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MISSIONARY RECORDS .

INDIA .

LONDON :
RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY,
Instituted 1799 ;

SULD AT THE DEPOSITORY, 56 , PATERNOSTER ROW ;

AND BY THE BOOKSELLERS.
 US EUrBiE
Partne

Printed by J. Rider, Little Britain, London .

 CONTENTS.

PAGE

INTRODUCTION IX

Creed of the Hindoos-- The Truth of God changed

into a Lie - Happiness ---Transmigration-Castes-
Punishment - Hindoo Character - Female Society,

CHAPTER I. 1

Missionary Labours - Francis Xavier-- The Congre .

gation for the Propagation of the Faith - Ziegenbang
and Plutcho - Society for Promoting Christian Known
ledge--Letters of King George I , and Archbishop
Wake- Extract from the Missionaries' Reply to the
former - Death of Ziegenbalg - The Native Convert,
Rajapaiken -- Aaron the First Native Preacher - Diogo
ordainedExtracts from his Sermon --- Arrival of Rev.
C. F. Swartz-- The Convert Arunasalem -- Mission
established at Tanjore - Great Success --- Interview
with the Rajah - Swartz visits Hyder Ally's Country
--Famine-- The Rajah's Son committed to Swartz
Defence of the Mission --- Illness and Death of Swartz
--- Testimonies of Respect .
iv CONTENTS .

CHAPTER II. .... 41

Rev , Mr. Gericke-His Devotedness and Death

Remarkable History of Rev. John Kiernander-- Rev.
David Brown --- Rev. Dr. Buchanan--Translations.com
Journies -- Visit to Juggernaut, Tranquebar, and Tan
jore -- Interviews with the Rajah - Report of the Mis
sion --- Bishop Heber's Visit-Recent Intelligence
Renunciation of Popery.

CHAPTER III . 172

Baptist Missionary Society -- Results of Mr. Thomas'

Labours - Returns to India with the Rev. W. Carey
Remarkable Preservation --- Trials on their Arrival
Specimen of Missionary Preaching - Mohammedan
and Hindoo Prejudice - Visit to the Bootau Country
A Suttee -Death of Rev. Messrs. Grant and Fountain
Gokool and Kristno -- Their Repunciation of Caste
and its Consequences - Their Baptism -- New Testa
mentin Bengalee--Rev. Messrs. Brunsden and Thomas
removed by Death-Sketch of the latter -- Baptism of
Syam Doss- Dulol, the Leader of a new Sect.

CHAPTER IV. 105

Disregard of Caste -Anxiety of some for Religious

Instruction --- A Missionary Conflict--Sufferings of the
Native Converts-- Visit to Saugur Island The Con
verts Juggernaut and Pitambura Singhu-- Mr. Las
sar's Aid in Translation --- Threatened Interruption-
Dreadful Revenge -- Suttee - The Convert Seeboo Roy
-Difficulties-- Second Visit to Bootan-The Convert
Futick-Sudden but Hopeful Death ---Printing Office
consumed by Fire.
 CONTENTS . V

CHAPTER V. 138
Labours at Orissa --- Conversion of a Brahmin ---
The Swinging Festival Interview with a Portuguese
-The Convert Gungadass----The Hindoo Testament
well understood -Effects of the Distribution of the
Scriptures-- Immolations at Allahabad - A Devotee ---
Additions to the Church -- Advancement of Useful
Knowledge -- The Convert Brindabund . Sketch of
Rev. Mr. Chamberlain - The Leper - The Gospels
valued -- The Rajah and his Attendants Improve
ment in Female Character-- Death of Ram Kisoon.

CHAPTER VI. 164

Baptism of an aged Brahmin ---Condemned Hin
doos attended by a Native Convert -- Labours of
Neelo -- New Chapel at Calcutta --- Examination of
Schools at Dacca -- A Widow buried alive-- Sketches
of Rev. W. Ward, and Rev. John Lawson-A Na
tive Preacher's Ability and Intelligence- A Hindoo
Christian's Death-A Martyr - Discussion between a
learned Molwee and a Native Teacher - Removal of
Disabilities from Native Christians-- Effects of Mis
sionary Labours.

CHAPTER VII. 187

Gross Impiety -- The Yogee - Sacrifice of Infants
Dreadful Mistake - The London Missionary Society
The Convert Ananderayer. Death of the Rev. Messrs .
Cran and Des Granges-- The Convert Apavoom Bela
lary -- Translation of the Scriptures into Canarese
Experience of Isaac C.-State of Benares-- Temple of
Doorga - Account of two Fakeers--Bangalore- Thea
Convert Samuel Flavel --Ilis public Discussion with
Roman Catholic.
vi CONTENTS .

CUAPTER VIII. 215

Cuddapah - A great Hindoo Festival- A Brahmin

Convert ---Belgaum -- The Convert Dhondapah - Con
staney of a Convert-An Idol demolished - Death of
the Rev. J. B. Warden , and of the Rev. H. Chambers
---Worship of Tools --Anxiety for Instruction- Rev.
Robert May -- Festival of Doorga --Necessity of the
Gospel-- Sketch of Mrs. Mundy -- A Subterranean
Temple-Worship of the Serpent - Abolition of Sut
tees at Allahabad-Dialogue between a Missionary
and a Hindoo Female Chittoor--- Joseph Dacre, Esq .--
Native Teachers .

CHAPTER IX. 256

Change efiected by various means - Native Readers

-Account of a Gun Lascar--Death of a Native Convert
--Hindoo Predictions-- Speech of Rev. Mr. Hands-
The aged Christian, Gooroopah --Importance of Fa
mily Prayer - Gooroopah's Grandson -- A Briton con
verted in India -- Sketch of the Convert, Alexander
Effects produced by a Tract- State of Missions in
India, by Rev. Mr. Mundy - The Tamul Tract Society-
The Scriptures valued at Surat--- Accounts of Native
Readers, by themselves----Spirit of Persecution in Tra
vancore --- Cheering Intelligence from Calcutta.

CHAPTER X. 318

Church Missionary Society - Sketch of Abdool Mes

seeh - Madras-- Pagan Festival A Devotee - A Jug
gler - Prevalence of the Cholera -- Its pretended cause
-New Church-The Convert Vengedasalam - Bap
tism of a Brahmin --Worship of a Demon -- Interesting
 CONTENTS . vii

Conversation with a Boy -- Meerut-- A Fakeer -- Effect

of Gospels distributed by the late Mr. Chamberlain
Piety and Courage of Anund Messeeh -- The Convert
Kanya- Remarkable Death of aa little Boy.

CHAPTER XI . 358

Chunar-Baptism of a Brahmin and a Moonshee

Power of the Brahmins-- Sufferings of Mary Gibbs-
Obituary of Nathaniel Tajhkan - A Devotee --- Testi
mony of Archdeacon Wilkinson -- Sketch of Mark
Rummun Loll - Memoir of the Rev. C. Friend
Allepie - Effect of Reading the Scriptures ---Cotym-
Account of the Syrian Christians.

CHAPTER XII . 405

Burdwan - Worship of Paper, Pens, and Ink

Success of the Schools-- The First Converts ---Alarm
ing Inundation ---Mercenary Character of the Hindoos
--Attempts at Imposition --Baptism of a young
Brahmin--Card-Playing abandonedo- Low Opinion of
Hindoo Veracity -- Temple at Goruckhpore-Interest
ing Conversation with a Native -- Baptism , Persecu
tion, and Firmness of a new Convert--First Female
School at Calcutta - Conversion of a Little Hindoo
Girl - Mayaveram - A Worshipper of Vishnoo - The
Odia Tree-Folly and Delusions of Heathenism
General Effect produced on Heathen Neighbours
Memoir of Nanjanamuttoo - Love to the Scriptures
combined with Benevolence. The Convert Abraham
--Tinuevelly --- Estimate of the Influence of the
Gospel on Native Christians--Vindication of their
Character and Motives -- The Convert Stephen -- De
tection of False Accusations.
vii CONTENTS .

CHAPTER XIII . 459

General Baptist Missionary Society ---Orissa -- Per

severing Opposition-Evening at Juggernaut--Cruel
Mockery - Effect of a Tract on the Ten Command
ments - A Gooroo-Interesting Visit-Worship of
Juggernaut---Ravages of the Cholera--Native Preach
ing - Schools-- Present Scenes and future Prospects of
Orissa --- Origin of the American Board of Commis
sioners for Foreign Missions -- Bombay -- Royal Wed
ding --- Encouraging Facts - Effect of past Labours
Scottish Missionary Society - Stedfastness of Converts
Roman Catholic Vicar, a Candidate for Commu
nion - Baptism of a Child - A Sadhoo - Wesleyan
Missionary Society -- The Master of a School at Madras
--Rev. Mr. England - Bangalore - The Convert Jo.
seph --- Native Gentleman at Poonamallee ---Account
of keeping the Sabbath , by Mr. Bourne of Negapatam
Importance of Devotedness to God.
 INTRODUCTION .

Creed of the Hindoos.- The Truth of God

changed into a Lie.-- Happiness. - Transmi
gration.-- Castes.--- Punishment.---Hindoo Cha
racter .- Female Society.

HATRED to the knowledge of God leaves the

human mind under the power of superstition ; but
though this, in various degrees, is often manifest,
it is peculiarly conspicuous in some parts of the
earth . On the vast continent of India, for ex
ample, it does not merely suggest opinions, or
prescribe a ritual to be observed by a few ; it affects
every rank in society, and orders all the affairs of
public and private life. The brahmin is the sage
and noble of the land , and is regarded with re
verence which the most distinguished in other
countries never receive ; and the state of the people
may be imagined, when an Indian priest was de
scribed by one of his own class, as an ant's nest
of lies and impostures.” A brief view of the
creed and practices of the Hindoos will, therefore,
appropriately commence this volume, and at once
illustrate their claims to christian compassion,
and the circumstances in which it has been ex
ercised .
Three of the six schools of philosophy, once
famous in India, were atheistical. They taught,
6
X INTRODUCTION .

that every thing we can sce, or form any concep

tion of, is to be referred to one or other of two prin
ciples - it is either spirit or matter ; since, beside
these, nothing else exists; that all spirit is God ; that
God exists without attributes, in a state of eternal
repose, unconnected with any of the forms of mat
ter ; that the spirit of man is individuated deity ;
that in its connexion with matter, spirit is degraded
and imprisoned ; and that the great and only bu
siness of man on earth , is to seek deliverance and
a return to the source from which it has been
severed. The mode of doing this is by the prac
tice of ceremonies connected with bodily austerities
and tortures, which are said to leave spirit, even
while in the body, in a state of divine tranquillity,
resembling that of God, and to prepare it for re
union to Him . These speculations form the belief
of all the Hindoos.
While, however, they verbally admit the doc
trine of the divine unity, they speak of three hun
dred and thirty millions of gods. Having no
knowledge of the government of Jehovah , they
suppose the world to be placed under the manage
ment of beings who are ignorant, capricious, and
wicked ; that the three principal deities--the crea
tor, the preserver, and the destroyer, having no
love of righteousness, or settled rules of admi
nistration, are often quarrelling, and subverting
one another's arrangements ; and thus they know
not whom to obey, or in whom to confide.
In this awful manner, have “ they changed the
truth of God into a lie .” Every view that can be
taken of the worship of idols is a lie against the
Supreme Majesty. Their number is a lie against
his unity ; their corporeal nature is a lie against
у
INTRODUCTION . xi

his pure invisible spirituality ; their confined and

local residence, a lie against his omnipresence and
immensity ; their limited and subdivided depart
ments of operation , a lie against his universal pro
prietorship and dominion ; their follies and weak
nesses, a lie against his infinite wisdom ; their
defects, and vices, and crimes, a lie against his
unsullied purity and perfection. In what a strange
anhallowed state must that man's heart be, who
can contemplate without emotion this sacrilegious
robbery of Heaven, this universal slander upon the
character of Deity ! *
The Hindoos hold two singular opinions as to
futurity ; the one is the animation of all matter, even
plants as well as animals ; and the other is, that a
man's ancestors may suffer in another world by
what their posterity do in this. Happiness in
actual enjoyment is considered the fruit of the
meritorious works of preceding births; but very
splendid acts of merit procure exaltation even in
the birth in which they are performed. This su
preme felicity can only be obtained by qualifica
tious acquired on earth , where, to secure this, even
an inhabitant of heaven must be born . A person
may sink to earth again , by crimes committed in
heaven ; the joys of which arise only from the gra
tification of the senses .
As to punishments, transmigration , which is one
of them , is no trifie. Persons born with certain
defects of body, are held to be punished by them
for sins committed in a former state of being. A
stealer of gold from a brahmin has aa whitlow on
his nails; a drinker of spirits, black teeth ; a stealer
a

* Wardlaw's Sermon on Idolatry .

xii INTRODUCTION ,

of grain, the defect of some limb; a mixer of

bad wares with good, some redundant member;
an unauthorized reader of the scriptures, dumb
ness ; a stealer of a lamp, total blindness. AC
cording to the puranas, he who has once sunk
among the brutes, must pass through many mil
lions of births before he can rise again into the
human form . He must then pass through four
hundred thousand births among the inferior classes,
and finally, through one hundred among brahmins,
before he can hope for absorption .
The punishment of the wicked after death is
not confined to this state of earthly wretchedness.
As soon as they expire, they are said to be hurried
six hundred and eighty -eight thousand miles, to
the judgment-seat of Yama, situated amid the
frightful rocks and snows of the Himalaya. When
sentence is pronounced, the victim is driven to his
state of punishment, or hell , of which places there
are reported to be a hundred thousand. There tor
tures are endured corresponding with the crimes
of the offender : thus, the murderer is fed on flesh
and blood ; and the adulterer is embraced by an
image of red hot iron . But after proportionate
torment, they are finally purified by the earthly
punishment of passing a series of ages in the form
of some degraded animal.
It may be well to remark, before the influence
of these superstitions is traced, that the Hindoos,
were originally divided into four castes or tribes :
the brahmin , the ketra, the bice, and the soodra ;
each of which is again subdivided into a number
of different branches. None of these can ever quit
his own caste, or be admitted into another. The
station of every individual is, therefore, unalter
 INTRODUCTION . xiü

ably fixed . The inembers of each tribe must ad

here invariably to the profession of their ancestors,
and continue from generation to generation to
pursile one uniforin walk of life . In consequence
of this umatural distinction, all motives to exer
tion , inquiry, or improvement, are completely ex
tinguished, for the most honourable actions, bene
ficial discoveries , or virtuous conduct, secure no
respect or advantage to a person of inferior caste ;
and, on the other hand, those of high caste suffer
no loss of reputation, by being indolent, ignorant,
or vicious. Hence they display a stupid content
ment with their state, a total want of curiosity,
and not a thought seems ordinarily to arise as to
the enlargement of their understandings, or the
amelioration of their hearts. Careless and indif
terent, they plod on in their path ; and even truths
in philosophy, geography, astronomy, or any other
science, if out of the beaten track of antiquity,
make no more impression on their minds than the
sublimer principles of religion. They consider the
different castes to be distinct species of animals ;
and hence conclude, that it is as possible for thein
to become some other kind of animal as to become
christians; and that the different forms of worship
and babits of life observed by particular castes, are
no less necessary to them than eating grass is to
an ox, or flesh to a tiger. The most trilling inci
dents, however, occasion the loss of caste , as eat
ing, drinking, or smoking with a person of a dif
ferent tribe or nation. They may, indeed, eat the
food of another caste, if no water has touched it.
Thus a brahmin can purchase rice of a soodra, or
even of a mussulman , and eat it ; but none except
a brahmin can cook his food . The loss of caste is ,
53
xiv INTRODUCTION .
indeed , attended with the most dreadful conse
quences. No one will eat, drink, or smoke with
such a person ; no one will marry into his family ;
his wife, his children , his friends disown him , and
are often material sufferers by what he has done,
sometimes even losing caste themselves in conse
quence of it ; and thus he ruins them as well as
himself. Nor can caste, if once completely lost,
ever be recovered. Dr. Carey knew a man whose
caste was gone, through a woman in the family
being obliged to live with a mussulman ; and
though he offered a lack of rupees, or about ten
thousand pounds sterling, to have it restored , it
was of no avail. Besides, such is the influence of
example, that the mussulmen are as attentive to
their imaginary caste as the Hindoos are to theirs ;
and thus the same obstacle operates with similar
force upon them .
As to the character of the Hindoos, Dr. Carey
observes, “ The stories of their benevolence, hu
manity, and meekness, are all false, and exist
only in the doctrines of the shasters, which have
been neither seen nor heard by the thousandth
part of the people. The very reverse is the case.
Lying, avarice, perfidiousness, cruelty to animals,
and servility, are the most prominent features in
their character ; and though it is taught in their
shasters that it is the same crime to kill a cow or
a brahmin , great numbers of cows are annually
starved to death in the dry season , merely through
the avarice and neglect of their owners. Covet
ousness and servility are so closely united in
almost every individual, that cheating, lying, and
juggling are esteemed no sins with them; and the
best among thein, though they utter ever so great
 INTRODUCTION , XV

a falsehood , do not consider it as an evil, unless

you first charge them to speak the truth . When
they defraud you ever so much, and you charge
6
them with it, they coolly reply, ' It is the custom
of the country . Most of the Hindoos, indeed,
believe themselves to be merely a sort of auto
matons, upon which God acts in a physical man
ner, and that, consequently, they are not account
able for their own actions. Hence, if they be
charged with murder, or detected in thieving,
they will generally answer that their kopal or
forehead is bad. By this they mean , that they
were destined to cominit such crimes ; for it is a
common opinion among them , that the fate of
every man is written in his forehead ; and as they
include in that opinion all moral actions, as well
as their providential situations, they consider that
the whole of their conduct is to be attributed to
God, and not to themselves. This doctrine is
almost constantly avowed when we attempt to
press on them the malignity of sin and the guilt
of their actions. In a conversation which I had ,
one day, with a man on this subject, he roundly
asserted that he had never committed a sin in his
life; for, though many of his actions were unjusti
fiable, yet it was not he that committed them ,
but God. This notion prevails among them al
most universally ; and to clear themselves of the
inconsistency of charging sin upon a holy deity,
which I have often pressed them with, they say
that no act of God can be sinful, however great
an enormity it might be, if committed by a man .
The idea of fatality is not confined to the present
state of existence, but extends to the life to come,
and produces the utmost indifference with regard
xvi INTRODUCTION .

to futurity. Ask a labourer, whether or not he

shall go to heaven when he dies-- What can I
do ? ' he will reply, “ if God hath written it in my
fate, I shall go to heaven ; if not, I shall go to
6
hell. ' ' But do you hope to go to heaven ? You
are sinful : how shall your sins be forgiven ?
6
* I am a poor man,' he will answer, “ what can I
know ? My gooroo knows that; he will obtain
pardon for me . Perhaps, however, this gooroo,
or teacher, is a hundred miles distant : some
brahmin , whom the poor deluded creature has not
seen ten times in his life. Besides, the doctrine
of transmigration is a new source of crimes, and
renders them still farther proof against the con
victions of conscience, and indifferent to that sal
vation which the gospel reveals. The present life
is regarded by them not as a state of probation ,
but of punishment for the sins of some pre-existent
state ; and hence, however infamous their conduct
may be, they assert it cannot be criminal, because
they are now expiating foriner transgressions.”
The servility, avarice, and duplicity of the
Hindoos, are great. Of the character of the na
tives, in these respects, it is scarcely possible for a
European to forin a proper idea, they can carry
a fraud to such an inconceivable extent.
on
To the
missionaries, this was a very perplexing circum
stance, as they found it extremely difficult to form
a just estimate of the professions of such as became
inquirers about the gospel. Among the Hindoos,
the hope of being employed in some work, or
recommended to some other person , or even of
getting only a few cowries, is sufficient to induce
a man in easy circunstances, to carry on a de
 INTRODUCTION . xvii

ception of this kind for a year or two with the

utmost servility.
Thewritings of the Hindoos, every class of thein ,
even their works on ethics, are full of abominable
allusions and descriptions; so that they are to-day,
what they were ages ago, a people unrivalled for
impurity. But what is a million -fold more atro
cious, the object of worship appears as the per
sonification of sin itself. One or two of the Hin
doo objects of worship cannot possibly be named ;
but in the acts of Hindoo worship the same licen
tiousness prevails. In the songs and dances before
the idols, at the periodical festivals, impurity
throws away her mask. The respectable natives
themselves are absolutely ashamed of being seen
in their temples.
Awſul, indeed, is the state of female society.
To the Hindoo female all education is denied by
the positive injunction of the shastrů, and by the
general voice of the population . Not a single
school, therefore, for girls,was until recently found
in the country. With knitting,sewing, embroidery,
painting, music, and drawing, they have no more
to do than with letters ; even the washing is done
hy men of a particular tribe. The Hindoo girl,
therefore, spends the first ten years of her life in
sheer idleness, immured in the house of her father.
Before she has attained to this age, however, she
is sought after by the ghutuks, men employed by
parents to seek wives for their sons. She is be
throthed without her consent ; a legal agreement,
which binds her for life, being made by the parents
ou both sides, while she is yet a child. Not long
since, a bride, on the day the marriage ceremony
xviii INTRODUCTION .

was to have been performed, was burnt on the

funeral pile with the dead body of the bridegroom ,
at Chandernagore, a few miles north of Calcutta.
In some cases, as many as fifty females, the
daughters of so many Hindoos, are given in mar
riage to one brahmin , in order to make these
families something more respectable : and that the
parents may be able to say, “ We are allied by
marriage to the kooleens, the highest rank of
brahmins.” Supposing, however, that the Hindoo
female is happily married , she remains a prisoner
and a slave in the house of her husband. She
knows nothing of the advantages of intelligent in
tercourse with mankind. She is not permitted to
speak to a person of the other sex, if she belong
to a respectable family, except to old men very
nearly allied in blood ; she retires at the appear
ance of a male guest ; she never eats with her
husband, but partakes of what he leaves. She re
ceives no benefit from books or from society ; and
though the Hindoos do not affirm , with some mo
hammedans, that females have no souls, they treat
them as though this was their belief. But their
awful state appears in nothing so much as in
dooming the widow to be burnt alive with the
putrid carcase of her husband. The Hindoo legis
lators have sanctioned this immolation , showing
herein a studied determination to insult and de
grade woman . She is, therefore, in the first
instance, deluded into this act by the writings of
these brahmins; in which also she is promised,
that, if she will offer herself, for the benefit of her
husband, on the funeral pile, she shall, by the
extraordinary merit of this action, rescue him from
 INTRODUCTION . xix

misery, and take him and fourteen generations of

his and her family with her to heaven ; where she
shall enjoy with them celestial happiness, until
fourteen kings of the gods shall have succeeded to
the throne of heaven.
Other proofs of the degradation and depravity
of the Hindoos remain to be given, but even then
only a small part will be told. When Dr. B11
chanan preached before the members of the uni
versity of Cambridge, he said, “ I have seen the
darkness of the heathen world ; but it is not easy
to describe it. It is not less dreadful than when
the Israelites beheld at a distance the thick dark
ness of Egypt from their dwellings in Goshen ,
where there was light. I have been in what the
scriptures call the 6chambers of imagery ,' * and
have witnessed the enormity of the pagan idolatry,
in all its turpitude and blood. I can now better
6
understand those words of the scripture, · The dark
places of the earth are full of the habitations of
cruelty .' While, however, the mind is oppressed
and the heart is pained by the contemplation of
idolatry, some relief may be derived from a view
of the good already accomplished, as well as a
powerful stimulus to further effort. To adopt the
language of an eloquent speaker, “ Every one who
has ever heard of India, knows that there exists
there a vigorous son of the forest, whose trunk
rises in majesty and strength, and throws abroad
its giant arms in every direction around it : they
:

again cast down their roots, and seize upon the

carth below ; and thus a new stem is formed, which ,
* Ezekiel viii . 12.
 INTRODUCTION .

by a similar process, extends the dominion of the

parent tree, till at last it spreads itself into a
mighty forest, and the fowls of the air rest on its
branches, and whole tribes of men may repose
under its shade. We have here on the very soil
of India , as exact a visible type and representation
as can well be imagined of the process by which
christianity is to be propagated among the people
of that and every other land ." That the results of
missionary labours will ultimately, uni er the
Divine blessing, resemble the banian tree of the
cast, cannot be doubted ; a degree of resemblance
is now to be traced. Let true christians of all
denominations abound in prayer and exertion for
the teeming millions of India, assured that in the
appointed time they will be brought to acknow
ledge the Lord and his Christ
 MISSIONARY RECORDS.

INDIA .

CHAPTER I.

Francis Xavier. - The Congregation for the

Propagation of the Faith .-- Ziegenbalg and
Plutcho.-- Society for Promoting Christian
knowledge.-- Letter of King George I .-
Extract from the Missionaries' Reply.-- Death
of Ziegenbalg .-- The native Convert, Raja
naiken .-- Aaron the First Native Preacher .--
Diogo ordained .-- Extracts from his Sermon.
Arrival of Rev. C. F. Swartz.-- The Convert
Arunasalem .-- Mission established at Tanjore.
---Great Success.- Interview with the Rajah.
Swartz visits Hyder Ally's Country .--Famine.
-The Rajah's Son committed to Swartz .-- De
fence of the Mission.---Illness and Death of
Swartz.-- Testimonies of Respect.
INDIA has long been the scene of missionary
labours. In the sixteenth century it was visited
by Francis Xavier a Roman Catholic, and his
associates. That extraordinary man was actuated
by inextinguishable zeal. When about to under
take a mission, which seemed extremely dangerous,
his friends tried to dissuade him , urging, among
other things, the unhealthiness of the climate, the
B
2 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP.. I.
sterility of the soil, and the barbarism of the people.
But having listened to their remarks, he replied,
“ The nations that are tractable and opulent will
never want teachers ; but this mission is for me,
because others are not disposed to undertake it.
If the country abounded in odoriferous woods and
mines of gold, all dangers would be braved in order
to procure them . Should merchants, then , be
more intrepid than missionaries ? Shall these
unfortunate people be kept in ignorance of the
blessings of redemption ? Their character is cer
tainly very barbarous and brutal ; but even if it
were worse than it is, the God who is able to trans
form stones into children of Abraham , is certainly
able to soften their hearts. Should I be instrui
mental in the salvation of but one individual among
them , I should consider myself amply recompensed
fo , all the dangers and privations by which you en
deavour to terrify me.” His tomb, at Goa, at
which the eastern pilgrim still offers his devotions,
will long perpetuate the memory of those qualities
by which he established the influence of his order
and the authority of his church over so large a por
tion of the Indian continent, and so many of the
adjacent islands. Alas , it was not the simple truths
of the gospel that he sought to make known.
A system embracing the largest views, and richly
endowed by the donations of successive popes and
other wealthy persons, was commenced by Gregory
the Fifteenth . “ The Congregation for the Pro
pagation of the Faith ,” held its councils in one of
the most splendid palaces of the papal city, and was
followed by another institution for training mis
sionaries, founded by a Spanish nobleman residing
at the court of Rome. France and other coun
 1. ]
CHAP . I. INDIA , 3

tries followed the example ; and the numerous re

ligious fraternities directed some of their zeal to
the same object. The agents of these vast and
concentrated schemes were soon diffused over large
tracts of India ; and hope may be cherished, that,
in their zealous labours, and in their faithfulness
even to death , some few individuals were influenced
by holy principles , although their zeal was not
accordingto knowledge. There is, however, much
in their system, and in the means employed for its
advancement, which compels us to deplore a fearful
amount of evil, and deeply to lament that such
energy and perseverance were not guided by “the
wisdom that is first pure, " and then “full of good
fruits ."
Let us now consider a more gratifying subject.
In the year 1705, Frederick the Fourth, king of
Denmark, at the recommendation of one of his
chaplains, sent out Bartholomew Ziegenbalg and
Henry Plutcho, two pious young men, to Tranque
bar, on the coast of Coromandel, with the view of
evangelizing the heathen in that part of India.
On their arrival, they applied themselves closely
to the Tamul and Portuguese languages, in which
they made great proficiency ; and engaged in
various efforts which promised to be useful. In
the inidst of persecution they obtained some suc
cess ; and, in May, 1707, they had the pleasure
of baptizing five natives, as the first-fruits of their
missionary labours. A short time after, a building
was erected, partly from their own little stock, and
consecrated by the name of the New Jerusalem
Church . Worship was now commenced in Tamul
and Portuguese, and the liturgy of the Danish
church was translated into both languages.
 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. I.
An increase of their schools and other means of
good rendered larger supplies necessary : not un
frequently they were reduced to great straits, but
Providence interposed in their behalf. Other
labourers came to their aid ; and the Society for
Promoting Christian Knowledge, established aа . few
years before in London, has rendered this mission ,
ever since that period, important assistance. A
printing press was soon in operation. Many books
were circulated among the natives, who not only
received them with great avidity, but read thein to
their neighbours, and held conversations with them
and the missionaries, so that much attention was
excited concerning religion .
To promote the objects of the mission, Ziegen
balg undertook a voyage to Europe. At Copen
hagen he was most cordially received by the royal
family, who, with other friends and patrons, loaded
him with many valuable presents. In England
he was treated with the greatest kindness ; was
honoured with an audience by his majesty George
the First, and by othermembersof the royal family ;
and the archbishop of Canterbury and the bishop
of London promised to afford the mission their
utmost assistance.
Meanwhile the New Testament, translated with
great care by him , was printed by his fellow -mis
sionaries. Of their character and labours a pleas
ing account is given by the English chaplain, at
Madras, in 1716 : - " I spent three days at Tran
quebar with great satisfaction . On Sunday I
heard Mr. Grundler preach to the Malabarian con
verts in their own language ; and Mr. Berlin gave
an earnest, useful lecture, in Portuguese . The
people seemed far more serious, attentive , and com
CHAP. I.] INDIA , 5

posed in their behaviour, than our European con

gregations generally are. The children , whom I
heard catechised in Portuguese, have juster notions
of religion, and are greater proficients in true
christian knowledge, than those of a more advanced
age among us. I have no time to enlarge on the
order and good discipline that are kept up in the
three schools, nor on the successful labours of the
missionaries. The governor, and the Danish
minister at Tranquebar, give Mr. Grundler an ex
traordinary character, and confirm the good opinion
I have always had of him. Mr. Berlinis also a very
pions diligent youth, and seems to have a genius
for languages. He made such great progress in the
Portuguese, that in one year he was master of it,
and now preaches in it with great ease and fluency.
As for Mr. Adler, he is an artist so useful and in
genious, that he deserves the greatest encourage
ment. I saw the paper-mill he is now making ;
it is in great forwardness, and will be finished in a
few months.”
The missionaries carried on an extensive corres
pondence; and among the letters they received
were one from king George the First, and one from
archbishop Wake , written in very encouraging
terms. The following is the letter of king George.
“ George, by the grace of God, king of Great
Britain, &c. to the reverend and learned
Bartholomew Ziegenbalg , and John Ernest
Grundler, missionaries at Tranquebar.
“ Reverend and beloved --- Your letters, dated
the 20th of January, of the present year, were
most welcome to us ; not only because the work
undertaken by you, of converting the heathen to
B 3
 6 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP . I.
the christian faith, doth, by the grace of God,
prosper ; but also because that, in this our king
dom , such a laudable zeal for the promotion of the
gospel prevails. We pray you may be endued
with health and strength of body, that you may
long continue to fulfil your ministry with good
success ; of which as we shall be rejoiced to hear,
so you will always fin us ready to succour you,
in whatever may tend to promote your work and
to excite your zeal. We assure you of the con
tinuance of our royal favour. GEORGE R.”
“ Given at our palace of Hampton Court, the 23d Aug.
A.D. 1717, in the fourth year of our reign.”

It may not be uninteresting to insert in this ,

place the following letter, which the missionaries
wrote to the king of England, in reply to the one
they received from him , as it contains a general
view of the state of the mission about this period.
“ Your majesty's most gracious letter we re
ceived with the greatest joy imaginable, and were
highly comforted and quickened in our zeal for the
glory of Almighty God, when we read these your6
majesty's most gracious expressions : As we shall
be always well pleased to hear of the happy suc
cess and progress of this work, so we shall, at a
proper season, be found ready to assist you in what
shall tend to the promotion of this affair, and your
encouragement.' * Your majesty hereby most gra
ciously allows us to make a further report of the
state of our affairs, and we thence conceive joyful
hopes, that your majesty will add to the glorious
title of defender of the faith, the noble character of
its zealons promoter, not only by supporting the
reign of Jesus Christ in your own dominions, but
CHAP, I.] INDIA .

also by promoting and extending it among the

heathens and infidels in the most remote parts of
the world . Therefore, after having heartily thanked
God Almighty for inclining your majesty's heart
toward so holy a design, and, with the profoundest
submission, acknowledged your majesty's high
favour toward us your unworthy servants, may it
please your majesty to accept of the following ac
count of the state of that work in which we are
employed .
“ We, the missionaries, on our part, are en
deavouring, according to the measure of the grace
God Almighty has imparted to us , plentifully to
spread abroad the seed of the word of God among
the heathens in their own language, there being no
other means for touching the hearts of heathens,
in order to their conversion . We also maintain
Indians to assist us as catechists, for which function
we first prepare them, by instructing them in the
saving faith of Jesus Christ, and then send them to
propagate it among the heathens. To such places,
whither the instruction of the gospel by word of
mouth cannot reach, we send our printed Mala
barian books, which are read in these parts by
many of all sorts and degrees. As we are per
fectly sensible, that to promote and perpetuate such
an undertaking, a solid foundation must be laid, by
translating the holy scriptures, and publishing
other instructive books in the language of the
country, we did, a good while ago, finish and pub
lish a translation of the New Testament, and are
now labouring, with great application, in trans
lating the Old Testament into the Malabarian and
Portuguese languages. Besides, we compose every
year some books for instructing the heathens,
 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. i .
containing the fundamentals of the christian reli
gion ; for better publication of which, the printing
press we have received from our benefactors in Eng
land is of great use to us. That our printing -press
may always be provided with a sufficient quantity of
letters, we entertain in the mission persons for
cutting moulds, and casting letters, as also for
binding books, being furnished every year with the
necessary tools and materials from England, by
the laudable Society for propagating Christian
Knowledge. To supply the want of paper, we
have been at great expense in erecting a paper-mill
here . And so, under the invocation of the name
of God, we plentifully dispense, both by word of
mouth and writing, in this heathen country, the
gospel, which makes a happy impression on the
minds of many of the inhabitants. Some, indeed,
particularly their brahmins or priests, gainsay and
scoff; others come to a sense of the abominations
of idolatry, and leave off worshipping their idols ;
others are brought to better principles, and show,
in their discourse and writing, that they have got a
greater light than their forefathers ; others again
give full assent to all the truths of christianity, but,
out of worldly considerations, wave baptism and
the name of christians. But some break through
all difficulties, and , subduing their reason to the
obedience of faith, resolutely profess christianity :
these are for some time instructed by us and our
catechists, and afterwards, when they give true
signs of repentance and conversion , are received
into the bosom of the christian church by holy
baptism . These who are become members of our
congregation, we are instructing with all diligence,
that Jesus Christ may be formed within them .
 INDIA . 9
CHAP . I. ]
1

Our private exercises with them are daily cate

chisings, by sending our catechists to their habita
tions,
th upon
to inquire into their way of life, to examine
em the catechism , to pray with them , and
to make a report to us, the missionaries, of what
passes among them. To exercise them in praying,
we have set hours thrice a -week , in which prayers
are read to them in private. We give free occasion
to every one of them , to communicate to us their
concerns. Our public exercises consist in preach
ing to them , every Sunday, in the morning, a ser
mon in the Malabarian language, and another in
the Portuguese, and in the afternoon we catechise
in both languages. Besides, we preach a sermon
in the High Dutch for the Europeans. Every
Wednesday we catechise, at church , in Portuguese;
and every Friday in Malabarian. As to the
children of either sex, that belong to our congle
gation, we instruct them all in our schools, in the
principles of christianity, reading, writing, and
other useful knowledge. They are maintained in
every thing at our charge. We have erected a
seminary for such as we design for the service of
the gospel, to be furnished thence with proper cate
chists, preceptors, and clerks. Such boys as want
necessary capacity, we put to learn handy-crafts.
We have also established schools, one in this town ,
and another in a populous village not far off, where
they are instructed by christian teachers, and have
full allowance, except victuals and clothes, which
their parents find them . The Lord having so
blessed our labours that the new congregation in
creases every year, the first church which we built
became too narrow , upon which we found it neces
sary to build one more spacious; and it pleased
10 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. I.
God to furnish us with means to finish it in two
years' time, and we are now constantly preaching
in it, in three langnages. We have likewise, at the
desire of the English who live on this coast,
erected two schools, one at Fort St. George, and
another at Fort St. David. The present governor
of Fort St. George is a special friend to the mis
sion , and has lately remitted to it aa considerable
present. The rest of our friends here have cheer
fully supplied our wants this year. The Lord ,
whose work it is, guide us for the future by his
divine Providence , and stir up in Europe many
promoters among persons of all ranks, that, in
these last times, the salvation of the heathen may
be sought with earnestness, and their conversion
promoted by the whole christian church . That
our most merciful God may crown your majesty
with all prosperity, is the prayer of your ma
jesty's, & c."
BARTHOLOMEW ZIEGENBALG .
Tranquebar, Nov.
24th , 1718. S JOHN ERNEST GRUNDLER .
The work of Ziegenbalg was now almost ended .
He was visited with severe affliction , but he conti
nued to labour, so far as his strength would allow ,
in the translation of the Old Testament into Tamul.
A short time before his death he seemed im
proving ; and, on the day he expired, he rose early
in the morning, and united with his wife in prayer.
But symptoms of approaching dissolution soon
appeared . It was suggested by one of his fellow
labourers, that the apostle of the gentiles desired
“ to depart and to be with Christ , which was far
better ,” when he replied with a feeble voice, that
this desire was truly his. May God grant,” he
CHAP . 1.] INDIA . 11

added , “ that being washed from my sins in the

blood of the Redeemer, and clothed with his
righteousness, I may pass from this world to his
heavenly kingdom .” In the agonies of death he
was reminded of Paul's declaration, “ I have fought
a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me
a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will give to me at that day, and
not to me only, but unto all them that love his
appearing.” To this he answered, “ I will perse
vere in this contest, through Jesus Christ, that I
also may obtain that glorious crown.” Soon after
he said " I am scarcely able to speak more .
May God render what I have spoken useful. I
have daily committed myself to the will of God.
Christ says, ' Where I am, there also shall my
servant be." " He then requested that a hymn, be
6
ginning with, " Jesus, my Saviour Lord ," might
be sung in concert with the harp. When this was
ended, he desired to be placed in an arm -chair,
and immediately after entered into rest, beloved
and deplored by many. Such , indeed, was the
attachment felt to this excellent man , who pos
sessed no ordinary qualifications for his work , that
he was deeply lamented both by pagans and
christians. In little more than å twelvemonth ,
another missionary followed him to the grave.
Their successors were men of similar spirit; and
though the Roman catholics in India hoped the
protestant mission was now at an end, and there
were some men calling themselves protestants
who felt with them , yet the work was not only
continued , but extended. In these efforts Schultze
particularly distinguished himself, and especially
12 MISSIONARY RECORDS , [ CHAP. I.
by completing the translation of the Old Testa
ment, with which Ziegenbaly had proceeded only
as far as the book of Ruth . This work was
revised with the greatest care, and the converts
expressed the highest joy at the possession of the
whole scriptures.
The missionaries had long been anxious to carry
the gospel beyond the Danish territories, and
Schultze now resolved that the attempt should no
longer be delayed. He therefore visited various
places, and in one journey was not only exposed
to tigers in quest of prey, and which , in the place
he was in , had lately torn to pieces a man and some
cattle, but was obliged to proceed barefooted during
the night, and in a constant rain . In these
journies, principally performed on foot,he preached
the gospel in upwards of a hundred new places,
and during his stay at Madras, re-opened a school
which had been given up.
In that city he now settled, and it was not long
before a christian church was formed, in the midst
of inany difficulties. Many converts had been
previously Roman catholics, and this greatly en
raged the priests against the mission, so that they
in somecases proceeded to acts of violence, though
not with impunity. Meanwhile the way was pre
paring for the introduction of the gospel into the
kingdom of Tanjore. A native of that country ,
named Rajanaiken, stimulated by an ardent desire
for knowledge, learned to read in the twenty
second year of his age, and afterwards read such
Roman catholic books as fell in his way . A medi
tation he met with on the sufferings and death of
Christ,was the means of convincing him of his sin
and misery. Happening to see a copy of the
CHAP . 1,3 INDIA 13

