"Me no

serious obstacles thrown in the way of Chris- vi-it their shores, and ask, what good it will tian missionaries of every denomination. do them, to change their long tried precepts Both in India and China, disputants and trac- for the new fangled teachings of the Bible? tarians have sprung up who labor to prove The pride of learning is a great obstacle to that Christianity is not true; and to dispar- the reception of the humiliating truths of the age those who profess it. Gospel everywhere, but perhaps especially "In the account given by Mr. Medhurst in China, where letters are so highly honorof his labors, is a notice of a tract written ed and patronized."* against him by a Chinese, in which he ar- It is related that a certain protestant misgues, 'that it is monstrous in barbarians to sionary solicited a lot of lumber at the first attempt to improve the inhabitants of the cost for the purpose of building a church, celestial empire when they were so misera- and urged it on the ground that whoso givbly deficient themselves. Thus introducing eth to the poor lendeth to the Lord. Almost among the Chinese a poisonous drug, for immediately after obtaining the lumber he their own benefit to the injury of others, sold it at a hundred per cent. advance and they were deficient in benevolence; send- thus made a good speculation. The same ing their fleets and armies to rob other na- missionary frequently visited a distinguished tions of their possessions, they could make Chinese portrait painter, and exhorted him to no pretensions to rectitude; allowing men embrace Christianity. He had presented him and women to mix in society and walk arm a copy of the New Testament in the Chinese in arm through the streets, they showed that language. One day the portrait painter was they had not the least sense of propriety: exhausted of patience, and said: and in rejecting the doctrines of the ancient want-she see you-you take-y too muche-y kings they were far from displaying wisdom: me teem (time)-you make-y talk-ey one indeed, truth was the only good quality to hour. Some piece man want-she he face-y which they could lay the least claim. Defi- just now-that one hour me make-y thirty cient, therefore, in four out of the five car- dollar. Me make-y read that book; me nal virtues, how could they expect to reno- think-ey that book no proper me see in that vate others? Then, while foreigners lavish- book that your Joss take-y some piece loaf ed money in circulating books for the reno- and piece fish and make-y feed too much-ey vation of the age, they made no scruple of men, women and chilo. Me think-ey that trampling printed paper under foot, by which big lie. Cheenaman no can believe that pigthey showed their disrespect for the inven- eon. Me see other big lie. How can make tors of letters. Further, those who would dead man walk-ey; no can do." be exhorters of the world were themselves Flimsy as such arguments may appear to deficient in filial piety, forgetting their pa- us, it is no easy matter, as Mr. Williams rents as soon as dead, putting them off with suggests, to combat their influence on the deal coffins only an inch thick, and never so minds of the Chinese. He who succeeds in much as once sacrificing to their manes, or the effort will prove himself to be ingeburning the smallest trifle of gilt paper for nious, very strong as a logician and learned their support in the future world. Lastly, as a theologian. they allowed the rich and noble to enter of- In the discharge of their holy office, misfice, without passing through any literary ex- sionaries are obliged, from its very nature, aminations, and did not throw open the road to exhibit by argument and illustrations to advancement to the poorest and meanest drawn from various sources, not only the in the land. From all these, it appeared that truth of Christianity, but also the untruth of foreigners were inferior to the Chinese, and every other religious doctrine they may meet therefore most unfit to instruct them.' in the field of their labors. In China, for "To these arguments, which commend example, they should be prepared to demonthemselves to a Chinese with a force that strate incontrovertibly to the meanest as well can hardly be understood by a foreigner, as the highest capacity, the absurdities of they often add the intemperate lives and the religion of Budha, of Fo, and of the reckless cupidity of professed Christians who *The Middle Kingdom.-Vol. p. 378, '9.

other various religious creeds in fashion: in Bombay, arrived in this Presidency in 1829, Arabia he must be equally prepared to grap- and soon after commenced religious discusple with the fallacies of the Koran; in India sions on the Hindoo, Mahommedan and Parhe must encounter Budha, Brahma, and Zo- see religions. He is admitted to be one of roaster. To accomplish these ends, a mis- the most able, intelligent and zealous missionary should be endowed with a high or- sionaries ever sent to this part of the world. der of intellect, and be highly educated; for, The remarks he has published against the if he should fail, not in the estimation of the different systems of religion professed in Christian world, but in the opinion of mis- this country have late.y been answered and believers whom it may be his lot to teach, refuted by the respective members of the to make good his positions against any system of misbelief he may attack, a triumph, temporary though it may be, is given to his opponents and the march of Christianity is interrupted.

