find, a race of men, like other men who are not partakers in the regenerating principle of the gospel, very far gone, indeed, from God and His original righteousness; but exempt perhaps, by the fortunate circumstances of their climate and habits, from some of those more outrageous and appalling vices of which so dreadful a picture is drawn in those nations to whom the apostles preached Christ crucified.

'I have found a race of gentle and temperate habits; with a natural talent and acuteness beyond the ordinary level of mankind, and with a thirst for general knowledge which even the renowned and inquisitive Athenians can hardly have surpassed or equalled. Prejudiced, indeed, they are, in favor of their ancient superstitions; nor should I think, to say the truth, more. favorably of the character, or augur more happily of the eventual conversion and perseverance of any man or set of men, whom a light consideration would stir from their paternal creed, or who received the word of truth without cautious and patient inquiry. But I am yet to learn, that the idolatry which surrounds us is more enthralling in its influence on the human mind than those beautiful phantoms and honied sorceries which lurked beneath the laurels of Delos and Daphne, and floated on the clouds of Olympus. I am not yet convinced that the miserable bondage of castes, and the consequences of breaking that bondage, are more grievous to be endured by the modern Indian than those ghastly and countless shapes of death which beset the path of the Roman convert. And who shall make me believe, that the same word of the Most High, which consigned to the moles and the bats the idols of Chaldee and Babylon, and dragged down ile lying father of gods and men from his own capitol, and the battlements of his "Eternal City," must yet arrest its victorious wheels on the banks of the Indus or the Ganges, and admit the trident of Siva to share, with the Cross, a divided empire?'

pp. 18, 19.

The convictions of Bishop Heber with regard to the number of converts made to Protestant Christianity, may be gathered from the following paragraph, though we regret that he did not descend to a more minute exhibition of particulars.

'But are no converts made to Protestant Christianity? Bear witness to the contrary the Christians of Agra, of Benares, of Buxar, of Meerut, and Chunar! Bear witness those numerous believers of our own immediate neighborhood, whom, though we differ on many, and doubtless, on very important points, I should hate myself if I could regard as any other than my brethren! Let the populous christian districts of the Carnatic and

Tanjore bear witness, where believers are not reckoned by solitary individuals, but by hundreds and by thousands! Bear witness Ceylon, where the cross has, in a great measure, lost its reproach, and the nobles of the land are gradually assuming without scruple the attire, the language, and the religion of Englishmen! And let him, finally, bear witness whom we have now received into the number of the commissioned servants of the church, and whom, we trust, at no distant day, to send forth, in the fulness of christian authority, to make known the way of truth to those his countrymen, from whose errors he has himself been gloriously delivered!'* pp. 22, 23.

With some further advice to those whom he is addressing, an urgent recommendation of the claims of that very important institution, Bishop's College, founded by Bishop Middleton, and an affectionate notice of the recent death of Sir Christopher Puller, Chief Justice of Bengal, our author concludes his interesting charge.

The only sermon in the volume which is expressly devoted to the subject of the conversion of the heathen, is the eleventh in order, and was preached, as it appears, at Bombay, at Colombo, and at Calcutta. Here again we must content ourselves with general views, as details are not given. The arguments in favor of exertion in propagating the gospel, are able, though not original, and the objections commonly advanced against such exertion are well confuted. But we have already made such copious extracts from this volume, that we must confine ourselves to a single one from this sermon, which we select on account of its being a brief exposition of the alleged principles of action of the English Church in India, and of its success and prospects of success in its evangelizing labors.

'To the plea of political danger I must not be supposed insensible. We have no right, as Christians, to attempt a good work in a manner which is likely to be attended with an immediate and preponderant evil; we are bound, as christian subjects and citizens, so to temper our zeal with discretion, as not to disturb the peace of the land wherein we dwell, and the government from whom we receive protection. And even setting aside all secular considerations and secular duties, we shall err most grossly against that pure and peaceable wisdom, whereby only we can attain the conversion of the heathen, if we assail

*The individual here noticed, was a catechist of Schwartz, Christian David, of Tanjore.

their errors with any other weapon than mild and courteous and unobtrusive argument, or do anything which can array their angry passions against those opinions which we seek to recommend to their acceptance.

'But in the system which only has been tried by the members of our communion, and which only, so far as my advice or authority can reach, shall ever, by God's blessing, be attempted in India; a system studiously distinguished from and unconnected with government, yet studiously kept within those limits of prudence and moderation which a wise and liberal government has prescribed; a system which, while it offers our faith to the acceptance of the heathen on the ground of its spiritual blessings, disqualifies no man, on account of his contrary opinions, from any civil or political advantage; a system which, by the communication of general instruction and general morality, imparts a knowledge and feeling which, whether they become Christians or no, must be highly valuable to them; a system which puts them in fair possession of the evidences of our creed, leaving it to themselves and their own unbiassed choice to determine between light and darkness; in such a system, so long as it is steadily adhered to, and patiently and wisely pursued, there is not, there cannot be danger.