Gospels, and of the Acts of the apostles, in the

hands of a Romanist, he obtained the loan of it by
promises and presents. He spent the whole day,
and the greater part of the night, in its perusal.
Fearing to lose the treasure, he resolved to write
it out, and proceeded nearly to the end of Luke,
when , as the Romanist did not return , and the
task was laborious, he desisted from the atte pt.
About two years after, he heard the missionariesat
Tranquebar, and thus obtained clearer views of
Divine truth .
Having been sent into the Danish territory, he
found a Roman catholic christian reading a letter
printed in that town, for the sake of obtaining
charity ; and, on purchasing it, learned that it was
obtained from some German priests, who differed
from the popish priests, in not worshipping the
Virgin Mary. Anxious to know on which side the
truth lay, he asked the man to procure some more
books, and to introduce him to the new priests ;
but the latter part of the commission was basely
disregarded , in the hope of gaining more money,
and therefore Rajanaiken wrote to the missionaries,
who immediately sent him a Catechism, the New
Testament, and two parts of the Old, with some
advice as to the profitable reading of the scrip
tures. He afterwards had an interview with the
missionaries, was gradually convinced of the
errors of popery, and became zealous for the wel
fare of others, not without effect. On his return
to Tanjore, he confounded many popish catechists
who disputed with him . He resolved to devote his
life to the service of the mission , and was gladly
received as a catechist, while one of his brothers
was appointed his assistant.
с
14 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. I.
The opposition of the Roman catholics was now
violent ; they ordered , in the event of his visiting
certain places, that he should be driven away with
cudgels as a heretic : they endeavoured to deprive
him and his relations of some of their property ; and ,
on his parents professing the protestant faith , they
broke into their house, wounded his brother, and
so violently assaulted his father, that he died
shortly after. Attempts, indeed, were often made
on the life of Rajanaiken , but he escaped, behaved
with great patience and fortitude, and also mani
fested a spirit of forgiveness. When urged to vin
dicate his right to some property , of which he had
been unjustly deprived, he recommended an imi
tation of the scriptural example : “ Ye had com
passion on me in my bonds, and took joyfully the
spoiling of your goods, knowing, in yourselves,
that ye have in heaven a better and anenduring
substance.” And when a popish catechist, who
had violently opposed the protestant converts, was
taken ill, he not only visited him at his own re
quest, but, though himself in want, borrowed
money for the relief of his persecutor. Persecution
in this, as in other cases, was overruled for good ;
multitudes flocked to Tranquebar; and , in the
place where Rajanaiken resided, nearly all the
Roman catholics were convinced of their errors,
and only restrained from acknowledging them by
the sufferings and death to which they would have
been inevitably exposed. Many converts were
now prepared for the office of catechists, and evi
dences of the power of Divine truth were greatly
increased. One woman , who, though baptized in
infancy, had grown up in heathen darkness, im
bibed such hatred against the missionaries and
CHAP, . INDIA . 15

their converts, that, when addressed by a catechist,

she closed her ears with her fingers, and imme
diately fled, fearing, lest by listening to a heretic,
she should bring on herself everlasting destruction ;
yet won by the kindness with which he treated her
children , she was afterwards disposed to hearken ,
received the truth in the love of it, and was unable
to express the delight she enjoyed. In a few
weeks she brought her husband, previously a
pagan, her children, and some relatives to be bap
tized. She even taught her little boy, only two
years of age, and still hanging at her breast, the
principal parts of the catechism , by frequently
repeating them to him.
At the close of 1733, Aaron, who had long been
a useful catechist ; and was, in fact, the first native
preacher among his countrymen, was set apart
to the pastoral office, by prayer and imposition of
hands. Some of the converts occasioned the mis
sionaries no little anxiety, but others yielded them
great satisfaction, and died in the faith and hope of
the gospel. One of them , a catechist, on becom
ing a christian, was deserted by his wife , who
obstinately refused to return to him. Though
naturally mild and affectionate, yet, in one visit, her
fury was so roused , and her whole frame so fright
fully agitated, that her appearance seemed scarcely
human . Still he retained his steadfastness, cau
tiously watched his own spirit, and though con
scious of many failings, and at first very irritable,
he at length became remarkable for meekness and
patience. Whatever office was assigned him , he
executed with simplicity, faithfulness, zeal, and
devotion. Previous to his death his wife returned ;
and, by the influence of his holy example, was
 16 MISS
IONA
RECO
RDS
. [ CHAP . I.
RY
brought to embrace christianity. In the prospect
of dissolution, he expressed a deep sense of his
sinfulness, an earnest desire to be faithful to the
end, and a constant regard to eternity, to which he
referred with peculiar emphasis, intreating that
God would grant him grace to love him eternally,
praise him eternally, serve him eternally. His
end was peace, and his character and usefulness
alike attest the greatness of that Divine power, by
which such a change was wrought in a degraded
pagan .
The country congregations increased so much ,
that, in 1741 , a second native preacher, named
Diogo, was ordained, when he delivered a dis
course which shows his ability for the work, and
his, acquaintance with the scriptures. The follow
ing are extracts :
ACTS iv. 12 .
Neither is there salvation in any other ; for
there is none other name under heaven given among
men, whereby we must be saved.
From these words, we shall consider
60
First, Whose name it is that is given .
Secondly, For what end it is given.
“ In our text, it is said, His name was given ;
6
His name who is the true God, and eternal life ,
1 John v. 20 ; ' God blessed for ever,' Rom . ix. 5 ;
6
the brightness of his glory, and the express image
6
of his person , Heb. i. 6 3 ; the Word of God ,
John i. 1; who has said, ' Lo, I come,' Heb . x. 9 ;
who was promised in paradise, Gen. iii. 16 ; who
was to be a blessing to all nations, Gen. xxii . 18 ;
the prophet foretold by Moses, Acts vii. 37 ; the
CHAP 1.] INDIA 17

comfort of Israel, ' the light of the gentiles, and

the salvation of God to the end of the earth ,'
Isaiah xlix. 6 ; whom many kings and prophets
desired to see, Luke x. 21 : he whom God the
Father appointed to be the Redeemer of the world,
and a Mediator, Ambassador, and Intercessor;
Jesus of Nazareth, to whom all the prophets and
apostles bear witness, that it is he who was to coine
into the world .
66 It is further said in our text, His name was
given. We have heard to whom this name was
given. Let us now hear also, why this name was
given only unto our Saviour. It was because he
has power to deliver them who believe in him from
all misery, and to bring them unto happiness.
Therefore God has given him this name. What
name ? The name of Jesus, Matt. i. 21 . Be
sides this name, there never was any other given
6

for us to be saved by. The angel said , “ Thou

shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins. The name of Jesus is
Hebrew, and signifies a Redeemer or Saviour ; the
name of Jesus teaches us what was his office.
What was the office of Jesus ? The office of a
Redeemer, and hence he had his name. The name
of Jesus, is that wisdom which excels all religions.
This name is the rock and corner -stone of salva
tion, of which Peter saith , ver. 11 , “ This is the
stone which was set at nought by you builders,
which is become the head of the corner.'
Again, it is said, “ No other name was given
whereby we can be saved, but the name of Jesus.'
Among all the priests, teachers, kings, prophets,
scribes ; among all the various religions, denomi
nations, patriarchs, angels, saints, virtuous men or
C 3
18 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [Chap. I.
women , there is none that have power to redeem ,
none has aa name like that of Jesus ; therefore our
heavenly Father has given this name unto him .
The names of Peter, Paul, John, Mary, and so on ,
are not given to be saved in ; neither can we be
saved by their merits. The holy mother herself
saith, My spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour ,
Luke i. 47. Neither is the name of the false pro
phet Mohamıned, of the three fools Brahma,
Veeshnoo , Ruttiren , or of the three hundred and
thirty-three millions of false gods, to be saved in ,
for they cannot redeem men infected with the
poison of sin . Their own conduct shows that they
were sinners ; they could not save themselves, how
then shall they save others ? Since men became
sinners, they stood in need of one without sin to
redeem thein . Thus we have seen whose naine
was given.
“ II. Letus consider for what end it was given
me
.
In our text it is said , “ to be saved in .' All n
stand in need of redemption ; for, by the apostacy
of their first father, Adam , they lost righteousness ,
and became unrighteous ; they lost holiness, and
became unholy ; they lost happiness, and became
unhappy ; they took upon them the image of
Satan , from whence springs all evil. Such we all
became, whether great or small ; we all fell under
the power of Satan, and perished. “ There is no
difference, for all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God,' Rom . iii. 22, 23 ; therefore Paul
also saith , “ We all had our conversation in the
lusts of the flesh , fulfilling the desires of the flesh
and of the mind, and were by nature children of
wrath, even as others, Eph. ii. 3 .
“ All, therefore, stand in need of redemption ;
CHAP . .] INDIA . 19

no one is able to save himself, Psalm xlix. 8 , 9 .

The merciful God, being full of compassion, ap
pointed his Son as our Redeemer, for this reason
as it was in the power of no other to save us from
sin and misery , John ii. 16. Being the Son of
God, he was able to redeem us; being the true
God, we have full assurance ofthe completeness of
our Saviour ; ' He is made of God unto us wisdom ,
and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemp
tion,' 1 Cor. i. 30. In order to redeem us, he
suffered our sins to be charged upon him, he shed
his blood, and gave his life a ransoin for us : ' Who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed ,'
1 Pet. ii . 24. He was delivered for our offences,
and was raised again for our justification,' Rom.
iv. 25. Because he made atonement for sin, he
also redeemed us from all misery connected with
sin ; what the first Adam ruined, he, the second
Adam , has restored ; he has procured every thing
needful for our holiness and happiness. <
With
his own blood, he entered into the holy of holies,
having obtained eternal redemption for us. '
“ Now , let us hear in what this eternal redemp
tion consists. It is a state of happiness in this
world , and in ihe world to come; in this world,
the pardon of sin ; in the world to come, heavenly
bliss. This he giveth unto all that believe in him ,
John i. 12. " To him give all the prophets wit
ness, that, through his name, whosoever believeth
in him shall receive remission of sins,' Acts x. 43 .
Believers under the Old Testament believed in a
Saviour then to come, and were saved . We, who
live in the days of the New Testament, must
20 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. I.
believe in Jesus of Nazareth as already come ; for
' Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to -day, and
for ever ,' Heb. xiii . 8. In him , we find all Divine
giſts and graces, all that maketh up a complete
salvation,
“ Beloved in the Lord Jesus ! you have now
heard of redemption, and of the Redeemer. God
has given you a Saviour, who has power and ability
to save you. Do not say, “ Let me be of what
religion I will, yet I shall be saved .' Through
Jesus the Redeemer redemption can be obtained,
and through none besides. Chose no other for thy
Mediator and Intercessor. Jesus is the only
Mediator, 1 Tim. ii. 5 ; he alone has power for
ever, to save all that come to God through him,
Heb . vii. 25 . He saith , ' I am the way , the
truth, and the life , no inan can come to the Father
but by me. He is a common Saviour of all
kindreds of men, whether high or low. All men
in the world must believe in him, if they will be
saved, Isaiah xliii. 11 , ' I am the Lord, and besides
me there is no Saviour ;' and verse 12 , ' I have
redeemed you ;' and verse 14, I am the Lord,
your Redeemer. Therefore, O sinner ! why goest
thou to thy idols and thy sorcerers, just as if
there was no Saviour ?
“ Do not delay ; say not, Let the time of
redemption first come : behold, now is the ac
cepted time.' If we are not redeemed in this world ,
then neither shall we be saved in next, 2 Cor.
vi . 2 . • He that believeth not shall be damned ,'
Mark xvi. 16. They that are redeemed in this
world , will be with the Lord Jesus in the next ;
this is a great happiness; then will they joyfully
say , I have seen the Lord , and my soul has been
CHÁP. I. INDIA . 21

preserved. Thus shall we enter into a peace of

happy contentment. May the Lord grant it.
Akkianangol kurrcja : Let heathenism decrease.
Jatiia wedam murreja : And all be filled with the true law.
Poitewer namangol tarha : Let the name of idols perish.
Jesu namam warha. Amen . The name of Jesus be praised,
Amen . "

In 1743, Schultze, after having laboured in India

with great diligence and zeal for twenty -fouryears ,
returned to Europe, where, as far as the state of
his health would permit, he still continued to pro
mote the interests of the mission . Besides print
ing at Halle a grammar of the Hindoostanee lan
guage ; a work , the existence of which appears to
be forgotten by our modern Oriental scholars , he
published a translation of the New Testament into
that language , and also of the four first chapters of
Genesis , the Psalms of David, and the book of
Daniel . He also printed some tracts in the
Telinga language, in addition to what has been
already inentioned .
A second translation of the New Testament was
inade into the Tamul language many years after
wards, by John Philip Fabricius, one of the mis
sionaries at Madras , who is described as an un
paralleled Tamul scholar, and whose diction is
said to be much more elegant and classical than
than of the version by Ziegenbalg, though it also
is faithful enough.
A most important accession was now made, by
the devotion of Christian Frederick Swartz to the
work of the mission , whose ability and zeal have
rarely been equalled. One of his companions,
named Hutteman, was sentto Cuddalore, where his
labours were not in vain . One instance of success
22 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. I.
is deeply interesting. A man of the highest caste ,
named Arunasalem , of sound judgment and great
learning, who had been taught in his infancy the
doctrine of a future state, had even in early life
been anxious about his soul ; and, when only four
teen years old, had resolved, not only to become a
priest of Isuren, but to visit all the holy pagodas,
and to wash in their sacred waters, in the hope
of obtaining salvation . That he might become a
distinguished pandaram , he prosecuted his studies
for five years, under one of the most celebrated
priests in that part of the country. But gradually
becoming sensible of the absurdity and obscenity
of Hindooism, he suspected that such a system
conld not proceed from a wise and holy being.
With these feelings he reached Cuddalore, and
having heard the gospel of Christ, it was embraced
by his understanding, and it spoke peace to his
heart. He now professed christianity ; and, when
addressed by the college of pandarams, in the
strongest terms of amazement and remonstrance,
on the deep degradation into which he had sunk ,
he replied with the utmost decision, fidelity, and
compassion for their souls; and, in conclusion, de
scribed himself as “ a disciple of the blessed Jesus.”
Swartz laboured with great energy and zeal, and
was appointed, in 1766, to preside over a mission
lately commenced at Trichinapoly, where the field
of labour was so extensive, that he employed in it
eight or nine catechists. In this place he experi
enced aa remarkable deliverance : the powder -maga
zine of the fort exploded, and many persons were
wounded or killed , the windows of his own house
were shattered, and several balls entered the
rooms, but, most providentially, he escaped unhurt.
CHAP. I.] INDIA . 23

Anxious to establish a mission at Tanjore, he

took with him to that populous city three of the
catechists, who visited the people morning and
evening, and urged upon them the principles of
christianity. The rajah being informed that he
was explaining them to his officers, desired to hear
them himself . He had scarcely commenced his
conversation with the monarch, when the chief
brahmin entered the apartment. The rajah pros
trated himself before him on the ground, and aſter
wards stood in his presence with his hands folded,
while the priest took an elevated seat. The king
asked several questions concerning repentance, and
desired that aa couple of christians might be married
in his palace. Swartz performed this service with
great solemnity, and having sung a hymn, preached
in the Tamul language, and concluded with prayer
and praise. The rajah , and many spectators, ex
pressed themselves pleased ; but the brahmins, as
might be supposed, considered it a dangerous inno
vation . Among the heathens at Trichinapoly and
Tanjore, thousands, among whom were many
brahmins, were now described as confessing that
their idolatry was a vain and sinful thing, and that
nothing but fear kept them from embracing the
christian religion. In one of his communications
Swartz remarks, “ That there hardly passed a day
in which brahmins did not visit his house at
Tanjore, hear attentively what was said to them ,
frequently take up a book explaining christian
doctrine, and acknowledge it to be divine. ” On
one being asked, whether he intended to stifle his
convictions, or to receive that doctrine and avow it,
he replied, that he could not deny the conviction
he had received, and that he had sounded some of
24 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP
P.. I.

his acquaintance, but that they all insisted that the

task was too difficult and dangerous, in conse
quence of the great number of the professors of
idolatry. “ For my part,” Swartz adds, “ I enter
tain a cheerful hope of seeing better days, and
therefore rejoice in the present opportunity of
preaching the salutary doctrine of Christ, fre
quently calling to mind that there is a time of
sowing preceding that of reaping.”
Swartz was solicitous to build a church at
Tanjore for the benefit of the garrison ; a sub
scription was commenced , and application made
for further means to the board at Madras. In
consequence of which , he was summoned to that
city, and 66the object of the order was thus ex
plained. • The governor told me,” he remarks,
“s that they wished to preserve peace with Hyder
Ally ; but, as he entertained some mistaken no
tions, and evil persons endeavoured to confirm him
in those bad ideas, the honourable board desired
I would take a journey to Seringapatam in a pri
vate manner, and undeceive him by a fair declara
tion of their pacific sentiments, particularly as I,
from my knowledge of the Moorish language, could
converse with him without the help of an inter
preter. The novelty of the proposal surprised me
at first, for which reason I begged some time to
consider it. At last I accepted of the offer, be
cause , by doing so, I hoped to prevent evil, and to
promote the welfare of the country. I thought,
also, that I could thereby give some small proof of
the gratitude which felt to the honourable board
for the many favours they have bestowed on me
during my residenceat Trichinapoly. Besides, I
saw that I should have an opportunity of con
CHAP. I.] INDIA . 25

versing with many people about the things of God ,

who perhaps had never heard a word concerning
God and a Redeemer.
“ I spent three months in Hyder Ally's country.
There I found Englishmen, Germans, Portu
guese, and even some of the Malabar people whom
I had instructed at Trichinapoly. To find them
in that country was painful to me, but to renew
some part of the instruction which they formerly
received, was very agreeable. A tent was pitched
on the glacis of the fort, in which divine service
was performed without the least impediment.
“ Hyder Ally gave a plain answer to all the
questions I was ordered to put to him, so that the
honourable board at Madras obtained the in
forination which they desired .
“ Being told that the governor, sir Thomas
Rumbold, intended to procure me a present from
the board , I begged leave to decline accepting any ,
declaring, that if my journey had been any way
beneficial to the public, I rejoiced at it. I signi
fied, at the same time, that it would make me very
happy, if the honourable board would allow my
colleague at Trichinapoly, the same yearly present
which they had given to me, being convinced that
he would use it for the benefit of the school, and
the maintenance of some catechists. This request
was granted. Mr. Pohle receives at Trichinapoly
yearly a hundred pounds sterling, as I do here at
Tanjore, by which means we are enabled to main
tain in both places schoolmasters and catechists.
“ One circumstance relative to my journey I beg
leare to add. When I took leave of Hyder Ally,
he presented me with a bag of rupees for the
D
26 MISSIONARY RECORDS , LCHAP. 1 .
expence of my journey ; but having been furnished
with necessaries by the honourable board , I deli
vered the bag to them . As they urged me to take
it, I desired their permission to appoint this sum ,
as the beginning of aa fund for an English charity
school at Tanjore, hoping that some charitable
people would increase that small fund, consisting
of three hundred rupees.”
Many trials, however, beset the path of Swartz,
and among these was the appalling calamity of
famine. He remarks, “ In outward appearance,
men are like wandering skeletons. When I re
turned from Seringapatam , I saw reason to appre
hend an approaching war ; this induced me to buy
rice whilst it was at a low price, which proved of
great benefit to our catechists. Besides this, God
moved the hearts of some Europeans to send me a
portion monthly to distribute among the people
lying on the road, by which means numbers of
them have been preserved from perishing. This
benefaction is still continued , so that about a hun
dred and twenty persons are constantly fed . When
it is considered that Hyder Ally has carried off so
many thousands of people, and that many thou
sands have died for want, it is not at all surprising
to find, not only empty houses , but desolated vil.
lages : a mournful spectacle indeed .”
So much esteemed was the character of this ex
cellent man , that the rajah of Tanjore wished him
to become the guardian of the son he adopted to
fill the throne; this honour he reluctantly accepted.
According to the promise of the rajah, a written
document, sealed by himself and his chief minis
ters, and appropriating for ever a village of the
CHAP. I.] INDIA . 27

yearly income of about five hundred pagodas, was

received by him for the school, and more especially
for the orphans.
In a debate in the British parliament, on the
renewal of the East India Company's charter,
some charges were brought against the missiona
ries and their followers ; but, from these they were
ably defended in aa letter, from which the following
passages are taken :
“ It is asserted, that a missionary is a disgrace
to any country . Lord Macartney, and the late
general Coote, would have entertained a very dif
ferent opinion. They, and many other gentlemen,
know and acknowledge that the missionaries have
been beneficial to government, and a comfort to
the country. This I am able to prove in the
strongest inanner. Many gentlemen who live now
in England, and in this country, would corroborate
my assertion .
• That the Rev. Mr. Gericke has been of emi
nent service to Cuddalore, every gentleman who
was at Cuddalore at the time when the war broke
out knows. He was the instrument in the hands
of Providence, by which Cuddalore was saved from
plunder and bloodshed. He saved many gentlemen
from becoming prisoners to Hyder, which lord
Macartney kindly acknowledged.
“ When Negapatam , that rich and populous
city, fell into the deepest poverty , by the unavoid
able consequences of war, Mr. Gericke behaved
like a father to the distressed people of that city.
Ile forgot that he had a family to provide for.
Many impoverished families were supported by
him ; so that when I, a few months ago, preached
28 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. I.
and administered the sacrament in that place, I
saw many who owed their own and their children's
lives to his disinterested care. Surely this , my
friend , could not be called a disgrace to that place.
When the honourable society ordered him to
attend the congregation at Madras, all lamented
his departure. And at Madras he is esteemed by
the governor, and many other gentleinen , to
this day .
“ It is a most disagreeable task to speak of one's
self. However, I hope that the honourable society
will not look upon some observations which I am
to make, as a vain and sinful boasting, but rather
as a necessary self-defence. Neither the mission
aries, nor any of the christians, have hurt the wel
fare of the country,
66

' In the time of war, the fort of Tanjore was in

a distressed condition . A powerful enemy was
near, the people in the fort numerous, and not pro
vision even for the garrison . There was grain
enongh in the country, but we had no bullocks to
bring it into the fort. When the country people
formerly brought paddy into the fort, the rapacious
dubashes deprived them of their due pay. Hence
all confidence was lost ; so that the inhabitants
drove away their cattle, refusing to assist the fort.
The late rajah ordered, nay , entreated the people,
by his managers, to come and help us ; but all was
in vain.
“ At last the rajah said to one of our principal
gentlemen, We all , you and I, have lost our
credit ; let us try whether the inhabitants will trust
Mr. Swartz . Accordingly, he sent me a blank
paper, empowering me to make a proper agreement
CHAP. I.] INDIA . 29

with the people. Here was no time for hesitation .

The seapoys fell down as dead people , being
emaciated with hunger. Our streets were lined
with dead corpses every morning. Our condition
was deplorable. I sent, therefore , letters every
where round about, promising to pay any one with
my own hands ; and to pay them for any bullock
which might be taken by the enemy. In one or
two days I got above аa. thousand bullocks, and sent
one of our catechists, and other christians , into the
country. They went at the risk of their lives,
made all possible haste, and brought into the fort,
in a very short time, eighty thousand kalams ;
by this means the fort was saved . When all was
over I paid the people, even with some money
which belonged to others, made them aa small pre
sent, and sent them home.
“ The next year, when colonel Braithwaite, with
his whole detachment, was taken prisoner, major
Alcock commanded this fort, and behaved very
kindly to the poor starving people. We were then
the second time in the same miserable condition .
The enemy always invaded the country when the
harvest was nigh at hand. I was again desired to try
my former expedient, and succeeded. The people
knew that they were not to be deprived of their
pay ; they, therefore, came with their cattle. But
now the danger was greater, as the enemy was very
near. The christians conducted the inhabitants to
proper places, surely with no small danger of losing
their lives. Accordingly they wept , and went, and
supplied the fortwith grain. When the inhabitants
were paid, I strictly inquired whether any of the
christians had taken from them a present. They
all said, “ No, no ; as we were so regularly paid,
D 3
30 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. r.
we offered your catechist a cloth of small value,
but he absolutely refused it. '
“ But Mr. M. Campbell says, that the christians
are profligate to a proverb. If Mr. M. Campbell
was near me, I would explain to him , who are the
profligate people who drain the country. When a
dubash, in the space of ten or fifteen years, scrapes
together two, three, or four lacks of pagodas, is not
this extortion a high degree of profligacy ? Nay ,
government was obligedto send an order that three
of those Gentoo dubashes should quit the Tanjore
country. The enormous crimes committed by
them, filled the country with complaints ; but I
have no mind to enumerate them.
“ It is asserted that the inhabitants of the coun
try would suffer by missionaries. If the mission
aries are sincere christians, it is impossible that
the inhabitants should suffer any damage by them ;
if they are not what they profess to be, they ought
to be dismissed .
“ When sir Archibald Campbell was governor,
and Mr. M. Campbell his private secretary, the in
habitants of the Tanjore country were so miserably
oppressed by the manager, and the Madras du
bashes, that they quitted the country. Of course
all cultivation ceased . In the month of June the
cultivation should commence, but nothing was
done even at the beginning of September. Every
one dreaded the calamity of a famine. I entreated
the rajah to remove that shameful oppression , and
to recal the inhabitants. He sent them word that
justice should be done to them , but they disbe
lieved his promises. He then desired me to write
to them , and to assure them that he, at my inter
cession, would show kindness to them . I did so.
CHAP. I.] INDIA , 31

All immediately returned ; and first of all, the

kallers, or, as they are commonly called, the col
laries, believed my word, so that seven thousand
men came back on one day. The rest of the in
habitants followed their example. When I ex
horted them to exert themselves to the utmost, be
cause the time for cultivation was almost lost, they
6
replied in the following manner : “ As you have
showed kindness to us, you shall not have reason
to repent of it ; we intend to work night and day
to show our regard for you .' Sir Archibald Camp
bell was happy when he heard it ; and we had the
satisfaction of having a better crop than the pre
ceding year.
“ As there was hardly any administration of
justice, I begged and entreated the rajah to es
tablish justice in his country. Well,' said he,
let me know wherein my people are oppressed .'
I did so . He immediately consented to my pro
posal, and told his manager that he should feel his
indignation, if the oppression did not cease imme
diately. But as he soon died, he did not see the
execution .
“ When the present rajah began his reign, I put
sir Archibald Campbell in mind of that necessary
point. He desired me to make a plan for a court
of justice, which I did ; but it was soon neglected
by the servants of the rajah, who commonly sold
justice to the best bidder.
“ When the honourable company took posses
sion of the country during the war, the plan for
introducing justice was re-assumed ; by which
many people were made happy. But when the
country was restored to the rajah , the former irre
gularities took place.
32 MISSIONARY RECORDS .
[ CHL : P, 1.
“ During the assumption , government desired
me to assist the gentlemen collectors. The district
towards the west of Tanjore had been very much
neglected, so that the water -courses had not been
cleansed for the last fifteen years. I proposed that
the collector should advance five hundred pagodas
to cleanse those water - courses . The gentlemen
consented, if I would inspect the business. The
work was begun and finished, being inspected
by christians. All that part of the country rejoiced
in getting one hundred thousand kalams more
than before. The inhabitants confessed, that, in
stead of one kalam , they now reaped four.
“ No inhabitant has suffered by christians ; none
has complained of them . On the contrary, one of the
6
richest inhabitants said to me, Sir, if you send a
person to us, send us one who has learned all your
ten commandments. For he, and many hundred
inhabitants, had been present when I explained the
christian doctrine to heathens and christians.
“ The inhabitants dread the conduct of a Madras
dubash . These people lend money to the rajah at
an exorbitant interest, and then are permitted to
collect their money and interest in an appointed
district. It is needless to mention the conse
quences.
“ When the collaries committed great outrages
in their plundering expeditions, seapoys were sent
out to adjust matters, but it had no effect. Govern
ment desired me to inquire into that thievishi
business. I therefore sent letters to the head col
laries. They appeared. We found out, in some
degree , how much the Tanjore, and Tondiman's,
and the nabob's collaries had stolen ; and we in
sisted uponrestoration, which was doneaccordingly.
CHAP. I. INDIA 33

At last, all gave it in writing, that they would steal

no more . This promise they kept very well for
eight months, and then they began their old work ;
however, not as before. Had that inspection over
their conduct been continued, they might have been
inade useful people. I insisted upon the cultivation
of their fields, which they really did. But if the de
mands become exorbitant, they have no resource ,
as they think, but that of plundering.
“ At last some of those thievish collaries desired
to be instructed . I said ,' I am obliged to instruct
you, but I am afraid that you will become very bad
christians. Their promises were fair. I instructed
them , and, when they had aa tolerable knowledge, I
baptized them . Having baptized them , I exhorted
them to steal no more , but to work industriously.
After that I visited them , and, having examined
their knowledge, I desired to see their work. I ob
served , with pleasure , that their fields were excel
6
lently cultivated. Now ,' said I, one thing re
mains to be done : you must pay your tribute
readily, and not wait till it is exacted by military
force, which, otherwise, is their custoin . Soon
after that, I found that they had paid off their tri
bate exactly. The only complaint against those
christian collaries was, that they refused to go
upon plundering expeditions, as they had done
before .
66
Now I am well aware , that some will accuse
me of having boasted. I confess the charge wil
lingly, but lay all the blame upon those who have
constrained me to commit that folly. I might have
enlarged my account, but fearing that some cha
racters would have suffered by it, I stop here. One
34 MISSIONARY RECORDS . CHAP . I.
thing, however, I affirm before God and man , that
it christianity, in its plain and undi-guised for ,
was properly promoted , the country would not
suffer, but be benefited by it.
" If christians were employed in some important
offices, they should , if they misbehaved, be doubly
punished ; but to reject them entirely is not righi,
and discourageth .
“ The glorious God, and our blessed Redeemer,
has commanded his apostles to preach the gospel to
all nations. The knowledge of God, of his divine
perfections, and of his mercy to mankind, may be
abused, but there is no other method of reclaiming
mankind than by instructing them well. To hope
that the heathens will live a good life without the
knowledge of God , is a chinneia.
a

“ The praise bestowed on the heathens of this

country by many of our historians, is refuted by a
close, I might almost say superficial, inspection of
their lives. Many historical works are more like
a romance than history . Many gentlemen here,
are astonished how some historians have prostituted
their talents by writing fables.
“ I am now at the brink of eternity, but to this
moment I declare, that I do not repent of having
spent forty - three years in the service of my Divine
Master. Who knows but God may remove some
of the great obstacles to the propagation of the
gospel ? Should a reformation take place amongst
the Europeans, it would , no doubt, be the greatest
blessing to the country.
“ These observations I beg leave to lay before
the honourable society, with my humble thanks for
all their benefits bestowed on this work, and sincere
CHAP . I.] INDIA . 35

wishes that their pious and generous endeavours to

disseminate theknowledge of God and Jesus Christ,
may be beneficial to many thousands. I am , sin
cerely , rev. and dear sir, your affectionate brother,
and humble servant, “ C. F. SWARTZ ."

To this interesting letter it is only necessary to

add , that Mr. Montgomery Campbell, on seeing it,
wrote an apology to Mr. Swartz , and excused him
self by saying, that his speech had been erroneously
reported in the newspapers. It would be well if
some of his modern imitators in false allegations
against missionaries, would manifest the same can
dour in retracting their erroneous statements.
The conduct of Swartz was marked by great
disinterestedness. All the pecuniary means he
possessed were expended on the mission. In ad
dition to this, the fidelity with which he laboured,
the self-denial he exercised, the esteem in which
he was held by Europeans and natives, and the
veneration with which his brethren regarded him
as their father, counsellor, and pattern, are abun
dantly manifest. He was favoured with an almost
uninterrupted state of good health , and could dis
charge his duties with ease. It was only in the
latter years of his life that he was unable to go
about among the heathen as before. But, in No
vember, 1797, a cold occasioned severe illness, and
great apprehension was entertained for his life .
Although his strength was quite exhausted, and
his body emaciated, he desired that the school
children, and others who usually attended the
evening prayers, should assemble in his parlour :
his dwelling was in the garden given him by the
deceased rajah, and at evening they gathered there,
36 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. I.
He sat up in his bed , and looked at them ear
nestly ; then they sung bis favourite hymn. А
few days afterwards he was visited by che young
rajah, who was not twenty years of age. Many of
his courtiers and officers were with him . Swartz
received him very affectionately, and then delivered
to him his dying charge. “ After God has called
me hence, I request that you will be careful not to
indulge a fondness for pomp and grandeur. You
are convinced that my endeavours to serve you
have been disinterested What I now request of
you is, that you would be kind to the christians ;
be to them a father and protector. As the due ad
ministration of justice is indispensably necessary
for the prosperity and happiness of every state , I
request you will establish regular courts, and be
careful that impartial justice is administered. I
heartily wish you would renounce idolatry, and
serve and honour the only true God. May he be
merciful , and enable you to do it. ” He then in
quired if he sometimes perused the bible ; and
again entreated him , that, amidst the snares of a
throne, he would not forget eternal hopes.
The prince was deeply affected : he stood some
time silently by the bed -side, well aware of the
disinterested services of that guardian by whose
care, not only was his mind richly stored and
accomplished , but his way, amidst plots and
jealousies, securely paved to the throne.
Contrary to all expectation, Swartz once more
enjoyed an interval of health, and was able to re
sume some of his occupations, though the energy
of his mind was evidently diminished . A dangerous
complaint in the foot appeared soon after, and, in
consequence, he sank into a state of extreme de
C1IAP , . INDIA . 37

bility. Of the circumstances that followed , an in

teresting account is given by his coadjutor, Gericke.
“ As we had every hour to expect the dissolu
tion of our beloved brother, the rest of the brethren
requested that I would stay with them , and help
them to bear the burden . But it was, at the same
time, a great blessing to me to behold , in this ex
piring christian, an edifying example of faith, hope,
and resignation. When spiritual and heavenly
things were the subjects of contemplation -- when he
prayed, admonished, or spoke of the tranquillity and
peace which his soul enjoyed through the mercy of
God in Christ - it could never be perceived that his
powers of recollection were impaired. Frequently
he quoted texts of scripture, or verses of hymns,
which were very apposite. For a time, he did not
think his end to be near at hand , but afterwards he
said, several times, ' Now , I think, I shall soon go
to the heavenly Father. ' Being once asked if he
had the hope, that, after his death, the kingdom of
God would be further extended in this country, he
6
answered • Yes ; but it will pass through trials and
tribulations. Another time, when he was asked
if he had any thing yet to say with regard to the
congregation, he answered, " Do you help , that
they may all come to heaven . When we ex

pressed ourselves rejoiced to see him so patient and

6
resigned , he replied, Human misery is universal;
and I really suffer very little ;' and frequently re
peated the words, “ Our faithful God helps in dis
tress, and chastens with moderation . But how
should it be if he were to deal with us according
to our sins ! But youder, pain will be no more,
and for that we have to thank the Lord Jesus. '
A change, apparently favourable, suddenly took
E
38 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. I.
place ; but a relapse speedily followed. Mr. Ge
ricke says, that “ he now suffered more than be
fore, but his patience and resignation did not di
minish ; not a complaint was heard from him ; his
sighs only expressed how much he suffered. I
said to him, among other things, ' God grant that
we may oneday, in our last extremity , await our
dissolution, in such peace, and such a happy frame
as yon to our comfort and satisfaction now enjoy.'
6
• May he grant it, ' he rejoined , ʻin the richest inea
sure . All our hearts were moved by the affec
tionate energy with which he uttered these words .”
He afterwards fell into a kind of stupor. “ When
he awoke , he spoke, indeed, but only detached
words were intelligible; however , he seemed clearly
to understand whatever was spoken to him. We
thought he was about to slumber thus out of the
body ; but about noon he became again more lively .
We sung the hymn , Christ is my life,' &c. in
which he began to join us. He spoke very humbly
of himself , and in praise of his Redeemer, wishing
6
to be dissolved , and to be with Christ. Had it
pleased him ,' he said, that I had remained here
longer , I should have liked it ; for then Imight have
spoken a word more to the poor and sick, but his
will be done ! May he only receive me in mercy !
Into thy hands I commend my spirit ; thou hast
redeemed me, thou faithful God ! ” In a hymn
sang by the Malabar attendants he frequently
joined . He then rested a little , and soon after
wards expired , in the seventy -third year of his age.
Sorrow at the loss of this teacher, coinforter,
and benefactor, was universal. Not only the con
gregations and the schools, but the whole country
seemed to lament him as a father. On the follow
CHAP 1.] INDIA . 39

ing day, his remains were deposited in the grave,

which was dug in the church in the garden.
Serfogee, the rajah of Tanjore, whose tutor he was,
came to do honour to his memory in the presence
of his brahminical court. He covered the body
with a gold cloth , and shed a flood of tears. А.
hymn was intended to be sung at the grave, but
this was prevented by the lamentations of the
multitude. The servant of the departed said, in a
tone of sorrow and despondency , “ Now all our
hopes are gone " and in this feeling all ranks
seemed to concur. In his will, Swartz left his
property to the poor, and to the mission at
Tanjore. The honours paid by the rajah, already
adverted to, were followed by others. He placed
the portrait of his friend among the pictures of the
princes of that country , in his principal hall of
audience. He also addressed a letter to the
Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, re
questing that a monument in marble might be
erected in the church in his capital, “ with the
view , ” to employ his own language, " to perpe
tuate the memory of father Swartz, and to manifesa
the high esteem I have for the character of that
great and good man, and the gratitude I owe him
iny father, my friend, the protector and guardian
of my youth ." Still further, having erected a
large charitable institution, for the maintenance
and education of Hindoo children of different
castes, his affectionate regard for the memory of
his benefactor, induced him to form a similar esta
blishment for the benefit of fifty christian children ,
and for the maintenance and clothing of thirty
poor christians. He gave orders that his christian
servants, civil and military, should be allowed to
40 MISSIONARY RECORDS .
[CLA2. I.
attend divine worship on the sabbath, and on
festival days, when they should be excused from
all other duty. He expressed , moreover, a
wish, that all future missionaries might follow the
footsteps of Swartz, or, at least, be like him in
piety. A monument to his memory was executed
by the celebrated Bacon , and erected in Madras,
at the expence of the East India Company.
The testimony of bishop Heber to this extra
ordinary man deserves to be quoted : “ I used to
suspect, that, with many admirable qualities, there
was tvo great a mixture of intrigue in his cha
racter, that he was too much of a political prophet,
and that the veneration which the people paid , and
still pay him , (and which, indeed, almost regards
him as a superior being, putting crowns and burn
ing lights before his statue ,) was purchased by
some unwarrantable compromise with their preju
dices. I find I was quite mistaken . He wa s
really one of the most active and fearless ( as he
was one of the most successful ) missionaries who
have appeared since the apostles. To say that he
was disinterested in regard to money, is nothing :
he was perfectly careless of power ; and renown
never seemed to affect him , even so far as to
induce an outward show of humility. His temper
was perfectly simple, open , and cheerful; and in
his political negociations (employments which he
never sought, but which fell in his way ,) he never
pretended to impartiality, but acted as the avowed,
though certainly the successful and judicious agent
of the orphan prince entrusted to his care, and
from attempting whose conversion to christianity
he seems to have abstained from a feeling of
honour.
CHAP. II. ] INDIA . 41
“ His other converts were between six and seven
thousand, besides those which his predecessors and
companions in the cause had brought over."
It would appear, however, from the address of
Swartz to the youthful rajah, which was recently
quoted, that he did urge on him the abandonment
of idolatry. And great as was undoubtedly his
success, the joyit afforded would have been greatly
increased, could he have seen this object of his
desires and prayers fully accomplished.

CHAPTER II.

Rev. Mr. Gericke.-- His Devotedness and Death.

--- Remarkable History of Rev. John Kier
nander.--- Rev , David Brown.--Rev. Dr. Bu
chanan.--- Translations.-- Journies.-- Visit to
Juggernaut, Tranquebar, and Tanjore. — Inter
views with the Rajah .-- Report of the Mission.
-Bishop Heber's Visit.--Recent Intelligence.
--Renunciation of Popery .

