"I have only cited the above instances, being the first which occurred to my mind in writing this letter; but I could point out, in almost every chapter of Holy Writ, passages nearly as exceptionable, and which it would be equally dangerous to exhibit, without a long previous explanation to the prejudiced Hindoo." (pp. 28, 31.)

"In order to give you an instance of the delicacy of the feelings of the natives, with respect to the accounts found in our holy books, that are in opposition to their prejudices, I will relate the following occurrence :—

"Being at Carricaul, about twenty-eight years ago, I preached on a Sunday to the assembled congregation a sermon in the Tamul language, on the divine origin of the Christian religion. Among other topics to prove my subject, I insisted on the intrinsic weakness and inadequacy of the means employed in the establishment of this religion, generally hated and persecuted everywhere, quite destitute of all human support, and left to its own resources, amidst every kind of contradictions. I several times repeated, in treating this topic, that the Christian religion had for its founder a peasant of Galilee, the son of a humble carpenter, who took for his assistants twelve low-born men, twelve ignorant and illiterate fishermen. These words the son of a car

penter! twelve fishermen! many times repeated, gave offence to my audience, which was entirely composed of native Christians; and the sermon was no sooner finished, than three or four of the principal among them came and informed me, that the whole congregation had been highly scandalized, by hearing me apply to Christ the appellation of the son of a carpenter, and to his apostles that of fishermen; that I could not be ignorant that the castes, both of carpenters and fishermen, were two of the lowest and vilest in the country; that it was highly improper to attribute to Christ and his disciples so low and abject an origin: that if Pagans, who sometimes come through motives of curiosity to their religious assemblies, heard such objectionable accounts of our religion, their contempt and hatred of it would be considerably increased, &c. &c. Finally, they advised me, if in future I had occasion to mention in my sermons the origin of Christ or his apostles, not to fail to say that both were born in the noble tribe of Kshatrys or Rajahs, and never to mention their low profession.

"Another instance of the kind happened to me a few years ago in this part of the country, when, in explaining to the congregation the parable of the prodigal son in the gospel, I mentioned the circumstance of the prodigal's father

having, through joy, killed the fatted calf to regale his friends, on account of the return of his reformed son. After the lecture some Christians told me, in rather bad humour, that my mentioning the fatted calf was very improper; and that if, as sometimes happened, Pagans had been present at the lecture, they would have been confirmed, on hearing of the fattened calf, in the opinion they all entertained of the Christian religion being a low or pariah religion. They advised me, in the meantime, if in future I gave an explanation of the same parable, to substitute a lamb instead of the fatted calf.

"In fact, even with our native Christians, we are careful to avoid all that might wound their feelings to no purpose, and increase in the public mind the jealousy and contempt entertained against them, and their religion. For example, as the use of intoxicating liquors is extremely odious to all well-bred Hindoos, and considered by them as a capital sin, when we explain verbally or in writing the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we are cautious not to say openly, that the materials of this sacrament are bread and wine, or charayam (literally, wine), which would prove too revolting to their feelings; we have, therefore, the precaution to soften this coarse term by a periphrasis, saying that the materials of the Eucharist are wheaten bread, and the juice of

the fine fruit called grape; which expressions become more palatable to their taste." (pp. 31 -34.)

In answer to the Abbé's objection to the principle of circulating the Sacred Scriptures among the unconverted Hindoos, on the ground of their prejudices, I would remark, that the number of prejudices peculiar to the Hindoos, would, upon accurate examination, be found neither so numerous nor so insuperable as the author represents, and as many suppose; but that, on the contrary, the great mass of their prejudices are such as are common to the world at large; and if these are to be deemed a reason for suppressing the gospel in India, they would equally militate against the promulgation of the gospel in England, or in France, or in any other part of the world what

soever.

The doctrines of the gospel are levelled against all sin, of every kind, and especially the two master-sins of our fallen nature-pride and sensuality. The cross of Christ comes, as with an axe, to the root of both these trees of iniquity. It tells the proud Pharisee in Judea, and the proud Briton in England, as well as the proud Brahmin in India, that he has broken God's holy law, and is exposed to the wrath to come. That by the deeds of the law shall no flesh living be justified,

and that there is no other name given under heaven whereby he can be saved, but the name of Him who fulfilled all righteousness as the sinner's surety, and gave up his life as a sacrifice for sin upon the cross. It tells the sensual of every clime, that unless a man be born again-unless his heart be changed and rendered holy by the influences of the Spirit of God - unless he, through faith in the cross of Christ, crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts, he cannot be saved. Now these humbling and purifying doctrines have, in all parts of the world where they have been proclaimed, excited the prejudices and aversion of mankind, for they are directly opposed to the very master-sins of the human heart.

In the apostle's days, the cross of Christ produced the very effect the Abbé complains of, both among the Jews and among the Gentiles. "We preach Christ crucified; to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness:" yet the command of Christ to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, (as well as the Acts of the Apostles, and Church history in general) abundantly proves that the gospel is not to be withheld from men because they entertain sentiments discordant with it; nay, if the gospel were not in opposition to the opinions, the practices, and the