They are their own learned men who are our teachers, our correctors of the press, our fellow-laborers in the work of instruction; they are their own countrymen, yea, and they themselves who are benefited by the large expenditure which our system occasions amongst them; and even our missionaries, as associating with them more, and speaking their language better, and occupying themselves with their concerns and the promotion of their real or apprehended interests, are, (I have reason to believe, by what I have myself seen and heard in no inconsiderable part of India,) among the most popular Europeans who are to be found in their respective neighbourhoods. Yea, more, I have had the happiness of witnessing, both in the number of converts which have already been made in Hindustan, in the general good conduct of those converts, and in the good terms on which they in general appear to live with their gentile neighbours, both how much good may be done, and how little offence will be occasioned by a course of well-meant and well-directed efforts to enlighten the inhabitants of India.' pp. 194–196.

We have now placed before our readers the amount of Bishop Heber's evidence on the condition and prospects of Christianity in India, so far as we have been able to collect it from the volumes before us. His opinions are, to be sure, the opinions

of an individual, but of an individual whose station furnished him with unusual opportunities of knowledge, and whose mind and character entitle his opinions to additional respect and attention. We must remark, too, that however small may be the reverence which we are disposed to offer to the mere name and office of bishop, we are compelled to believe that it is a dignity of great importance to the interests of the English Church, and of the church universal, in India. What we, as Independent Congregationalists, do or do not reverence, is of little moment. So long as the episcopal title carries with it respect and honor in England, so long will an Indian bishop be able to render immense service to the christian cause, by his connexions with men of wealth and rank, by the appeals which he can with a degree of authority make to such men, and by the power which his office gives him of rallying round him and his purposes, a body of respectful and devoted clergy; especially when, like Heber, he is not only a bishop, but an accomplished scholar, a man of sense, zeal, and piety, and, to say all in one word, a Christian.

ART. VI.-A Roland for an Oliver. Letters on Religious Persecution; proving, that that most heinous of Crimes, has not been peculiar to Roman Catholics; but that when they had the Power, Protestants of almost every Denomination have been equally guilty; and that, particularly in England, for one hundred and fifty Years, it was perpetrated in its most hideous Forms of Hanging-Cutting down alive -Scooping out the Bowels-Burning them before the Face of the Victim-Chopping off his Head, and Cutting his Body in Quarters, while the Flesh was still quivering under the Butcher's Knife; and finally, in many cases Burning the unfortunate Religionist alive. In Reply to a libellous Attack on the Roman Catholics, in an Address delivered to a Society of Irish Orange Men, styling themselves The Gideonite Society. With a Preliminary Address to the Right Reverend James Kemp, D. D. &c. &c. By a CATHOLIC LAYMAN. Third Edition, improved. Philadelphia. Bernard Dornin. 1826. 8vo. pp. 51.

In reading the history of the church we find that almost every sect, on coming into power, has resorted to measures which it

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condemned as oppressive and tyrannical, when out of power. Hence hasty and superficial reasoners have sometimes inferred, that abuse of power is a vice to which all sects are equally prone; and consequently, that it matters not, so far as liberty and toleration are concerned, which of these sects is in the ascendant ;-Catholic or Protestant, Episcopalian or Presbyterian, Trinitarian or Unitarian-there is no difference.

A more careful and thorough examination of this subject will convince us, however, that there is a material difference. Of course, we do not deny, that abuse of power is a vice to which all sects are liable; but we deny, that it is one to which all sects are equally liable. Some sects are more tempted than others; some sects are more restrained than others. We can demonstrate, for example, that the Liberal or Unitarian party, as now constituted in New England, is less likely to abuse the power and influence it may gain, than the Exclusive or Orthodox party.

In the first place, those who believe less, are not likely to injure or persecute those who believe more, except sometimes for political reasons. History informs us that it has always been those who have trenched on the popular faith, and not those who have added to it, that have incurred the heaviest penalties. It is not difficult to account for this. If my neighbour believes more than I do, I wonder at his credulity; perhaps I pity it, or deride it, and this is all. My pride is not wounded by the comparison, but flattered, as the only impression left on my mind is an impression of my own superiority. But if my neighbour believes less than I do, it makes me angry. He seems to set himself up as a wiser man than I am, as able to see the folly and absurdity of opinions and institutions which I regard as true and sacred. My pride is mortified, and this creates in me a strong desire to put down such arrogance. These remarks apply to the controversy between the Unitarians and the Orthodox. Unitarians may wonder at the credulity of the Orthodox, perhaps they may pity it, and the less serious among them may ridicule it; but they are not likely to do anything more. On the contrary, the Orthodox, if they are men, must feel mortified and exasperated at the presence of a sect affecting greater refinement and liberality, and it is not in human nature that they should not wish its extirpation.

Secondly, Unitarians do not pretend to that degree of confidence and certainty in their opinions, which the Orthodox feel