MR . GERICKE, the companion of Swartz, also

laboured with considerable effect. On the capitu
lation of Cuddalore, in 1782, he rendered some
important services to the cause of humanity. By
dissuading the French general from delivering up
the place to the troops of Hyder Ally, he pre
served it from the most cruel devastation ; and by
concealing in his own house seven English officers,
who admiral Suffrein had promised to surrender
to the usurper, he saved thein from the horrors of
E 3
42 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. II .
a dungeon , and from other appalling evils that
threatened them . He also maintained, for a con
siderable time, at his own expence, the admiral's
secretary, who haul been severely wounded in a
recent naval engagement, and treated him with the
ailection of a brother; though, at this time, the
mission -garden was completely destroyed , the
church was converted into a magazine, and the
missionary could only perform divine worship in
the school, or in his own dwelling :
For thirty-eight years he was a missionary in
India , but his course terminated in the sixty
second year of his age. The grief occasioned by
his death is indescribable ; for his gentleness,
meekness, and humility, endeared him to persons
of every rank . Many called him “ the primitive
christian ," and those who differed with him as to
religion , revered his character. His benevolence
was great : in his expenditure, he observed the
utmost economy, that he might relieve the needy.
Possessed of considerable property, he contributed
liberally to the support of his fellow missionaries ;
and, at his death , he left to the Vepery mission ,
about £ 6000 ., besides the reversion of a very con
siderable sum , and a large house, on the deceadse
of his widow , He was one, who enlightene ,
warmed, and cheered all within the sphere of his
influence .
The history of the Rev. John Kiernander is
very remarkable. He was recommended to the
Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, by
professor Francke, of Halle, as a missionary to
Cuddalore. He seems to have been delighted
with this sphere of labour, and to have enjoyed in
it, for a season, remarkable prosperity. He now
CHAP . II.] INDIA 43

married a lady of some property, but a few years

after, the city surrendered to count Lally, and a
general confiscation took place. Forbidden to
remain there, he set out for Tranqnebar, where he
arrived in safety, but stripped of all his property ,
except a few articles of clothing.
He afterwards left that city and reached Cal
cutta, where general Clive was pleased with the
intention of establishing a mission, perhaps, in
part, from Kiernander's handsome countenance,
pleasing address, and brilliant talents . But after
the lapse of three years he lost his wife, a woman
of great piety, affection, and fortitude, and for want
of her presence and influence, many serious evils
arose . On his marriage with a wealthy widow , he
lived in great splendour, and thus drew on himself
much envy and malignity.
He now chose two persons to assist him in his
work , who had publicly abjured the errors of
popery. Da Costa was a Dominican friar, who,
aiter spending some years at Goa, proceeded to
Din , where he became an inquisitor. At length
he felt some repugnance to his engagements, and
afterwards became acquainted with Antonio Ro
driguez, a father of the Jesuits, who had enter
tained doubts as to his own faith . He lent Da
Costa a Bible, and some books published at Tran
quebar, and from these he saw the agreement of the
doctrines of the reformation with the word of
God . So convinced was Rodriguez of his errors,
that he withdrew froin the church of Rome, was , in
consequence , excommunicated by his brethren ,
and Da Costa received a peremptory mandate to
seize his friend , and to deliver him up to cruelty
 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHLAP. II.
and death . He refused to be the executioner of
the man to whom he owed so much : Rodriguez
fell sick, maintained his faith in his dying mo
ments, and though he refused extreme unction ,
was buried by the Jesuits with great pomp. The
change in Da Costa's sentiments was now soon
discovered ; he was seized , and sent on board a
vessel bound to Gua, but, while druading the
fiercest tortures, made his escape, and arrived at
Calcutta . Here he became acquainted with
Kiernander, intercourse with whom soon decided
his choice, and led to his publicly embracing pro
testantism . The inquisition soon after sent a
priest to menace him ; and , if possible, to get him
once more into their power, but the protection of
the English was the means of his security . Kier
nander treated him with the greatest kindness,
received him , with another person named De
Silvestre, under his own roof, and both, froin their
extensive learning, afforded hiin much pleasure
and assistance. Da Costa, a few years after, sunk
under long -continued affliction , and his place was
supplied by a Romish priest who had renounced
his errors , and possessed great knowledge and
ability. A Jesuit became also, through the efforts
of Kiernander, a protestant .
Through the subtle influence of the world, the
fidelity of Kiernander was now unhappily declin
ing, but he resolved to build a church , which was
in due time completed, at the cost to the founder
of more than £3000 sterling ; and other buildings
for the mission cost £ 4000 more . Two years
after, he lost his second wife , who bequeathed her
jewels for the benefit of " Beth Tephilla ," the
 45
CHIA P. 1.] INDIA .

house of prayer ; and , with the amount obtained for

them , he founded a school, in his own ground, behind
the church. He deeply felt her loss ,and his wealth
was beginning to melt away. He was also seized
with blindness, and was soon almost solitary in his
spacious chambers, for few came to soothe and
comfort him ; but his affliction was sanctified, and
he returned in deep penitence to God. Couching
relieved him , after four years' suffering ; but the
neglect of his affairs, during his blindness, com
pleted that ruin of his fortune, which had been
commenced by his generosity of temper and his
former extravagance. The seal of the sheriff was
aiñixed even to the gates of the chapel, as a part of
his personal estate, and was only redeemed by the
munificence of the late Charles Grant, esq ., who
paid for it the sum at which it had been ap
praised.
Another missionary came and entered into
Kiernander's labours. Declining and stricken , he
therefore determined to leave the scene which was
slow productive of so much pain. He went to
Chinsurah , and was appointed chaplain to that
settlement, where, however, his income scarcely
raised him above poverty. His mind was still
powerful, but he deeply felt the loss of congenial
society. On the capture of Chinsurah, in 1795,
he became a prisoner of war, and in this character
received from the English a small subsistence,
when eighty -six years of age. At last, pitying his
age and misfortunes, they allowed him to go to
Calcutta. On arriving there, he wandered through
the streets, and passed by the doors where he was
once so much welcomed and honoured . But what
must have been his feelings when he saw the
46 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. II.
dwelling where he had lived in so inueh luxury
and state ? Some who would have southed his
cares had gone down to the grave ; but he succeerled
in finding aa relation of one of his wives, who re
ceived him . In the following spring he broke his
thigh by a fall, and lingered long in agony. His
dwelling contained but few comforts, for the re
sources of its inmates were small, but to him Divine
consolations were granted. In one of his last letters
directed to his native place, Akstad, in Sweden , he
writes, “ My heart is full, but my hand is weak ;
the world is yet the same ; there are many old
friends ; others like broken reeds : but God makes
the heaviest burdens light and easy : I rejoice to
see the poor mission prosper ; this comforts me
»

amidst all."
At length, he was called hence, to be no more
seen ; leaving, in his history, another proof of the
danger of conformity to the world, and of the
restoring and purifying power of sanctified af
fliction . “ Let him that thinketh he standeth , take
heed lest he fall;" and especially is he likely to
do so, if temporal things are flattering. Then more
ample supplies of grace are needed to resist tempta
tion, and to “ use the world as not abusing it."
And as the season of prosperity should be one of
prayer, so the time when sin lies heavy on the
conscience should be another. Instead of driving
us to a greater distance from God, it should urge
us to him , " with weeping and supplication . ” He
>
who is “ aGod ready to pardon ,” will welcome the
returning penitent, who comes to him through
Christ, and seal the forgiveness of every wanderer,
who returns to his fold.
Among the distinguished labourers in India was
CHAP . II. ] INDIA . 47

the Rev. David Brown. Having been called to an

important post in Bengal, he undertook to supply
the church belonging to the Society for promoting
Christian Knowledge, until they could employ a
missionary of their own, but from this heavy charge
he was not relieved till within a short period of his
death .
His own zeal , in early years, had burned with
a strong missionary flame. He was even then
ready to give himself up wholly to the work ; and
nearly at the entrance on his career in India he
was required , by unforeseen events, to forsake all
and follow his Divine Master. He sacrificed much
comfort and emolument that he might undertake,
without remuneration, the charge of the mission
church, which would otherwise have been shut up.
His attendance on its duties were indeed inde
fatigable. In the early part of his ministry the
attendance was occasionally very thin , but he
seemed to enjoy himself most, when, literally,
“ two or three met together in Christ's name. ”
Success attended his perseverance. In one of his
letters he says , 66

In January last, I signified to

the oldest members of the mission -church congre
gation, my intention of discontinuing the Wednes
day evening lecture, on account of its undue en
croachment on my time. But I found a host rose
up against my determination ; so for peace and
lore's sake, I go on as usual ; and the discussion is
put off sine die.”
His health sank under his great exertions. At
length , he consented to go out to sea , as the only
remaining means from which his restoration might
be expected. But never more was he to resume
his work. The Indiaman, in wliich he embarked,
48 MISSIONARY RECORDS . CHAP. I !.
struck on a sand , and the disadvantageous circum
stances in which he was afterwards placed greatly
increased his weakness. It pleased God, however,
that he should be brought back to the bosom of his
family, and that, when surrounded by the objects
of his tenderest love, his spirit should be called
hence. His last morning was particularly calm ,
collected, and resigned ; and his last breath spoke
thankfulness for the merciful consolation be en
joyed , the great kindness that had been shown him ,
and his confidence in the graciouspromises of God.
While in the act of thus expressing his gratitude,
he closed his eyes, raised his feeble hands, and
still moved his lips in inward worship, but his
voice was heard no more !
It is worthy of remark , that, in giving directions
respecting any inscription by which the remem
brance of him should be transmitted to posterity ,
he desired it to be recorded , not that he had filled
high and important stations in the church of our
chief East India settlement; not that he had been
distinguished by the confidence, respect, and friend
ship , of each successive administration of the
supreme government ; not that he had been placed
at the head, and assisted to form a splendid and
important establishment, as provost of the college
of Fort William ; but that, “ in the mission-church
of Calcutta, for twenty-five years, he preached the
gospel to the poor.” A slab to this effect has been
inscribed by the congregation , and placed within
its walls.
To the labours of Dr. Buchanan, India is very
deeply indebted. Appointed by Lord Mornington,
the governor, third chaplain to the residency, he
immediately entered on the duties of liis oflice ;
« ?HAP . 11. ] INDIA . 49

and on the establishment of the college of Fort

William by the same nobleman, became the vice
provost. In spite of opposition, he manifested great
zeal , energy, and perseverance for the translation
of the scriptures into the languages of India. The
first versions of any of the gospels in Persian and
Hindoostanee, which were printed there, issued
from the press of the college. In addition to other
efforts, he made an extensive journey, the know
ledge he attained from which was great, and was
inly equalled by the fatigues he endured, and the
privations to which he submitted.
The account of his visit to one of the chief seats
of idolatry in India is deeply affecting .
“ We know,” he observes, " that we are ap
proaching Juggernaut, (and yet we are more than
fifty miles from it, ) by the human bones which we
have seen for some days, strewed by the way . At
this place we have been joined by several large
bodies of pilgrims, perhaps 2000 in number, who
have come from different parts of Northern India .
Some of them with whom I have conversed say,
that they have been two months on their march ;
travelling slowly, in the hottest season of the year,
with their wives and children . Some old persons
are among them , who wish to die at Juggernaut.
Numbers of pilgrims die on the road , and their
bodies generally remain unburied. On a plain by
the river, near the Pilgrim's Caravansary , at this
place , there are more than a hundred skulls . The
dogs, jackals , and vultures, seem to live here on
human prey . The vultures exhibit a shocking
tameness. These foul , obscene animals, will not
leave the body, sometimes, till we come close to
them . This Buddruck is aa horrid place. Wherever
F
50 [ CHAP.. II.
MISSIONARY RECORDS .

I turn my eyes, I meet death in some shape or

other. Surely Juggernaut cannot be worse than
Buddru ck. ”
In view of the high tower of Juggernaut's temple,
he says, “ Many thousands of pilgrims have al
companied us for some days past. They cover
the road, before and behind, as far as the eye can
reach . At nine o'clock this morning, the temple
of Juggernaut appeared in view, at a great distance.
When the multitude first saw it, they gave a shout,
and fell to the ground, and worshipped. I have
heard nothing to-day but shouts and acclamations,
by the successive bodies of pilgrims. From the
place where I now stand, I have a view of a host of
people like an army, encamped at the outer gate of
the town of Juggernaut, where a guard of soldiers
is posted, to prevent their entering the town until
they have paid the pilgrim's tax. I passed a de
votee to -day, who laid liimself down at every step,
measuring the road to Juggernaut by the length
of his body, as a penance of merit to please the
god . ”
Two days after, he writes,- “ I have seen Jug
gernaut. The scene at Buddruck is but the vesti
bule to Juggernaut. No record of ancient or
modern history can give, I think , an adequate idea
of this valley of death ; it may be truly compared
with the valley of Hinnom . The idol, called Jug
gernaut, has been considered as the Moloch of the
present age , and he is justly so named, for the
sacrifices offered up to him , by self-devotement,
are not less criminal, perhaps not less numerous,
than those recorded of the Moloch of Canaan .
" Two other idols accompany Juggernaut;
namely, Boloram and Shubudra, his brother and
CHAP . II .] INDIA . 51

sister ; for there are three deities worshipped here.

They receive equal adoration, and sit on thrones
of nearly equal height.
“ This morning I viewed the temple ; a stupen
dous fabric, and truly commensurate with the ex
tensive sway of the horrid king. As other temples
are usually adorned with figures emblematical of
their religion, so Juggernaut has representations,
numerous and various, of that vice which consti
tutes the essence of his worship. The walls and
gates are covered with indecent emblems, in
inassive and durable sculpture.
I have also visited the sand -plains by the sea,
in some places whitened by the bones of the pil
grims; and another place, a little way out of the
town, called, by the English, the Golgotha, where
the dead bodies are usually cast forth, and where
dogs and vultures are ever seen . ”
The grand Hindoo festival, of the Rutt Jattra ,
he thus describes :- “ I have returned home from
witnessing a scene which I shall never forget. At
twelve o'clock this day, being the great day of the
feast, the Moloch of Hindostan was brought out of
his temple, amidst the acclamations of hundreds of
thousands of his worshippers. When the idol was
placed on his throne, a shout was raised by the
inaltitude, such as 1 had never heard before. It
continued equable for a few minutes, and then gra
dually died away. After a short interval of silence,
a murmur was heard at a distance. All eyes were
turned towards the place, and behold a grove ad
vancing ! A body of men, having green branches
or palms in their hands, approached with great
celerity. The people opened a way for them ; and
when they had come up to the throne, they fell
52 MISSIONARY RECORDS . (CIAP. II.
down before him that sat thereon , and worshipped ;
and the multitude again sent forth a voice like the
sound of a great thunder. But the voices I now
heard, were not those of melody, or of joyful accla
mation , for there is no harmony in the praise of
Moloch's worshippers. Their number , indeed ,
brought to my mind the countless multitude of the
Revelation ; but their voices gave no tuneful ho
sanna or hallelujah , but rather a yell •of approba
tion , united with a kind of hissing applause. I
was at a loss how to account for this latter noise,
until I was directed to notice the women , who
emitted a sound like that of whistling, with the lips
circular, and the tongne vibrating, as if a serpent
would speak by their organs, uttering human
sounds.
“ The throne of the idol was placed on a stupend
ous car or tower, about sixty feet in height, rest
ing on wheels which indented the ground deeply,
as theyturned slowly under the ponderous machine.
Attached to it were six cables, of the size and length
of a ship's cable, by which the people drew it along.
Upon the tower were the priests and satellites of
the idol, surrounding his throne. The idol is a
block of wood , having a frightful visage, painted ,
black, with a distended mouth of a bloody colour,
His arms are of gold, and he is dressed in gorgeous
apparel. The other two idols are of a white and
a yellow colour. Five elephants preceded the three
towers, bearing towering fags, dressed in crimson
caparisons, and having bells hanging to their ca
parisons, which sounded musically as they moved .
“ I went on in the procession , close by the tower
of Moloch , which , as it was drawn with diſlicnity ,
' grated on its many wheels harsh thunder. After
сHAP. п .] INDIA . 53

a few ininutes it stopped ; and now the worship of

the god began. A high-priest mounted the car in
front of theidol, and pronounced his obscene stanzas
in the ears of the people, who responded at inter
vals in the same strain . “ These songs,” said he,
“ are the delight of the god. His car can only
move when he is pleased with the song . The car
moved on a little way, and then stopped .”
In reference to what followed , he observes,-- “ I
felt a consciousness of doing wrong in witnessing it.
I was also somewhatappalled at the magnitude and
horror of the spectacle. I felt like a guilty person ,
a

on whom all eyes were fixed , and I was about to

withdraw . But a scene of a different kind was now
to be presented. The characteristics of Moloch's
worship are obscenity and blood. We have seen
the former : now comes the blood.
“ After the tower had proceeded some way,
pilgrim announced that he was ready to offer him
selt aa sacrifice to the idol . He laid himself down
in the road before the tower , as it was moving along,
lying on his face with his arms stretched forwards.
The multitude passed round him , leaving the space
clear, and he was crushed to death by the wheels
of the tower. A shout of joy was raised to the god.
He is said to smile when the libation of the blood
is made. The people threw cowries, or small
money , on the bodyof the victim , in approbation
of the deed . He was left to view a considerable
time, and was then carried by the hurries to the
Golgotha, where I have just been viewing his
remains."
He subsequently adds -- " The horrid solemni
ties still contimie . Yesterday a woman devoted
herself to the idol . She laid herself down on the
F 3
54 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [chapP.. II .
road, in an oblique direction , so that the wheel did
not kill her instantaneously, as is generally the
case, but she died in a few hours. This morning ,
as I passed the place of skulls, nothing remained of
her but her bones .
“ And this, thought I, is the worship of the
brahmins of Hindostan ! and their worship in its
sublimest degree ! What then shall we think of
their private manners and their moral principles ?
For it is equally true of India as of Europe, if
you would know the state of the people, look at the
state of the temple.
“ I was surprised to see the brahmins, with their
heads uncovered, in the open plain, falling down ,
in the midst of the sooders, before the horrid
shape ,' and mingling so complacently with that pol
luted caste .' But this proved what I had before
heard, that this god is so great, thatthe dignity 01
high caste disappears before him ! This great king
recognises no distinction of rank among his sub
jects. All men are equal in his presence. ”
The rites of Juggernaut are not confined to the
temple in Orissa, the blood of them is known even
at Calcutta, and, alas ! it is shed at the very doors
of the English, almost under the eye of the supreme
government. Moloch has many a tower in the
province of Bengal; that fairand fertile province,
which has been called the “ Garden of Nations."
On one of these spots, Dr. Buchanan witnessed
similar rites to those just described, and his re
marks on them , and on missionary exertions, are
well deserving remembrance.
66
1 sat down on an elevated spot to contemplate
this scene ; the tower of blood and impurity on the
one hand , and the christian preachers on the other.
 INDIA . 55
CHA ” . II.]
I thought on the commandment of our Saviour :
Go ye, teach all nations.' I said to myself, · How
great and glorious a ministry are these humble
persons now exercising in the presence of God !
How is it applauded by the holy angels, who have
joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth ; and
how far does it transcend the work of the warrior
or statesman , in charity, utility, and lasting fame !'
And I could not help wishing, that the representa
tives of the church of Christ in my own country
had been present to witness this scene, that they
inight have seen how practicable it is to offer
christian instruction to our Hindoo subjects .”
In 1806, Dr. Buchanan visited the principal
stations on the coast of Coromandel, and of them
he thus speaks :
66
* Tranquebar was the scene of the first pro
testant mission in India. There are at present
three missionaries here superintending the Hindoo
congregations. Yesterday I visited the church
built by Ziegenbalg. His body lies on one side of
the altar, and that of his fellow missionary,Grund
ler, on the other. Above are the epitaphs of both ,
written in Latin , and engraved on plates of brass.
The church was consecrated in 1718, and Ziegen
balg and his companion died in two years after.
They laid the foundation for evangelizing India,
6

and then departed, - having finished the work which

was given them to do.' I saw also the dwelling
house of Ziegenbalg, in the lower apartment of
which the registers of the church are still kept.
In these I found the name of the first heathen bap
tized by him , and recorded in his own hand -writing,
in the year 1707. In Ziegenbalg's church, and
from the pulpit where he stood , I first heard the
56 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. II.
gospel preached to a congregation of Hindoos in
their own tongue. The inissionaries told me that
religion had suffered much at Tranquebar of late
years, from European infidelity. French principles
had corrupted the Danes, and rendered them indif
ferent to their own religion , and therefore hostile to
the conversion of the Hindoos. “ Religion,' said
&
they, ' flourishes more among the natives of Tan
jore, and in other provinces where there are few
Europeans, than here or at Madras ; for we find
that European example, in the large towns, is the
bane of christian instruction . One instance of
hostility to the mission they mentioned, as having
occurred only a few weeks before my arrival. In
July, 1756 , the native christians at Tranquebar
celebrated a jubilee, in commemoration of the
fiftieth year since the christian ministers brought
the bible from Europe. The present year being
the second fiftieth , preparations were made at Tran
quebar for the second jubilee, but French principles
preponderating, the government would not give it
any public support ; in consequence of which the
jubilee was not observed with that solemnity which
was intended . But in other places, where there
were few Europeans, it was celebrated by the
native christianswith enthusiasm and every demon
stration of joy. When I expressed my astonish
ment at this hostility , the aged missionary, Dr.
hn, said , ' I have always remarked that the dis
ciples of Voltaire are the true enemies of missions,
and that the enemies of missions are , in general,
the disciples of Voltaire.'
“ On my entering the province of Tanjore, I
stopped an hour at a village near the road, and
there I first heard the name of Swartz pronounced
CHAP. II. ] INDIA .

by a Hindoo . When I arrived at the capital, I

waited on major Blackburne, the British resident
at the court of Tanjore, who informed me that the
rajah had appointed the next day, at twelve o'clock,
to receive my visit. On the same day I went to a
place called Swartz's Garden, where the Rev. Mr.
Kolhoff resides. It is close to the christian village.
Mr. Kolhoff is the worthy successor of Mr. Swartz ;
and with him I found the Rev. Dr. John and Mr.
Horst, two other missionaries, who were there on
a visit.
“ Next day I visited the rajah of Tanjore, in
company with major Blackburne. When the first
ceremonial was over, the rajah conducted us to the
grand saloon , which was adorned with the portraits
of his ancestors, and immediately led me up to the
portrait of Mr. Swartz. He then discoursed for a
considerable time concerning that good man ,'
6

whom he ever revered as his father and guardian .'

The rajah speaks and writes English very intelli
gibly. I smiled to see Swartz's picture amongst
these Hindoo kings, and thought with myself that
there are many who would think such a combina
tion scarcely possible. I then addressed the rajah,
and thanked him , in the name of the christians in
Europe and in India, for his kindness to the late
Mr. Swartz, and to his successors, and particularly
for his recent acts of benevolence to the christians
residing within his provinces. The missionaries
had just informed me that the rajah had erected a.
college for Hindoos, Mohammedans, and Chris
tians; in which provision was made for the instruc
tion of fifty christian children .
“ Last Sunday was an interesting day to me, at
Tanjore. It being rumoured that a friend of the
58 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ Chap. ir.
late Mr. Swartz had arrived, the people assembled
from all quarters. On Sunday three sermons were
preached in three different languages. At eight
o'clock we proceeded to the church built by Mr.
Swartz within the fort. From Mr. Swartz's pulpit
I preached , in English , from Mark xiii. 10 : And
the gospel must first be published among all na
tions.' The English gentlemen here attended,
civil and military, with the missionaries, catechists,
and British soldiers. After this service was ended ,
the congregation of Hindous assembled in the same
church , and filled the aisles and porches. The
Tamul service commenced with some forms of
prayer, in which all the congregation joined with
great fervour. A chapter of the bible was then read ,
and a hymn of Luther's sung. After a short ex
tempore prayer, during which the whole congrega
tion knelt on the floor, the Rev. Dr. John delivered
an animated discourse in the Tamul language,
from these words : ‘ Jesus stood and cried , saying,
If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink.
As Mr. Whitefield, on his first going to Scotland ,
was surprised at the rustling of theleaves of the
bible, which took place immediately on his pro
nouncing his text, (so different from any thing he
had seen in his own country, ) so I was surprised
here at the sound of the iron pen engraving the
palmyra leaf. Many persons had their oles in their
hands, writing the sermon in Tamul short- hand.
Mr. Kolhoff assured me that some of the elder stu
dents and catechists will not lose a word of the
preacher if he speak deliberately. This aptitude
of the people to record the words of the preacher,
renders it peculiarly necessary that the priest's
lips should keep knowledge. An old rule of the
CHAP . II.] INDIA . 59

mission is, that the sermon of the morning should

be read to the schools in the evening, by the cate
chist, from his palmyra leaf.
“ There is another custom among them which
pleased me much . In the midst of the discourse
the preacher sometimes puts a question to the con
gregation, who answer it, without hesitation, in one
voice . The object is to keep their attention awake,
and the minister generally prompts the answer
himself. Thus, suppose that he is saying, “ My
dear brethren , it is true that your profession of the
faith of Christ is attended with some reproach, and
that you have lost your caste with the brahmins.
But your case is not peculiar. The man of the world
is the man of caste in Europe; and he despises the
humble and devout disciple of Christ, even as your
brahmin contemns the sooder. But thus it hath
been from the beginning. Every faithful christian
must lose caste for the gospel, even as Christ hin
self, the Forerunner, made himself of no reputation ,
and was despised and rejected of men . In like
manner, you will be despised ; but be of good cheer,
and say, Thongh we have lost our caste and in
heritance amongst men , we shall receive in heaven
a new name and a better inheritance, through
6

Jesus Christ our Lord . He then adds, “ What, my

beloved brethren, shall you obtain in heaven ?"
They answer , “ A new name and a better inherit
ance , through Jesus Christ our Lord.' It is im
possible for a stranger not to be affected with this
scene. This custom was introduced by Ziegenbalg ,
who proved its use by long experience.
“ After the sermon was ended, I returned with
the inissionaries into the vestry or library of the
church . Here I was introduced to the elders and
60 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. II.
catechists of the congregation . Among others
came Sattianaden , the Hindoo preacher, one of
whose sermons was published in England some
years ago, by the Society for promoting Christian
Knowlerige. He is now advanced in years, and his
black locks have grown grey. As I returned from
the church, I saw the christian families going back
in crowds to the country, and the boyslooking at
their oles. What a contrast, thought I, is this to
the scene at Juggernaut! Here there is becoming
dress, humane affections, and rational discourse.
Here I see no skulls, no self-torture, no self-murder,
no dogs and vultures tearing luman flesh ! Here
the christian virtues are found in exercise by the
feeble -minded Hindoo, in a vigour and purity
which will surprise those who have never known
the native character but under the greatest disad
vantages, as in Bengal. It certainly surprised
myself; and when I reflected on the moral con
duct, upright dealing, decent dress, and decorous
manners of the native christians of Tanjore I found
in my breast a new evidence of the peculiar excel
lence and benign influence of the christian faith.
“ At four o'clock in the afternoon , we attended
66

divine service at the chapel in the Mission Garden ,

out of the fort. The Rev. Mr. Horst preached in
the Portuguese language. The organ here accom
panied the voice in singing. I sat on a granite
stone which covered the grave of Swartz . The
epitaph is in English verse, written by the present
6
rajah, and signed by him , Serfogee. In the
evening Mr. Kolhoff presided at the exercise in the
schools; on which occasion the Tamul sermon was
repeated, and the boys' oles examined .
" In consequence of my having expressed a wish
CHAP, II. INDIA . 61

to hear Sattianaden prcach, Mr. Kolhoff had given

notice that there would be Divine service on the
Monday. Accordingly the chapel in Swartz's Gar
den was crowded at an early hour. Sattianaden
delivered his discourse in the Tamul language, with
much natural eloquence, and with visible effect .
His subject was the Marvellous light.'
6
He first
described the pagan darkness, then the light of
Ziegenbalg, then the light of Swartz, and then the
6
heavenly light,' when there shall be nomore need
of the light of the sun , or of the moon .' In quoting
a passage from scripture, he desired a lower minister
to readit, listening to it as a record , and then pro
ceeded to the illustration . The responses by the
audience were more frequently called for than in
the former discourse. After the sermon , I went
up to Sattianaden , and the old christians who had
known Swartz came around us . They were
anxious to hear something of the progress of chris
tianity in the north of India . Theysaid they had
heard good news from Bengal. I told them that
the news were good, but that Bengal was exactly a
hundred years behind Tanjore.
“ I have had long conversations with the mis
sionaries relating tothe present circumstances of
the Tanjore mission. It is in a languishing state
at this moment, in consequence of the war on the
continent of Europe. Two of its sources have
dried up , the royal college at Copenhagen , and the
orphan -house, at Halle, in Germany. Their re
maining resource from Europe is the stipend of
the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge,
which they never mention but with emotions of
gratitude and affection. But this supply is by no
means commensurate with the increasing number
G
62 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. II .
of their churches and schools. The chief support
of the mission is derived from itself. Mr. Swartz
had in his lifetime acquired considerable property ,
through the kindness of the English government
and of the native princes. When he was dying,
he said , “ Let the cause of Christ be my heir .'
When his colleague, the pious Mr. Gericke, was
departing, he also bequeathed his property to the
mission . And now Mr. Kolhoff gives from his
private funds an annual sum ; not that he can well
afford it, but the mission is so extended, that he
gives it, he told me, to preserve the new and remote
congregations in existence.
“ Before I left the capital of Tanjore, the rajah
was pleased to honour me with a second audience.
On this occasion he presented to me a portrait of
himself, a very striking likeness, painted by a.

Hindoo artist Tanjore

at the court. The mission
ary , Dr. John, accompanied me to the palace.
The rajah received him with much kindness, and
presented to him a piece of gold cloth . Of the
resident missionary , Mr. Kolhoff, whom the rajah
sees frequently , he spoke to me in terms of high
>

approbation. This cannot be very agreeable to

the brahmins ; but the rajah, though he still pro
fesses the Hindoo religion, is no longer obedient
to the dictates of the brahmins, and they are com
pelled to admit his superior attainments in know
ledge. I thought I saw the image of Swartz in
his successor . Mr. Kolhoff is a man of great
simplicity of manners, of meek deportment, and of
ardent zeal in the canse of revealed religion, and
of humanity. He walked with me through the
christian village close to his house, and I was much
pleased to see the affectionate respect of the people
CHAP. II. ] INDIA . 63

towards him ; the young people of both sexes

coming forward from the doors on both sides, salute
him and receive his benediction. *
“ Leaving Tanjore, I passed through the woods
* That I may give to those who are interested in the
promotion of christianity in the east, a more just view of
the character of Swartz's successor, the Rev. Mr. Kolhoff, I
shall subjoin an extract of a letter which I have since
received from the Rev. Mr. Horst :
66 The Rev. Mr. Kolhoff is sometimes rather weak , on
account of so many and various cares that assail him with
out ceasing. He provides for the wants of this and the
southern missions, ( Tritchivapoly excepted ) by dis
bursing annually upwards of one thousand pagodas,
(about £ 250 , sterling,) out of his private purse, partly
to make up the difference between the income and ex
penditure of this and the southern mission , and partly
in assisting the deserving poor, without regard to religion ,
and for various pious uses. To him, as arbitrator and
father , apply all christians that are at variance, disturbed
from without or from within , out of service or distressed ;
for most of our christians will do any thing, rather than go
to law .
“ All these heterogeneous, but, to a missionary at
Tanjore, unavoidable , avocations , joined to the ordinary
duties of his station, exercise his mind early and late ; and,
if he be not of a robust constitution , will undermine his
health at last. Happily, several neighbouring churches
and new congregations, belonging to the mission of Tan
jore,afford Mr. Kolhoff frequent opportunities to relax his
mind, and to recruit his health and spirits, by making
occasional short excursions to see these new christians, who
were professed thieves only a few years ago, and many of
them are now an honour to the christian profession , and
industrious peasants. It is pleasing to behold the anxiety
with which a great number of our christian children
inquire, at such times, when their father will return ; and
how they run several miles to meet him , with shouts and
clapping of hands, and hymns of thanks to God, as soon as
they discern his palaukeep at a distance.”
64 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP . II.
inhabited by the collaries, or thieves, now hu
manized by christianity, and proceeded to
Trichinapoly.
“ The first church built by Swartz is at this
place. It is called Christ's Church, and is a large
building, capable of containing, perhaps, two thou -
sand people. The aged missionary, the Rev. Mr.
Pohle, presides over this church, and over the
native congregations at this place. Christianity
flourishes ; but I found that here, as at other places,
there is a famine of bibles . ”
It would be gratifying to follow Dr. Buchanan in
his subsequent labours in behalf of India, but the
limits of this volume forbid. In the words of his
biographer, “ He was a burning and a shining light,"
and a signal blessing to the nations of the east. We
may, indeed, safely leave his enlogy to be pro
nounced by future generations in Great Britain
and Hindostan, who will vie with each other in
doing honour to his memory, and unite in vene
rating him as one of the best benefactors of man
kind ; as having laboured to impart to those, who,
in a spiritual sense , are poor indeed ," a treasure ,
Transcending, in its worth,
The gems of India.”
Some years ago, the number of missionaries on
the coast of Coromandel amounted to nine, namely,
three at Tranquebar, supported by the Royal Mis
sion College at Copenhagen, and the directors of
the Orphan House at Halle, in Saxony ; two at
Vepery, near Madras ; three at Tanjore; and one
at Trichinapoly, supported by the Society in Lon
don for promoting Christian Knowledge, who also
send liberal benefactions of books, paper, &c., to
CIAP. II. INDIA . 65

the missionaries at Tranquebar. These are the

places wherethe missionaries chiefly resided ; but
they also made frequent journies through the coun
try, and had congregations at Cuddalore, Nega
patnam , Palamcottah, and a great number of other
places.
It is a circumstance not unworthy of observation,
that though this mission has now existed for up
wards of a century, and though, during that pe
riod, more than fifty missionaries have sailed from
Europe, yet, among the multitude of ships which
have been lost, there has not been one which had
a missionary on board .
In the year 1809, the native christians belong
ing to the Tanjore mission alone, including the
Tinevelly district, amounted nearly to twelve thou
sand ; but, from various circumstances, it was feared
that religion was at a very low ebb among them .
Such, indeed, was the scarcity of bibles in the
country , that none of them , except the catechists,
and other teachers, had a copy of the Old Testa
ment in their possession, and not one in two or
three hundred had even the New Testament. It is
stated, however, that almost all the men , particu
larly to the south of Tanjore, were able to read ,
and were extremely eager to have books. This
melancholy deficiency was, in some degree, sup
plied by a Bible Society established at Calcutta,
under the most respectable patronage, with the
particular view of supplying the native christians in
the east with the holy scriptures. Immediately,
indeed, upon its institution, it directed an edition
of the Tamul New Testament, printed at Tran
quebar, to be purchased for distribution ; and like
wise two thousand copiesG of
3
the Portuguese bible,
66 MISSIONARY RECORDS , [ CHAP. II.
and five thousand Portuguese testaments. It also
contracted for the printing of an edition of five
thousand New Testaments in Tamul.
With regard to the total number of converts
since the commencement of the mission , there are
different accounts . Many years ago, they were
stated at eighteen thousand ; but Dr. Carey informs
us, that the missionaries on the Coromandel coast ,
reckoned about forty thousand of the natives to
have embraced christianity. Dr. Buchanan says,
on the other hand , that, from the commencement
of the mission until the year 1805, a period of near
a century, it was computed, that no fewer than
eighty thousand of the natives, consisting of persons
of all the different castes, had been converted to the
faith of Christ.
Ever since the commencement of the mission ,
the education of youth has formed an important
part of the cares and labours of the missionaries,
and is still an object of their assiduous attention .
Some years ago, the number of children in the
schools of Tranquebar, Tanjore, and Trichinapoly,
was no fewer than five hundred and thirty -eight,
exclusive of those at Vepery and other places. Of
those at Tranquebar, two hundred were clothed
and supported , as well as educated ; and of those
at Tanjore, thirty -three were training to be
catechists.
Dr. John, who was upwards of forty years a
missionary at Tranquebar, adopted a plan of esta
blishing free schools in the villages throughout the
neighbouring country, on the united systems of
Dr. Bell and Mr. Lancaster. He made a small
beginning with some children, who implored ad
mission into the orphan house in the town, but
CHAP. II. ] INDIA . 67

whom it was impossible toreceive, on account of

the low state of the funds. Having opened a school
in the mearest village, with about ten protestant
children of the lower class, he afterwards enlarged
it for the benefit of Roman catholics and pagaus ;
and, in a short time, the number of scholars in
creased to eighty, who were taught reading, writing,
and arithmetic, by an able schoolmaster and two
ushers. As the application from poor parents of
all castes rapidly increased, he established another
school at Bethlehem , of sooder children, which was
soon attended by about fifty. An honest pagan
having offered to keep a school according to Dr.
John's regulations, and to teach reading by the
printed books of the missionaries, his offer was ac
cepted ; and, in a short time, his school was fre
quented by about sixty scholars ; and a christian
usher was added , to teach the protestant children
the principles of religion. Dr. John proceeded, in
this manner, to establish other schools on a similar
plan, both in the town of Tranquebar and in the
neighbouring country . Even the bralımins thought
it an advantage to have their children instructed in
reading, writing, and cyphering, at these semi
naries, as in the ordinary schools they were, in
general, so miserably taught, that few could read
their own language with facility . To avoid all
suspicion that he intended to obtrude the christian
religion on the scholars, Dr. John informed the
teachers and parents, that the design of these
schools was merely to teach reading, writing, and
arithmetic, by a shorter and more easy method
than was common . But though religion forms no
proper branch of instruction in these seminaries, it
is hoped that they have contributed to promote the
68
MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. II.
progress of christianity in the country, especially
as certain passages from the holy scriptures are
read in them .
Bishop Heber arrived at Tanjore in March , 1826.
The morning after his arrival, (Easter-day,) he
preached in the mission -church in the fort, and
administered the Lord's supper to fifty-three native
christians, using ( as was his constant custom in all
native congregations) the words of administration
in their own language. In the evening he at
tended the Tamul service in the same church ; the
liturgy being read by the missionaries present, and
the sermon preached by Dr. Cæmerer, of Tran
quebar, and he himself pronouncing the benediction
in Tamul. “ Gladly,” he exclaimed to me, says
the Rev. T. Robinson, while taking off his robes ,
6

“ gladly would I purchase this day with years of

existence .” On the following morning, (Easter
Monday ,) he confirmed twelve descendantsof Eu
ropeans, and fiſty natives, in the same church ;
and, in the evening of the same day, he attended
divine service in Tamul, at the small chapel in the
mission garden. After the serinon, his lordship,
from hisseat at the altar, addressed the mission
aries who were present, and the native teachers by
whom they were attended. He exhorted them to
fidelity, diligence, and increasing zeal , patience in
bearing privations and neglect for Christ's sake,
looking for the recompence of reward, to earnest
prayer for themselves, for him , for their flock, and
for the rajah, who had shown such kindness to the
church of Christ. He alluded beautifully to the
grave of Swartz, over which they were then stand
ing, and charged them to follow his brightexample.
The effect produced on the minds of all present
CHAP . II. } INDIA . 69

was such as I never witnessed : it will never be

obliterated .”
The archdeacon of Madras, on a late visit to
Tanjore, found the inhabitants of some Roman
catholic villages earnestly desirous to be received
into the communion of the protestant church. At
Mortaputty, in the Trichinapoly district, the
people prepared for the reception of Mr. Haubroe
a spacious pandall of cocoa -nut leaves, covered
above with cloths, to shelter those assembled from
the sun -beams, in a grove adjoining the village,
where he had a conference with the head man , and
with deputies sent from several other villages, who
had come to the determination of renouncing
popery .
After a second journey, and a stay of eight days
among these interesting people, Mr. H. says, “ I
was highly delighted, and trust that a wide door is
opened to the spread of the gospel amonga people,
who seem ripened for that purer form of worship
which the gospel dictates to mankind . Descend
ants of a warlike race, they are not so much subject
to caste prejudices as their neighbours. I visited
nine villages, and preached in every place the word
of God, morning and evening, selecting from the
gospel such portions as seemed best calculated to
awaken their attention, and to convey an idea of the
excellency of the scriptures to a people who had
hitherto known christianity only through the cor
rupted forms of popery . Every where I met with
a friendly reception. " Two villages have given over
their chapels, built by themselves, to the mission ;
two hundred families have entered their names as
catechumens ; among these, two of their own native
catechists .
70 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. II ..
Mortaputty, one of these villages, was afterwards
visited by the archdeacon , who writes : “ The coun
try on all sides is rich and beautiful, and the houses
of the village have a great appearance of comfort :
the ditch and the ruins of a small mud fort are still
visible. The people have unanimously come for
ward to renounce popery, to the number of one
hundred and twenty-three ; and those of the neigh
bouring village, one mile distant, to the number of
one hundred : they have given up their chapel, a
decent mud building, for our service ; where they
daily attend for the instruction of the catechist,
and for morning and evening prayers. A small
school has been collected in the last few days , and
contains already seventeen children . Hitherto,
they have never received the slightest instruction
from their priests ; whom , indeed , they had but
seldom seen . The altar still remains in its former
state, but the crucifix and images had been re
moved , and thrown into a cupboard underneath .
There was a large image of the virgin, and a small
one of St. Ignatius, which have been sent to me
since my return to Madras : in lieu of them , I have
sent them some copies of the scriptures and the
prayer -book.”
Dr. Scudder, of Ceylon , who recently visited
Tanjore, writes : “ Two hundred and fifty -one
families, or about fifteen hundred people, have re
nounced their corrupt faith, and enrolled their
names among protestant worshippers. The work
commenced in aa catholic village, where Swartz built
a church fifty years ago, but which was demolished
by that people .
“ When the people become protestants, they de
liver up their images to the missionaries. I wit
CHAP . II.] INDIA .

nessed a pleasing sight when there. A company,

of about twenty-five persons, men, women, and
children , came to Mr. Haubroe's with an image of
St. Anthony in their hands, and delivered it tohim .
Two cooley -boards of images have been sent to
Madras, and aa number of others are in Mr. Hau
broe's possession . ”
Mr. Haubroe has since been removed by death.
A new church , built under his direction , was
opened on Christmas day, 1830, in the presence of
more than eight hundred people. The tombs of
Swartz and his fellow -labourers are enclosed within
its eastern walls. Nine youths, in a seminary for
native teachers, manifested a solid acquaintance
with the scriptures, and a correct and clear view of
its doctrines. Archdeacon Robinson says : - " In
the mission - school compound I saw the several
classes at work in their different rooms. The cate
chists and schoolmasters of the congregation are
employed in carding and spinning cotton , while an
old woman reads to them , and they repeat texts of
scripture, &c . Their work is sold , and one -half is
given them for clothes and food ; the other is ap
propriated to the pay of the reader and other inci
dental expenses ; they receive , besides, the allow
ance of one or one and a half rupees per month .
The cotton which they use grows on the ground in
the enclosure . In the outside verandahs of that
wing, girls are employed in preparing the thread for
theloom , and an old weaver teaches the boys his
trade : in the inside verandah some boys are pre
paring hemp, and making twine ; and others are
learning to be tailors , or doing native work for hire.
72
MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. II .

CHAPTER III.

Baplist Missionary Society . - Results of Mr.