native community. But owing to the conversion of two ignorant boys of their tribe in 1839, through the instrumentality of Dr. J. Wilson, the Parsees showed more than ordinary zeal and earnestness in their religious These notions were suggested from look- discussions with this distinguished missionaing over an octavo pamphlet of 221 pages, ry, who published an elaborate work against of which the following is a copy of the title the Parsee religion in the beginning of 1843, page: Discussion on the Christian Reli- containing more than 600 pages. In July gion; as contained in the Bible, and pro- 1842, the Parsees published a bi-monthly pounded by Christian Clergymen and Theo- magazine, (afterwards monthly) of 64 pages, logians; between Pestonjee Monockjee, Ed- 8vo., entitled the Kahnooma-i-Zurtoshtee itor of the Jam-I-Jumsheed, and the Rev. J. or Guide to Zoroastrians,' with the two-fold M. Mitchell, Editor of 'The Native's Friend.' object of defending their own religion from 'Come now, and let us reason together, the attacks of Dr. Wilson and other Chrissaith the Lord.-Isaiah 1. 18. tian missionaries and refuting the Christian religion.

Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.-1 Thessalonians v. 21.

'Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.-Romans xiv. 5.

Let Truth and Falsehood grapple. Whoever knew Truth put to the worst in a free and open encounter?-Milton.

'The course of argument and fair reason cannot be impeded.-Bombay Government.

Bombay. Printed at the Dufter Ashkara

1

"Christian missionaries themselves have from time to time challenged an unrestricted examination of the religion they offer to the Natives. Their challenge has been duly accepted by the Parsees, as will be evident from the discussion herein offered to the public. But the matter shall not rest here. The Editor of the Jam-i-Jumsheed avails himself of this opportunity to declare his readiness to discuss, on a more extended plan, It seems to me almost certain that all the with any Christian missionary, two important Parsees and natives of India who read this and extensive subjects, viz: the internal and production will be satisfied, not only that the external evidences of Christianity, and the Rev. J. M. Mitchell has been routed in argu- authenticity of the Bible-subjects which he ment, but that the doctrines of Christianity has carefully studied and minutely investiare absurd and fabulous. Consequently, a gated for several years, and on which he is blow has been struck which must retard the progress of Christianity in Hindoostan.

Press.

1845.'"

prepared to conduct a calm and courteous discussion with any Christian layman, divine or clergyman who may be disposed to come forward and accept his challenge. These discussions will, it is hoped, be productive of much good, and no evil.”

To show the ability of this Parsee writer, and the scope of his researches in connection with the subject, I quote some passages from the "introduction" which explain the origin of the controversy. "It may not be This clever Parsee, like the Chinese adamiss to remark that the Rev. Dr. John Wil- versaries of the Christian missionaries, points son, missionary of the church of Scotland at to the vicious, immoral condition of Chris

