ab. of gravity, and performed his feats in such horrence. He little knows what amiable a solemnity of manner, that in him too I creatures he persecutes; of what gratihad an agreeable companion.

tude they are capable ; how cheerful they * Bess, who died soon after he was full are in their spirits; what enjoyment they grown, and whose death was occasioned have of life; and that, impressed as they by being turned into his box, which had seem with a peculiar dread of man, it is been washed, while it was yet damp, was a only because man gives them peculiar hare of great humour and drollery. Puss cause for it. was tamed by gentle usage; Tiney was “That I may not be tedious, I will just not to be tamed at all; and Bess had a give a short summary of those articles of courage and confidence that made him diet that suit them best. tame from the beginning. I always ad- * I take it to be a general opinion that mitted them into the parlour after supper, they graze; but it is an erroneous one: when the carpet affording their feet a at least grass is not their staple : they firm hold, they would frisk, and bound, seem rather to use it medicinally, soon and play a thousand gambols, in which quitting it for leaves of almost any kind. Bess, being remarkably strong and fear. Sowthistle, dent-de-lion, and lettuce, are less, was always superiour to the rest, their favourite vegetables, especially the and proved himself the Vestris of the last. I discovered, by accident, that fine party. One evening, the cat being in the white sand is in great estimation with

at once.

.