Thomas's Labours.-- Returns to India with
the Rev. W. Carey .-- Remarkable Preservation .
-Trials on their Arrival.-- Specimen of Mis
sionary Preaching.- Mohammedan and Hindoo
Prejudice.-- Visit to the Bootan Country .
A Suttee.--Death of Messrs. Grant and Foun
tain .---Gukool and Kristno.- Their Renuncia
tion of Caste and its Consequences.-- Their
Baptism . - New Testament in Bengalee .
Messrs. Brunsden and Thomas removed by
Death . -- Sketch of the latter. --Baptism of
Syam Doss.-- Dulol, the Leader ofa new Sect .
Towards the close of 1792,theBaptist Missionary
Society was established. The committee were in
formed, in their early deliberations, that a person,
named Thomas , was then in London , endeavouring
to raise aa fund for sending missionaries to Bengal,
and that he was anxious to find a suitable com
panion to accompany him on his return . This led
to a communication with him , when the following
particulars were ascertained . He first went to
Bengal as surgeon of an India -man , and soon after
his arrival was concerned to devise a plan for the
spread of the gospel in that part of India, but in
vain . On a second visit, he began to address some
serious persons with whom he met at Calcutta, and
at length was requested to apply himself to the
study of the language , and to communicate the
gospel to the natives. To this proposition , which
was altogether unlooked for, he had many ob
 73
INDIA .
CHAP . II .]
jections, but, after much prayer, he gave himself
up to the work, and was greatly encouraged by
two instances of conversion to God , as well as by
the prospect of further usefulness.
Among other communications Mr. Thomas
made the following :- " One of the converts ,
named Boshoo, is about thirty-five years of age,
possessed of more than an ordinary capacity, and
well educated in the Persian language. He was
recommended to me by an eminent Persian scholar,
and I employed him in the office of my moonshee,
or teacher, all thetime I remained in Bengal. It
was he who chiefly laboured with me in translating
the gospels of Matthew and Mark, the epistle of
James, & c. and he often disputes with and con
founds the brahmins, both learned and unlearned ,
though he is not a brahmin himself, but of the
writer caste or tribe. This man has considerable
knowledge and gifts, and I hope they will one day
shine forth to the good of many.
• Of Mohun Chund , a brahmin of some re
pute, I once hoped well , though his heart failed
him at last ; and even now , I cannot say that I
have given up all hopes of him . This man re
sides at Boolahant, about six miles from Malda ,
and lias a vast number of disciples, who prostrate
themselves at his feet wherever they meet him .
When he came to hear me, he was easily to be
distinguished in the crowd, by his fixed attention ;
and, one day, after I had been discoursing on the
subject of prayer, he very gravely asked me,
• When a man prays to God, how many days
must elapse before he receives an answer ? I
then repeated the account of the woman of Canaan,
and other cases , and he continued to attend and
H
74 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. III.
converse on sacred subjects, till , at length , he
seemed to be convinced that he was a great sinner,
that there was no refuge for him in the Hindoo
shasters, and that the gospel alone was of God ,
discovering the way of salvation. He now caine
frequently to see me, and was considered by his
countrymen as a convert to christianity ; as he
laid aside his former religious ceremonies, and
absolutely forbade that superstitious homage which
had been previously paid to him by the people.
He also talked publicly, in the most persuasive
manner, to other brahmins in favour of the scrip
tures.
“ On the 28th of June, 1790, Mohun Chund
had been to pay me a visit, and on returning to
his own house, he found there the brahmin Par
botee , who was a man of title and elevated rank .
He was also a very strict observer of the Hindoo
laws and customs, and was, in fact, a devotee,
unequalled in all the neighbourhood for zeal and
accuracy. This man, having heard of our new
shaster, the bible, was not a little displeased ; and
when he understood that Mohun Chund had been
to see me, he desired him to go and wash his
clothes ; as, having been in the company of an

Englishman, he must be necessarily defiled , and

liable to defile others . He also observed, in order
to enforce obedience to his request, that I was
unclean , if not filthy. The other brahmin re
plied, that filthy persons committed filthy actions ;
but hecould never say so of the Englishman whom
he had been to visit, and therefore he should not
wash his clothes. Parbotee , however, continued
to insist upon it, and, finding that his injunctions
were not obeyed, he proceeded to do a thing
CHAP. IU
III
.] INDIA . 75

which may appear trivial to Europeans, but is a

very formidable action in the estimation of the
Hindoos.
« The natives of India are much addicted to
smoking, and their tobacco is made up into a sort
of paste, with spices, &c. This paste they place
on one side of a copper- plate, and coals of fire on
the other side. The tobacco being lighted, they
then put it on the upper extremity of a tube, while
the lower end runs down into a shell or other
vessel, containing cold water, and sometimes rose
water , which is very common there. The smoke
is agreeably drawn through the cooling water , by
means of another flexible tube, which is the pipe,
and is generally about twelve feet long . Now,
when brahmins, or others of equal caste meet to
gether, it is a constant mark of friendship and
good understanding for the master of the house to
offer this hookah, or pipe, to his visitor, and it is
passed on from one to the other. But when the
brahmin of whom I am speaking gave the hookah
to Parbotee, he emptied the water out of it ; an
action which is a kind of formal disgrace among
the Hindoos, and proves a forerunner to the loss
of caste , which is considered worse than death .
“ Such a proceeding before witnesses, could not
escape particular notice, nor fail of drawing the
attention ofmany,to the great dishonour of Mohun
Chund. He therefore left the company , and went
and poured out his complaint to God in prayer ;
and,as the day was far gone , he returned no more ,
but retired with his family to rest.
“ About two o'clock in the morning , he was
called up by Parbotee with vehement cries, and,
on opening the door, he found him in great
76 MISSIONARY RECORDS . CHAP. II .
agitation , earnestly desiring to hear the gospel: and
entreating that Mohun Chund would go and pray
for, him . The latter replied as well as he could,
and took his visitor to the house of Boshoo the
moonshee, where they spent their time till day
light, in reading, praying, and singing. But mat
ters were not yet explained. Parbotee did not go
to his usual ceremonies, but returned to the moon
shee's house, in great trouble of mind, about noon ,
making his former requests ; and in answer to re
peated inquiries, he related a very remarkable
dream , which bore a near resemblance to the his
tory of Paul's conversion , and in which he seemed
to have received Divine admonition and instruction .
“ The effects of this dream were visible on the
body and mind of Parhotee for several days ; and,
as I found it very difficult to administer any con
solation to him , I was afraid the consequences
might soon prove fatal. He continued daily, how >

ever, to hear the gospel, and began to join the rest

in singing and praying ; confessing to all his for
mer folly, and professing to believe that the bible
was the only word of God, and Jesus Christ the
only Saviour of sinners. When I left Bengal, he
continued to walk in an orderly becoming manner,
and gave me and others great satisfaction . ”
Encouraged by these circumstances, the society
invited Mr. Thomas to return under their pa
tronage, and requested the Rev. William Carey,
of Leicester, to accompany him . On the 13th of
June, 1793, they set sail for the place of their
destination , and during their voyage experienced
a remarkable deliverance from the dangers of the
sea .

Many difficulties and trials arose on the arrival

CHAP . II . INDIA .

of the missionaries , and with great regret they

marked the relapse of Boshoo into idolatry, though
they entertained some hopes of his recovery; but,
unhappily, neither he, nor others who had excited
cheering expectations, ever made a public pro
fession of the name of Christ. Pecuniary sup
plies also failed, and thus they were reduced to
great distress, until they were offered the superin
tendence of two indigo manufactories, which not
only relieved their temporal wants, but also opened
for thein the means of usefulness. Schools were
now established for the children of the workmen
and other natives in the neighbourhood, and the
gospel was simply and affectionately preached.
Mr. Carey remarks, in aa letter : - “ I wish to say
soinething about the manner of my preaching , but
scarcely know how . As a specimen , however, I
will describe one season at a large village called
Chinsurah , about four miles from Mudnabatty,
When I arrived , I saw an idolatrous temple finely
built with bricks ; and, in order to excite atten
tion , I asked what place that was. They said it
was a thakoorane , or female debta. I asked if it
were alive, and, on their replying in the affirma
tive, I said , ' Well, I will go and see her ;' but on
my advancing towards the place, they all cried
out, ' No, sir, no ; it is only a stone .' I then re
moved to a little distance , under a tamarind tree ,
and we began singing a Bengalee hymn. By this
time a pretty large concourse of people nad assem
bled, and I began to discourse with them upon the
things of God. It is obvious that giving out a
text, and regularly dividing it, could not be of any
use to those who had never heard a word of the
bible in their lives. I therefore dwelt upon the
11 3
78 MISSIONARY RECORDS . CHAP. III.
worth of the soul, its fallen state , the guilt of all
men who had broken God's righteous law , and the
impossibility of obtaining pardon at the expense of
the honour of Divine justice. I then inqnired what
way of salvation, consistent with the righteousness
of God, was proposed in any of their shasters.
• They speak, said I , of nine incarnations of
Vishnoo past, and one to come ; but not one of
them is pretended to be for the salvation of aa sin
ner. They were only to preserve a family, to kill
a giant, to make war against tyrants, & c. all of
which God could have accomplished without these
incarnations . I then observed how miserable they
must be whose whole religion only respected the
body, and whose shasters could point out no sal
vation for the soul; at the same timesetting be
fore them the way of life, by the sufferings and
death of Christ.
“ At another place, in preaching from Christ
being sent to bless, in turning every one from their
iniquities, I observed the superiority of the gospel
to all other writings, and of Christ to all pretended
saviours, in that particular point--that believing in
Christ was universally accompanied with turning
from iniquity ; and I contended that their worship
must be false ; for they made images, and pre
sented offerings to them, and were abundant in
their religious ceremonies, but not a man among
6
them had6
turned from his iniquity. “ There are,'
said I, ' among you, liars, thieves, whoremongers,
and men filled with deceit, and as you were last
year so are you this ; nor can you be more holy
till you renounce your wicked worship and idola
trous practices, and embrace the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ. '
 79
CHAP. III. ) INDIA ,

“ This is the method of preaching that I use

among them ; and nothing of this kind appears to
give them offence. Many, indeed, wish to hear ;
but many others abhor the thoughts of the gospel .
The brahmins fear to lose their gain, the higher
castes dread the loss of their honour ; and the
poor tremble at the vengeance of their debtas.”
While the missionaries thus faithfully exposed
the deceitfulness of pagan worship, and pointed to
the Lamb of God as the only unfailing refuge from
the wrath to come, they evinced the most com
passionate disposition towards the poor by whom
they were surrounded . Mr. Thomas was parti
cularly attentive to such as were afflicted , and in
many instances, under the Divineblessing, effected
the most surprising cures. To him , indeed, the
performance of an act of mercy was evidently the
highest gratification, and the following circum
stance, related by himself, will serve to depict the
sympathetic tenderness of his heart, and to illus
trate the Hindoo prejudices respecting caste .
“ A few days ago , a young woman came to my
door, complaining of being very ill ; and it ap
peared that she had come twelve or fourteen miles,
by degrees, from the city of Dinagepore, to ask
relief of me. I saw her bloated in the face and
hands, as though she had that sort of dropsy called
anasarca . I also understood she had aa fever, with
a variety of other pains and diseases ; and she told
ine that she had neither food to eat nor a home to
go to. I gave her what she wanted, and in a few
days she appeared much better. About three days
ago, however, as I was riding out, she called to
me, and seemed to be in a more languishing way
than before. I found her hut was too cold, and
SO MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. II.
rode up to another, where a crippled mussulman
a

and all his family are living on what little they

get from me. I begged them to let this poor
creature come in to sleep, as the nights are cold ;
but they said , No, she was not a Mohammedan ,
and therefore, if she came in , they must turn out.
6
I rode back and asked her, ' Are you aMohamme
6
dan ? ' ' No. ' " A Hindoo ?' No. ' What are
you then ? ' With indescribable anguish she re
plied, ' I am the child of a common prostitute .'
I now pitied her more than ever, knowing that no
native of this country would pity or relieve her in
her complicated distress, because she was of no
caste . I then told the family that her distress
was the greatest, and they must remove into one
of the more distant houses, and she must be ad
mitted immediately, as the day was far gone ; so
they parted off one end of the house, and let her
come in ; and, as she was of no caste, she gladly
partook of food which was dressed by us; so I
sent her some fowl and chicken broth , and she was
visited by Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Carey, who ac
quainted me more particularly with her diseased
situation . The evening before the last she coin
plained of cold , and I sent her some warm broth ,
and a person to inake her a fire. I thought, how
ever, she could hardly survive the night, and the
first word I heard the next morning was that the
poor creature was dead .
“ Yesterday morning I called a Mohammedan
servant, and told him this poor woman must be
buried, and I committed the interment to him,
telling him that I would pay whatever charges
were necessary. He said : Very well,' and went
out ; but soon returned , saying that no mussulman
CIIAP. III.] INDIA . 81

would bury her, because she was not of their re

ligion. I then sent him out among the lowest of
the Hindoos, but they also refused. At last one
man undertook it, on condition of being well paid ;
but in a short time he returned , and stated that he
could not dig a grave for her ; as by so doing he
should lose his caste , and no one, afterwards, would
either eat or drink with him . He wished the body
to be thrown into an adjacent pond , or into the
next field , where the jackals might devour it in
the night. However, at last I prevailed ; a grave
was dug, the poor woman was buried, and I find I
have secured the man his caste ."
On the first of November, 1795, the missionaries
formed a church at Mudnabatty, consisting of
themselves, and two Englishmen , named Long and
Powell, who had arrived with the design of settling
in Bengal.
In March , 1797, the missionaries set out on an
expedition to the Bootan country, and in about
four days arrived at that part of it which is below
the hills. They then went to a place calledGo
palgunge , and waited on a Bootea officer called the
Jinkof, who received them very kindly, and ap
peared much pleased with the different articles
which they had brought for his acceptance. They
found, that it would be necessary to see some other
officer, and to get a regular permission to ascend
the hills . During the greatest part of the day,
however, they remained in the jinkof's house,
which consisted of two stories , and was constructed
of bamboos and mats, with pillars of what is called
the Saul tree . He presented them with some
pieces of bacon about twelve inches long, but these
82 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ 11A P. III .
were so stale as to be offensive at a considerable
distance. After this, he treated them with a tea
called runga, which seems to have been nearly
similar to the Calmuc tea ; as it is made into cakes
with some composition, and when used is mised
with boiling water, salt, and ghee, or butter melted
down, and thus preserved for use. The mission
aries found it impossible to swallow this beverage,
though the Booteas drank copiously of it ; and
whilst they were sensible of the kind intentions of
their host, they were fearful lest he should injure
himself by his repeated applications to their rum
bottle. His countrymen, indeed, profess to con
sider drunkenness as highly disgraceful; yet they
are taught to drink ardent spirits almost as soon as
they can talk, and in all their houses it is common
to see pitchers of Bengal arrack, of which they
partake as freely as if it were water.
From Gopalgınge the missionaries went to Bote
Haut, to see the Soobah, who is a kind of viceroy,
and the greatest officer in these parts. A letter
having been forwarded to him by the jinkof, he
sent two horses for them , and the jinkof himself
accompanied them . “ The procession ,” says Mr.
Carey, “ strongly proved their great attention to
us . On our approaching the town, a number of

females met us, and made their salaam , by putting

their hands to their heads and gently bowing ;
after which they ran before the horses ; and all
the inhabitants of the place, I should suppose to
the number of two or three thousand, joined the
procession . ”
The soobah received them with great politeness,
and presented them with a white silk scarf, in the
CHAP. III. ] INDIA . 83

name of the grand lama, a red one in his own

name, and another red one, in the name of a
friend .
The distinguished urbanity of the soobah is said
to have exceeded every thing which the mission
aries could have imagined, and his generosity was
equally striking. “ He insisted ,” says Mr. Carey ,
65
on supplying all our people with every thing
they wantedd ; and if we did but cast our eyes on
any object in the room , he immediately presented
us with one of the same sort. Indeed he seemed
to interpret our looks before we were aware, and in
this manner he presented each of us, that night,
with a sword , shield, and helmet ; also with a cup
made of a very light beautiful wood, used by all
the Booteas in drinking.
66
In eating, the soobah imitated our manners
so quickly and exactly, that he appeared as freeas
if he had spent his life with Europeans, though, he
had never seen any of them before. We partook
of his food ; though I confess the idea of the jin
kof's bacon made me eat rather sparingly .
« We then talked about Bootan and respecting
the gospel ; and the appellation of lama was given
to us, which appears to mean teacher, and which
title is emphatically given to the grand lanna.
“ We found that the soobah had determined to
give the people a testimony of his friendship for
us in a public manner ; and the next day was
fixed for the performance of the ceremony in our
tent in the market-place. Accordingly we got in
structed in the necessary etiquette, and informed
him , that as we had only come a short journey , to
see the country, we were not provided with English
84 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IN .
cloths, &c. for presents. The time being come,
however, we were waited on by the soobah, fol
lowed by all his servants, both Booteas and Hin
doos. Being seated, we exchanged each five ru
pees and five pieces of betel, in sight of the whole
town ; and having chewed betel for the first time
in our lives, we embraced three times in the ori
ental manner, and afterwards shook hands in the
English manner. The soobah then made each of
us a present of a piece of rich clebang, wrought
with gold , a Bootan blanket, and the tail of an
animal called the Choar cow.
“ When the ceremony was over, we were con
ducted to the soobah's house, where we found an
other officer ; I believe the vakeel, or attorney of
the court below the hills. This man was just the
reverse of all we had seen . He sat on the soobah's
seat like a statue, not rising when we entered ;
though the soobah , a much greater man , always
did. When we sat down, he began a long dis
course with the others in the Bootan language ;
and as we could not understand him, we also con
versed with each other in English. All this time,
a servant, by his orders, held a lighted torch just
in our faces, that he might stare at us. He then
asked how many servants we kept, and whether we
had a tent. This was to ascertain whether we
were great men or not. Our answers, however,
were very brief, and did not give him satisfaction .
“ After exchanging a few angry words with the
soobah, he took his leave abruptly ; and when he
was gone, the soobah appeared transported with
rage, and threatened him dreadfully. He tore off
his upper garment, seized aa kind of dagger, stuck
 11.]
CHAP. III . INDIA . 85

it into the table, beat his breast, and threatened to

go after him and kill him . We endeavoured to
appease him , however, and were successful.
“ Our people were now much afraid ; for though
the Hindoos had hitherto expressed the greatest
confidence in the gentleness of the natives, they
now began to propagate a number of sanguinary
tales, and nothing wastalked of butthe insincerity
of the Booteas. As for ourselves, we were not
quite so timid , though we were not without our
cogitations. We told them , however, to run away
for their lives if any danger appeared. For fear of
wild elephants we had taken a gun or two ; but we
ordered that no piece should be loaded, nor any
additional precaution manifested, though we were
certain the people could not sleep much that night.
We then commended ourselves to God in prayer,
and retired to rest.
“ The next morning the soobah came with his
usual friendship, and brought more presents, which
we received, and took our leave. He then sent us
away with every honour that he could heap upon
us ; as a band of music, guides to show us the way,
&c. In short, the whole of his conduct toward us
was invariably as generous, polite, andfriendly as
I ever witnessed. I suppose the conduct of the
vakeel arose from his thinking himself to be a
great man , and somewhat slighted, in not receiving
any present from us ; but in truth we had nothing
to present. The soobah proposed paying us a
visit in a short time. Should he do this, I hope
to improve the interview for the great end of set
tling a mission in that country.
“ So great a contrast I have never before seen
between two neighbouring nations, as between the
I
86 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. III.
Hindoos and Booteas. The former are a small , puny ,
timid people ; the latter athletic and fearless. They
have a written langnage, and, I am informed , many
books written in it. The names of the letters are
the same as the Bengalee, with a few exceptions ;
and are written in the same order, with only this
difference, that the Bengalees have five letters in
a line of the alphabet, but the Booteas have only
four.
“ Bootan is a very large country, subject to the
dibrajah. The lama-goroo, as they call him , is,I
think, only considered as a representative of God ;
and they have his image in their houses, about the
size of a large man's thumb. The soobah said ,
there was a greater object of worship, who could
only be seen by the mind."
As Mr. Carey was returning one day from Cal
cutta , he witnessed, for the first time, the dreadful
ceremony of a wonan burning herself with the
corpse of her husband . He thus describes it : .

“ We were near the village of Noyai Serai, and,

as it was evening, we got out of our boat to walk ;
when we saw a number of people assembled on the
river side. I asked for what purpose they were
met, and they told me, to burn the body of aa dead
man. I inquired whether his widow would burn
with him . They replied in the affirmative, and
pointed to the woman. She was standing by the
pile, which was made of large billets of wood,
about two feet and a half high, four feet long, and
two wide ; on the top of which lay the dead body
of her husband. Her nearest relation stood by
her, and near her was a small basket of sweet
meats. I asked whether this were the woman's
choice , or whether she were brought to it by any
CHAP. II .] INDIA . 87

improper influence. They answered, that it was

perfecily voluntary. I talked till reasoning was of
no use ; and then began to exclaim , with all my
inight, against what they were doing , telling them
that it was a shocking murder . They told me it
was a great actof holiness, and added,in a surly
tone, that if I did not like to witness it, I miglit go
farther ofl. I told them , however, that I was re
solved to stay and see the murder, and that I
should certainly bear witness of it at the tribunal
of God.
“6 I next addressed myself to the woman , en
treating her not to throw away her life, and assur
ing her that no evil would result from her refusing
toburn. But she, in the calinest manner, ascended
the pile, and danced on it, with her hands extend
ed, as if in the utmost tranquillity of spirit. Pre
vions to her mounting the pile , the relation, whose
office it was to set fire to it, led her six times round
it, at two intervals ; that is, thrice at each circum
ambulation . As she went round, she scattered the
sweetmeats among the people, who picked them
up , and ate them , as very holy things. This being
ended , and she having mounted the pile, and
danced as above mentioned, in order to show her
contempt of death , and that her sacrifice was vo
luntary, she lay down by the corpse, putting one
arm under its neck and the other over it. A
quantity of dry cocoa leaves and other substances
were then heaped over the bodies to a considerable
height, and ghee, or melted preserved butter, was
poured on the top. Two bamboos were next placed
over them and held firmly down, and fire was put
to the pile, which immediately blazed very fiercely,
88 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. II .
owing to the dry and combustible materials of
which it was composed.
“ No sooner were the flames kindled , than all
the people set up a loud shout, so that it was im
possible to have heard the woman, had she groaned,
or even cried aloud ; and she could not move or
struggle, on account of the bamboos, which are
held down like the levers of a press. We strongly
objected to their using these bamboos, and insisted
that it was employing force to prevent the woman
from getting up when the fire reached her. But
they declared it was only done to keep the pile
from falling down. We could not bear to see any
more, and left the spot, exclaiming loudly against
the murder, and filled with horror at what we had
witnessed . ”
In 1799, severalmissionaries arrived, when, as
they were not allowed to settle on the British
territory, it was determined that the whole body
should reside at Serampore ; the Danish governor
having received Mr. Carey in a very friendly man
ner . A large house was purchased in the middle
of the town , to which another was afterwards
added, together with the garden, and some land
adjoining
The mission was , however, soon visited with
bereavement. One labourer of whom it was de
prived was Mr. Grant. At the early age of six
teen he had imbibed deistical principles, but after
avowing them for two years, he was partially re
claimed ; he then became fully prepared for the
adoption of atheism , and solicitous to read every
thing he could meet with in its favour. This led to
his committing gross sins without any compunction ;
CHAP. I.] INDIA 89

and it was only the ill state of his health that pre
vented the utmost possible vassalage to the prince
of darkness. Still he was frequently convinced of
the inconsistency of his principles, and by nar
rowly examining the writings from which they
were derived, he gradually discovered their false
hood . In devoting his attention also to anatomy
and natural philosophy, he saw so clearly the
operation of an intelligent First Cause, that he was
compelled once more to recognise the Divine ex
istence. Soon after this he was led by a friend to
the public means of grace, which , with a conver
sation on the spirituality of the law of God and the
absolute necessity of an atonement for sin, were
instrumental to his acknowledgment of the inspira
tion of the holy scriptures, and his entire reliance
on Christ for life and salvation . This was followed
by his devotedness to the missionary cause. A few
(lays after his arrival at Serampore he died .
A few months elapsed , and Mr. Fountain was
removed by death. Though he seemed likely to
be very useful, and was one of the only three mis
sionaries who could preach to the natives, a con
tinuance of his labours was not permitted. For
him the last messenger had no terrors. The me
dical man who attended him said , he never saw &
person so composed , resigned , and prepared for
death ; and expressed an earnest wish to die like
him . To others the state of his mind was also
truly profitable. He requested , if any thing were
placed on his tomb , it should be, “ John Fountain ,
Missionary to the Indies, aged 33, a sinner saved
by grace.
Hitherto the Hindoos had yielded little or no
fruit, and the missionaries were greatly discouraged .
13
90 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. III.
In these circumstances they found a refuge in
prayer, and a new weekly meeting for this exer
cise was appointed. About this time too, they
seemed particularly led to discourse much on the
sufferings and death of Christ.
Soon after, Mr. Thomas was called to attend a
person named Kristno, one of whose arms was
dislocated ; and, having attended to it, he spoke
very seriously to the sufferer, of salvation by the
blood of the cross, so that he wept and even sobbed
aloud. Gokool, another Hindoo, was present, and
paid great attention to all that was said . A few
days after, Kristno was anxious to go to the mis
sion -house for instruction ; for he declared that
Mr. Thomas had not only cured his arm , but told
him how he might escape the wrath to come. He
and Gokool accordingly went together to hear the
word ; and though the wife and family of the latter
deserted him , for his supposed attachment to the
gospel, those of the former seemed like-minded
with himself, and on further instruction, avowed
their intention to cast in their lot with the people
of God .
In Mr. Ward's journal, December 12, 1800, the
following interesting fact appears : — “ This day
Gokool and Kristno came to eat tiffin ( what in
England is called luncheon ) with us, and thus
publicly threw away their caste. Brethren Carey
and Thomas went to prayer with the two natives,
before they proceeded to this act. All our servants
were astonished : so many had said that nobody
would ever mind Christ, or lose caste . Brother
Thomas has waited fifteen years, and has thrown
away inuch time on deceitful characters ; brother
Carey has waited till hope of his own success has
CHAP, III. INDIA . 91

almost expired : and after all, God has done it

with perfect ease. Thus the door of faith is opened
to the gentiles ; who shall shut it ? The chain of
caste is broken ; who shall inend it ? In the
evening of the same day, both of them, together
with Kristno's wife and her sister, presented them
selves before the church, and solemnly professed
their faith in Christ, and obedience to his coin
mands.
On witnessing these proofs of the power and
success of the gospel, Mr. Thomas was almost
overcome with joy ; and, at the close ofthe meeting,
all the missionaries, with their relations and friends,
stood up, and sang the hymn, Salvation , O the
joyful sound ! ”
No sooner, however, was it ruinoured that these
persous had lost caste, than the whole neighbour
hood was in an uproar ; and about two thousand
people, indignant at the new converts, assembled
in a tumultuous manner, and dragged Kristno and
his family before the Danish magistrate. But he
dismissed them with commendations for having
chosen the way of truth . Defeated in their at
tempts, the mob then charged Kristno with re
fusing to deliver up his daughter to a young Hin
doo, to whom she had been contracted in marriage
about four years before. The parties having there
fore appeared before the governor, she avowed her
intention of embracing christianity with her father,
whilst the Hindoo who claimed her positively re
fused to change his religion ; on which the go
vernor said that he could not think of surrendering
a christian female to a heathen man , and there
was, consequently, no way of his realizing his
wishes, but by renouncing his idolatrous practices.
92 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. II .
Although Gokool and the two wonen begged to
delay their baptism for a few weeks, Kristno re
mained firm , and was baptized in the neighbouring
river, together with the eldest son of Mr. Carey,
then a youth of abont fifteen, who afterwards be
came a missionary. The governor, who was pre
sent, could not refrain froin tears ; and almost all
the spectators, Europeans, Portuguese, Hindoos,
and Mussulmen , seemed much affected. The other
converts were baptized soon after ; and also a gen
tleman , named Fernandez. He was born at Macao ,
of Portuguese parents, and was educated for a
Roman catholic priest, but shocked at the worship
of images, he left the church of Rome, and pro
ſessed the protestant faith . He became much at
tached to the missionaries during a visit to Seram
pore . After his return to Dinagepore, he built a
school at his own expense for native children , be
gan to preach to them and to his servants, of whom
he had about a hundred, and was at length set
apart to the ministry, though he still carried on
1
bis business.
At the commencement of 1801 , the New Testa
ment, in Bengalee, was published. The transla
tion had been finished by Mr. Carey three or four
years before, but difficulties prevented its appear
ance .
Soon after the settlement of the mission at
Serampore, however, a press was erected under the
superintendence of Mr. Ward, and its printing , as
well as that of several tracts was begun. Copies
of this important work were presented to the go
vernor and the governor-general, the marquis
Wellesley, and by them they were received in the
most friendly mamer. The latter also appointed
Mr. Carey the teacher of the Bengalee and Sanscrit
CHAP. 11.] INDIA . 93

languages, in the college of Fort William , and

subsequently raised him to the rank of a professor, 9

with a salary of about £ 1500. per annum .

Again death invaded the missionary circle, to
which some gave the name of “ the happy family ,”
and his victims were Mr. Brunsdon and Mr.
Thomas. The latter discovered great sensibility
combined with seriousness and deep devotion. His
disappointments and afflictions, which were many,
appear to have led him much to God, and to a
realizing application of the truths of the gospel.
He seldom walked in an even path : his joys bor
dered on ecstacy ; his sorrows on despondency.
These extremes of feeling gave a peculiarity to his
writing and speaking, and it was evident that al
most all he said came warm from the heart.
The following sketch of him is given by one of
his fellow -labourers.
“ His talents were exactly adapted to that kind
of preaching to which he was called, namely, a
lively, metaphorical, and pointed address, dictated
by the circumstances of the moment, and main-'
tained amidst the interruptions and contradictions
of a pagan audience. On one occasion , for in
stance, a large company of brahmins, pundits, and
others, having assembled to hear him, one of the
most learned , named Mahashoi, offered to dispute
5
with him , and began by saying, God is in every
thing, and, therefore, every thing is God . You
are God, and I am God ? Fie ! Mahashoi,
6

exclaimed Mr. Thomas, '6 why do you utter such

words ? Sahib (meaning himself, is in his
clothes : therefore (pulling off his hat, and throw
ing it on the ground ,) this hat is Sahib ! No,
Mahashoi, you and I are dying men , but God
 94 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. III.
liveth for ever.' This short answer completely
silenced his opponent, and fixed the attention of
the people ; while, as he expressed it, he went on
to proclaim one God, one Saviour, one way, and
one caste ; without, and beside which , all the in
ventions of men were to be esteemed as nothing.
“ Another time, when he was warning the na
tives of their sin and danger, a subtle brahmin in
terrupted him , by inquiring, · Who created good
and evil ?' ' I know your question of old ,' said
6
the preacher ; and I understand your meaning
100. Il a man revile his father or mother, you
consider him a wicked wretch ; and if he revile his
goroo, or teacher, you reckon him still more pro
fligate. But what is this , ' continued he, turning
and appealing to the people, ' what is this in com
parison with the words of this brahmin , who re
viles God ? That adorable Being is not only holy
himself, but all his works are holy also. Both
men and devils were created in a state of holiness,
though they have rendered themselves vile. He,
therefore, who imputes their sin to God is aa wretch ,
who reproaches his Maker .'
66
On another occasion , whilst travelling through
the country, he saw a concourse of people assem
bling for the worship of one of their gods; and,
passing through the crowd, placed himself on an
elevated spot, by the side of the idol. The atten
tion of all the worshippers was immediately fixed
on him , wondering what he, being a European ,
intended to do . After beckoning for silence, he
gravely pointed with his finger to the image, and
then turning his face to the people, as if by way of
appeal, he exclaimed · It has eyes --but it cannot
see ! And, proceeding to point out the different
CIAP , III.} INDIA . 95
6
parts which he named, he added, " It has ears—
but it cannot hear ! It has hands-- but it cannot
handle ! It has a inouth ---hut it cannot speak,
neither is there any breath in it ! ' At this junc
ture, an old man in the crowd, stung by these self
evident truths, exclaimed , “ It has feat, but it can
not run away ! This unexpected exclamation
was received with a general shout ; the officiating
brahmins were covered with shame; and the wor
ship for that time was given up.
“ He had a mode of speaking and writing to per
sons in genteel life that generally succeeded in
reaching their consciences without giving them
offence. One day, as he was sitting in a gentle
iman's house at Calcutta, the captain of an India
anan caine in, and began to curse and swear in the
most dreadful ntanner. Mr. Thomas, turning him
self to his friend, related an anecdote of a person
greatly addicted to swearing, but who, on going
6
into a sober family, entirely left it off. * Now ,
said Mr. Thomas, ‘ he did this merely for his own
sake , and from the fear ofman : how much more
easy ,' continued he, 'would it be to refrain from
such a practice, if we feared God !' The captain
swore 110 more while in his company ; and, on
meeting him the next day by himself, he intro
duced the subject, confessing that he was the most
wicked ofmen, though he had been taught better;
but attempting to excuse himself by saying it was
6
a habit, and he could not help it. That, sir,' re
plied Mr. Thomas, makes your case worse. If a
man get intoxicated once, that is bad ; but if, by
a succession of acts, he have contracted a habit of
drunkenness, and cannot avoid it, his case is bad
indeed ! You should confess your sin to God,
96 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. III.
rather than to man : this he has directed you to
do, and this is the way to forsake it, and to find
mercy .'
“ Mr. Thomas was a man to whom no one who
knew him could feel indifferent. He must be either
esteemed or disliked . In most cases his social and
affectionate deportment excited attachment; and
even in instanceswhere he has given offenceto his
friends, a single interview was generally sufficient
to dissipate resentment, and to re -kindle former
affection .
“ His sympathy and generosity, as a medical
man , toward the aiflicted Hindoos, though a lux
ury to his mind , often affected his health ; and
unless gratitude be unknown among them , (as it
is said they have no word in their language which
expresses the idea ,) his name will , for some time
at least, be gratefully remembered . ”
Respecting the death of this warm -hearted and
excellent missionary, Mr. Powell writes as fol
lows : -- " In October, 1799 , we exulted that the
missionary cause was so well supported and
strengthened ; that there were seven brethren en
gaged in this glorious undertaking. Little did we
then suppose that the period was so near when
their number would be reduced to three ! .
“ You knew enough of Mr. Thomas to feel his
loss, and shed a tear over his memory . Wearied
with the storms and tempests of life, and agitated
on the sea of adversity, he longed for his dis
missal, that he might be with Christ, and enjoy
6
that “ rest which remaineth for the people of God.'
Appalling as the king of terrors is to the wicked,
his frowns were seldom exhibited to our departed
friend . He saw this awful messenger with an
CHAP. III.] INDIA . 97

angel's face, anxiously waited for his summons ,

and anticipated those sublime pleasures which he
was soon permitted to enjoy.
“ Toward the close of his illness his pains were
exceedingly great. He had periodical returns of
cold fits, then a raging fever, then violent vomit
ings, and afterwards a dreadful oppression in the
stomach, which threatened speedy suffocation ; so
that it occasioned the most painful sensations to
the friends about him . His mind, however, was
divinely supported ; as all his hopes centred in
Christ, and he knew no rock but the Rock of ages.
When unable to read, his mind being well stored
with scripture, he would frequently repeat passages
appropriate to his condition , and once, when in
6
extreme pain , he cried out, · death ! where is
thy sting ? At length, after languishing about a
fortnight, he breathed his last on the 13th of Oc
tober, and was buried by the side of Mr. Foun
tain ." Mr. Carey preached a sermon on the oc
casion of his removal, from John xxi. 19, « This
spake he, signifying by what death he should glo
rify God.”
Whilst death was thus thinning the ranks of the
missionaries, the survivors continued to labour with
unremitting diligence and inextinguishable zeal.
In the evening, they usually went into the streets
of Serampore, where they conversed and disputed
on religious subjects with the natives, and occa
sionally distributed papers among them , consisting
of plain and forcible addresses to the consciences
of sinners; and though many of the people treated
them with derision and insult, yet others were in
clined to listen to their arguments and to peruse
their tracts. In fact, the very opposition which
K
98 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. III.
they experienced proved subservient to the cause
of the gospel, as leading to a public controversy,
from which the brahmins were compelled to re
treat, or to hear themselves and their religion ex
posed to contempt before the populace, who hail
hitherto almost regarded them as demi-gods. Some,
also, itinerated through the country, preaching the
glad news of salvation to multitudes who had never
before heard it, distributing thousands of tracts ,
and leaving copies of the New Testament in
such places as appeared most eligible. One day
Mr. Ward was detained by a police officer, on the
ground that he was acting in opposition to the
views and wishes of the East India Company, in
causing the natives to lose caste . But he assured
him that the papers he distributed were entirely re
ligious ; and on his offering to sign them with his
own name, he was immediately liberated. The
tracts thus signed were sent for examination to
Calcutta, where some persons alleged that it was
improper to attack the religion of the natives ;
whilst others contended that there was nothing
more in the papers than had been invariably to
lerated in the Roman catholics, residing in the
Company's territories. The subject was, therefore,
dropped, and during the administration of marquis
Wellesley, nothing more was heard respecting it.
In 1802 the missionaries had the satisfaction of
baptizing a native who had previously renounced
his caste , of the name of Syam Doss. He had
occasionally heard the gospel in the streets and
lanes of Serampore, and was, at length, induced to
come to the mission -house, where he confessed
himself to be a great sinner, and stated his con
viction that salvation was not to be found in the
CHAP . III.] INDIA . 99

religion of the Hindoos. On his appearing before

the church, he said that he was born a caesto, but
lost his caste in consequence of having become ac
quainted with a feringa woman , with whom he had
lived about thirty-five years in a criminal manner,
but since his arrival at Serampore he had been
publicly married . After hearing the truth in the
streets two or three times, he was led to muse con
tinually upon the death of Christ as suffered for
sinners, and this sacrifice he now avowed as his
only hope and plea for salvation . Subsequently
to his baptism , he proved to be a simple-hearted
and truly pious character, and was made instru
mental in the conversion of one of his countrymen .
It is painful to add, that, in the autumn of the
same year in which he solemnly dedicated himself
to the service of the true God , he was cruelly
murdered , in returning from a part of the country
where it was hoped that the Sun of righteousness
had begun to rise upon the benighted population,
with healing in his wings .
About the same time that this convert was ad
mitted into the church, a brahmin came to Seram
pore, stating that he lived with Dulól, the famous
leader of a new Hindoo sect, of the origin of which
the following particulars have been communicated
by Mr. Marshman :
“ About forty years ago, a man , by birth a cow
keeper, gradually attained to considerable reputa
tion by pretending to cure diseases. The natives
are surprisingly credulous on this subject ; charins,
incantations, holy water, &c. being in the highest
repute among them . This man , pretending to much
sanctity, drew a great number of people to him ,
who were afllicted with various disorders. To
100 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [сHAP. 11.
these he gave his choron amreeta, or amreeta of
his foot, taken, no doubt, from some neighbouring
diteh ; and with this potion he added his blessing,
telling his patients to disregard all debtas, to believe
in one God, and to obey their goroo, or teacher,
as he took it for granted that they would henceforth
regard him in that character. Among the great
number of those who drank the water of immor
tality from his foot, some individuals, of course,
recovered. This appearing to them as the evident
effect of the man's benediction, attached them
completely to his interest ; hence they chose him
for their goroq, and were liberal in their presents
to him . His fame, gradually increasing, drew
people from all parts of the country , and laid
the foundation of a sect which now includes some
thousands. The leader died, but his widow, de
sirous of preserving so lucrative a concern for her
son , dispensed the choron amreeta herself, till he
attained to years of maturity. This son, ' named
Ram Dulol, has settled at the village of Ghospara,
on the opposite side of the river, about eight iniles
beyond Chinsurah , and twenty above us. Here
he lives almost in the style and splendor of a
rajali, liberally supported by his devotees, who
assemble there from all parts of the country ,
several times in the year, and seldom come empty
handed . I have heard that some of them present
him with aa hundred rupees at once.
« His disciples seem to have but few distin
guishing tenets : the principal are, that caste is
nothing, that the debtas are nothing, and that the
brahmins are nothing. To the power and influence
of the latter, Dulol has succeeded ; but in the first
two points they are by no means consistent : for
CHAP. 11.. ] INDIA . 101

though they assemble and eat together every year,

yet they dissemble the fact, and retain their rank
in their respective castes and families ; and, while
they profess to despise the debtas, they continue
their worship, to which they give the name of
6
outward work .' They retainthe horrid idea, that
God , being in us, is the author of every motion,
and consequently of all sin. This sect, however,
may be considered, in some degree, as a furtherance
to the gospel; as the chains of superstition are, to
a certain extent, loosened by them .”
The brahmin , who had been sent to Serampore
by Dulol, informed the missionaries that his master
had desired him to get baptized first, and then to
inforın thein that he himself would follow, and
bring with him several thousands of his disciples.
The brethren, therefore, though disregarding this
idle tale, resolved to pay him a visit; particularly
as Kristno, Gokool, and some others, who were
formerly of this sect, gave it as their opinion that
if the gospel were only preached at Ghospara, it
wonld be embraced with cheerfulness. Accord
ingly, Messrs. Carey and Marshman, accompanied
by Kristno, set off in a boat on this expedition,
and the following day, about noon, arrived at the
creek leading to the house of this far- famed per
sonage.
Going on shore, whilst their dinnerwas preparing
in the boat, the missionaries met with a brahmin
accompanied by a few husbandmen ; and one of
the latter availed himself of this opportunity of
asking Mr. Carey whether it were reasonable that,
in consequence of a cow dying, he should be obliged
to give a rupee to his own brahmin, and to be put
to the additional expense of feasting four others.
K 3
102 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. III.
Mr. Carey, of course , replied in the negative, and
proceeded not only to invalidate the assumed au
thority of the brahmins, but also to demonstrate the
insufficiency and absurdity of the Hindoo religion ,
and to point out the revealed will of God, in the
scriptures of truth , as the only way of eternal
salvation . He also distributed tracts to such of
the party as were capable of reading them, and
Kristno undertook to explain their contents.
About three o'clock in the afternoon they came
within sight of Dulol's house, which proved to be
a stately edifice, exceeding that of many rajahs,
and surrounded by garners filled with grain , which,
having been presented by his deluded followers,
evinced the profitableness of his trade. At a short
distance was a large post, erected for swinging ;
and a little further was a raut, or carriage with
several wheels, made in imitation of that of Jug
gernaut, and designed for the same purposes.
Dulol had been on a visit to Calcutta ; but while
the missionaries were conversing with a considerable
a

number of his followers, it was announced that he

had just returned, and would grant them an au
dience.
we
“ In a few moments,” says Mr. Marshman ,
were ushered into his garden , where chairs were
set for us , and a pink satin cushion for him . The
great man appeared a figure no less plump than
Bacchus, about twenty years of age. Kristno
stood behind us, facing his former master, with the
New Testament in his hand. A few of Dulol's
select followers were admitted , and the rest disap
peared at a nod . The conversation was opened
by brother Carey, who stated our visit to be for
the purpose of having some discourse on the im
CHAP. III.] INDIA , 103

portant subject of salvation. Dulol, in the most

insinuating manner , asked what we meant by sin
and hell, denying their existence, and inquiring,
as God was in us, how sin could be there, since
none were capable of resisting him . Much time
was thus spent, in interrogations on one side, and
in explanations on the other. The moment was
important; for,, though aware that we could not
be confuted, we were fearful of his evading us ;
which would have been construed, by him and his
disciples throughout the country, into a triumph
over the gospel .
“ After some time , we said , You are a master.
· Yes. 6 If your servants disobey you, how do you
act ? I punish them . Then God is our mas
ter, and will punish our disobedience. " God is
not like man ; he lives in us.' It is true, in a
certain sense, that he lives in us ; as the life,
reason, and understanding which we possess are
his gifts; but these have been bestowed upon us
that we may serve, and not disobey him . Sup
pose you send a servant to Calcutta, with a large
sum,to purchase a variety of articles for your use,
and he go to a house of ill fame and live there on
your money. Any person seeing him , and recog
nising him as your servant, might say, What a
profligate man is Dulol ! he actually keeps one of
his servants at a house of infamy! But if this
were said in your hearing, you would naturally
reply, It is true he lives there on my money ;
but I gave it to him for a very different purpose,
and will punish him when he returns home. "God
is not like us ; he can sway the mind ; and, there
fore, it is impossible to draw a parallel. We
grant it ; but, for the sake of argument, we will
104 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. III.
suppose yon equally capable of influencing the
mind of your servant. If then you , after solemnly
warning him of the consequences of disobedience,
turn his inind , which was not previously disobe
dient, and incline him , who would otherwise have
been unwilling, to spend your money in leivdness
and intemperance, will not people naturally ex
claim , What a villain is his master ! Now it is
in this way that you represent the Deity, when
you assert, that he, being within us, causes us to
commit those very crimes which he has forbidden
under the severest penalties.
“ This statement quite disconcerted Dulol ; who,
indeed, attempted several evasions, but altogether
in vain. Brother Carey then told him , that God
had sent his word hither , to reveal the true way
of salvation, and that we had brought a copy for
his acceptance. At this he was evidently discon
certed, as if convinced that the mere taking of the
book would be a virtual abandonment of all his
pretensions.He therefore said, 6. This is the first
time I have seen you ; and though your words
are very good, we must be better acquainted be
fore I can receive your book . ” Seeing it would
be in vain to press him , we withdrew, telling him
that we should be happy to see him at Seram
pore ; that our wish was only to examine, in a
free and candid manner, for the sake of discovering
divine truth ; and that as we had found the word
of God a sovereign remedy when we ourselves
were sick unto death , we were naturally solicitous
to introduce it to others, whom we knew to be
labouring under the same disease. And thus, in
mutual good humour, we parted .”
CHAP. IV.] INDIA . 105

CHAPTER IV.