tian countries with much force. He says-than in any other country. We are no more "You refer me to the present and past secure in our property of every kind, than condition of Europe, America, and the Is- if we were savages; perhaps we are upon lands of the Pacific in proof of the moral in- the whole less so.' The Rev. T. Belham fluence of Christianity. Let us see, Mr. says, [Progress of Improvement, 1814, p. 9,] Editor, what the Rev. S. Chandler, an or- The present times in England are bad. Vice thodox Christian and a priest, says on this and immorality in every shape abound in all subject, [History of Persecution.] If any ranks and descriptions of the community.' person,' says he, 'were to judge of the na-If,' says another orthodox Christian writer ture and spirit of the Christian religion by of learning, [Christian Remembrancer, 1833,] the spirit and conduct only of too many, who 'if 200,000 persons, who in London alone have professed to believe in it, in all nations, support themselves by vagrancy, dishonesty, and almost through all ages of the Christian prostitution and theft, average 12 shillings Church, he could scarce fail to censure it as a week, as the produce of their crimes, the an institution unworthy of the God of order country is taxed £6,000,000 a year for their and peace, subversive of the welfare and support. The estimate is probably underrahappiness of societies, and designed to en- ted. It has been calculated that the annual rich and aggrandize a few only, at the ex- depredations in London exceed £2 000.000; pense of the liberty, reason, consciences, and that it has 60,000 prostitutes, (some say substance and lives of others. What is the 80,000;) 75,000 persons were taken into cusbest part of Ecclesiastical History, better tody there in 1832.' 'In Ireland, so conthan a history of the pride and ambition, spicuous for its religious fervency, morality the avarice and tyranny, the treachery and is indeed at a low ebb. A clergyman who cruelty of some, and the persecutions and sometime ago visited it, left it as his opinion dreadful miseries of others?' Bishop Kid- that it was Gospel-hardened, [Presbyterian der, [Demonstrations of the Messiah,] anoth- Penny Magazine, October, 1834.] With reer Christian Ecclesiastic of high rank and gard to the morality of the Irish, their own learning, is of opinion that- Were a wise countryman says: Nothing but the dread man to choose his religion by the lives of of the law and fear of punishment bridles those who profess it, perhaps Christianity their. fury, prevents them from turning the would be the last religion he would choose.' whole country topsy-turvy and reducing to Peruse, sir, with serious attention, these ad- one frightful chaos all the elements of sociemissions, which orthodox Christians them- ty,' [O' Croly's Essay, 1835.] Dr. Ryan in selves have been obliged to make; and pon- his Philosophy of Marriage,' page 18, thus der on the confessions truth has elicited from describes the immoralities of the British methem. tropolis: According to the reports of the "Without going so far as America or the society for the prevention of Prostitution in Islands of the Pacific, let us see the present London, established under the patronage of moral condition of your own country, Great the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the city in Britain and Ireland. In this most civilized 1836-39, it appears, that it has been proved country of Europe, where the 'benign influ- that upwards of 400 individuals in London ence of Christianity' universally prevails, procure a livelihood by trepanning females 'the whole system of trading and shopkeep- of from eleven to fifteen years of age, for the ing,' says R. Griffith, is deeply stained with purposes of prostitution. That during the falsehoods and fraudulent practices; drunk- last eight years, there have been no less than enness and fornication are extremely preva- 2,700 cases of disease arising from this cause, lent; malice, envy, revenge, blood-thirsti- in children from eleven to ixteen years of ness, uncharitableness, slander, pride, hatred, age, admitted into tree of the largest hosand contempt of poverty, widely pervade all pitals in London. Not less than 80,000 prosranks and conditions, and not the least, the titutes exist in London, a great proportion of Christian priesthood.' The writer of a book whom are of tender age. It is computed called Thoughts on Executive Justice,' that 8,000 die every year, and yet the numsays, 'There are more crimes in England ber is on the increase. It is lamentable to

เ

observe that scarcely a day passes without| "Almost every Overland Mail, that arbringing to light, by means of the public pa- rives from England every month, brings horpers, some new act of seduction, of deser- rid particulars of the immoralities and shametion; and how often has the humane mind less atrocities committed by all classes of bitterly reflected on the amount of life sac- Christians in the land of the blessed Gosrificed, either by disease or suicide!' This, pel,' as you call it. We receive almost every sir, is a just and impartial estimate of the month heart-rending accounts of parents wretched condition of morality under the murdering their own children, wives their influence of Christianity,-a picture drawn husbands, brothers avenging on their sisters, on the spot by your own countrymen by or- and vice-versa; priests and clergymen comthodox Christians, whose evidence I have mitting violent assaults, murders and deprapurposely selected and preferred quoting, in dations; actions for bigamy, criminal conorder that no one can question its accuracy. versation, perjury, assumpsit, trespasses, larThough I have not had the good fortune to ceny, burglary, treason, and a host of other visit England, yet some of my friends who offences; persons of rank and intelligence have been there, corroborate the truth of fighting duels, committing suicide and other these facts and statements; from which it abominations of the Lord;' shocking instanappears beyond doubt, that the Christian re- ces of drunkenness, lewdness and other vices, ligion has proved a weak and inefficient disgusting in the extreme, and less frequent check against vice and immorality, both pri- even among the benighted heathens.' vate and public.

"Behold the moral influence of the Chris"If a man were to select any part of the tian religion in your own country, Mr. EdiBritish metropolis,' says a Native who lately tor! and reflect on it seriously, before you visited England, [Manuscript Journal of a again refer me to the present and past conResidence in Great Britain, by a Parsee,] such dition of Europe, of America, of the islands as St. Giles's or Shoreditch, what will he of the Pacific and of the world.' There is an find there? Hundreds and thousands of English proverb which says "Charity begins poor, wretched, miserable beings, unable to at home.' I would therefore recommend read or write, of depraved and sinful habits; that all the generous and charitable Britons, many of them the illegitimate offspring of who, from a mistaken zeal in the cause of those Christians, who, having gratified their religion, send Missionaries like yourself, Mr. lust by seducing the mothers of these chil- Editor, to this distant country, and many dren of wretchedness, have abandoned them other remote parts of the world, to convert to poverty, destitution and crime,-many of and civilize the natives, should begin the them the progeny of abandoned, dissolute work of charity and civilization at home, reparents, who brought their children up to form their own countrymen, rescue them habits of thieving from childhood. These from ignorance, superstition, vice, irreligion, call aloud for Home Missionary exertion and wickedness and debauchery; and then let for the liberality of the English in their own all the different sects and denominations of country. Visit any seaport town, or any Christians deliberate together, argue and deplace in the neighborhood of a military sta- termine one uniform mode of worship and tion in England, and there see the streets belief, to which they should next attempt to thronged with multitudes of unfortunate wo- convert all the divided sects of Christians. men, who, blessed by their Maker with at- After having thus completed the work of tractive features and having fallen victims to reformation throughout Europe, (a very diffiunprincipled men, who cast them off after a cult, arduous and almost impracticable task, short season, haunt all the public thorough- requiring many centuries to accomplish,) let fares, set public decency at defiance, use language of a most horrible and obscene napared with the population, for it appears from official reports, that during the four years ending Dec. 31st, 1942, ture, and continue in the path of vice, he population had increased only four and a half per disease puts an end to their wretched exist-cent, whilst crime, as compared with the average of the ence.'