Disregard of Caste. - Anxiety of some for Re

ligious Instruction.--A Missionary Conflict.
-Sufferings of the native Converis.-- Visit
to Saugur Island .-- The Converts Juggernaut
and Pitambura Singhu . - Mr. Lassar's Aid
in Translation .--- Threatened Interruption.-
Dreadful Revenge. ---- Suttee. - The Convert
Seeboo Roy.-- Difficulties.---- Second Visit to
Bootan .-- The Convert Futick . --- Sudden but
Hopeful Death .--- Printing - Office consumed by
Fire.

The missionaries now discovered, that numbers

of the Hindoos, though they did not abandon
their castes, despised them in their heart, and
even . spoke of them with contempt. Mr. Carey
met with a brahmin, who told hiin, that he had
read some part of the bible in English ; that he
paid no regard to the Hindoo idols ; and that
there were several others of the same caste as
himself, who were of similar sentiments. To show
his contempt of Hindooism, he set his foot on the
gaytree, or sacred verse, which none but a brah
min may pronounce ; and afterwards he took the
poito from his neck, and wound it round his great
toe. He mentioned the manner in which he had
talked with the brahmins about consecrating a
stone, and setting it up as a god ; and certainly his
reasoning, though sarcastic, was not inconclusive :
106 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. iv.
“ You know , " said he, « that this is a stone ; a
workman cut it into its present form ; before it
was thus shaped it could do nothing, and can you
suppose that the labours of a stonecutter can in
vest it with divine powerp” “ No," they replied,
“ but the priest anoints it, and pronounces the
words of consec
ecration, upon which the divinity
enters into it . ” « Well,” said he, “ if you have
power to invest a stone with divinity, I should
think you could turn a man into a deity. You
see I am a poor man , and suffer much distress in
the world ; but a stone meets with no trouble :
besides, I can not only speak, but eat the sacri
fices, which a stone cannot. Now, why not turn
me into a god ? If you could do this, it would be
an act of charity; for I should get rid of all my
troubles, and be happy at once. Besides, being a
man and a brahmin , I have the first claim upon
you .”
The missionaries diligently visited various places,
and among them was Luckpool, in the district of
Jessore. Here were about two hundred persons,
Mussulmen and Hindoos, many of whom appeared
dissatisfied with their superstitions, and desirous
to hear the gospel. Mr. Marshman's reception ,
therefore, exceeded his most sanguine expecta
tions . After discoursing for three or four hours,
he observed that they must be weary, and pro
posed retiring to his boat. To this they readily
acceded , but they followed him to the water
side, and wliile he lay down to sleep, entered into
close conversation with one of his attendants. In
about two hours he arose , and resumed his work ,
and after another discourse, his hearers retired to
a veranxa, where they spent the evening, sitting
CHAP, wv. ] INDIA , 107

around their visitors, and asking questions respect

ing Christ, the resurrection , and the future state.
Neelo, their goroo, or teacher, was a grave elderly
man , who, it was said, had always been so dis
tinguished for his meekness that he avoided the
very spot which had been the scene of a quarrel ;
and whenever his followers became fretſul, desired
them to bear all with patience or not to come to
him . He seemed to hate the whole brahminical
system , and recommended the gospel to the peo
ple, as the revelation he had encouraged them to
expect.
Returning from Luckpool, Mr. Marsbman vi
sited another famous goroo, named Seeb Ram
Dass, who had rejected idolatry, and was said to
have about twenty thousand followers. The old
man was sitting in the shade, on a blanket, at
tended by a few of his disciples. A conversation
more than two hours in length then took place,
and he was presented with a New Testament. ·
He afterwards conferred with the two converts till
nearly midnight. To what was advanced he lis
tened with apparent approbation , and expressed
himself satisfied as to its truth. But subsequently
he seems to have cautioned his followers against
these doctrines .
The course of the missionaries, like that of mi
nisters in every age, was one of mingled trials and
success . The result of what Mr. Ward calls ““ а
missionary conflict,” was, however, encouraging.
66
“ I was one day ,” he says, sitting among our
native brethren at the Bengalee school, hearing
them read and explain a portion of the scriptures
in turn , when a venerable, grey -headed, and well
dressed brahmin came, and standing before me,
108 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. iv.
said, with joined hands, and in a supplicating tone
6
of voice, Sahib ! I am come to ask an alıns.
Yes ! ' said he, hastily , and beginning to weep, ' I
am come to solicit an ---alms. As he continued
standing, with his hands in a supplicating posture,
and tears falling from his eyes, I requested him to
explain his meaning, observing that his appear
ance did not convey the idea of his wanting any
pecuniary assistance. Being pressed on this sub
ject, he, at length, entreated me to give him his
son , pointing at the same time into the midst of
our native brethren . On asking to which of the
pupils he alluded, he pointed out a young brah
min, named Soroop, and, setting up a plaintive
cry, said, “ That is my son ! ' We now endea
6

voured to console the old man , and at length per

suaded him to sit down upon the veranda. Here,
however, he began to weep again, and said, that
the youth's mother was dying with grief, and that
if he would only go home and see her, he should
be at liberty either to remain there, or to return
again, according to his own inclination . I asked
his name and place of abode ; and he said he lived
about twenty -eight miles off, mentioning the name
of the village. I told him , that since his son had
come among us, no control had been exercised
over him , and that he was now at full liberty to
act according to the dictates of his own mind.
On my saying this, he appeared completely over
come, and threw himself at my feet, thanking me
with a flood of tears. I prevailed upon him to
rise, and endeavoured to assuage his grief ; but,
at the same time, asked him how he could bear
the thought of taking his son back into Hindooism ,
and leading hinn to hell, now he had begun to
CHAP. IV. ] INDIA . 109

think abont Christ, and was learning the way to

heaven ? ' At all events, I told him , Soroop must
remain with us during the night, that his mind
might become perfectly calın, and that he might
pray for Divine direction ; and then, in the morn
ing, if he would come, and his son chose to go
with him , no obstacle should be thrown in his way.
The old brahmin , however, seemed very reluctant
to agree to this proposal; observing that Soroop's
poor old motherwas really dying with grief-and
if he would but go - and , if he did not like to stay,
he might write a deed of separation for the pre
servation of their caste, and that then he might do
as he thought proper. I told him , if his son were
a child, hie might lay his commands upon him ;
but that, having attained to the age of nearly
twenty years, he ought to be allowed to choose a
religion for himself. To this the old man assented ,
observing that it was certainly not in his power
now to effect any thing by force.
" After some time the brahmin called his son
aside, and set up a lamentable cry, weeping over
him , and earnestly entreating him to comply with
his request ; so that I wasmuch afraid lest the
tenderness and excessive grief of the old man
should overcome our pupil. He, liowever, ap
peared firmly resolved not to go, and when his
father was going out, after consenting that he
should remain with us during the night, he went
up to one of our aged brethren , and fell at his feet,
assuring him that he would not return home; for
that, if he did, he should inevitably go to hell.
Going out at the door of the school-house, I found
that the old man had fallen down in an agony of
grief, and that some of his disciples were raising
L
110 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IV.
him up , and endeavouring to persuade him to go
with them . I also tried to moderate his grief, and
at length he got up and walked away with his
disciples.
“ The next morning a number of people assem
a

bled at the school with Soroop's father : the son ,

however, persisted that he would not return home
now , but said he would go soon, meaning after he
should have been baptized. At length a person,
who seemed to be a particular friend of the old
brahmin , inquired whether Soroop had eaten among
our brethren, and was answered in the affirmative.
Finding, therefore, that he would not go, and that
he had already lost caste, they were under the ne
cessity of departing without him ; though the old
man declared that he would never return to his
habitation without his son, but would rather lie
down and die in Serampore.” Soroop was after
wards admitted into the church by therite of bap
tism, with two other young natives of the writer
caste . And there is reason to suppose that the
illness of his mother was a mere pretence to bring
him again into the snares of idolatry.
The faith and patience of the converts were in
deed often severely tried. In Calcutta, multitudes
of the natives followed them in the streets , clap
ping their hands, and loading them with insults,
One day, when several were in a neighbouring
town, they were assailed with great violence, and
even threatened with death , should they retum .
One, who resided in a distant village, was seized
by the chief Bengalee man of the place, who
bound his hands, and dragged him from his house ,
while all the villagers hissed him, threw dirt and
cow-dung on him , clogged his face, eyes, and ears
CHAP. Iv.] INDIA . 111

with the latter, and kept him tied up to the pillar

of an idol temple, in this state, for several hours.
Other serious inconveniences were also suffered .
The converts could scarcely obtain ground to build
on , or even a house to rent. One of them , after
going about for two or three days, and wandering
over the whole town, at last persuaded a woman to
let him have aa house ; butwhen she heard that he
was a brahmin who had become a christian, she
insulted and drove him away. As to marriage,
their difficulties were many. Some appear to have
had more than one wife at the time of their con
version , and thus circumstances arose of great deli
cacy and difficulty.
In January, 1804, Messrs. Chamberlain and
Felix Carey, accompanied by two native converts,
went to Saugur island, the furthermost point of
land where the river and sea meet. As they én
tered the eastern creek, they were accompanied by
many boats full of people, some of whom were
the most disgusting sights that can well be ima
gined. Their hair and beards were suffered to
grow , probably for years, and were never once
dressed, their bodies were covered with the most
odious and indecent marks, and their shame was
scarcely hidden . Some of these most wretched, if
not most wicked of men , had come a journey of
three, four, or five months, to bathe in Gunga
Saugur. The description given by Mr. Cham
berlain in his journal, on his arrival here, is
striking :- .“ Astonished beyond measure at the
sight ! Boats crushed together, row upon row, for
a vast extent in length, numberless in appearance,
and the people swarming everywhere ! Multi
tudes, multitudes ! Removed from the boats, they
112 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [сHAP. IV .
had pitched on a large sand-bank , and in the
jungle. The oars of the boats were set up to
support the tents, shops, &c. Words fail to give
a true description of this scene. Her e an im
mensely populous city has been raised in a very
few days, full of streets, lanes, bazaars , &c. &c. ;
many sorts of trades going on , with all the hurry
and bustle of the most populous city. We soon
left the boats , and went among the people . Here
we saw the works of idolatry and blind superstition .
Crowds upon crowds of infatuated men, women ,
and children , high and low, young and old, rich
and poor, bathing in the water, and worshipping
Gunga, by bowing and making salams, and spread
ing their offerings on the shore, consisting of rice,
flowers, cowries , &c. for the goddess to take when
the tides arrive. The mud and water of this place
are esteemed very holy, and are taken hundreds of
miles upon the shoulders of men . They sprinkle
themselves with the water, and daub themselves
with the mud ; and this they say cleanses them
from all sin : this is very great holiness! In for
iner years, it was usual for many to give themselves
to the sharks and alligators, and thus to be de
stroyed . But the Company have now placed se
C

poys along the shore to prevent this.” I began

our work by accosting a man, and asking him why
he was come hither ; and then set Felix to carry
it on . The people were very attentive, made their
salams to us, & c . A brahmin , with whom we had
much conversation, went with us to the boat, to
whom we gave some papers and a testament. He
appeared to be a man of understanding. We stop
ped opposite our boat. Felix spoke to many, and
I tried to speak to a number more. We gave
 INDIA . 113
CHAP. iv.]
away a great quantity of papers , but with no small
difficulty, the press being so very great. With
drawing to our boat, we were surrounded on all
sides, which afforded a pleasing opportunity of
speaking to the people, and of distributing tracts.
Felix and Krishno talked to the people, and I gave
out the tracts and books, and endeavoured to
speak, as I was able. Never had I greater satis
faction than in this work . The attention of the
people to that which was spoken, their eagerness
for the books, together with their peculiar circum
stances, having never heard of the Saviour before,
gave me such satisfaction of mind that I cannot
express. I would not change my situation with
the greatest lord in the world. I suppose the
people were scarcely able to understand me ; but
one occurrence encouraged me . Two respectable
people came, whom I began to address ; and I
was enabled to speak with some liberty respecting
the death of ourSaviour. They heard with great
attention, and seemed much affected : I saw tears
standing in the eyes of the oldest man , and falling
down his cheeks. The lowest computation of the
people here is one lack, or 100,000, and perhaps
two lacks is nearer the truth. Most of the people
to whom we gave books came from parts of the
country where the word of life had never been seen,
and the news of salvation never was heard . It is
reported that the tigers have taken several people
away ; and though the Hindoos are some of the
most timid people on other occasions, yet now they
seem fearless. Multitudes are encamped in the
jungle, exposed to the ravages of savage tigers
every moment."
There was now a great increaes of the number
L3
 114 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. iv.
of natives who came to Serampore, inquiring after
truth . In 1805, about thirty were received into
the church , besides several Europeans, and of
these ten were baptized in one day. Seven or
eight appeared to have been impressed chiefly by
the reading of a New Testament and some small
tracts, left in their village about four years before,
though till lately they were unknown to the mis
sionaries, and therefore it may be fairly expected
that these books were useful in other instances.
Among these villagers was Juggernaut, a byragee
--- a name denoting that those who bear it are
without passions -- who lived entirely on the gains
of his imaginary holiness. Once, when he visited
the temple in Orissa, the lord of the district, as a
token of respect, clasped him round the neck ,
placed him by his side in the public assembly, and
offered him land if he would take up his residence
there; but Juggernautreplied ,that, without Gunga
water, it was impossible for him to live. But in
his experience the gospel appears to have been
mighty through God . At the time Mr. Ward was
distributing tracts, and conversing in the village,
he was about to commence a new pilgrimage to
Juggernaut ; but the boat happening to go without
him, he obtained two or three of the papers, and
afterwards the New Testament, which was left to
be used, and was at length nearly worn out by
reading. Now he hung up his god on a tree by
the side of his house, destroyed his Juggernaut's
chariot, and threw his byragee books into the fire.
It is said too, that, being short of fuel, he after
wards, by the advice of his wife, took down the
image from the tree, and having cut it in two ,
dressed his dinner with the half of it .
CHAP. IV.] INDIA . 115

In the class of byragees, too, was Pitambura

Singhu, who, though be despised many so denomi
nated, for their pride and covetousness, and was ac
counted a man ofdeep knowledge and clear judgment,
became a kind of teacher, and had disciples who
listened to his discourses, prostrated themselves at
his feet, and considered him their oracle. A jour
ney of Mr. Ward's was the means of a person ob
taining a tract,who shewed it to Pitambura, but he
disdainfully charged him to take it away, declaring
that he had no idea of holiness coming from an
Englishman . In the night, however, he reflected
on the folly of his conduct, and in the morning
went and obtained the tract . No sooner had he
read it, than he declared to all that this was the
true way of salvation, and that he would certainly
go and find the European , who had given it away.
Seeing the word “ Serampore” at the end, he went
thither, and soon after renounced caste, embraced
the gospel, and was baptized. He was now ap
pointed teacher of the Bengalee charity school,
and about this time he wrote a piece in verse,
called “ the Sure Refuge,” which was, and still is,
very useful. Three persons date their convictions
of the truth of christianity to its perusal.
His conduct was exemplary, and in his conver
sation , writings, and serions, his reasoning was
very forcable . His understanding was naturally
clear and his judgment solid ; and when God
opened to him the sources of truth, he was more
than a match for the most subtle of the pundits,
or learned teachers. They therefore commonly
avoided an encounter with him ; the keenness of
his words they could not bear. He was advanced
in years when he came to Serampore, but so long
116 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. iv.
as he could hold a pen he was usefully employed,
and, towards the close of his career, in writing the
life of Christ, in verse ; but though he went
through a good part of it, he could not finish it,
and the deficiency has since been supplied by
another hand .
Addressing Mr. Ward in the midst of his ill
ness , he said— “ I do not attribute it to my own
wisdom , or to my own goodness, that I became a
christian . It is all grace ! It is all grace! I
have tried all means for the restoration of my
health ; all are vain : God is my only hope. Life
is good, death is good : but to be wholly emanci
pated is better.” When he was told of the use of
aflictions to wean us from the world, he answered ,
“ I have a wife, a daughter, and a son -in -law . I
have tried to induce them to embrace the gospel
by every means in my power, but they refused.
I am therefore weaned from them all. I can only
pray for their salvation !” Many of the native
converts stood around his bed, to whom Mr. Ward
recommended the dying counsel of the venerable
christian as most weighty and solemn. He now
continued gradually to decline, but as his afflic
tion increased so did his patience and resignation .
He would say , with a moving and child -like sim
plicity, “ He is my God, and I am his child !
He never leaves me; he is always present !”
Alluding to the introduction to several of the
Epistles, “ Grace be to you, and peace from God
our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, ”
he said , several times, Peace ! peace ! I now
find in my own heart that peace !” About two
months before his deathi, having perceived in his
wife a change of mind respecting the gospel, he
CHAP, iv.] INDIA . 117

began earnestly to press upon her to make an

open profession of it. He warned her against re
turning to idolatry, or recurring to a Bengalee
spiritual guide ; desired her, after his death, to
reside wherever her spiritual interests would be
best secured ; and, above all, entreated her to make
Christ her refuge, that ultimately they might
meet again in heaven.
On the morning of his death, he called the na
tive converts to come and join in praise. While
they were singing a hymn, the chorus ofwhich is,
“ Eternal salvation through the death of Christ,
the tears of joy ran down his dying cheeks; and
at that moment, his happy soul departed, leaving
such a smile on his countenance, that it was some
moments before his friends could convince them
selves that he was really dead. This venerable
man was about sixty years of age.
The widow of this departed christian was led by
his patient resignation and happy death to embrace
the gospel.
The translation of the scriptures had long en
gaged the attention of the missionaries, and, in
deed, Mr. Carey had scarcely arrived in India,
when his heart was set on the accomplishment of
that important work , for the immense population of
China. A valuable auxiliary now appeared in a
person named Lassar, who , born atMacao, had
imbibed the colloquial dialect of China in his early
years, and had afterwards studied most assidu
ously under two masters. So ardent was his thirst
for knowledge, that he added a part of the night
to the hours of the day, which were fully occu
pied in the important pursuit. About the age of
twenty - three his mind was directed to mercantile
118 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. iv .
engagements, but he was discouraged and embar
rassed by his first effort. This, however, was the
means of introducing him to Dr. Buchanan ana
Mr. Brown , who engaged him to assist in translating
the scriptures into Chinese, and proposed that he
should reside at Serampore, on condition that a
missionary and three youths should enter on the
study of that tongue -- an offer which was promptly
accepted. His qualifications rendered him truly
valuable . - When I have seen him , " says Mr.
Marshman, “ sit nearly three hours at once, call
ing over, perhaps for thirty days successively , the
same words and phrases, and noticing with the
utmost nicety, and no small severity, variations in
the sound which I was not capable of observing,
I have been surprised, and have said to myself,
<
What can induce this man to persist in a course
of labour, from which I myself shrink back, who
have been for so many years engaged in thework
of teaching, and am urged to faithfulness and dili
gence by the voice of conscience, and the desire of
promoting the cause of Christ ? If he were to
save himself this trouble , who would know it ?
who would detect his unfaithfulness ? What a
contrast do this man's diligence and decision form
to the sloth and flexibility of every other Asiatic
teacher I have yet been under !”
In the midst of devoted labours, however, the
mission was threatened with serious interruption.
On the arrival of two missionaries with their wives
at Calcutta, some demur was made at the police
office as to their proceeding to Serampore, and
Mr. Carey was informed next day, by one of the
magistrates, that, “ as the East India Company
did not think proper to interfere with the pre
CHAP . IV. ] INDIA . 119
judices of the natives, it was the express desire of
the governor-general that he and his colleagues
would not.. The request, on being explained by
the magistrates , implied that they were not to
preach to the Hindoos, nor suffer the native con
verts to do so ; nor were they to distribute reli
gious tracts, or employ others in their circulation ;
in short, they were not to adopt any means to
persuade the natives to embrace christianity. But
these restrictions were afterwards lessened, and
honourable testimony was borne to the character
and conduct of the missionaries . Meanwhile , those
who had just arrived had reached Serampore, where
they were under the protection and patronage of
the crown of Denmark, and in consequence of the
representations made to the British government,
were allowed to remain .
An event now occurred more than ordinarily
solemn and impressive . Three persons from Luck
pool, who had long professed to believe the doc
trines of christianity, but who had hitherto declined
an open profession of them, came on a visit to
Serampore. In conversing with one of them ,
named Sookur Bishess, the brethren solemnly
warned him of the danger of temporising in a
matter of such vast importance, and assured him
that if he were ashamed of the gospel before men
Christ would be ashamed of him before his Father
and the holy angels. He said he was fully con
vinced that there was no other way to heaven , but
by the atonement of Jesus, and that if he thought
himself near death, he would immediately and
openly avow himself as his disciple. He was then
reminded of the uncertainty of life, and earnestly
intreated to consider whether his unwillingness to
120 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. iv.
make a public profession of the truth , did not pro
ceed from a secret attachment to his sins, or to his
fearing the ridicule of men more than the wrath of
God. Little, however, did those who expostulated
with him so faithfully, imagine that he would so
soon and so awfully realize the truth of their
observations. Only six days after his return he
was murdered in his own village, with circum
stances of peculiar barbarity. It seems he had for
some time been carrying on a criminal intercourse
with a woman, some of whose relations belonged to
aa gang of robbers who infested that part of the
country , and seemed to bid defiance to the consti
tuted authorities. Such , indeed, was their con
summate audacity, that when one of them , who
had been taken and brought to trial, was asked by
a magistrate, how many men he had killed in his
life-time, the ruffian impudently replied , “ Ask a
fisherman how many fish he has caught in his life
time !” These men had been long determined to
take an ample revenge on Sookur Bishess, and on
hearing that he had just come back from Seram
pore, where they conceived he had obtained a sim
of money from the missionaries, they, one night,
beset the house where he and the woman were, and
after bringing them out bound , set fire to the pre
mises, and threatened to throw him into the flames,
unless he would instantly show them where his
treasure was concealed . Hoping, probably, to
make his escape , he led them to a tree at some
distance, and told them to dig beneath it. After
labouring for some time, they discovered that he
had deceived them , and immediately resolved to
sacrifice his life to their resentment. Accordingly,
one of them pierced him through with a spear ; a
 CHAP. iv. ] INDIA . 121
second wounded him severely across his breast,
and a third severed his head from his body !
In 1807, the missionaries received the painful
intelligence that a woman was to be burnt with the
corpse of her husband, at a short distance from
their premises. Several of them , therefore, has
tened to the spot ; but, before their arrival, the fu
neral pile was in flames, and exhibited aa horrible
spectacle, The spectators also evinced the most
brutal indifference and levity, whilst the poor
creature was burning alive before their eyes; so
that it appeared as if every spark of humanity had
been completely extinguished in their breasts by
this horrid and revolting superstition. “ That,
says Mr. Marsham , “ which added to the cruelty
was the smallness of the fire, which did not consist
of so much wood as we consume in dressing a
dinner ! I saw the legs of the unfortunate victim
hanging out of the fire whilst her body was in
flames. After some time , they took a bamboo ,
ten or twelve feet long, with which they pushed
and beat the unconsumed corpses, as we would
repair a fire of green wood,by throwingthe uncon
sumed pieces into the middle. Perceiving the legs
hanging out, they struck them repeatedly with the
bamboo, in order to break the ligatures which fast
ened them at the knees. At length they succeeded
in bending them upwards into the fire; the skin
and muscles giving way, and discovering the
knee- sockets bare, with the balls of the leg bones !
A sight which I need not say made me thrill with
horror.
“ Turning to a young brahmin , who was the
principal actor in this horrid tragedy, I told him
that the systein which allowed of these cruelties
M
122 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IV.
could no more proceed from God than darkness
from the sun ; and solemnly warned him that he
must hereafter appear at the bar of God, to answer
for this inhuinan murder. With a savage and
contemptuous grin , he replied : ' I glory in it, and
feel the highest pleasure in performing such a
ceremony.' I then turned to the people, and on
my beginning to expostulate with them , one person
remarked, that the woman had sacrificed herself of
her own accord, and had ascended the pile as a
matter of pleasure. • Why then did you confine 1

her down with that large bamboo ? ' It was re

plied, that this was necessary , to prevent her from
running away. " What !' said I 6 would she have
run away from that which she considered a plea
sure ? I next addressed a youth of about nine
teen, who had been induced to set fire to the
funeral pile that was to consume both his parents.
• You have murdered your mother,' said I ; ‘ your
sin is therefore very great, though the guilt of the
brahmin who urged you to the perpetration of such
a deed is still greater. How will you bear the
reflection that you have destroyed your only sur
viving parent ? He seemed to feel the force of
what was said to him , as his eyes were suffused
with tears ; but, just at this instant, that hardened
wretch, the brahmin , rushed in and drew him
away .
“ You expect, perhaps, to hear thattheunhappy
woman thus immolated was the widow of some
brahmin of high rank. She was, however, merely
the wife of a barber at Serampore, who had died
that morning, leaving the son I have mentioned,
and a daughter of about eleven years of age. Thus
has this vile superstition aggravated the common
CHAP. IV.] INDIA . 123

miseries of life, and left these children stripped of

both their parents in one day ! Nor is this an
uncommon case . It often happens to children far
more helpless than these, and in some instances to
children possessed of property , which is then left,
as well as themselves, to the mercy of those who
have decoyed their mother to their father's funeral
pile ! "
About the same time, a Hindoo, named Seeboo
Roy, was summoned out of time into eternity , and
appears to have died with unshaken reliance on the
doctrines of the gospel. His attention to divine
things was excited , in the first instance, by some
tracts, which he had obtained at one of the great
assemblies of his countrymen, and he afterwards
went for further instruction to the missionary
station at Cutwa . Here he seems to have been
satisfactorily convinced of the truth of christianity ;'
and, as he possessed considerable influence in his
own village, he opened his house for the worship
of Christ on his return thither, and affectionately
recommended the word of God to his neighbours.
Being suddenly taken ill, his friends came to see
him , and earnestly exhorted him to call upon
Doorga, and other idols, but he declared that he
neither could nor would do any such thing. He
earnestly intreated that they would take him to
Cutwa, saying, “ If I do not go thither, I shall
never be well. ”He also begged of his wife that
his remains might be buried ; and, in conversing
with those who had been in the habit of meeting
with him on the Lord's day, he solemnly charged
them not to forsake the assembling of themselves
together, nor to cease from proclaiming the glories
of the Redeemer. “ I am going,” said he, “ but
 124 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. IV.
we shall soon see each other again .” He also
spoke to his wife concerning the satisfactory nature
of his hope in Christ, and the vanity of all other
ways of salvation ; and, in consequence of listening
attentively to his observations, she was enabled to
bear the moment of separation with a degree of
calmness and fortitude, instead of beating her fore
head and uttering the most piercing cries, accord
ing to the custom of her countrywomen . After the
death of Seeboo, however, his relations insisted on
burning the body, threatening that if the widow
refused, they would have nothing more to do with
her ; and as she had no where to go, and no
resource, she was compelled to submit, notwith
standing her husband's solemn injunction to the
contrary.
The missionaries now received some cheering
accounts from Malda, where the native preachers,
who had for some time been labouring in that dis
trict, were heard with considerable interest, and
treated with the greatest kindness by their country
men , who sometimes attended their religious
services in bodies of five or six hundred, when no
Europeans were present. At Jessore the converts
were formed into a regular church, of which two
natives, named Ram Mohun and Kawnee, were
chosen deacons. At Cutwa, Mr. Chamberlain ,
and several of the christian natives, laboured with
unremitting diligence and considerable success.
The aspect of affairs at Dinagepore was also pro
mising. And though , at Serampore, the mission
aries lamented that they were placed under some
restrictions, yet they proceeded with unabated
ardour in translating and printing the holy scrip
tures ; and, on the whole, their efforts to promul
CHAP. iv.] INDIA . 125

gate the glad tidings of salvation were but little

diminished .
In May, 1807, a petition to government for
leave to erect a new chapel in Calcutta, was signed
by one hundred and fifteen of the inhabitants of
that city, and was favourably received. The utmost
exertions were, therefore, used to complete this
edifice, which ( including the veranda or portico,
designed for the accommodation of the natives,
whose religious scruples would not permit them to
enter the building itself, ) was designed to be
seventy feet square , and to have galleries on three
sides.
Several Europeans too corresponded with the
missionaries, and afforded pleasing hope that a
work of grace had been commenced among them .
One of these had been reproved for his profane
language by a converted Hindoo in Calcutta, and
from that time became seriously anxious concern
ing his salvation. Another, on visiting Serampore,
and going with Mr. Chater to see some of the bap
tized natives, was overwhelmed with shame, whilst
contrasting their attainments in divine knowledge
with his own ignorance. And a third was led to
see and confess the necessity of a change of heart,
in consequence of his conversation with a serious
young lady, whom he afterwards married. “ We
are acquainted ,” says Mr. Moore, “ with nine or
ten other persons in Calcutta , most of whom we
knew not four months ago, but who now atſord us
sanguine hope."
“ Soon after this ,” says the editor of the Brief
Narrative, “ an event occurred which filled the
friends of the mission with deep concern , and
furnished its adversaries with a momentary
M 3
 126 MISSIONARY RECORDS .
[CHAP. IV.
triumph. A tract, which had been printed in
Bengalee, and which, in that language , contained
nothing offensive, was put into the hands of a
native, to be translated into Persic. The trans
lation being finished, it was, through the pressure
of business, inadvertently printed without being
first inspected by the missionaries . It proved,
unhappily, that the translator had introduced
several strong epithets, calling Mohammed a
tyrant, & c ., which , it was alleged, would irritate
his followers ; and, though no such effects had
been produced, yet, a copy of it being conveyed to
a person in office under government, it was taken
up in a serious manner. Mr. Carey was sent for ;
but, being unacquainted with the circumstances of
the case, he could only acknowledge the impro
priety of the epithets, and promise to inquire into
the cause of their appearance in the tract in ques
tion. Had the object of the party been merely to
prevent the disturbance of the public tranquillity ,
things would have terminated here : Mr. Carey, on
learning particulars, would have made an apology,
and corrected whatever was improper. But, before
he had time to do this, proceedings were com
menced, which , had they been carried into exe
cution, must have been not only ruinous to the
mission, but greatly injurious to the cause of
christianity in India. In consequence , however,
of an explanation , and the presentation of a
respectful memorial to the governor-general, the
most serious part of the proceedings was formally
revoked. On thisoccasion , two of the missionaries
waited on his lordship , to thank him for the can
dour with which he had attended to their memorial ;
to which he replied , that nothing more was neces SB
CHAP . Iv. ] INDIA . 127

sary than a mere examination of the subject ; on

which, every thing appeared in a clear and favour
able light.”
As, however, two other tracts, besides that in
Persic , had been considered objectionable, it was
requested that the missionaries should print nothing
of the sort in future, without previously submitting
the copy to the inspection of government. Consi
derable difficulties were also experienced, for a
time, by the missionaries ; who were prohibited
from preaching to the Armenians and Portuguese
in Calcutta, and were no longer permitted, even
occasionally, to officiate among the soldiers in Fort
William . The enemies of religion, of course, be
gan to exult ; its friends were discouraged ; and
it was currently reported that the Baptist mission
aries would be driven from India. By the good
providence of God, however, these heavy clouds
were gradually dispersed.
Towards the latter end of the year, several of the
native brethren were diligently employed in preach
ing the gospel in the neighbourhood of Goamalty ;
and from the journal of two of the labourers,
named Deep Chund and Ram Presaud, it appears,
that, travelling through a considerable number of
villages, they daily addressed their countrymen on
the great concerns of salvation. At a place called
Purneah they preached two days successively, in
the market-place, to great multitudes, some of
whom listened with the most serious attention ,
whilst others slighted and derided the word of life.
“ In the latter part of our journey,” they observe,
“ the gospel was a new sound, and vast numbers
heard it who never heard before, and may never
hear again , or know its intrinsic value, till they see
 128 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. IV.
the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven .
We suffered much affliction ; but God supported
us, and enabled us to proclaim the Saviour's love
to many thousands. May he give it success, so
that we may meet some with joy hereafter to whoin
it may have proved good news indeed !”
Toward the latter end of January, 1808 , Seram
pore was taken by the English , on the ground of a
rupture between Great Britain and Denmark ; but
this event made no difference in the situation of
the missionaries.
In 1809, Messrs. Robinson and W. Carey , jun .,
accompanied by two of the native converts, Sebuk
ram and Ghorachund, made a second attempt at
forming a settlement at, or near, Bote -Haut, near
the Bootan country, on the borders of Thibet. On
the 25th of March they arrived , after a fatiguing
journey on horseback , at Barbaree, where they
passed the sabbath ; and on Monday evening they
were within two miles of Bote- Haut. Here they
were desirous of procuring an eligible spot of
ground for the erection of a house , but could find
none that was secure from inundation in the rainy
season . On the 28th , a large market being held
at Bote-Haut, they sent their two native compa
nions thither, in quest of intelligence. These
were treated with the utmost civility, both by the
Booteas and Bengalees ; and the katma, or chief
magistrate of the place said, that if the mission
aries chose to write him a letter, expressing their
wish to visit Bote -Haut, he woull send them an
invitation. This hint was of course attended to by
the missionaries, who addressed a note to the
katma the following day ; and, in the course of a
few hours, they received a reply, in which the
CHAP. iv.] INDIA . 129

magistrate invited them to “ come and stay with

him a few days, and tell him all their joys and
sorrows."
On the 30th, after breakfast, they arrived at
Bote-Haut, where they met with a very cordial
reception from the katma, and the next day were
forinally received into his friendship , by a pe
caliar ceremony ; on taking leave, they returned
to Barbaree, where a spot of ground was promised
for the erection of a habitation. Here, however,
the two native converts were taken so ill, that Mr.
W. Carey was under the necessity of returning
with them to Dinagepore : and Mr. Robinson him
self, in consequence of fatigue, and an imprudent
exposure to the sun , was afterwards seized with a
fever, which endangered his life ; though, by the
Divine blessing on the means prescribed , he was
mercifully restored to health .
On the 21st of March , 1810, Mr. Robinson re
turned to Barbaree, from which he had, for some
time, been absent, on account of severe indisposi
tion ; and, in a letter addressed to Mr. Marshman,
he says , I have now had preaching at my house
threesabbaths. On the first, my hearers were few
and inattentive : on the next I suppose there
were forty men present, besides a number of
women ; and some heard with attention . Last
Lord's day we had more , both males and females ;
so that the house was filled, and, before I had
done, numbers had collected about the door. ”
In January, 1811 , Mr. Robinson returned to
Barbaree, after a visit to Serampore, ( in conse
quence of the death of Mrs. R., ) accompanied by
Mr. and Mrs. Cornish , twomembers of the Baptist
church at Calcutta . They arrived on Saturday,
 130 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHIAP. IV.
the 19th ; and during the following Monday and
Tuesday, they were cinployed in arranging various
articles, and in writing to the soobah of Chemerchee,
requesting permission to pay him a visit. The
letier' was to have been sent off the next morning,
and they hoped, in about a fortnight, to have ob
tained an introduction into Bootan. But," as
Mr. Robinson justly remarks, “ we know not what
a day may bring forth ! ”
On Tuesday night, about twelve o'clock , the
house of the missionaries was attacked by an armed
band of fifty or sixty robbers ; and the total loss, in
property of different kinds, was supposed to amount
to two thousand rupees, or about two hundred and
fifty pounds."
Dreadful and appalling, however, as was this
disaster, the providence of God was clearly mani
fested on behalf of his servants, who all made their
escape from the house, except Mr. Cornish's little
apprentice girl, Jannetta, who concealed herself in
the store - room .
In addition to the loss of his property, Mr.
Robinson had, on this melancholy occasion , re
ceived no fewer than four wounds ; one on his right
knee, one on his left arm , one on the abdomen,
and another on the breast; and had not the spear
struck against the bone, the last of these would
probably have proved mortal. The wound in Mr.
Cornishi's side might, also, have been fatal, had it
not been for a similar circumstance. In this dis
tressed state , and with scarcely sufficient clothes to
cover them , they set out on Wednesday morning
for Dinagepore ; and arrived there at the end of
three days, after experiencing many difficulties.
At this place they were received in the most
CHAP. IV.] INDIA . 131