until

four previous years, had increased 24.7 per cent.”—' Principles of Criminal Law' in Small Books on Great Sub

*"Crime has increased in a quintuple ratio as com-jects.

them send missionaries to India and other "Whoever will take the trouble to invescountries to convert the Natives. If Europe, tigate the history of Protestanism in GermaAmerica, the Islands of the Pacific and other many, throughout the last eighty or ninety countries of the world have been civilized, years, will find that the spectacle presented it is not owing to the moral character and by it to the eye of the Christian is exceedinfluence of the Christian religion, but to ingly sad. Throughout that extended period the march of intellect, to the progress of a large proportion of the Reformed divines science and knowledge, to progressive refine- have not only rejected for themselves all bement, experience, and to the improvement lief in the divine origin of Christianity, but of ages." have labored with a zeal worthy of a better

It must be painful to every benevolent, cause, to instil their own pernicious opinions Christian mind to know that the references into the minds of others. From the chairs of this Parsee, a heathen or pagan in our no- of the theological professorships in the unitions, are substantially true; and all must versities, of which at one time they had moperceive that as long as such weapons can nopolized the possession, as well as the pages be brought to bear against missionaries in of all the most influential literary and relitheir labors to persuade misbelievers of the gious journals, which were chiefly under their truth of Christianity, their success must be control, a body of Rationalists, as they call slow. It would avail little with such oppo- themselves, ceased not to contemn and hold nents to urge that the debased moral condi- up to ridicule all who professed their belief tion of a portion of the population in Chris- in particular inspirations; nay, the very pultian communities is owing to the absence of pits became, in their hands, and in those of Christianity; for investigation has shown in their disciples, fountains from which came several instances that a very large proportion forth continually the waters which canker of those arrested for crimes could neither where they flow. Moreover, the amount of read nor write, and had no definite ideas of learning which they brought to aid them in religion of any kind. Consequently, these this unholy task, was undoubtedly as great facts prove nothing against the efficacy of as the skill which they displayed in adapting Christianity in the production of moral con- their arguments to the tastes and compreduct; but they do most emphatically prove hensions of the different classes in society. that we should get the beams out of our own was remarkable. No wonder that the coneyes, before we go to the antipodes to seek for sequence should have been a speculative inthe motes in the eyes of other nations or fidelity every where." peoples.

"The religion of the Bible is not now, and A specious and sophistical argument might for many years back has never been, the be made against the power of Christianity, or standard of faith and morals within the Prusrather the influence of a simple knowledge sian dominions." [See Gleig's Germany : of its precepts and seeming belief in them, Hawkin's Germany, page 171-173, where the to retain its professors in the path of honesty present state of religion in Germany is miand truth, by bringing forward the criminal nutely described.] priests and bishops, and exhibiting the social, moral and criminal offences they have perpetrated, in spite of thorough knowledge.

*

"Almost universal religious infidelity prevails in the German universities. The principles of Kant, carried to an extremity by But Pestonjee Monockjee is not content to Hegel and others, have succeeded in making array facts against the usefulness of Chris- Christianity regarded as a fable. tianity; he questions its truth and divine ori- In Germany, Philosophy has thoroughly clipgin, and quotes many infidel as well as Chris-ped the angel wings of Christianity. It has tian authors to sustain his positions, and as represented the miraculous histories of the corroborative of his views he refers to the Old and New Testaments as fables. It has religious condition of Germany, and quotes described the wonders of God's providene,c from "the Rev. G. R. Gleig's Germany, Bo- as exhibited in the establishment of the Jewhemia, and Hungary, visited in 1837-Lon- ish people, and of Jesus Christ's miracles, don, 1839," the following: for the establishment of his religion, to be

VOL. XIX-79