affectionate manner by Mr. and Mrs. Fernandez,

and other friends, who supplied their wants with
the utmost promptitude, and exerted themselves
unremittingly to sooth their distresses. Though
the robbers for some time eluded the arm of justice,
they were at length taken and brought to punish
ment. Three of them were hanged ; several were
condemned to perpetual imprisonment, and thirty
nine lashes with the kora ; the others were impri
soned for a stipulated time, and scourged in the
same manner ; and all of them were condemned to
hard labour.
Ån eminent Hindoo christian named Fitick,
who had been instrumental in the conversion of his
mother, his sister, and three of his neighbours,
died about this time at Serampore with a hope full
of immortality .
“ Futick came down from Dinagepore,” says
Mr. Ward , “ with aa disorder upon him , which was
never wholly removed, though he was better at
some times than at others. For many months
before his death , he was much afflicted ; yet, in all
his afflictions, he never appeared to think worse of
the gospel, nor was his faith in the saving power
of Christ diminished by any of them. We have
recently witnessed a case, however, the very reverse
of this. A female who had professed to believe in
Christ, but who had, for some time, appeared to be
a suspicious character, attributed the severity of
her sufferings in a protracted illness, to the anger
of the gods whom she had abandoned , and at last
put a period to her own existence !
“ A little before the last heavy return of his
afliction , he seemed considerably better, and did
some business in the printing-office. During this
132 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IV .
state of convalescence, for two or three days to
gether, he was very earnest in his addresses to the
brahmins, and others employed in the office, warn
ing them against persisting in their rejection of the
gospel. Some who heard him supposed that he
might be bearing his last testimony for God to
these hardened men ; and this proved to be the
fact, as in a day or two afterwards he was taken
ill, and every one who saw him perceived the
most unequivocal symptoms of his approaching
dissolution .
“ On the evening before his death I called upon
him, and found him conversing with his mother on
the subject of worldly-mindedness ; warning her
against it, and urging the necessity of her being
prepared to die. Not being able to stay long, I
went home, but, according to promise , returned
between nine and ten o'clock the same evening.
Futick was then worse, and the rattling in lis
throat might be heard to a considerable distance ;
yet he was sitting up , and, on seeing me, he briefly
recapitulated the incidents of his life, subsequent to
his conversion .
“ After aa short pause, I asked him respecting his
present prospects and his hope of salvation. The
dear man , collecting all the breath he could, said ,
with peculiar force and emphasis, I have not
a doubt of obtaining salvation by the death of
Christ. ' On my inquiring if he had any uneasiness
about leaving the world, he replied byquoting that
beautiful passage, · Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God ! ' and added some very ap
propriate reflections on the vanity of all creature
enjoyments.
66
Some of the native brethren sat up with him
CHAP. IV .] INDIA. 133

during the night, and about one o'clock in the

morning he was asked whether they should sing.
He answered in the affirmative, and they conti
nued singing for some time. About half-past five,
Kristno engaged in prayer, and, almost immedi
ately afterward, Futick's happy spirit was wafted to
the realms of bliss . ”
The members of the infant church at Goamalty
hal, for a season , a large portion of affliction .
Mr. Mardon for some time was deprived of his
voice ; and both he and Mrs. Mardon were very ill
for a long time, and obliged to leave the station, in
order to obtain medical assistance. The natives
wept on their departure. There was also much
affliction ainong them ; so that, for the greater part
of the season, they were unable to engage in any
active labours. “ But to show ," as Mr. Mardon
says, “ that success does not depend on the strength
and exertions of poor mortals , the Lord continued
to work among the heathen for his great name
sake.” They had begun with only seven mem
bers ; but Mr. Ephraim Burford, who had engaged
in the indigo business in the neighbourhood of
Goamalty , joined them by dismission from the
church at Serampore ; and, on one Lord's-day,
four others were baptized ; viz. Mr. Johnson , (an
assistant in the indigo works, ) and three natives,
which made their number twelve. Mr. Mardon
also speaks of several more, of whose conversion he .
entertained great hopes, and of two persons, in
particular, who had died , and whose death was
attended with some circumstances peculiarly af
fecting
One of these was a byragee, of the name of
Subhasingha, of the rajpoot caste, who was going
N
134 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [Curap. iv.
on a pilgrimage to the temple of Juggernaut. Mr.
Mardon observing him to stop under a tree, at
Goamaltv, and being unable, at that time, to speak
much himself, requested Kristno Dass to go and
converse with him . He accordingly went, and
told him of the sufferings and death of Christ for
the salvation of sinners. The poor man seemed to
feel the subject as suited to his case. He said , he
wonld take Christ for his refuge, and, instead of
prosecuting his journey to Juggernaut, would stop
and hear more of the word of God ; believing that
by this his soul would be purified . “ On hearing
this ,” says Mr. Mardon , “ Kristno came to me,
almost in raptures, to know what he should do. I
requested him to take the man to his house, and
instruct him in the way of salvation . I went over
shortly after, and spoke to him a little myself.
He was very attentive. In the course of the day,
the native brethren , especially Kristno, conversed
with him freely, and, in the evening, directed their
prayers particularly on his behalf. He ate with
them without hesitation, seeiningly regardless of
his caste ; and even threw off his poita and neck
lace, as useless things ! His body was in a very
weak state. The next morning he appeared as
usual, but , in a few hours, lost his speech, and
seemed to be in pain. About three in the after
noon , surrounded by us all, he died . May we not
hope that this was a brand plucked out of the
burning ? ”
Another was a Hindoo, an inquirer after the way
of salvation, whose name was Heeradee. “Nearly
two months ago,” says Mr. Mardon, in a letter
dated September 6, " he was bitten by a mad jackal
in the corner of his mouth . It is only a week yes
CHAP. IV.] INDIA . 135
terday, since I heard of it, when the natives
brought him hither, to get some medicines for him .
On Monday last, he began to feel the effects of the
bite, and concluded he should die . Mrs. Mardon
went over twice, to see him . He was very earnest
in prayer, not only for himself, but also for the
church, that the Lord would pour out his blessing
upon it. He was much engaged in prayer the
following night.. Yesterday he began to exhibit
such strong symptoms of madness, that the native
brethren were afraid to approach him, and, in the
evening, it became necessary to fasten him down
to the bedstead . Towards morning the fits of
frenzy occasionally subsided, and he sedulously
improved every lucid interval by engaging in
prayer, or talking about the Redeemer. He was ,
also, manifestly favoured with the exercise of rea
son in his departing moments, and expired with
the language of supplication on his lips. He has
left a widow and two children to lament his loss ."
During three of the summer-months, twelve
-members were added to the church at Serampore ;
and Deep Chund, who, for a season, had been in
veiyled by his countrymen into idolatrous prac
tices, came back with every symptom of contrition,
and was again received into communion , after an
appropriate and affectionate address, in which he
was warned to walk more varily for the future.
The account which he gave of his temporary
apostacy, the state of his mind under it , and the
effects which had been produced by several visits
from his brethren, and by a letter from the church ,
were extremely affecting, and proved to demon
stration that conscience had not been altogether
136 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP, iv.
silent, whilst he was engaging in the abominations
of the heathen .
On the demise of the Danish clergyman at
Serampore, the majority of the inhabitants ex
pressed a strong desire that the inissionaries might
be permitted to succeed him . A petition to that
effect was accordingly presented to the governor
general, and, by his lordship's permission, the
parish church was, from that time, occupied by
some of the Baptist brethren ; who, however, de
clined accepting any pecuniary compensation for
their services.
One of the brethren , named De Bruyn, la
boured at Chittagong with considerable success.
Among those who came to him for instruction, was
a young man , born at Rangoon, whom he took into
his house, and treated as a son, hoping that he
would ultimately aid him in the promulgation of
the gospel. But, at length , his conduct was ex
ceedingly improper, and being one day reproved
by themissionary with more than usual severity,
he seized aa knife, under the influence of passion,
and plunged it into the side of his benefactor, who,
after languishing a day and a night, expired ;
thongh not before he had written to the judge of
the district, excusing the rash deed ,and entreating
that his murderer might not be punished.
A calamitous event occurred at Serampore in
1812. About six o'clock in the evening a fire
was discovered in the printing -oflice, in a large
range of shelves, filled with paper. Mr. Ward,
who was writing in an adjoining room , was no
sooner aware of the fact, than he hastened to the.
spot ; Mr. Marshman afterwards arrived, but not
 INDIA . 137
CHAP. iv.]
withstanding their utmost efforts, the flames fear
fully increased. The deeds of the premises and a
complete series of accounts were saved with the
greatest difficulty, and while the last attempt was
inaking, the whole building, two hundred feet in
length , was one burning mass . About midnight
the roof fell in , and as the wind was then calm , the
fire ascended in a straight line, and was providen
tially extinguished without injuring the neighbour
ing buildings which were very near. Other in
stances of the Divine interposition also appeared.
Though the door which separated the press-room
from the other part of the office was burnt; and
though the beains in that room were scorched,
such was the activity in pulling out the presses,
that they were all preserved. Thepaper-mill too,
with the matrices, moulds, and apparatus for letter
founding, were in a place adjoining the office,
which the fire did not enter, and were all happily
saved . In the printing -office many things were
destroyed ; various brass and copper utensils were
melted ; the thick Chunar imposing stones were
split asunder; and the types ran like a stream of
water along the floor ; but on clearing away some
of the ruins, Mr. Ward had the satisfaction to find
the steel punches for the different founts in all the
Indian languages, which had occupied more than
ten years in making, altogether uninjured. About
eight thousand pounds of type -metal were also
recovered, so that three days after, the pundits and
founders were set to work in a large building,
which had been let for several years as a ware
house, and of which the keys had been given up
but a few days before . In a few months eight
different versions of the scriptures were again in
N 3
138 MISSIONARY RECORDS. CHAP. V.
the press. The loss, amounting to nearly £ 10,000,
wils promptly supplied by the friends of religion
at home and abroad ; and soon , by the Divine
blessing, this branch of missionary labour was
again in full activity.

CHAPTER V.

Labours at Orissa .-- Conversion of a Brahmin.

The Swinging Festival. - Interview with a Por
tuguese. The Convert Gungadass.-- The Hin
doo Testament well understood .-- Effects of the
Distribution of the Scriptures.-- Immolations
at Allahabad .-- A Devotee.--- Additions to the
Church . - Advancement of Useful knowledge.
- The Convert Brindabund .--- Sketch of Rev.
Mr. Chamberlain .-- The Leper.--- The Gospels
valued.— The Rajah and his Attendants.
Improvement in Female Character.-- Death of
Ram Kisoon,

MR. PETER, the missionary appointed to labour

in Orissa, a few years after Dr. Buchanan's visit ,
attempted to reason with some of the pilgrims ;
and in this work he was assisted by two members
of his church . One of thein says, “ took
A sepoy
me to his habitation, that I might explain the way
of salvation to some men who were then on their
way to the temple ; and after they had listened
attentively to my observations respecting the dying
love of our Lord Jesus, one of the principal men
6
among them observed, You speak the word of
CHAP. V. ] INDIA . 139

truth , and all that you have said has struck into
iny heart." Another exclaimed, “ I will hear no
more from the Hindoos ; for it is in vain that they
worship idols of wood and stone.' In other cases,
the conversation was abruptly terminated , by the
6

declaration, Whether we survive or not, we are

resolved to see the temple of Juggernaut before we
die ." "
Mr. Peter afterwards introduced the New Testa
ment, in the Orissa language, into the temple of
the idol . He gave several copies to the principal
persons of the place, and one to a chief minister,
On the last day of the festival he preached from
Romans i . 21-23 . More than aa thousand persons
were assembled, and three cars of the god were
dragged along. The people, almost to a man, leſt**
the cars and listened attentively. Three hymns
were sung, two sermons were preached, prayer was
twice offered, and fifteen Orissa New Testaments
and Psalters, besides many tracts, were distributed.
One Oriya was insulted by his countrymen for ac
cepting a Testament, but, unmoved by their scorn,
he went his way. On this occasion, several mili
tary officers and their ladies, mounted on elephants,
were present.
Some time after great astonishment was excited
in Balasore, by the conversion of a brahmin of
high rank, named Jugunat'ha Mookhoojya. This
man , who was of a rich family, and well versed
both in the Orissa and Bengalee languages, was
so thoroughly convinced of the truth of the gospel,
that he renounced his caste, threw away his poita,
or sacred thread, and ate publicly with Mr. Peter ;
to whom he expressed an earnest desire for bap
tism . One evening, whilst the missionary was
140 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. V.
reading and explaining to him part of the Bengalee
Testament, he expressed his joy that Christ was
able to dispossess Satan even of his strong holds,
and observed : “ The debtas are evil spirits, and
the followers of Jesus have power from him to
overcome the devil and all his temptations. I am
growing fearless of the power of debtas, and all
persecutors. I know that God alone has the power
to kill, and to give life ; and that without his per
mission neither good nor evil can befall me.
he be my Redeemer, therefore, I will not fear
what man can do . Should the people of my caste
kill me, I will not fear ; since I hope that beaven
is secured to me by Jesus, the Son of God. From
this time may I appear before all men a decided
follower of Christ ! I hope the Lord will receive
me, and keep me for ever, as his own child : for :
though I am the greatest of sinners, I bless the
Almighty, and will thank him for ever that he
has brought me out of darkness into his marvellous
light ! ”
The statement he afterwards made being per
fectly satisfactory, he was baptized in March .
After the service, an Oriya, named Khosalee, told
his countrymen , both near the tank where the
baptismal rite was administered , and on his way
home, that their shasters were all false ; but that
the shaster of Jesus was certainly true.
In May, 1813, the churuk, or swinging festival
took place at Calcutta and Serampore. At the
latter place fewer posts were erected than usual,
but among the swingers was one female. One man
fell, but without injury, and another fell from a
stage thirty cubits high, and broke his back. At
the revival of the ceremonies some days after,
CHAP. v.] INDIA . 141

Mr.Ward saw several Hindoos in Calcutta , hanging

by the heels over a slow fire, as an act of devotion .
That these acts are sometimes compulsory, is evi
dent from several natives, employed in the print
ing-oſlice,entreating that they might not be dragged
*
into these pretended voluntary practices. “ It .
seems, ” says Mr. Ward , “ that the Hindoo land
lords, and other persons of property , insist on cer
tain of their tenants and dependents performing
these ceremonies, and that they expect and even
forcibly compel multitudes every year to join the
processions of the sunyasees, as they are called,
who parade the streets, piercing their sides,
tongues, & c. To avoid this compulsion, many in
digent young men leave their houses and conceal
themselves, but they are sure of being beaten when
they are caught, or of having their huts pulled
down. When the lands and riches of the country
were in few hands, this influence of the great car
ried all before it, and it is still widely felt, in com
pelling dependents to assist in public shews, and
to contribute towards the expense of splendid cere
monies. Through Divine goodness, however, the
influence of commerce, the more general diffusion
of wealth , and the intercourse of Europeans, are
gradually rousing the Hindoos from this state of
abject dependence on their spiritual tyrants ; and
thus providential events are operating together
with the gospel, to produce a happy change in the
great mass of the population, particularly in the
more enlightened parts of Bengal.”
In soine of their converts the missionaries had
great pleasure. One was named Deep Chund.
On one occasion, accompanied by two converted
natives, he found a Portuguese man sitting at his
142 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ chap. v .
door, and conversing with him , proposed that he
and his friends should be allowed to smoke out of
his hookah . The man , greatly astonished, inquired
what they meant, and asked whether they, as Ben
galees, would actually smoke with him . They
replied that they were christians, and considered
all men the children of one Father. Gratified by
this, he gave them his hookah , and ordered three
chairs to be brought for them , but these they de
clined, and they sat down on the ground. Several
of the villagers had now arrived, and great numbers
more were speedily collected , when a hynn was
sung in Bengalee. At its close prayer was offered,
and Deep Chund, with a Testament in his hand ,
addressed the strangers in a manner which evi
dently excited their interest. At length a brahmin
interrupted the speaker with some opprobrious
language, and mortified at the reply he received,
began beating him with great violence. Deep
Chund made no resistance ; and when one of his
companions uttered some threats, he restrained
him by saying, “ My brother, let us remember
that we are the disciples of Him who was led as a
lamb to the slaughter ; and who, in the midst of
his cruel murderers, looked stedfastly towards hea
ven , praying that they might be forgiven , when it
was only necessary for him to have looked upon
them in anger in order to have reduced them to
asbes.” At this conduct the Portuguese was greatly
delighted, and most of the anditors were evidently
struck by the display of a spirit so unusual. The
last illness of Deep Chund was long protracted,
but his faith in Christ was unshaken , and in its
influence he enjoyed strong consolation .
Another convert, named Gungadass, was not an
CHAP. v. ] INDIA . 143

ordinary man. He had been a brahmin of high

caste,andthough poor, was very respectably con
nected. He had long been convinced of the truth
of christianity ; but the tie of family and caste had
kept him from making an open profession of his
belief; for full twenty months he hesitated ; but
having then been brought by sickness to the bor
ders of the grave, he vowed that if God would
spare him , he would own his name for ever and
ever : and God did spare him . The conflict with
his family and friends was severe ; but, through
the powerful operation of Divine grace, he was
victorious. No sooner was he baptized than the
natives seemed to be seized with consternation .
They cried out that the glory of their land was
gone. His two sons beat their breasts and ex
claiined that their father was dead . His kindred
forsook him ; and even the wife of his youth ceased
to know him . With aa heart yearning after them ,
he ventured shortly after to send a present to one
of his sons ; but it was instantly dashed to the
ground with contempt.
In patience and meekness he possessed his soul.
At length his wife and two children returned to
him ; astonishment at his conversion ceased, and
several others followed his steps. For seven years
did he hold on his way, declaring to his benighted
countrymen the gospel of Christ. A short time
before his death he delivered one of the most so
lemn addresses which has probably ever been
made : his countenance wore the air of deep se
riousness ; and though in perfect health , yet there
was a certain unearthliness about him that indi
cated a speedy flight to heaven . A fever sud
denly seized him , and he soon felt that death was
144 MISSIONARY RECORDS, [CHAP. V.
approaching -he gave his last exhortations --- deli
vered the only requests he had to make--- and im
mediately resigned himself to communion with
God. What were his last accents none can tell ;
but serenity dwelt on his countenance . Not a
sigh was heard, nor a struggle seen . Unobserved
9

by those around him , and in the attitude ofprayer,

he breathed his spirit into the hands of his faith
ful Creator. They waited some time, but no mo
tion was perceptible. They approached him , and
found to their astonishment that his soul had fied .
Care was taken of his little son . Ilis widow was
amply provided for, and her own heart being
turned towards the Saviour, she received the con
solations which God alone imparts to his people.
On one occasion , a byragee, who had listened
attentively to the discourse of a convert named
At'hmaram , exclaimed, “ I cordially approve of
your words, ” and added, casting away his images,
« I will henceforth worship God, who is a spirit.
On another, a brahmin said , " It is, indeed , in
»
vain to look for salvation , except to Christ.”
66
An
other brahmin observed , The world is in dark
ness, but your words are certainly true. I am
aware that Juggernaut is merely a log of wood,
but my subsistence is obtained by misleading
others.” And two natives, after attending to a
simple and pathetic account of the Redeemer's
66
life and death , cried out, Blessed incarnation !
blessed death ! and blessed be the person who in
structed you in these great truths !"
Mr. Thompson informed one of his correspon
dents at Serampore, that three instances had re
cently come under his observation , which serve to
demonstrate that the translation of the holy scrip
 v .]
CHAP . V. INDIA . 145

iures is well understood by the Hindoos, both

learned and illiterate.
“ The first instance ,” says he, “ is that of a well
informed and aged gosaee ; who, after having tra- '
velled much , has, for the last five years, taken up
his residence in Patna. Some things I heard of
this man , induced me to visit him about three
weeks ago ; when , in the course of our conversa
tion , he inade such frequent and apt allusions, and
with such a serious spirit, to the words of Christ,
to the gospel-history, to the Acts of the apos
tles ,-- and to the epistles, as rejoiced my heart,
and convinced me that this man, if he did not
really believe in the Redeemer, had , at least, a
good theoretical knowledge of the great truths of
revelation ; and which he certainly obtained from
the simple perasal of the Hindee New Testament,
without ever consulting a single christian on the
subject. As he is very grave and reserved, I did
not, before my third or fourth visit, obtain a sight
of the book to which he owes all the light and
knowledge he enjoys, and the separation from
idolatry, which he is proud to profess. It appears,
that one of his disciples having ohtained from me,
about four years ago, a copy of the New Testa
ment in Hindee, carried it to his goroo for ap
proval : the old man had, for thirty years, enter
tained doubts relative to the Hindoo system ; and
this book came most opportunely to his help, and
he received it as an invaluable prize, even as the
gift of God , and was not satisfied till he had read
it quite through : then , wishing to teach his dis
ciples a more perfect way, he regularly read and
discoursed from the word of God, to from ten to
seventy of them ; some of whom , after a time, said
146 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. V. ,
6
to him , “ Father, you wish to wean our mind:
from our shasters : we cannot regard what you say ,
or we shall be turned out of our caste . ' Unhap
pily, this hint had some effect on the mind of the
old man ; for, on my first visiting him , I perceived
he was 6
loth to forego the world's applause ,' by
resigning his gosaeeship , and sitting as a humble
disciple at the feet of Jesus. This made me apply
6
our Lord's expression to him , · How can ye be
lieve, which receive honour one of another , and
seek not the honour which cometh from God ?
“ The second instance is a rajpoot, living at
Ghutora, fourteen miles north of Patna. This
man , under distress of mind, occasioned by bodily
affliction , read the Hindee New Testament through,
and also a tract and the hymn-book ; all of which
he met with at the house of an old gosaee in his
village. Being desirous of conversing with a chris
tian , and of opening his mind to him, he often put
himself in the way of gentlemen, but failed to
attract attention : once, he sat under the shade of a
tamarind tree, and sang several hymns, and re
peated great part of the tract ; but the tree being
near a gentleman's bungalow, bis servants bade
him be quiet. When this expedient failed , he
came to Patna, and found out my house, but I was
then up the country ; however, after he had called
two or three times, he saw me, and would have
fallen at my feet, but I prevented him. He staid
a few days, and, without hesitation , ate with us .
He seemed much to enjoy the seasons of worship,
but in prayer he delighted most. Having a family,
he returned to his village with his friends, but they
have promised to return.
“ The last instance is that of the gosaee, at whose
CHAP . vV .] INDIA . 147

house the rajpoot read the New Testament. He

obtained it from me two years since; and has both
read it himself, and caused others to read it. I
saw him at Hajee -poora about a fortnight ago, and
was much pleased with his knowledge of the word
of God . He reproved a rich brahmin for having
dancesat the bathing festival, to allure people into
sin . He has requested me to go over to Ghutora,
and spend a few days, for the purpose of satisfying
his mind in certain particulars about the religion
of Christ.
“ These silent and stated readings of the New
Testament are, in all probability, very numerous ,
and may , in the end, be attended with a greater
degree of success than we can at present con
ceive.”
The same missionary observes, in another com
munication , “ Some time since, a lady desired a
copy of the New Testament, in Hindee, for the
Romish priest then at Bettia ; she obtained the
book , and lost no time in sending it over, with
three servants ; but, most unfortunately, the boat
was overtaken with a storm, and every soul perished
in the midst of the river. I encouraged her to
make another attempt to put the word of God into
the hands of the priest ; and, an opportunity soon
offering , I sent her the large Hindee New Testa
ient : the priest is now removed to Lucknow, and
thither the book is sent. At this lady's, I lately
saw a Hindoo Christian from Bettia, named Philip :
the simplicity of manners, and love of the truth ,
which this man maniſested, induced me to spend
several hours with him . He, with others, had
asked the priest for a copy of the New Testament;
but, to their mortification and astonishment, none
118 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. V.
of there priests would allow them to read the book .
With the most lively gratitude did this hungry soul
accept the Pentateuch , the New Testament, and the
scripture -selection, with tracts, catechisms, and
hymn -books: he departed , with proinises to give
the books a wide circulation among his brethren ,
some of whom he is certain will rejoice to search
the scriptures for themselves.
At one place where Mr. Thompson preached ,
on his return from the city of Lucknow , a land
owner made the following remark, which is too im
portant in itsell, and too replete with encourage
ment to the friends of missions, to be 1 issed over
in silence : — “ It may be very true, that the East
India Company and the gentlemen residing here,
have nothing to do with your work ; but you have
adopted the most certain method of making the
people of this country christians. For instance, I
accept one of your books, and peruse it my lei
sure , and, whether I adopt the sentiments which it
contains or not, I leave the book in my family .
After my decease, my son , conceiving that I would
have nothing useless or improper in my possession ,
will look into the volume, understand its contents ,
consider it as his father's bequest, and eventually
embrace the christian religion .”
At Allahabad, in the month of January , 1818, a
cruel and revolting scene was witnessed by the na
tive preacher Nriputa. Two Mahratta women
consigned themselves to the Ganges, after worship
ing the river, in the presence of an immense crowd
of people. Nriputa spoke to them , and in the
most feeling inanmer pointed out the absurdity and
the delusion of the intended sacrifice, as a means of
obtaining salvation . He faithfully warned the
CHAP . v. ] INDIA , 149

spectators, also, of the horrid nature of this self

inurder, and assured them that all who were con
cerned in it would draw on themselves the just
vengeance of the Almighty. Regardless of all his
arguments and warnings, however, the two females
went into a boat with three women of the same
caste ; who, without evincing any feeling, deli
berately tied two large pots filled with water round
the waist of each, and thus helped them to sink !
At this place human sacrifices were indeed of
frequent occurrence. The following instance , as
described by a spectator of the scene, is thus given
by Mr. Ward :- “ Sixteen females, accompanied
by as many priests, went in boats on the river op
posite Allahabad, and proceeded to the spot where
the Ganges and the Jumna, two sacred rivers, unite
their purifying streams. Each victim had a large
earthen pan slang over her shoulders. She de
scended over the side of the boat into the river, and
was then held up by a priest, till she had filled the
pans from the river, when the priest let go his
hold, and the pans dragged her to the bottom .
And thus died , amidst the applauses of the spec
tators, and assisted by the priests of the country,
sixteen females, as a single offering to the demon
of destruction. They died under the firm persua
sion that this was the direct way to heaven . The
priests enjoyed the scene, and spoke of it to their
friends as a pleasant morning gambol. We have
here no weepers ; no remonstrants ; no youth in
terposing to save them to society. They go down
to the bottom , as loose stones which have no ad
hesion to the quarry, as creatures for which so
ciety has no use. Fearful as one such instance is,
how appalling is the fact, that these iminolations
03
100 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. V.
are so common as to excite very little anxiety in
deed at Allahabad, and beyond that city they are
scarcely mentioned .
In detailing his missionary labours in this place,
Mr. Mackintosh observes, “ A devotee called an
Ughorpunt'hee, of a strange appearance, having a
tortoise - shell on his shoulder, and a crook in his
hand, showed great attachment to us for two or
three days, and attended our worship ; he was the
sirous of becoming an inquirer, and promised to
come over to us when an opportunity offered, bu :
he was then with his goroo, who was also very de
sirous of seeing me, having heard of us, and of our
belief in Christ, many miles from hence. Accoril
ingly I went to this man ; I found him near the
fort, with some villagers about him armed , and the
abere mentioned disciple close by him ; he is his
chief waiter. His looks were grim and dreadful,
having his face blackened ; a human skull, with
the upper jaw and teeth to it, hung before him ,
suspended by an iron chain round his neck ; his
ankles were environed with a heavy iron chain ;
he was stark naked, and his body appeared to be
much einaciated . I asked him what was the oh
ject of his worship. He said, Four things - air,
water, earth, and fire; and that he should mingle
in these four elements after death . “ Then ,' I said ,
' it appears you have no future prospects. But
why do you go through such penances, when you
believe you are to be annihilated, and to have no
existence after this life ? Surely you are taken in
the snares of Satan, deceiving your own soul, and
feeding upon ambition , that men may fall down at
your feet and worship you as a god ; and because
This flatters you , therefore you go through such
( 1.1 . v . INDIA . löl

penances.' He told me, that he had been in this

state for twelve years, and ineant to continue in it
till death delivered him from it. When I came up
to him , he was worshipping fire. I advised him
to throw away these delusions.”
The state of these deluded and unhappy crea
tures was, at this time, rendered peculiarly affecting,
by a dreadful disease, which had , for some months,
been raging among them , and which , in the wide
range of its infection , is supposed to have swept
away not less than a million of victims to an un
timely grave. “ God has been pleased," says Mr.
Mackintosh, “ to send the axe into this part of the
country, and numbers are daily hewn down by the
stroke of death . The brahmins are busily em
ployed in imposing upon the inhabitants, by ex
acting offerings to appease the goddess Kalee , and
a man is frequently sent through the streets, to
excite attention by beating a drum , and enjoin
thepopulace to present offerings of rice, cowries,
or fionr, in order to obtain a reinoval of the plague.
And the drowning of Hindoos at the junction of
the two rivers is so common , that no one seems
inclined to prevent these shocking instances of
sell-murder."
It is stated, in the Report of 1821 , that in the
course of the last two years, fifty -one persons were
added to the churchesat Serampore and Calcutta.
Among these was a Hindoo ascetic, who had
maintained a vow of silence for four years, living
among the wild beasts in the Sunderbunds; and
whose attention was first arrested by the perusal of
a Bengalee tract ; the dunsan , or door-keeper of the
new college that had been established ; and a
pundit of the Mug nation, whose simple account of
152 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. V.
the inanner in which divine truth entered his mind
is said to have been particularly pleasing. A spirit
of christian zeal appears to have been diffused in a
larger measure , and an Auxiliary Missionary So
ciety to have been established for the purpose of
spreading the gospel more widely around. Five
young men offered themselves, gratuitously, to
engage in these useful labours. General knowledge
was also advancing among the young , as is evident
from the following extract from a journal of a
missionary . “ This morning asked my pundit,
who has lately visited every school connected with
the Society, to examine its progress, whether he
had witnessed any effects of the instruction now
afforded to the children. He replied, “ Yes, sir,
the effects are astonishing, both among the children
and the parents. A few months ago, before your
books were introduced, if I had asked a boy at
school what was the matter during the late eclipse,
he would have replied, that the giant Rahoo was
eating the moon , and would have joined in the
beating of drums, &c., to frighten bim , that he
might let go his grasp. But now they all know
better ; they see such an event without alarm ,
know it to be produced by the shadow of the earth ,
and despise the foolish ideas and customs they
formerly entertained and practised. A few months
ago, had a snake bit a person, he would have done
nothing, but immediately call for a priest to re
peat a muntra, or incantation over him , and , if the
snake was poisonous, die in the repetition ; but now ,
as soon as he is bitten , he puts no faith in muntras,
but directly ties a bandage over the wound, and
gets a hot iron applied to burn out the poison ;
and, if he gets it done quickly , there is great hope
CHAP. v.] INDIA . 153

of his recovery, even though the snake were

poisonous.
« The other day,' he continued , one of the
letter-carriers, while all the servants were sitting
together in my house, expressed his intention of
swinging at the Churuk Poojah , as he had made a
row , when he was ill, that if Shiva would preserve
his life , he would perform this act of holiness to
his praise. All the assembly, instead of approving
this declaration , and encouraging him to put it
into execution, as they would have done some little
time ago, blamed him for his folly, and made him
desist from his intention !' ”
The conversion of sinners still proceeded.
Brindabund first heard the gospel at a large fair.
He was observed to pay great attention the whole
day ; sometimes to laugh, and at others to weep .
At night, he came to Mr. Chamberlain , and said ,
in allusion to the custom of presenting flowers, “ I
have aa flower (meaning his heart) which I wish to
give to some one who is worthy of it. I have for
many years travelled about the country to find such
a person , but in vain . I have been to Juggernaut,
but there I saw only a piece of wood : THATwas not
worthy of it ; but, to-day, I have found One that is,
and He shall have it : Jesus Christ is worthy of
my flower ! ”
He had been for many years a religious mendi
cant . His hair had been suffered to grow so as
almost to conceal his eyes ; but he now cut it off,
and shaved his beard ; and, in short, from being an
idle devotee, became an industrious old man ; for
he was then, it was supposed, about seventy -five
years of age . He now preached the gospel to his
idolatrous countrymen, and the last five years of
154 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. V.
his life were spent in entire devotedness to God .
When able to leave his house, which was at
Monghir, he was engaged from morning till night
in reading the Scriptures, and talking to the peo
ple. He loved the Saviour : His cause lay near
his heart. Often , when so weak , as in appearance
to be scarcely able to stir, he would not stay at
home, and when recomiended to do so he would
reply, “ Oh ! what do I live for ? » While able, he
took considerable journies, walking sometimes from
twenty to thirty miles a-day ; and after taking
some refreshment, would converse with his compa
nions in a lively and edifying manner till midnight.
His spirituality of mind indeed was great.
He suffered much during the last few weeks of
his life, but was always happy, longing to depart
and to be with Christ. When asked, the day
before he died, if he would take any thing, he said,
“ No," and putting his hand on a part of the
scriptures which lay near him , said, - This is my
meat, and drink, and medicine." The neighbours,
as was their custom , came round him ; he got up
and sat at his door, where he repeated from me
mory, for he was mighty in the scriptures , some
portions of the word of God, and prayed, though
he was then able to utter only a few words at a
time. The next day he entered into the joy of his
Lord .
A severe loss was sustained by the removal of
the zealous and faithful missionary, through whom
Brindabund was brought to the feet of Jesus. Mr.
Chamberlain had devoted, with unabated zeal
and indefatigable labour, nearly twenty years of
his life to the propagation of the gospelamong the
heathen in India . To him the highest testimonies
CHAP. v.] INDIA , 155

are borne, not only by his friends, but even by his

enemies. Nothing could divert him from his pur
pose in this work. He feared the face of no man ;
his brow was brass : and though many an arrow of
reproach was shot at him by his hearers, he re
mained impenetrable . By the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God, he prevailed over his
opponents :: and thus, by the aid of Jehovah, he
died valiantly.
He had for some time contended with disease,
and the death of Brindabund greatly increased his
trouble , and hastened the final termination of his
labours. In the afternoon he spoke at his grave
in Hindostanee, and in the evening preached his
funeral sermon in English ,from John xi. 11 , “ Our
friend Lazarus sleepeth .” At the close of the
service he administered the ordinance of the Lord's
supper. All the week after he continued to grow
worse. The next Sabbath he made another attempt
to preach, and this was the closing scene of his
public labours .
His friends and his medical attendant were
fully convinced, that the sea air was the last expe
dient to which he could resort with any hopes of
success . A passage was therefore taken for him
to England . Before the vessel sailed, his disease
was worse than in Calcutta. Still his language
seemed to be, “ Though He slay me, yet will I
trust in him .” Frequently when in pain he would
lift up his heart to his Saviour in ejaculatory
praver, imploring the pardon of his sins, and grace
to help him in the peculiar time of need.
When on board ship, deprived of his friends, and
confined to his cabin, he languished about three
166 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. v .
weeks and then expired. He was one morning
found dead in his bed by the young man who at
tended him .
The self -denial of Mr. Chamberlain was great.
So trifling were his expenses at Cutwa, that bis
friends used to say, “ We wonder how he does to
exist, he must feed on air.” He considered God
in every thing, and served him in every thing,
thus exemplifying no ordinary devotion. In his
case, humility, sincerity, and integrity, were
blended with diligence, which rendered any remiss
ness exceedingly painful. His constant maxim
His gratitude to Christ
was, “ Work and live ! ”
knew no bounds, and constrained him in every
place to spread abroad the savour of his name.
Confidence in God enabled him to say, in the
midst of storms and dangers, “ I feel comfort in
knowing, that Omnipotence can hold me with a
cobweb, though all human power could not with a
cable . ” To afllictive dispensations, and he passed
through many , he bowed with remarkable sub
mission. A lady, eminent in the church of God ,
stated that the first thing that gave her mind a de
cidedly serious turn , was seeing the manner in
which he conducted himself on one of those trying
occasions. This convinced her that there was
something more in religion than she as yet knew ,
and thatthe consolations of the gospel must be
powerful to sustain the sinking mind, and make
the countenance beam with heavenly light, while
the darkness of death was spread all around.
The last few months of his life were exceedingly
trying. To be subject, in sickness, to aid the incon
veniences of travelling ; to be obliged to proceed on
 CHAP. v . ] INDIA . 157

board a ship, amidst the noise and confusion of

weighing anchor and setting sail ; to part with a
wife and child, and every earthly comfort; and,
last of all , to die in solitude on the mighty deep,
without any kind friend to pity or comfort, was
truly heart-rending ; and yet, throughout the
whole, there was not only resignation , but entire
acquiescence in the will of God . As a christian
his piety was eminent indeedl ; and , as a mission
ary, he has been rarely, if ever surpassed .
In the itinerances of Mr. Thompson, the follow
ing incidents occurred :-- An aged brahmin, who,
in consequence of a four years leprosy, had worms
literally crawling upon him , was brought to a place
called Gurmookteeshwur, as he had expressed a
wish to put an end to his bodily sufferings by
drowning himself . His relations, who were tired
of him , his neighbours, who thought it merito
rious to persuade him to such an act, and the
brahmins, who were interested in his immolation ,
all seemed anxious that he should accomplish his
dreadſul design. In this state of things, the poor
creature, hearing of Mr. Thompson, sent a mes
sage requiring his sanction to the intended suicide,
and promising to abide by his counsel, whether it
were to desist from , or prosecute his purpose. “ I
went,” says the missionary, “ and found the pitiable
object unable to move. I placed his conduct be
fore him in its proper light, and warned him of the
awful consequences of persevering in his mur
derous resolution . I added, that as suffering was
inseparable from sinful creatures, it became him to
huinble himself under the hand of God, who took
this method to convince him of sin, by making him
both see and feel what a bitter and evil thing it is.
158 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CITAP. V.
I then held up the Saviour to him, and assured
him he had every blessing in his power to bestow.
At first the old man would listen to nothing, but
desired I would acquiesce in his horrid wish, which ,
he said, would be the completion of his happiness .
I again went over the same grounds to dissuade
him , but feared I should not prevail. He started
another objection, by asking who was to support
him , his relatives being heartily tired of him, and
having sent him thus far only to get rid of hiin.
Having removed this objection, he paused, then
seemed vexed, and began to weep. After this he
listened with great attention , and suddenly ex
6
claimed , with joy in his countenance, ‘ Blessed ,
blessed be your instruction ! Blessed be the God
who sent you ! Blessed be your father and mother !
Blessed be you and the instructions you have given
me ! I will not drown myself, but return to my
village , and wait, as you have advised , till my time
comes to be freed from this suffering by death .'
An hour or two after this interview he returned to
his village, Bhyna, near Dholpore, forty miles east
of Meerut . On my return , I endeavoured to
interest the Mohammedan tuhseeldar of the district
in the preservation of the poor man , and he com
manded his relations to see that he had a house, and
every necessary afforded him .”
Another fact is thus given : " A respectable
Hindoo of Ray - poora brought a letter of intro
duction from a gentleman, and a Hindee gospel of
Luke, of which , on my asking him , he gave the
following account: -Two brahmins coming into
his father's village with two gospels, the old man
was anxious to know what they contained : he was
answered briefly, that they were part of the Sahib's
CHAP . v.] INDIA . 159

shasters , which had been freely given them at the

fair. The old man expressed a wish to possess at
least one copy, but he could prevail on neither to
part with a copy for him . He offered half a rupee,
then a rupee , but was still refused, but this did not
abate his desire for the book . In the meantime a
byragee, who had perhaps visited some of our
missionary stations, and been disappointed in his
worldly expectations, expressed his astonishment
at Hindoos, who retained their integrity, being so
desirous of reading the books of the feringas. " The
6
instant,' said he, any one reads the book, he is
sure to lose his caste, and become a feringa ; what
have you to do with such a wicked book ? Throw
it into the Ganges.' Such an account of the book
and its effects stunned all present, and had its
effect with the most ignorant of the two brahmins,
who inmediately held out his hand to the old gen
tleman, and offered him the book he so much
desired, saying, ' Take it, sir, I have no occasion
for this book .' The latter, as he was a person of
some consideration, perhaps did not like to be
influenced entirely by a wandering stranger, and
therefore took the book without hesitation ; on
which the byragee attacked the old man in very
angıy language. The son , fearing the conse
quences, interposed , and said to the byragee,
What is it to you , if we take and read the book ? ?
“ Go, go,' replied the byragee, ‘ and become a mus
sulman and a feringa, and lose your holiness.'
The son , who had read the tract called “ The Gos
6
pel Messenger,' replied, How do I lose my holi
ness ? If this book had taught me to lie, steal,
and commit every iniquity, I should then have
thought it bad, wild lare thrown it away; but
160 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. V.
instead of this, it teaches the way to heaven .' Thus
the struggle between these two men ended in the
book being received . "
In a letter from Digah, Mr. Rowe observes ,
“ A native rajah is now living in one of the bun
galows belonging to the society; and there are
some circumstances connected with this event, that
possess an interest in which I am sure you will
participate. The rajah lives in the eastern style,
and of course is surrounded with brahmins, and a
great number of servants of various descriptions.
Since he first came, he has frequently called to see
us, and manifests much cordiality in reciprocating
any little attentions that we pay him , but appears
reserved in his interviews with regard to religion.
He tells me , that he allows himself about six hours
out of the twenty-four for sleep ; a few for eating
and attending to the necessary business of life, and
the remainder he occupies in his devotions. In
deed, he seems to labour, in his way , with all his
might, for the salvation of his soul. I generally
see him, once or twice a day, performing his
ablutions in the Ganges. On these occasions, the
brahmins in attendance usually form themselves
into a circle outside of him . I know not why they
do this, unless it be that the rajah thus shows his
respect for them , by giving them the first chance
of being carried off by an alligator. At first the
rajah and his followers were very inquisitive about
our sacred writings, and made frequent applications
for them . We furnished them with the New
Testament in Sungskrit, Hindost'hanee, and Per
sian ; as also with a number of tracts, catechisms,
& c. Among those who have been perusing the
word of life, is the rajah's family physician ; he
j

CHAP . v .] I DIA . 161

often calls, and sometimes brings a brahmin or two

with him, but he has latterly become exceedingly
cautious. He one day told us that he had com
menced reading our scriptures ; but that, on per
ceiving that what be read tended to a change of
mind, he left off. ' If I were to become a christian,
a

said he, “ I should lose my situation, friends, and

property, and I should not then be able to procure
horses, and other things in which I delight. An
other man , who is one of the rajah's body -guard,
professes to have his mind much affected by what
he has read : and I suppose, from concomitant cir
cumstances, there is some reality in it. He pro
cured the Hindost'hanee New Testament soon after
his arrival, and it is evident, from the questions he
has asked from time to time, relative to the life and
miracles of our Lord , that he has read some of the
gospels very carefully. At one time he said,
Every line carries home conviction to my heart.”
At another, “ I have read the shasters and the
koran , they contain a great deal of unreasonable
stuff : but, (putting his hand on the New Testa
ment,) he emphatically exclaimed, “ This is truth !'
This man openly professes to have undergone a
change of mind , and in consequence of his pro
fession is exposed to a considerable degree of per
secution . He says the rajah himself possesses
much liberality of mind, and that he one day
6

evinced it by saying to his opposers, All religions

are good ; let him alone.' Some of the brahmins,
however, and particularly a mussulman in the
rajah's service, oppose him with great violence.
They watch him closely to prevent his reading, or
having any conversation with us. His opposers
frequently extinguish his lamp, or snatch the book
P 3
102 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHIAP. v .
out of his hand, to prevent him from reading.
They show their resentment by calling him a
christian, refusing to eat with him , and not allow
ing him to touch any of their things ; though he
has done nothing to forfeit his caste, merely pro
fessing to his change of mind with his lips. He
appears to be in earnest, watches for opportunities
to read in private, and generally contrives to attend
our Hindost'hanee worship on Lord's day evening ."
A femaleTheOrphan
useful. womenAsylum
,” Mrs.at Digah
Rowe seems “to ap
remarks, be
pear to great advantage, contrasted with those who
have never attempted to gain instruction . I was much
struck with this circumstance while observing the
difference between the situation of one of these
school-mistresses and that of one of the neighbours.
She appears in her house with all the independence
of an European woman , while her neighbour is kept
in the greatest degree of servile subjection. The
husband of the latter considers himselt so immacul
late, that if his own wife were to touch the food he
was about to eat, it would be rendered unfit for his
use ; and she is so deplorably ignorant as to think
this , in reality , the case .
Mr. Moore mentions the following circumstance :
-“ On hearing the people belonging to the boat
observe that a leper was going to be drowned, I
looked out, and saw on the bank of the river a poor
creature, without fingers or toes, but, in other
respects, apparently healthy. He was eating very
heartily, and was surrounded by several people,
who appeared to have conducted him to the spot.
The bank being high , I could not get out of the
boat till we had proceeded to a considerable dis
tance from the place where he was . I then landed ,
CHAP. v. ] INDIA . 163

and began running towards the spot ; but, at this

juncture, the people in the boat called out, “ He is
drowned ! he is drowned ! ' His attendants, who
seemed to be his relations, had assisted him down
the bank of the river ; but whether they pushed
him in , or whether he went in of his own accord , I
cannot tell. The bank, however, was so precipi
tous, that he could not possibly get out again. He
made great efforts, at first, to reach the opposite
side, but had he been a good swimmer, he could
not have got out, the stream was so rapid. I saw
him struggle much before he sank, to rise no more
a living man . I endeavoured to impress on the
persons who attended him the heinousness of their
crime, but they only smiled at the concern I
evinced, and said they had merely complied with
the wishes of the deceased, who, they added , had
lost both his hands and feet.”
A native, named Ram Kisoon, from the neighi
bourhood of Lucknow , where, for years, he had
been endeavouring to impart to his countrymen the
truth he had received, died at Digah in 1822. His
dying prayer, as reported to Mr. Rowe, was as
follows :- “ O Lord , I am a great sinner. Save
me from wrath . Thou art gracious, thou art alle.
None but thee , O Lord Jesus Christ ; save me
from destruction . Save me from the power of sin
and Satan ." Seeing his wife and some of his
children weeping, he said to them , “ Forbear to
weep), for I am going to my Lord and Saviour,"
6
and shortly after expired . *** Is not this a brand
plucked out of the fire ? " Thanks be to God,
There are yet many signal instances to be recorded
of his power accompanying missionary labours.
161 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ C11 AP. VI .

CHAPTER VI .

Baptism of an aged Brahmin .----Condemned Hin

doos attended by a Native Convert.--- Labours
of Neelo. -New Chapel at Calcutta . - Exa
mination of Schools at Dacca.-A IVidour
buried alive. - Sketches of Rev. W. Ward, anıl
of Rev. John Lawson .-- A Native Preacher's
Ability and Intelligence.-- 4 Hindoo Christian's
Death .-- A Martyr .-- Discussion between a
learned Molwee and a Native Teacher. - Re
moval of Disabilities from Native Christians.
--Effects of Missionary Labours.
AT Delhi, an aged brahmin , held in the highest
estimation among his neighbours for his attain
ments in Sungskrit literature, after hearing the
gospel for some time, publicly renounced idolatry;
and, notwithstanding all the efforts made, both to
allure and terrify him from his purpose, openly
professed his faith in Christ, and was baptized in
the presence of many spectators. On this occur
rence, the Serampore missionaries remark , “ This
renunciation of Hindooism by an aged brahmin ,
eminent for his knowledge of the shasters, and the
sacred language of the Hindoos, being in that part
of the country quite a new thing, has procured
much attention to the doctrines of the gospel . It
seems to show, among other things, the safety with
which christianity may be promulgated in the
darkest parts of India. All the threatened opposi
tion to this man's open profession of christianity,
ended in a few expressions of personal dislike froin
CIIAP. VI.] INDIA . 165

his old acquaintance, on account of the course he

had taken , and his having tacitly condemned them
and all their religious observances, by nobly daring
to follow his own convictions of the truth . For all
this, however, he was prepared, and by sustaining
the whole in the spirit of genuine christianity, he
in a great measure disarmed the resentment of his
neighbours and acquaintance. So completely
qniet were they indeed in the expression of their
dislike, that, at the time of his baptism , the atten
tion of the lowest person in the native police was
not officially called to the transaction .”
Another gratifying circumstance mentioned by
the missionaries shouid be given . “ Certain Hin
doos had committed a robbery to a very consider
able amount, and the evidence against them was so
clear, that their condemnation and execution were
inevitable . During their confinement in the prison ,
however, one of the native converts, named Kanta ,
risited them repeatedly, read to them the news of
pardoning mercy through a crucified Redeemer,
and occasionally prayed with them . By one or
two of them these attentions were received with
pleasure, and , as they became seriously attentive,
it is possible that Divine mercy may have reached
their hearts, as it did the thief on the cross.
At all events, two of thein requested Kanta to
attend them to the place of execution , and with
this request he kindly complied. This was, in
deed, a novel spectacle to the crowds of Hindoos
who were present ; and the conduct of one of their
converted countrymen in thus attending dying cri
minals, with the anxious wish of proving instru
mental to their salvation , contrasted with that of a
brahmin conducting a hapless mother to the funeral
166 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. VI .
pile, for the sake of securing her death , we have
reason to hope was not wholly lost on those Hin
doos in Calcutta who begin to reflect on the nature
of the gospel, and whose number appears to be
gradually increasing."
The labours of the native convert, Neelo, appear
to have been very appropriate and impressive . At
a place called Chatra, he, one day, found some
mendicants, to whom he communicated the doc
trines of the gospel. Expressing their admiration
at that stupendous love which induced God to give
his only -begotten Son to die as a substitute for
sinners , they asked , “ Are all our works and sacri
fices unavailing to our salvation ? Are they all
done away by this great sacrifice ? ” Neelo, in
reply, stated the all-sufficiency of the Redeemer's
atonement, and the way in which it was accepted
by the Father ; and they retired apparently thank
ful for the intelligence which they had received .
At Bhudreshwura, he met with two men who had
obtained some rice which had been rendered sacred
by having been offered to the great idol in Orissa ;
and, as a considerable number of persons assembled
abont them , this afforded him a favourable oppor
tunity of directing their attention towards " the
True Bread that cometh down from heaven , and
giveth life unto the world ; ” and he had the satis
faction to perceive that several females were bathed
in tears whilst he was describing the salvation of
sinners as having been effected by the agonies
and death of the Son of God. At another place,
called Chundra -Nugura, an oilman listened to his
conversation till a crowd collected , when Neelo
drew their attention to the oilman's bullock , which,
with a bandage over its eyes, patiently went its
CHAP. VI.] INDIA . 167
daily rounds . This ,” said he, “ is an exact re
presentation of your state under the brahmins :
they first blind you, and then make you perform
your rounds of service, like this poor animal.” On
his way back to Serampore , he met some people
carry ing loads to the market, and thus accosted
them : These loads you will soon lay down ; but
there is another load which you know not how to
get rid of." On their asking to what load he
alluded , he replied , “ The burden of your sins , "
and then, in the most pathetic and affectionate
manner , directed them to that compassionate Saviour
who hath said, “ Come unto me, all ye that are
weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ”
The word spoken, on this occasion, seemed to make
a deep impression on the persons to whom it was
addressed, and some of thein even promised to call
at Serampore, for the purpose of receiving further
instruction.
In the month of March, 1821 , a new chapel for
English worshipwas opened at Calcutta, the ex
pense of the building , amounting to about three
thousand pounds, having been nearly defrayed by
voluntary contributions in the vicinity. A chapel
for Bengalee worship, which had been erected at
the expense of a pious female servant, being found
too distant from the road, was taken down, about
the same time, and ground procured for rebuilding
A ne
it in a more populous neighbourhood. w
station was also occupied in the suburbs called
Howrah , inhabited by a considerable number of
Englishmen , and by thousands of natives, who were
all previously destitute of the means of grace ; and
a subscription was set on foot for the purpose of
erecting a new place of worship at Dum -dum , a
168 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. VI.
military station some miles distant from Calcutta,
where pleasing evidences were afforded of the
blessed effects of divine truth . In allusion to this
circumstance, the missionaries observe, “ That a
number of poor soldiers, who rejected all the calls
of the gospel in their youth, and left their native
country, generally speaking, destitnte of any reli-.
gious attachment, should be arrested by tie voice
of the good Shepherd , and thus induced to relin
quish revellings and dissipation, and to attachi
themselves to the self-denying duties of piety, in
this heathen country, must be contemplated with
deep and pleasing interest by all who wait and pray
for the progress of divine truth in these regions.
For, as the example of thonsands of our country
men has hitherto proved one of the principal
stumbling -blocks in the way of disseminating the
gospel, so we may hope that the conduct , the
prayers, and probably the personal exertions of
these people, inay, in some measure, help to repair
the injury done to the cause of God in ſormer years,
and finally entail a blessing upon many who are
ready to perish .”
A public examination of the Bengalee and Per
sian schools at Dacca, under the superintendence
of Mr. Leonard, ailorded a most gratifying proof
of the improvement of the pupils, and evinced that
)
a degree of interest had been excited in their minds
which was likely to be productive of the most bene
ficial effects. 66
Many of the boys, " he remarks,
“ had to come nearly three miles fasting: they
were collected before eight o'clock , and were de
tained till three in the afternoon ; yet the only
regret that appeared upou any of iheir counte
nances, arose from not being favoured with an op
CHAP, VI. INDIA . 169

portunity of reading before the committee, whilst

those who were so happy as to obtain a hearing,
could scarcely be persuaded to leave oſť, and in the
end went away in triumph.”
Another incident may be mentioned, to show
that the desire for inforination was not confined to
the youth training in the schools. At the cele
bration of one of the Hindoo idolatrons festivals,
when it was computed that nearly two hundred
thous and persons were assembled, some members
of Mr. Leonard's family (he being absent at the
time) ventured to commence the distribution of
tracts, which, it would appear, had not been at
tempted on such an occasion before. No sooner
was this known , than thousands of natives assembled
about the gate, filled the garden and the house , and
would not depart till each had received a book.
The distribution occupied five successive days, on
the first of which alone, more than three thousand
individuals were supplied !
In March , 1822, a& voluntary sacrifice of a widow
tvok place in Bengal. The facts are thus de
--
tailed :- On the morning of the 27th of March ,
the widow, an interesting young girl of sixteen
years of age, came out of the town, attended by
musicians and crowds of people, to select the spot
on which her existence was to terminate. She held
in her hand aa naked dagger, with which she drew
a circle on the spot she fixed upon, and, turning
round, she struck the dagger three times in the
ground, and returned to the town in the same man
ner she had come out. As soon as she retired ,
some men commenced digging the pit. At about
hall-past four o'clock in the evening, she came out
to complete the dreadful sacrifice. The procession
170 MISSIONARY RECORDS, [ CHAP. Vĩ .
stopped at intervals, and men , with their bodies
painted in the most hideous manner, danced before
her, during which time she distributed beetle, &C .,
to those about her. When she arrived at the fatal
spot, she took the hand of her father for a second or
two, and after taking off her jewels and ornaments,
she descended into the pit by a foot-path, which
had been cut slanting into it for this purpose, and
seated herself at the bottom of it : in this posture
her head and neck were the only parts visible.
The corpse of her husband was then placed in the
hole, with his head upon her lap, and the pit was
filled up with mud and earth , so as to cover her
shoulders. A man then came forward and placed
a cocoa nut under her chin, on which her head
rested , inclining a little forward .
A large basket
full of fine river sand was placed, so that, on re
moving the props, the sand inight fallatonce upon
her and suffocate her ; but, owing to the rotterness
of the basket, the props were not so speedily re
moved as they ought to have been, and the sand
therefore fell gradually upon her. At this moment
there was a general shout and clapping of hands,
set up by the assembled multitudes, in whose faces
joy and mirth alone were visible. Thus terminated
the existence of this poor creature , whom no in
treaties could induce to forego the resolution she
had formed . She appeared during the ceremony
in all the merriment imaginable, and quite indif
ferent to the fate that awaited her ! ”
The labours of Mr. Ward were now hastening
to a close. In March , 1823, he visited Calcutta,
and returned to Serampore with Mrs. Marshman ,
to whom he read on the way a number of extracts
from the life of Brainerd , making such remarks,
( IIA . VỊ.] INDIA . 171

occasionally, as sufliciently evidenced the state of

his own mind. He appeared quite well the whole
of that day and the next, in the evening of which
66
he preached from , He that believeth and is bap
tized shall be saved , and he that believeth not shall
be damned .” No one suspected that this was the
last message he had to deliver in his great Master's
name ; but the close and poignant manner of his
address seemed to excite unusual attention . It
was particularly recollected that while he was ex
hibiting Christ as the only Saviour, he quoted the
following verse :
“ The best obedience of my hands
Dares not appear before thy throne ;
Eut faith can avswer thy demands,
By pleadiug what my Lord has done :"
and to impress it more fully on his audience, he
repeated the verse. The earnest affection with
which he prayed for the salvation of his own chil
dren in the last prayer , was particularly remarked.
He retired to bed about ten , in quite as good
health as usual; about five in the following morni
ing he was taken ill, and instead of having his
usual ride, returned to bed for an hour. At the
weekly meeting for prayer, howerer, he united
with his brethren and sisters as usual. Thus,
after more than twenty -three years most assiduous
and intense labour, he closed his public life by
uniting in supplication with his brethren for the
contimance of the Divine blessing on the work.
After the prayer-meeting he breakfasted with his
brethren and sisters at Dr. Marshman's, and con
versed on the things which related to the advance
ment of the kingilom of God, in such a manner
that no one suspected him to be very ill . Ho
172 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CIAP. VI ..
went into the printing- office, and among various
letters of business, wrote one to the brethren at
Cattack ; the following extract from which was
sent to his afflicted family, in an affectionate letter
from Mrs. Peggs , dated the day after they harl
received the melancholy tidings of his removal.--
« In his last note to us, he says, llow do you
feel in your desires after the Holy Spirit ? We
can have no hope of success, but as we are brought
to a believing dependence on his influences, and
an earnest solicitude to obtain them . Oh, how I
should like to be among you, though only for one
hour, to sing a hymn with my dear sisters and
brethren , Peggs and Bampton ! What hymn should
we choose ? - Jesus, with all thy saints above ?
or, Jesus, I love thy charming name ?' We
see hy this note what a happy frame of mind he
was in before he was taken ill.” He had , indeed,
been attacked by cholera many hours before he
thus wrote, although he was scarcely aware of it,
and continued so assiduously pursuing that work
of his Redeemer, to which he had long devoted
every moment of his life not spent in sleep or
refreshment.
Various means were adopted ; on the morning
of the following day, there appeared very consi
derable hope of recovery, and Mr. Vard thought
that he felt better. The medicine , however, pro
duced no effect ; but lie still continued quiet and
easy ; another was then prescribed, but by the
time it was ready, he appeared so weak , that his
medical attendants forbore to give it. Still hopes
of his restoration were entertained, but on Mrs.
Ward offering him something directed to be given ,
he gently put it away with his hand, and with a
CIIAI. vi. INDIA . 173
66
sigh said, Oh dear !" which were the last words
he was heard to utter. Though he continued per
fectly quiet, and apparently free from pain, about
twelve his pulse declined so much as to take away
all hope, and about five in the afternoon he ceased
to breathe ; so imperceptibly , however, that for
some moments his friends were scarcely aware that
his happy spirit had left its tenement of clay.
Thus, in the fifty- fourth year of his age, and the
twenty-fourth of his missionary labours at Seram
pore , departed one of the most faithful, disin
terested, and arduous labourers in the vineyard of
his glorious Redeemer, that India has ever seen .
Many were the testimonies of respect paid at his
interinent. At the funeral sermon, preached at the
Mission chapel, by Dr. Marshman, from the lan
guage of the apostle, “ By the grace of God I am
what I am ; " the governor, and nearly every Euro
pean inhalitant of Serampore, both Danish and
English, with a number of persons from Ishera and
Barrackpore were present.
The work for which God had pre -eminently qua
lified this devoted missionary, was evidently that
of printing the scriptures in India, and it is be
lieved that to him was herein shown grace and
favour granted to very few men besides. He
wrote in his diary, in the course of his voyage,
“ Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints,
is this grace given ; that I should PRINT among the
heathen the unsearchable riches of Christ ;' and
could he have foreseen the Divine goodness to him ,
66
he might have added , “ in twenty of their lan
guages ;" for the twentieth version ofthe New Tes
tament, printed under his eye, had advanced to the
book of Revelation at the time of his removal.
Q 3
174 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHIAP. VI.
For the preparation of all those founts of type
which they required, and most of which had never
before been seen in India , was his thorough know
ledge of the art, his nice discernment, his indefa
tigable diligence, his love for the cause of his Re
deeiner and whe souls of the heathen , peculiarly
suited ; yet these prepared, the way is made easy ;
succeeding editions involve so little difficulty, that
the various native christian brethren and others,
trained up by him for so many years, can proceed
with the work under common European superin
tendence.
About two years afterwards, another b reavement
was sustained, by the death of the Rev.John Law
son , who laboured with much success, for sixteen
years, in Calcutta. He was fitted for the work to
which he had been called, by a rare combination of
talents, to which were added a sweetness of temper
and a holy zeal for the extension of the Redeemer's
kingdom , which rendered him interesting, in the
highest degree, to those who were privileged to be
near him . An honour was reserved for Mr. L. of
the utmost importance to the mission. The first
edition of the bible translated into Bengalee, ex
tended to five huge volumes, which not only ren
dered it inconvenient for general perusal, but ex
tremely expensive, Mr. L., on his arrival at Cal
cutta, immediately attempted, by the construction
of sinall moveable metal types, to bring it within
thecompass of one volume;-— which task he speedily
accomplished with equal skill and beauty. Dr.
Marshman states, among the other advantages con
nected with this important invention, that the mis
sionaries are now enabled to circulate 10,000 copies
of the bible at the same expense as they formerly
CHAP . VI. ] INDIA . 175

could 4,000. It appears that Mr. L. was highly

skilled in the arts of painting and wood -engraving,
by which he rendered many important services to
the mission. Of his superior qualities as a poet,
it is needless to say inore than that he possessed
a bold imagination, a vigorous and original concep
tion, and a purity of sentiment which no christian
poet can exceed : while , at the same time, it may
be safely affirmed , that all these endowments were
scrupulously consecrated to the religion of the cross .
The last inoments of this interesting missionary
were pre-eminently happy and triumphant. The
Rev. James Penney, in a letter to the Rev. Eus
tace Carey, says, “ When I wrote last, I mentioned
the alarming state of dear brother Lawson's health;
he has since, to use his own words, resembled a
fading flower,' he might have said, a faded flower,
scorched by the sun , drenched by the rain , and we
appear now to be waiting for thenext blast to blow
it to the gronnd. I need not tell you that he is a
flower to us, to the church, to his large family, and
I trust to God. For after saying that he was a
fading flower, he added, “ but I shall bloom again .
Through his affliction , Mr. L. exhibited much
sweetness of temper. Nothing like a murmur es
caped him . You would suppose that, with such a
family, he having eight children , and expecting
another daily, he would be concerned and troubled
to leave them ; but no , he seemed ready to commit
his children to a better Father, and his wife to a
better Husband. As yet, the Lord has suffered no
cloud to pass over his mind , no gloon respecting
the issue-- all is calm -- all is well .
To one ofhis friends he remarked, “ I have great
176 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. VI ,
need of patience, to bear this long affliction as I
ought: but I would not have been without it for a
world ! I have had such enlarged views of the
suitability of the plan of salvation by an Almighty
Saviour to the wants of a dying sinful creature , as
I never possessed before. Should I live, I will
preach more than ever to my people of the infinite
righteousness of Christ Jesus , as the only founda
tion of a sinner's hope. I have no elevated joys,
but I have a good hope of being fixed on the rock,
Christ Jesus. I have great reason for gratitude ;
for though constitutionally subject to extreme de
pression of mind, and in my former illness griev
ously afflicted by it, I have not, this illness, had a
cloud across my mind : all has been tranquillity
and peace ."
To another he said, in reference to an absent
friend , “ Give my love to him . He knows what
a poor, diffident, trembling, and almost despairing
soul I used to be ; but tell him , tell him , that you
saw me die, and that I had peace in my last mo
ments ; that I saw nothing frightful in the king
of terrors ;' that I found light in the valley of the
shadow of death , where I expected to find only
darkness ."
On one occasion, awaking from a dose, he was
overheard to employ the following expressions in
prayer :
« Blessed Jesus ! I am a wretched unworthy
creature; but I know that thou hast purchased me
with thy precious blood. I am altogether polluted,
but thou hast covered all my defects with the spot
less robe of thy perfect righteousness. I feel that
my strength and heart are now failing, but I know
 .] INDIA . 177
CAP ,
that thou wilt be the strength of my heart and my
portion for ever. Blessed, blessed, blessed God !
I have received from thee an intimation that I
must go up to possess a heavenly mansion ; and
shall I decline the invitation ? Oh no ! only grant
me a few days, to warn my people that— " Here
his voice became so low that the remainder of
the prayer could not be heard. To one of the
brethren he said , “ Tell brother Carey that I am
now passing through the valley of the shadow of
death , and that I have the presence and assistance
of my Redeemer. I hare strength equal to my
day. At another time he said, “ I have not the
smallest idea of recovery, and therefore do now
most solemnly commit my soul into the hands of
my Almighty Saviour. Blessed be God that he
erer called me by his grace
3

“ I asked him ," says a friend , “ if he had any

thing to say to his brethren , he said—' Not any
thing particular, only that they abound more and
more in the work of the Lord .' Brother Warden
asked him if he repented becoming a missionary.
He replied, “ No ; but I repent that I have been
such a bad one . ' We told him that he had been
6
made useful to souls. “ Yes,'he replied , ' that is a
consolation , but I don't depend on mypoor services
for salvation .' Mr. Warden wished to know what
his views were respecting the conversion of the
heathen . He replied, ' I have no peculiar views
on the subject, my opinion corresponds with the
generality of God's people, that the heatht .. will
be converted , that they shall be converted. After
this , we saw he was too weak to go on , and he
closed his observations by saying ' It is hard to
reason when flesh and heart are failing. It may
178 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. VI .
6
be truly said of Mr. L., that, like the sun , he
looks larger at his setting .'
“ Oct. 22.- This is Saturday, and Lawson is still
alive ; but death is in his countenance. He now
knows none of us; both his hearing and his sight
have failed . He is, in fact, dead to all of us ; his
speech is fast fail
*
*
ing also
*
; we are all prepared
for the stroke. The flower at last has
fallen , to bloom in the world of spirits ! He now
sings inore sweet, more loud than he sang on earth ,
with the church triumphant, and an innumerable
company of angels ; he sings the song of Moses and
the Lamb. It has been a blessed exit, a peaceful
termination. On sabbath evening, his remains
were conducted to the English burial ground, ac
companied by an immense concourse of friends.
His pall-bearers were members of the different
Missionary Societies resident in Calcutta .”
The grief produced by the removal of such men
is somewhat allayed, as others are raised up who
seem likely to carry on their work , and especially
from among the natives. The following is an in
teresting specimen of ability and intelligence : -- A
native preacher represented the world under the
emblem of a river, down the stream of which man
kind are floating. Its cares , troubles, pains, sins,
&c ., he described as so many shoals, quicksands,
and rocks, on which they almost universally make
shipwreck. The gospel, he said, was a ferry-boat,
and Jesus Christ the helmsman . He then spoke
from I Cor. xiii. 13. Illustrating the text, he ex
hibited the divine principle of love to God and man,
as far superior to every other attainment, both in its
nature and effects. Among many striking illus
trations, he compared the situation of a careless,
 INDIA . 179
CIAP . VI. ]
unconverted simmer, to that of a man asleep on the
top of a tree : he might, for a season , enjoy the
pleasant breezes; but a storm arising, he is blown
down, and loses his life. “ An awakened sinner , "
he remarked , “ may be represented by a man who
had gone to sleep while a poisonous serpent lay
concealed in the corner of a house . About mida
right, the hissing of the reptile awakes him : he
rises, lights a candle, and searches till he finds the
snake; he calls in assistance, kills the snake, and
then can sleep without fear. Just so the awakened
sinner : he trembles because of his sins, which
destroy the soul : he takes the candle of God's
word, calls on God for the assistance of his Holy
Spirit , seeks the destruction of sin, and his soul's
deliverance from the death to which it subjects him .”
He then continued, “ Until you, dear countrymen ,
see the storm approaching, and come down from
the tree, you are the man asleep there ; until you
hear the hissing of sin, and begin to be alarmed at
its consequences, believe me you are the man asleep
with the deadly serpent in your house, while you
neither hear its hissing nor fear its bite.” He after
wards invited them to come to the Lord Jesus
Christ, who had purchased with his blood his own
people, and is willing to receive and heal all who
have been bit by sin ; all who cry “ Alas ! alas !
what shall I do to be saved ? ” “ When we hear a
man crying out thus,” said he, “ we know that
Divinewisdom ,dawning on his soul, is showing him
the malignity of sin , and its penal conseqnences,
and that he is in a fair way to obtain salvation . ”
A just estimate is thus given of the native cliris
tians :
“ Among all the imperfections of the native
180 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHIAP. VI:
brethren , which at times are a source of much grief
to their instructors, we, who see every part of their
character, often find in them occasion for the live
liest emotions of gratitude and prise ; especially
when they are seen collected together on the Lord's
day, in the house of God, listening to the glad
tidings of mercy , bending prostrate in the pre
sence of the invisible Jehovah, and, in harmonious
strains, hymning his sacred praises. At such
times, the mind is involuntarily led to call to re
membrance the comparative difference of their for
mer vile, disgusting, and soul-destructive worship
before hideous idols .
“ The native christians, like ourselves, are far
from being perfect. If the gospel has not wrought
in them perfect purity, however, it has proved the
power of God in delivering them from Hindooism .
In their houses not a vestige of idolatry is to be
seen . They are not to be found mixing with the
idolatrous processions, nor are the great holidays
of the heathen regarded by them . Resort to the
conjurer in sickness, the observance of lucky and
unlucky days, the making vows for the obtaining
of favours, the pretended extravagant and noisy
grief of those who have lost their relatives, with
many other superstitious and heathenish customs
and vices, do not pollute the characters of our native
christians. In observing this difference between
their present and their former condition, it cannot
fail to afford us the purest joy, and enable us to
bear with their deficiencies with more patience;
hoping that increased knowledge of the word of
God will eventually redeem thein from all their
emaining imperfections."
Mr. Statham , then at Howrah, says-- " A poor
CHAP . VI.] INDIA , 181

old woman was sick, and sent for me ; she appeared

to be very ill indeed, yet calm and resigned. On
my asking her how she felt with regard to ehtering
on an eternal world, she said, ' It will be a happy
change for me. I asked the grounds of such a
hope . She clasped her Bengalee bible , which lay
by her cot, and said, “ I find Christ here, Christ in
my heart, and Christ is in heaven . He died for
poor sinners like me ; I know he is able to save
me . I believe he will :' and then she prayed so
sweetly, that I could not forbear crying out, ' O
that my latter end may be like hers !""
An interesting account is also given of a Ilindoo
christian's departure at Calcutta . His wiſe, a mem
ber of the church , who was the means of his con
version , said to him , “ Do you put faith in Christ
as the Saviour ? ” He replied , very emphatically ,
“ Undoubtedly , undoubtedly , yes, undoubtedly ,
I believe in Him entirely for salvation .” At one
time be said repeatedly, “ Come, Lord Jesus ! why
dost thou delay ? I am ready. Open unto me
the door of life .” His wife said to him , “Alas ,
you are dying ! what will become of me ? " He
replied, " I have committed you into the hands of
God our Father .” She said, “ But what will
become of the boy ? ” an interesting youth of nine
years of age. He said, “ Christ our Saviour will
)

take care of him .” He then called the little boy

to him, and embraced him : when his wife said,
“ Ah ! what right have we to treasures that are
only lent ? Soon after this he called her to his
side , laid hold of her hand affectionately , and said,
“ We are yet united in affection . ” She replied,
“ Yes, not in life only, but for ever.” Then,
taking her hand, he prayed for her and the child ,
R
182 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. VI .
and said to his wife, “ Then, can you let me de
part to -day ? She replied, “ Yes, I can, why
should I prevent you from going to the Saviour ?
I will not hinder your entering the gate of life
everlasting .” At his desire, his attendants then
began singing the Evening Hymn in Bengalee ;
and , when that was concluded , they commenced,
at his request, another on death, of which the
chorus is, “ Every thing on earth is but vanity, O
brother , but the love of Christ, that alone is sub
3
stance.” While they were singing this hymn, he
fell back on his bed, breathed a gentle sigh, and
expired.
In one case, death occurred in circumstances
deeply affecting. A native christian , named Ram
Kishora, was sent to reside in Sulkea, about six
miles from Barripore, where nearly thirty persons
had professed a regard for the gospel, and had
thrown off the bondage of caste. Here he soon
gained the affections of the new converts, and was
among them as a father ; but others cherished
towards him the bitterest enmity, and at length he
fell a prey to their rage. His body was found
perfectly lifeless and cold ; on the forehead was a
great gash, evidently made by the stroke of a club,
and his neck had been pierced by a spear. The
last time he parted with the missionary under
whose direction he was placed, he seemed much
depressed, and observed , “ I am going, sir, as a
sheep among wolves,” and so it proved. He was
remarkably quiet and inoffensive in his demeanour ;
and the employment which lie most loved, was
that of telling his countrymen what he knew of the
gospel of peace . He has now joined “ the noble
army of martyrs .'
CIIAP. vi .] INDIA . 183

The Calcutta Report contains the following in

teresting narrative :--A very learned Molwee, on
his return from a pilgrimage to Mecca, visited
Calcutta, as a public teacher, and was accustomed
to expound the koran to crowds of respectable
mussulmen . A native preacher passed one day
when he was addressing about three hundred per
sons ; and, it being discovered that he was a
christian, the Molwee invited him to the front of
the spectators, that they might converse on
christianity . The preacher, who is of very pre
possessing appearance and manners, then respect
fully advanced ; and was asked, why he had left
the religion of Mohammed , and joined the ranks
of the infidels. In reply, he referred to the truths
of the New Testament ; when the Molwee assured
him , that if he believed that, he must also believe
in Mohammed, for Christ spoke of him as his
successor in office. The preacher replied , if this
could be proved, he would again become a mus
sulman ; but that the evidence must be produced
by his opponent. The Molwee then said , “ If
you will come, and bring with you a New Testa
ment in Arabic or Persian, I will immediately
convince you.” Being requested to mention the
time, he nained three days afterward, and informed
his audience of the appointment. Punctual to his
engagement, the native christian appeared with an
Arabic and a Hindoostanee Testament ; and,being
invited to commence the discussion , he presented
the Arabic Testament to the Molwee, and retained
the other for his own use . The Molwee, not so
well acquainted with the testament as the koran ,
searched in vain for the passage he wanted ; when
his opponent requested him to state its meaning,
184 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [c1 41. VI ,
observing, that he could , perhaps, 'refer to it in
mediately. It soon appeared that the portions
referred to were the latter part of the 15th , and the
beginning of the 16th, chapter of Jolin , which
are often quoted by the mussulmen ; and these
having been read and commented on by the
Molwee, some who were present began to rejoice
at this prediction of the prophet. The preacher,
however, begged them to allow him to read the
whole of both chapters, with one or two other
passages, in which the person here called the
Holy Spirit is mentioned ; and stated, that it
would then be seen whether they applied to
Mohammed . This being granted, they listened
most attentively, while he read and explained both
chapters ; and he showed then that the Holy
Ghost, the Comforter here spoken of, is the
same as the Holy Ghost spoken of in Acts i. 8.
This lis learned antagonist immediately al
lowed ; and the hearers , of course, assented to
the acknowledgment: when the preacher said ,
“ Now you see that the apostles were to wait at
Jerusalem till the Holy Ghost came on them .
But were not the apostles dead, and Jerusalem
itself destroyed by the Romans, long before Mo
hammed made his appearance ? Must not every
one of those to whom Christ addressed the words
have been dead within a hundred years after he had
.

spoken them ; and did Mohammed appear till six

hundred years after that event ? How can they then
he spoken of him ? " His candid opponent was at
once convinced , and assured him , before all the
people, that he had given a fair explanation of the
passage ; and begged to know how he could ex
press his respect for him . He replied, “ By de
CHAP. VI. INDIA . 185
claring before all this assembly your opinion of
this volume -- the New Testament. Is it a false
translation, or may it be relied on ? ” “ I protest
before you all ,” said he, “ that this is, I fully
believe, a true version of the New Testament, and
may be read without fear of fraud or interpola
tion. " * “ Now ,” said the preacher, “ you hear
what this learned Molwee says; you acknowledge
his skill, and learning, and piety; from hence
forth , then , no longer repeat to us, when we reason
to you from this volume, the common but un
founded objection, that the text is vitiated.” All
agreed in the reasonableness of the request ; and ,
after parting in a friendly manner from the Mol
wee, the preacherdeparted with the approbation of
the hearers. “ Thus,” said he, as he related the
circumstance, “has God graciously magnified his
word in the presence ofmy countrymen ; and thus
has he encouraged my hope of the coming of his
kingdom .”
A most important change has lately taken
place in the removal of disabilities from native
christians. On the 1st of November, 1831 , a
regulation was issued by the governor-general in
council, opening to them all offices of govern
ment, hitherto held exclusively by Hindoos and
Mohammedans. In reference to this, the Seram
pore missionaries remark , “ The odious dis
tinction is abolished ; and such is the progress
which we have made in liberality, that the Chun
drika newspaper, the high Hindoo organ, ap
plauds the governor-general for thus making no
distinction in the distribution of the ollices of
* The translation was by the Rev. II . Martyn ,
R 3
186 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [c1IAP, VI.
goverument, but leaving them open to christians.
Does not this show the folly of inculcating illi
berality and injustice in the hope of gaining
favour with these Ilindoo subjects ? Lord wil
liam Bentinck admits native christian converts to
judge all causes under £ 500 in value, and the
Hindoos bestow on him their applause.
“ We have now a noble career open to us in the
college: formerly, our native christian students
had either no object, or a very uncertain one,
before them ; now the paths of distinction , by
every exertion of intellect and probity, are open
to them . They are now no longer the outcasts of
government, as they were also of their own coun
trymen ."
This account of the labours of the Baptist mis
sionaries cannot perhaps be more appropriately
closeil, than by the language of one of them a few
years since : “ It has struck me, from what I
have observed , during the short time that I have
been in this country, that much inore is doing
here than the generality of people in England are
aware of. I have heard some of them use a kind
of desponding language in reference to India , as
though what had already been accomplished was
not a sufficient return for the money and labour
bestowed. But could such persons see what is
now visible in India ; the removal of European
prejudice ; the number of European christians ;
The readiness with which this part of the commu
nity aids the cause of christian benevolence in
every form ; could they see the natives crowding
to hear the word of life, and inviting the preachers
to visit them again ; prejudice fleeing before the
truth ; schools filled with children , male and le
CIIAP. VII. ] INDIA . 187

inale ; the press pouring forth the scriptures and

religious tracts in many languages, and to all
parts of this extensive country ; and, finally, were
they privileged to surround the table of the Lord
with numbers of native christians, of whose con
version , if they knew them , they could have no
doubt, they would then see in all this the finger
of God, as evidently as Belshazzar saw the hand
writing upon the wall!"

CHAPTER VII.

Gross Impiety. —- The Yogee. --- Sacrifice of In

fants.-- Dreadful Mistake.The London Mis
sionary Society --The Convert Ananderayer.-
Death of the Rev. Messrs. Cran and Des
Granges.- The ('onvert Apavoo.--Bellary.
Translation of the Scriptures into Canarese.
----Experience of Isaac --State of Benares.-
Temple of Doorga.---Account of two Fakeers.--
Bangalore.--- The Convert Samuel Flavel.
His public Discussion with a Roman Catholic.
As it is the object of this volume, not merely to
furnish a detail of missionary toils and sacrifices,
but so far as practicable, to exhibit the diversified
iniluence of Hindoo superstition --- an influence
always debasing, and often destructive — this
chapter may properly be cominenced with a few
facts, by which it will be vividly presented to the
mind.
188 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. VII .
“ About ten miles from Poonah , " says W. T.
Money , esq : “ there is a being, impiously styled
the living God ! ' I went to see it, and I found
it to be an ignorant and pampered youth, of four
teen or fifteen , apparently in a state of idiocy, and
surrounded by votaries paying him adoration .
His history is briefly this : about a hundred and
seventy years ago, a brahmin of some conse

quence said that he had been informed, in a

vision, that there should be seven incarnations of
the Deity in his family : the promised number
having concluded their mortal state of existence,
the people, interested in the farce, set up a super
mumerary, which was the boy I saw : and when
asked if this did not exceed the number originally
promised, they unblushingly said , it was very true,
but added, that it was onlya proof that God could
do more than he promised.”
When in the neighbourhood of Patna, Messrs.
Tyerman and Bennetremark : “ On our left stood
one of those horrid figures called a yogee, an In
dian saint, a gentleman beggar, who had placed
himself in a certain attitude, from which he had
vowed never to swerve during the remainder of his
life, but to spend his existence in mental abstrac
tion . He appeared on a platform of earth, raised
about cighteen inches from the ground. At one
end of this mound, which miglit be seven feet
long by four broad , were erected two bamboos,
seven or eight feet high, and sufficiently apart for
him to stand between them . At cibow -height, a
broad board was placed across froid the one bam
boo to the other; and upon the middle of this
another piece of plank, two feet long by five inches
wide, was fixed, sloping upwards from lim . He,
CHAP . VII.] INDIA . 189

therefore, standing on the platform , and resting

his arms upon the cross -bar, held with his hands
on each side of the upright sloping board. He
seemed to press equally on either foot, leaning a
little forward, with his face turned rather asiile,
and raised towards the sun . His personal appear
ance was squalid and miserable. His body was
daubed all over with blue mud ; his hair, long,
matted, discoloured to a yellowish brown with ex
posure, dangled in all directions. His beard was
bushy and black , and the rest of his face so dis
figured with hair, that it might be said to be all
beard. Not the slightest motion in one of his
limbs, nor in a muscle of his countenance was
perceptible. He was altogether without clothing,
except a slip of brown stuff' about the loins. He
wore the scita, orsacred thread, indicating that he
was a brahmin. Night and day, it is understood,
the wretched sufferer — iſ, indeed, his state can be
called one of suffering -- maintains, without any
variation, this paralyzing position . However, at
the contrary end of the platform are four upright
bamboos, with a mat suspended upon thein , form
ing such a rude canopy as the Hindoos often sleep
under ; and, at a short distance, there is another
shelter of the same kind ; so that it is not impro
bable the crafty mendicant, like many of that fra
temity in all countries, who live by their miseries,
but know how to relax from them at due seasons,
occasionally, at least, takes the liberty to slip out
of his pillory, and enjoy a restorative nap, under
the darkness of night. It may be a question,
whether he is most a dupe to his own fanaticism ,
or a deceiver of the credulity of others, on whose
charitable contributions hie subsists. After all , it
190 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. VII .
may be no great penance for an idle fellow to
loll , day and night, in a wooden frame, especially
if he be untroubled with thought, which Hindoo
abstraction necessarily implies ; and which , with
out a quibble, is nothing at all if it be not nothing
at all, requiring the utter absorption of every
faculty and feeling ; the consummation of felicity
to which Brahma and Budhu alone, of all the
three hundred and thirty millions of gods of India
have attained ; with the ineffable privilege of draw
ing their true followers into the same beatitude of
stupefaction . ”
The sacrifice of infants, by throwing them into
the Ganges, was very common in some parts, till
it was made a capital offence, punishable with
death , by the British government. A dreadful
outrage of this kind occurred near Cutwa. A wo
man cast her child, between three and four years
old, into the Ganges, as an offering to the goddess.
The little creature made its way to a raft of bam
boos that happened to be floating by, and seizing
one end of it, was driſted along, crying to its un
natural mother for help. Sheperceiving from the
shore the danger of her child escaping, plunged
into the water , tore away its hold, broke its neck ,
and hurled the life-warm corpse into the middle
current, which soon carried it out of her sight. A
field near Catwa, which the travellers just referred
to passed, was strewn with human skulls, a literal
Golgotha, cast on shore by the floods of the river
from time to time.
The following story is believed by a great
number of the most respectable natives of Bengal :
a Brumhucharee, or Brahinin youth in a state of
instruction, after repeating the name of his guar
CHAP. V.] INDIA . 191

dian deity for a long time, and establishing a

great name as a religious devotee, at length
dreamed that she told him to make a number
of offerings to her, and that then she would be
come visible, and grant him all his desires. As
he understood the offerings required to mean hu
inan sacrifices, he was very much perplexed about
obtaining the necessary victims; and , as the only
resource, he applied to a rajah, and promised, if
he would supply the victims, he should share in
the benefits to be derived from this great act of
holiness. The rajah consented , and built aa house
in the midst of a large plain, where he placed this
Brumhucharee, and directed some chosen ser
vants to seize persons of certain descriptions and
forward them to the devotee . This was done,
some say, for two or three years, till at length
the Brumhucharee became weak and einaciated
with the perpetration of so many murders, and
the rajah began to suspect that some mistake
had occurred . He therefore consulted one or two
learned men near him , who said, that the words
spoken to the Brumhucharee might mean simple
ollerings of food, &c. And thus a thousand vic
tims are declared to have been butchered through
the dream of this stupid and besotted creature.
Surely such facts as these should arouse the
whole christian world, and stimulate to efforts that
can only be made by self-denial and sacrifices.
It is now necessary to notice the movements ofan
other body that entered the Indian missionary field .
The London Missionary Society commenced its
exertions at Vizagapatam , in 1804. A few years
after, its agents were joined by a converted brah
min , named Ananderayer. He was previously an
192 MISSIONARY RECORDS .
[ CHAP. VII .
accountant in a regiment of Tippoo Saibs', and
after the death of that prince, he held a similar
office under an English oflicer. Anxious to ob
tain eternal happiness, he was advised by an aged
brahmin to repeat a certain prayer four hundred
thousand times. This task he more than perform
ed, and accompanied it by many fatiguing cere
monies ; but finding no satisfaction from them , he
resolved to return from the pagoda he had visited
to his family. In his way home he met with a
Roman catholic, who conversed with him on reli
gious subjects, and gave him two books, with
which he was so much pleased , that he began to
think of embracing christianity. No sooner was
this discovered by his friends, than they offered
him a large sum of inoney , and the entire manage
ment of his estate, hoping thus to prevent reproach
being brought on his caste . These things, how
ever, did not move him : he declared that the sal
vation of his soul must be preferred to all worldly
considerations, went to a Romish priest, and was
baptized ; after voluntarily delivering up his brah
minical thread and cutting off his hair, which ren
dered it impossible for him to resume his caste.
A few months having elapsed , he was sent hy
the priest to Pondicherry, where he met with his
wife, who, after suffering much persecution from
her relations, had determined to join him . With
her he afterwards removeda to Tranquebar, where
he was much gratified to find that the bible was
translated, and that there were no images in the
churches, against which he had often argued with
the priests. Though treated , at first, with suspi
cion , he was ,at length , admitted to the Lord's
table, studied the scriptures with great diligence,
CHAP . VII .] INDIA . 193

and made some translations from the Tamul into

the Telinga language, which , with the Mahratta,
he wrote elegantly. Having heard of the mission
aries at Vizigapaiam , he was received by them at
his request, on the most satisfactory testimonials.
He shortly afterwards made a missionary tour,
and preached the gospel with great zeal and ac
ceptance. His wife was admitted moreover to the
rite of baptisn.
At an early period this mission was bereaved of
two valuable labourers, Messrs. Cran and Des
Granges. The latter when asked, a short time
before he died , what he was most anxious about,
replied, “ The concerns of the mission, and par
ticularly the translation of the scriptures, but ” he
added, “ God can carry on this without my ser
vice ; so that my life is not necessary on that ac
count.” Ananderayer was much afected, and in
quired if the new missionaries would take the
same care of him ; and being assured of this, he
burst into tears, and pressing the hands of his
dying father, as he called him , to his lips, he
asked , if his mind was fixed on Christ. The
question was answered by Mr. Des Granges in
the affirmative. Many natives surrounded his bed
and wept. All were constrained to say, " He
was a good man !”1 Mrs. Des Granges, then very
ill, was carried through his chamber a few hours
before he expired, and his farewell to her and their
children was deeply affecting,
Some missionaries proceeded to Madras in 1805.
Here a memorable service afterwards took place,
an account of which must be preceded by an in
teresting narrative.
Amoirg the fruits of missionary labour was
S
194 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP, VII .
Aparoo, whose parents were of the Batala caste ,
or highest sub -division of the Soodras. When
about fifteen years of age, his appearance and
mammers, which were engaging, attracted the at
tention of the late excellent Dr. John, into whose
family he was taken, and by whom he was treated
rather as a son than a stranger. Some time after
the death of his benefactor, his parents, appre
hensive that he might become a christian , suc
ceeded in drawing him away from the school in
which he had been placed . He had, however,
learned , to use his own language,, “ the vanity of
his countrymen in worshipping images of stocks
and stones," and, therefore, whilst he continued
with his parents , although he complied with their
superstitions modes of worship , he did it reluc
tantly, and without the consent of his judgment.
Released, however, from former restraints, and
having his passions fanned by the influence of an
impure religion, he soon sunk into vice. Still he
was not entirely free from the rebukes of con
science . Without the knowledge of his parents
he sought re-adınission into the school, and was
accepted, but after a short time was again drawni
away.. To prevent any further applications, he
was afterwards taken to Madras.
So difficult is it to eradicate superstition , and so
contagious is the influence of corrupt example,
that although Apavoo knew better, he actually
joined with his idolatrous relations in offerings and
penance to the Hindoo deities, in order that he
might render them propitious to his journey, and
its object. He chose, moreover, several of them ,
in hope, that, if one failed , another might prove
more favourable. Nevertheless, his gods deceived
 INDIA . 195
CHAP. VII. ]
him . When he arrived at Madras, his relative was
dead, he could obtain no employment, and his
parents were compelled, by necessity, to leave him
behind them in a destitute condition. The recol
lection of his past sins now revived and tormented
G
him , and, to employ his own words, he “ besought
God most humbly to place him in any service, so
that he might discover the truth of his infinite
being, of Jesus Christ, and his gospel.”
Introduced by an acquaintance to the Rev. Mr.
Knill, he was appointed to superintend a school
recently established, and regarded this engage
ment as another instance of the gracious care of a
superintending Providence. “ Surely,” thought
he, « this is intended by God for the good of my
soul!" Whilst, however, he taught his scholars
to read the scriptures, he did not neglect to search
them himself. By this means, and by the kind
instructions of Mr. Knill, he acquired a high re
gard for the bible, and grew rapidly in a know
ledge of its contents, though still he could not see
that he was under an obligation to comply with all
its precepts .
In a journey made by Mr. Knill to Cuddalore,
he was accompanied by a serrant and by Apavoo.
They slept,” he remarks, “ in the veranda, close
by my window . One morning, just before the
break of day, I heard a sound, which appeared to
me like a human voice, but could not discover
from whence it proceeded. I listened very atten
tively for some time, and from the peculiarity of
the accent, I thought it was a person at a distance
in great distress ; again I thought it was the voice
of prayer, and concluded that the holy man who
had received me into his house was breaking
196 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. VII .
through the hours of sleep to converse with God.
I lay meditating on the privilege of being in a
house with such a man , and on the felicity I
should enjoy with the church of the first-born in
heaven . At one moment there appeared a great
fervency in the addresses of the suppliant, and at
another the voice sunk, and utterance failed .
This reminded me of the words of the apostle :
“ The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered .” Whilst my
inind was thus engaged, I perceived something
arise before my window , which I concluded must
be my school-master. I was amazingly struck,
and could not but hope that this poor heathen had
been crying to the Father of mercies for pardon,
salvation , and eternal life. I opened my door,
and called for my servant, when the schoolmaster
advanced . I asked himn concerning the weather,
how he had slept, and if he were well ; to all
6
which he answered , “ It is well. I exhorted him
to thankfulness, and asked him if he prayed .
• Yes, I pray ; I have been praying .' Do you
pray what you have read ? No, I pray what I
feel in any heart.' Do you always feel happy in
praver ? No, sometimes I am very unhappy,
and cannot speak a word ; then I feel much grieved,
and pray again .' This account exactly corres
ponded with what I had just heard), and made my 1

heart to leap for joy.”

In other conversations, he declared his assent
to the truth of christianity, and observed, that he
was sensible of the superior purity of its doctrines
and precepts to those contained in the books of
his own religion, but wanted strength to obey
them , adding, that it appeared to him sufficient 10
CIIAP. VII.] INDIA . 197

worship God to the best of his power, without in

curring any new obligation . He expressed a de
gree of horror at the idea of renouncing his caste,
which would be followed by the contempt of his
people and the hatred of his parents. He said,
the latter had frequently charged him never to be
come a christian , since, being an only son , they
should in that case have no one to perform their
funeral rites ; and his mother in particular had
warned him , that the consequences of such a step
would, as to herself, he most fatal. On these
points appropriate counsel was given him .
After one of these conversations, Apavoo thus
spoke :---- I was convinced in my conscience of
the path of duty, but could go no farther than a
belief of the only true God, and was determined
still to retain my caste, thinking that all his crea
tures were protected and preserved by him , with
out distinction ; and under these feelings I retired
to bed, with solemn prayer for his direction . ” In
the morning he read the following scriptures ;
Jer. xiii ., 10 and il , and Psalm lxxxv.; after
which he was led to exclaim, in the words of
the apostle, “ O the depth of the riches both of the
wisdom and the knowledge of God ! how unsearch
able are his judgments, and his ways past finding
out." “ From the views I derived from the above
passages of scripture,” he remarks, “ I was enabled
to form a decision , that I would leave my heathen
companions and the worship of idols, and devote
myself to God, according to his revealed will, and
to be entirely his for ever.” He also resolved to
receive christian baptism ; but fearing the effect
on his people,it and
to postpone for his
an parents,
indefinitehe period.
was desirous
His
S 3
198 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. VII.
objections , however, were afterwards obviated . “ On
the sabbath morning appointed for his baptism ,”
says Mr. Taylor, “ the mission chapel exhibited
an interesting spectacle. Every part was filled.
A great part of the aisles was covered with mats,
for the accommodation of the natives, many of
whum attended, the greater part christians, but
also a few heathens, whose marked foreheads,
uncovered heads, and countenances lowering with
dissatisfaction, formed a striking contrast to the
mingled, and variously modified expression of
satisfaction , curiosity, and inquiry, visible in the
faces of the rest of the congregation. This, it
must be observedl, was a novel thing, not only the
first of the kind in this chapel, but also the first
example in Madras of so decided aa renunciation of
heathenism , and entire obedience to the precepts
of christianity .* Apavoo, clothed in his native
habit, oî the purest white, was seated in the centre
of the first row of seats, and directly opposite the
pulpit. The service was opened by Mr. Pritchett,
and Mr. Traveller preached a discourse. Apavou
then delivered an account of himself, his con
version , and views, very audibly and distinctly ;
and Mr. Loveless, after the necessary questions,
proceeded to administer the ordinance, Apavou
kneeling. At this moment I saw tears gush from
the eyes of more than one, whose piety I was ac
quainted with, and whose feelings did them honour.
It was an interesting moment, and the attention
* Instances of baptism have beeu numerous at Madras ;
but the persojis baptized, both into the Ri man catholic and
protestant communions, have always been indulged in re
taining the distinction of caste , as a civilregulation , or sort
of rank in society .
CHAI . Vli. INDIA . 199

was profound. The emotion of Mr. Loveless was

great, while he proceeded to deliver an address to
the young convert, equally pathetic, encouraging,
and cautionary. One passage I beg leave to
mention : • Might we suppose that the departed
spirit of the venerable Dr. John were present with
us , and beheld the eflect of his early instructions
and care over you, would he not rejoice, as we now
do ; or, if he mingle with angels above, surely
with thein he rejoices at such a sight as this .'
Apavoo was named John .”
The account drawn up by himself, and which
was read, concludes as follows :- “ Thus I have
fully and firmly resolved to give myself up to
Christ in public baptisin , notwithstanding all the
opposition that has been made thereto by my own
people, and devote myself to his service, body,
soul, and spirit, well assured that Christ is the
way, the truth , and the life,' and humbly depend
ing on him for my eternal redemption. In faith
of his power , and of his willingness to save, I can
defy all opposition, his grace assisting me. And
I do hereby testify, that I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto
salvation : and may I have strength given me to
persevere , even unto the end, to manifest the
purity of my faith by a humble and holy life, and
after death receive a crown of endless glory.
“ I now humbly entreat iny christian friends
here to remember ine at the throne of grace, that
I may be kept from all sin and danger, and that I
inay be made a useful and humble follower of
Christ, honouring my profession, and glorifying
God. And now I commit myself to your love and
affection in Jesus Christ. Ainen ."
200 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. VII.
A medical gentleman , who had been twenty -five
years in India, and who touched at Madras in his
way to Europe, referred to this service in the fol
lowing words: — “ Never did I witness so interest
ing a sight. The solemnities of that day will
never be forgotten .” ““ This gentleman ," observes
Mr. Knill, “ told a friend of mine, that he should
have thought himself well repaid, had he come all
the way from Calcutta, to be a spectator of such - a
scene .
65
Whatever means,” adds Mr. K., " the Holy
Spirit might use in bringing this poor heathen to
Christ, I cannot help admiring the kind Provi
dence which led me to Madras, and inclined my
heart to employ him . Had not this been the case,
he might have wandered back among his heathen
relations, and to this moment have remained a
worshipper of stocks and stones. How marvellous
are thy works, Lord God Almighty !”
The Rev. Mr. Hands commenced his labours at
Bellary, a town situated in the most northern part
of the province of Mysore, and surrounded by a
large population, in 1810. He was treated with
great respect by the European residents, among
whom he soon commenced public service, and
applied himself patiently and perseveringly to the
Canarese language, in which he made great pro
gress . His residence had been a pagoda, and
several huge gods of stone lay about his premises.
A native school was afterwards opened , and the
gospel preached twice a -week . Upwards of twenty
soldiers belonging to one regiment, were brought
to a saving acquaintance with Divine things ; and,
with some others, were united in christian fellow
ship. At a camp, too, about a hundred miles from
CHAP, VII. INDIA . 201

Bellary, bibles and testaments were eagerly re

ceived . 66
Never," it was said , “ has there been
such a hungering for the bread of life among the
English soldiery, since the commencement of
British authority in India . The bible has become
the inmate of the knapsack, and is to be found
under the soldier's pillow .” Tracts were also
highly valued . Many of the soldiers took great
care of them ; and some collected them , and bound
them up in a little volume, to read and to lend
their comrades. Several persons stated to the
missionaries, that they had come two hundred
miles on purpose to obtain a sight of them .
Large numbers of tracts were also distributed by
the inissionaries in their journies ; of one of them
Mr. Hands says , “ In some places there was quite
a strife among the people to get near me, in order
to obtain a book, and I was much pleased with the
gratefulness with which they were sometimes re
ceived. At one village, a man who had received a
tract, made ine accept, in return, a bunch of
plaintains ; another , without inquiring whether I
wanted it or not, ran to his house, and fetched me
a vessel full of milk ; another thrust into the
palankeen a quantity of tobacco . These were,
indeed , but trifles in themselves ; but the disposi
tion with which they were bestowed , gave them no
small value in my estimation .” The throngs to
receive thein at the Humpee festival, Nir. Reeve
says, were immense. “ Subsequent to every dis
tribution ,” he adds, “ there might be seen , in
various directions , almost as far as the eye could
reach , groupes of people, composed of men ,women ,
and children, sitting at the doors of their tents ,
reading aloud thiese interesting messages of
202 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. VII.
peace and mercy to a guilty world. If every ap
plication had been attended to , 10,000 , instead of
1000, would have been insufficient to meet their
importunity .” The excitement, in some cases,
was not transient. A gentleinan, passing through
a large town, saw the natives sitting in groupes
and reading to one another . Some of them were
known , after the toils of the day had ended , and
the shadows of the evenings had come upon them ,
to light up their lamps, and consume the midnight
oil, in studying the glorious gospel of the blessed
God .
Alluding to the translation of the scriptures into
the Canarese, Mr. Hands said, - That was the
most delightful day of my life in which the great
work was brought to a close. I invited part of my
congregation to come and spend the evening with
me, that we might unite together to bless the Lord
for having spared us to see the work completed,
and to pour out our hearts in prayer to him for
its success . I believe the Canarese language is
spoken by not less than ten millions of the human
race .” This was the work of Messrs. Hands and
Reeve, and of some parts of it many thousand
copies have been circulated.
“ Cast thy bread upon the waters , for thou shalt
find it after many days,” is the language of in
spiration ; and the experience of a young man ,
named Isaac C-, admitted into the church
at Bellary, affords a striking fulfilment of it. “ I
am ashamed ,” said he, “ of the conduct I have
hitherto pursned . I was brought up by religious
parents, and had a religious education . When I
was about ten years of age, a minister came to iny .
father's house, took me on his knees, and asked my
 INDIA . 203
CHAP. VII .]
name ; when I told him , he offered up a short and
fervent prayer, expressing a desire that I might be
like the patriarch whose name I bore. This cir
cumstance, at the time, made little impression on
me ; but, within the last two years, the conduct of
the good minister and his prayer have frequently
recurred to my mind . I cannot say, that, when
young, I felt any impression from Divine things.
Whatever I did in religion was through fear of dis
pleasing my parents, and I never made any pro
fession of religion until I came to Bellary. At
this place, the hearing of the gospel, the recol
lection of the above -mentioned circumstance, and
the advice of my parents , together with an ailection
ate letter received from my brother, all united to
induce me to make a profession of religion .”
The Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Adam commenced a
station at Benares in 1820. Of the state of this
city, Mr. A. forcibly says, “ It exhibits, in full
operation, some of the worst principles of Hindoo
superstition. The gospel offers its invaluable
blessings to the poor in spirit ;'but these people
fancy themselves rich, and increased in goods,
and to have need of nothing . The Saviour is a
Saviour to those who feel themselves lost ; but they
fancy themselves already at ' the gate of heaven,'
and certain ofobtaining an easy admission through
it . Add to this, the awful wickedness of their
lives, occasioned or fostered by the local super
stitions, and it will easily be perceived that Benares
presents many and peculiar obstacles, both to mis
sionary exertions, and to the reception of the
Saviour. Amid such a population, it is a great
blessing to dwell in peace and safety, and to do
any thing that may lead, though the effects may
204 MISSIONARY RECORDS. (CIIAP. VII.
be remote, to the important and happy object we
have in view . ”
“ Among other temples, in the city and neigh
bourhood of Benares, which we visited ,” sav
Messrs. Tyerman and Bennet, was a famous one
of Doorga. The image of the goddess is nothing
more than a small medallion of a female face, of a
gold colour, fixed in the wall, ornamented round
about with tinsel, and having a lamp on one side.
Two brahmins, seated near this representation,
were receiving and offering the gifts of the people,
which were merely chaplets, or handfuls of white
flowers, or green foliage. These were thrown down
upon the ground. Many persons were coming
and going , some of whom prostratedInthemselves
before renturing within the door. the outer
court a sacred bull was couched at his ease , chewa
ing the cud ; but, though he lay directly in the
way, none ventured to disturb his rumination .
The precincts of this temple are more lively than
such places usually are, on account of the number
and activity of the inonkeys that frequent them ,
and which are said to have first flocked hither when
the temple was opened, a circumstance which the
superstitious builders would naturally interpret into
a happy omen .”
A man named Praun Poory, and said to have
been very intelligent, lived some time ago at
Benares. When nine years of age, he secretly
withdrew from his father's house, and travelled to
the city of Bethour, on the banks of the Ganges,
where he became a fakeer. Shortly after, he went
to Allahabad , to attend the great annual meeting
of pilgrims at that place.. Hearing there of the
merits attached to the eighteen kinds of penance
CHAT. VII.] INDIA . 205
.

called “ Tupisva ," he chose the one denominated

Oordhabahu ; " the first operation of which is
very painful, and requires preparation by a pre
vious course of abstinence, by which the arms and
hands are kept fixed above the head of the devotee.
The extent of his travels in these circumstances is
almost incredible, and in these extraordinary ram
bles he was sometimes brought into difficulties by
the necessity of keeping up the character he had
assumed . Fanaticism and superstition operating
on his young mind, might have led him to this
course of ansterities, from aa conviction of its value,
but he confessed that he had fallen into the snare
of hypocrisy. In one of his rambles, meeting
with a native army, then in the field, the king
being troubled with an ulcer in his nose, con
sulted him for a remedy. Having no skill in
surgery or medicine, and finding it absolutely
necessary to maintain his reputation inviolate,
Praun Poory acknowledged, when relating the
story , that he was obliged to have recourse to his
wits . to cover his ignorance ; and therefore insi
nuated to the prince, that a connexion probably
subsisted between the ulcer and the sovereignty ,
so that it might not be advisable to get rid of the
one lest he should endanger the other; a sug
gestion which met, he added , with the approbation
of the prince and his counsellors !
But what a spectacle does he present for the
contemplation of a christian ! A poor fanatic,
with his arms locked together orer his head , till
they became shrivelled and immoveable,traversing,
for forty years, tens of thousands of miles, an oh
ject of pity and disgust to the common sense and
feeling of mankind, but of superstitious reverence
T
206 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. VII.
to the millions, who, like himself, are blinded by
the god of this world !
Another fakeer lived also at Benares . His
ordinary position was reclining on a bed of spikes.
His proper name was Perkasanund ; but he styled
himself “ Purrum Soatuntre ,” which implies “ self
possession,” or “ independence."
When only ten years of age, he used to give
himself up to meditation and mortification, lying
on thorns and pebbles. This mode of life he con
tinued for ten years, when it was interrupted by
his relations, who wanted him to think ofmarriage.
He left home in consequence, determined to devote
himself to travelling. He penetrated far into
Thibet, proceeding, as he expressed it, in religious
progress from hill to hill ; halting at particular
places for devotional purposes, as well as to prose
cute his studies. " Of one place,” he said , “ I
had here shut myself up in a gowpha, or cell;
where I vowed to remain doing penance, for a
period of twelve years. Vermin , or worms,gnawed
my flesh , of which the marks still remain .
When
one year had elapsed, the rajah opened the door
of the cell : whereupon I said to him, ' Either take
my curse, or make me a ser -seja ;' and then that
rajah made for me the ser-seja which I now
))
occupy.”
This ser -seja was a bed of spikes, and the con
duct of the fakeer shows the state of mind common
to such men . Arrogant and proud, soon angry ,
and very malicious, they will call down direful
curses on any who offend them , or do not yield
them the looked -for veneration . The rajah seems
to have pitied the wretched self-tormentor, but
with what insolence and ferocity he was saluted !
CHAP . vii.] INDIA . 207

The only ground on which the devotee would ac

cept the proffered favour, was , that an opportunity
should be given him to claim higher merit ; and
that he might show, on a bed of spikes, how far he
rose above other mortals !
Thenceforward the ser -seja was a kind of tri
umphal car for the miserable man . It appears he
had made his very long journies chiefly on foot ;
but now he was drawn along, doubtless contriving,
by some means, to prevent the full effect of the
spikes on his body during the joltings of his long
journeys, for on this ser-seja he travelled through
the whole peninsula, by Allahabad and Benares,
to the temple of Juggernaut in Orissa ; and thence
by Ramisher, near Ceylon , round again to Surat.
He stayed there, after visiting Muscat by sea, and
returning, two years.
On giving this account, he concluded , by saying,
“ It is now thirty -five years since I made tupisya
on this ser-seja. I have been at every place of
religious resort, and have no longerany inclination
to roam ; but being desirous of settling in Benares,
I have come hither. Three yugs ( ages) have
passed, and we are now in the fourth ; and, in all
these four ages, there have been religious devotees
and their disciples ; and they are first to make ap
plication to the rajah , or to whoever is the ruler of
the place, for even rajah's maintain and serve us ;
and it is befitting that I may obtain a small place,
where I may apply to my religions duties, and that
something may be allowed for my necessary ex
pences, that I may bless you .”
A very unexpected question was, however, put
to the fakeer. A visitor remarking, that,in allthe
eighteen tupisyas, or modes of devotional discipline,
208 MISSIONARY RECORDS. CHAP. VII .
mentioned in the sacred books, the one he hail
chosen was not specified ; and that it was to be
inferred, in consequence, that he must have com
mitted some great offence, in expiation of which he
had adopted his present course : he inquired what
that crime was. The answer betrayed at once the
fanaticism and arrogance of the devotee :: In the
66

first age, a holy man , named Agniburmo, per

formed this discipline : in the second age, Ravono
did this for 10,000 years : in the third age, Bhikma
Pitamaha did the same ; and, in the present age, I
have followed their example during a period of
thirty -tive years : but not to expiate any crime or
offence by me committed ; in which respect, if I
be guilty,may Vesweishuna strike me a leper, here
in Benares."
But the ser-seja was not of itself enough for this
aspirant after the merit of self-torture . During
four months of the winter, he boasted he had made
jel-seja on his seat : that is, in order to add to what
he considered as the inerit of this state of morti
fication , he directed that water should be inade to
fall on his head , night and day, from a perforated
pot, placed in a frame at some height above him ,
He even went beyond this ; often ordering, in hot
weather, that logs of wood should be kept burning
round him ! “ And yet,” says the narrator, “ such
is the power of habit and fanatical superstition, he
seems contented, and to enjoy good health and
spirits : neither do the spikes appear to be, in any
inaterial degree, distressing to him , although he
uses not the defence of even ordinary clothing to
cover his body as a protection against them .”
Bangalore, a town in Mysore, is another mis
sionary station . It became so in 1820, and a
!
CHAP. VII . ] INDIA . 209

chapel was built. The Rev. Mr. Laidler took

with him from Madras, in the capacity of servant,
a native who had received christian instruction
from the Danish missionaries at Tranquebar,
and understood both the Canarese and the Tamul.
At his baptisın he received the name of Samuel ;
and, on account of his piety ,disinterestedness,mild
ness of disposition, and especially of his attentive ob
servation of the providence of God, Mr. Laidler
afterwards added that of Flavel. Visits were
made by him to a neighbouring village , where he
addressed the people ; translations and schools
were commenced ; a small society in aid of mis
sionary, bible , and tract societies, was formed ; a
house was taken in the bazaar for the sale of the
scriptures, books, and tracts, in the vernacular lan
guages , where the natives could call, read , and
inake their inquiries ; and a seminary was opened
for preparing native youths , of pious character and
promising talent, for preaching the gospel to their
countrymen .
On the arrival of the Rev. Mr. Campbell, le
thus describes the first native service he attended,
which was conducted by Samuel Flavel. “ It is
no small matter to hiar a converted heathen ad
dress his countrymen with so much fluency and
earnestness as was then done. It is a great mat
ter to see the heathen listening with attention to
the word of life, and to witness two from among
then receiving the ordinance of baptism , as fol
lowers of Christ, as was then done. But it is a
greater matter still , to sit down to the table of the
Lord, and commemorate his death with twenty who
were once idolaters, now no longer heirs of wrath ,
but children of the living God, and to see them give
T 3
210 MISSIONARY RECORDS .
[ CHAP. VII.
evidence of their conversion to Christ, as I then
did. Long shall I remember the feelings I then
experienced , and wish that those who pray for the
cause , and support its interests at home, coull
witness such a scene. Nor does Samuel labour
alone; the other youths, endued, I trust, with fer
vent piety, labour assiduously, as far as their
ability extends ; and should the Lord God of Is-
rael give success to our plais, there will , I hope,
soon go forth a host of warriors to fight the lat
tles of the Lord, and to warn their countrymen of
the danger and destruction to which they are ea
posed .”
In December 1825, a considerable sensation was
produced by a public discussion which took place
between Sanuel Flavel and a Roman catholic. A
respectable and well- informned native came from
Madras to Bangalore on business. In going his
rounds as a merchant, le called one day at the
house of Sanuel. Embracing this opportunity of
holding forth the truth of the gospel, Sainuel be
gan to speak to him about the religion of Christ,
and the necessity of being born again. From the
conversation , it very soon appeared that the man
was a Roman catholic. All that Samuel said was
well received, "till he spoke against praying to the
virgin Mary and departed saints. After inuch
disputing, the man wished the dispute to be post
poned till another time, and that it should be
public. At length it was agreed that they should
meet in the most convenient place which could
be procured in the bazaar. Preparatory to the
meeting, Samuel proposed four questions, as the
ground of their future discussions. Nine dars
were allowed for the consideration of them , after
€ HAP . VII. ] 1.DIA 211
which they inet in a large room in the bazaar to
discuss them , The meetings were attended , in
general, by sixty or seventy persons, many of
whom were heathens, and were continued for up
wards of a fortnight. They were conducted with
decorum and good temper on both sides, and
were finished, both in point of argument and con
viction , much to the advantage of the cause of
truth . “ In them ,” say the missionaries, " we hailed
the revival of other times; we thought of the con
tests which , in the days of Luther and of Calvin ,
produced such eífects in the western world ; and
we rejoiced in the hope that this might prove a
commencement of the more certain and speedy
overthrow of antichrist in this distant land .”
The following is an extract from the closing
part of the discussion : --
Samuel.-- Is the worship of the church of Rome,
such as worshipping images, saints, & c. the same
as that of the church of Christ ?
Catholic.---God himselfhascoinmanded the wor
ship of images, both in the Old and New Testa
ments. The command given to make the cheru
bim , and place them over the mercy -seat, was quite
express.
Samuel .--- Those images were not made to be
worshipped. You know that God gave the second
commandinent, which forbids the dreadful sin of
image-worship . The cherubiin were madle, not to
be seen, but to be kept in the holy of holies. The
making of the serpent, and placing it on a pole ,
was done at the command of God, and is nearer
your idea than the making of the cherubim . The
people went after this serpent, and worshipped it ;
but Hezekiah, that good prince, commanded it to
212 DISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. VII.
be broken in pieces, because of the people's sin
and folly.
The 4th verse of the 18th chapter of 2 Kings was
here read .
Catholic . - If God has not forbidden the mak
ing of the cherubim , we have a right to continue
the making of images, and to place them in our
churches.
Samuel.--If you take your authority for acting
in this manner from the cherubim , then you
should make your images of the same shape ; and
you should keep Aaron's rod, the pot of manna, & c.
and sprinkle the blood before thealtar. And thus,
doing all these things, you would prove yourselves
to be of the jewish , rather than the christian church .
Idolatry was proved from many passages to be not
merely a foolish, but a wicked and abominable
thing.
Here the argument was shifted.
Catholic.-- We make the image only to look at ,
not to worship it.
Samuel. That is not correct, according to the
belief of your church .
Catholic. This is the opinion of our church ,
and agrees with the sacred scriptures. Solomon
inade images for the temple, but not for worship .
Samuel.-- Will you put in writing, and sign your
name to it, that the church of Rome makes images
only to look at, not to worship ?
Catholic.--No. I will not give my name in
writing about that.
Here the heathens present showed themselves
much disposed to laugh at the expense of the
catholics.
Catholic .--- The protestants make images to
CHAP. VII .] INDIA . 213

look at, and not to worship , as well as the ca

tholics. In your bibles you have pictures of
Jesus Christ, & c, and we have the same in our
chapels.
Samuel.- Very well ; we shall bring these pic
tures and throw them , before you, into the fire, and
say, in reference to religious veneration , “ We re
9)

ject them .” If you will do the same with your

images, this argument is at an end, and we shall
consider another subject.
The catholics who were present, on this rose up ,
66
and said , If this man say we will do so, we will
lay hold of him by the neck, and push him out of
the house.” The heathens now interfered, and
said , You keep too long hesitating, and cannot
depend on yourself on this part ; we wish to hear
something more on the other questions, and there
fore you had better give up this.”
Catholic. It is impossible to give up this, for
without seeing the image of God, not one can go
to the kingdom .
Heathens to Samuel.-- Is this true ?
Samuel. - No. The image which the catholics
worship is that of Jesus Christ. But before Jesus
Christ came into the world , many went to heaven ,
as Enoch, Noah , and Abraham , and a thousand
others.
Catholic . I did no : mean the Old Testament,
but the New . All the apostles saw the body of
Christ. When Christ ascended up to hearen, the
i postles were sent to preach , and carried the image
of Christ in their hands. They could not preach
without the image.
Heathens to Samuel. Is it true that the
214 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. VII.
apostles took little images in their pockets when
they set out to preach in different places ?
Samuel.–Allow me to make some observations
before I speak of this. The villages around be
long to the Roman catholics. The people are ig
norant and simple. The rajah sends his order for
the rents , and these orders are sealed ; the people
see this, and obey . But if any one were to go to
the people, and give orders in the name of the
rajah, and holding out a picture, say, this is the
image of the rajah, and therefore you must obey ,
no one would regard him. In like manner, Christ
sent his apostles to preach the gospel, and to warn
the people of their danger ; and this message was
accompanied by the sealing of the Spirit, which
made the people obey ; but no account says they
carried an image of Christ, and demanded oben
dience when they showed it. Now , (addressing
the heathens) compare the message of Christ, and
his language in John iii. 5, to Nicodemus, with
the language of this man about images in the hand
of the apostles. ( The 9th of the Acts of the apos
tles was then read .) Luke ( said Samuel) here
makes no mention ofseeing any image in the hands
of the apostles. Without such an image, St. Paul
was himself converted. The Ethiopian eunuch
was reading Isaiah , and Philip preached to him
Jesus, but did not show him any image, yet the
man was converted. Stephen was not supported
by seeing any image before he was stoned, but he
saw Christ himself in heaven .
The 1st chap. of Romans from the 20th , was
now read . The heathens took up the bible thein
selves, and read the passage over, and commented
CHAP. vii.] INDIA . 215

on it, and said, “ No further proof is necessary,

for Christ's human body is only a creature.” The
heathens and catholics spoke very warmly for
nearly two hours, whilst Samuel remained silent
as aa hearer. Samuel closed by referring to Rom .
i. 17. and compared it with what Christ said to
Thomas, John xx. 29 ; and Acts xvii. 29, with
1 John v. 21 .
Whilst such sensations were produced in Ban
galore, the villages around manifested no less .con
cern to hear and receive the gospel. On these
itinerating and interesting occasions, Samuel Flavel
was accompanied by the native teachers, David ,
Jacob , Joseph, and some others, all of whom ex
pressed their great concern for the souls and the
eternal welfare of their countryinen .

CHAPTER VIII .
Cuddapah. A great Hindoo Festival.--A Brah
min Convert.--Belgaum .--- The Conrert Dhon
dapah.--Constancy of a Convert. - An Idol
demolished.- Death of the Rev. J. B. Warden,
and of the Rev. H. Chambers.---Worship of
Tools.-- inriety for Instruction.-Rev. Róbert
Vay .- Festival of Doorga .--- Necessity of the
Sospel.Sketch of Mrs. Mundy . Subter
ranean Temple.--Worship of the Serpent.-
Abolition of Suttees at Allahabad.- Dialogue
between a Missionary and a Hindoo Female.
Chittoor. -Joseph Dacre, Esq. - Native
Teachers.
CUDDAPAH is the capital of the eastern district of
the Balaghaut ceded territory, and is situated at
216 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CILAP. Vili.
the entrance of a valley, visited formerly, and held
sacred by the Hindoos. The population of Cud
dapah and its vicinity is stated to be 60,000.
Here Mr. and Mrs. Howell , who are Indo-Bri
tons, or country-born , have been actively engaged
for some years. A chapel, a school- room , and a
honse have been erected ; a weaver's shop opened ,
and a coinmon paper manufactory established.
On the natives becoming christians, Mr. Howell
allows them to reside in one of his cottages, finds
them employment, and makes them work for their
own subsistence. In the first instance, he provides
them with looms, wheels, & c., which the people
afterwards pay for by instalments. This seems an
admirable plan, and which may well be adopted so
long as the loss of caste in these countries is
attended with consequences most appalling and
discouraging. A subscription of fifty rupees per
month , from a gentleman at some distance, enables
Mr. H. to erect these cottages, and to carry these
plans into effect. The families of the christian
village, as it is called, have acquired settled habits,
and are not disposed to leave the place.
“ While here,” say Messrs . Tyerman and Ben
net, " we had an opportunity of attending a great
Hindoo festival, called Gangamma Tirnal, or the
great goddess Gangamma, held in a village about
five miles distant from Cuddapah. This was a
most novel anı affecting sight. About 50,000
people were assembled in a sort of grove, around
the filthy pagoda, in which was the object of
attraction and adoration . Before the door of this
swamy-house, the people were sacrificing sheep
and goats to the idol all the day, and streams of
blood flowed in all directions. Around this place
CHAP . VII .] INDIA . 217

is a wide road, on which multitudes of bullock

basket-carts were driven , from which grain , of
various kinds, was thrown to all such as chose to
receive it, in fulfilment of vows. Between twelve
o'clock at noon, and six in the evening, we saw
thirty men and two women undergo the ceremony
of swinging upon hooks put through the skin of
their backs . The machine which was used for this
purpose was a bullock -cart. Over the axle- tree a
post was erected, over the top of which a beam,
about thirty -five feet in length , passed , and moved
upon a pin. The longer end of this beam ex
tended over the bullocks; at the end of it was a
square frame attached, adorned with young plantain
trees, in which two persons could stand. When
the hooks were inserted into the skin, the ropes
attached to the hooks were lashed firmly to the
top bar of the frame, so as to allow the people to
stand on the lower bar. This being done, and we
saw the operation performed in several instances,
the beam was raised upon its fulcrum, and the
persons on the frame were elevated about twenty
five or thirty feet above the ground. Each person
was furnished with a dagger in one hand, and a
pocket handkerchief in the other. The machines,
to some of which were yoked six, eight, ten , or
twelve bullocks, were now driven at full speed
round the pagoda three times , while the deluded
wretches were brandishing the dagger, and waving
the handkerchief, occasionally resting their weight
on the lower bar of the frame, but often suspending
their entire weight on the hooks. Sometimes six
or eight of these machines were driven round at
the same time. On inquiring why the delnded
beings subunitted to this punishment, some told us,
U
218 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. VIII.
it was in fulfilment of vows made to the goddess ;
others, that they were hired by persons standing
by, and received one or two rupees for their
trouble. Among the trees were stalls and booths,
in which were sold sweetmeats, victuals, trinkets,
&c. Here were jugglers, beggars, and parties of
pleasure; but very few took any notice of those
horrid scenes which most attracted our attention .
Never were we before so powerfully impressed with
the importance of missionary exertions. Truly
<
the dark places of the earth are full of the habita
tions of cruelty. Othat the people of England
could have witnessed this spectacle, so truly in
fernal ! Who could then remain indifferent to mis
sionary exertions, or how withhold his support from
those societies which make known the merciful
religion of Jesus, to enlighten the heathen , and to
put a stop to these dreadful cruelties ? ”
“ It is with much pleasure,” says Mr. Howell ,
“ I have to mention a brahmin convert, about
thirty years of age, belonging to a place called
Mudaka Seerah, in the Bellary Zillah. He came
here to get instructed in the christian faith , and,
upon inquiring into the circumstances of his
former life, he gave the following account :
" He said that his father led an ascetic life, had
renounced idolatry and caste, and had instructed'
him in the mystic tenets of that sect to which he
himself belonged , and on the death of his parent he
also became a sennassi, and travelled to various
sacred places of the Hindoos, and, after having
spent many years in search of truth , returned to
his native place disappointed. The late Mr.
Gosling, a pious gentleman , had come to his
village in 1822, andput into his hand the Teloogoo
CHAP . vii .] , INDIA . 219

scriptures, and, soon after this, he got the Canarese

scriptures also from a native who had visited the
Humpee festiral. He read these books with great
attention ; but, wishing to be better informed and
instructed, he proceeded to Bellary, having heard
of the brethren there, and remained in the mission
about a month , where he was induced to relinquish
his sennassi habits, by cutting off his beard , which
was grown a cubit in length. His quitting Bellary
was chiefly owing to persecution , carried on in
a secret way by some respectable natives, who had
before reverenced him , but now, being deceived ,
were determined to be revenged on him . On
hearing of Cuddapah , and feeling anxious to learn
the way of theLord more perfectly, he thought it
proper and preferable to come and settle here, that
he might quietly enjoy the privileges of a preached
gospel .
s I have taken this man under my protection,
and, from the frequent conversations I have had
with him , I find he had read the book that is so
much admired by the heathen , called Tutwum ,
which relates to metaphysics ; and this he is able
to repeat with great fluency , so as to excite the
admiration of the ignorant. He is also very
expert in performing some mystic feats, by keep
ing in the breath, closing the eyes, ears, &c. to
the astonishment of the people, who are made to
believe there is a great merit in these perform
ances, and by means of which his character, as to
sanctity, has been estimated . He is now so far
enlightened by the reading of the sacred scriptures,
and the preaching of the gospel, as to acknowledge
the folly of these things to the heathen when they
converse with him upon these matters. He has
220 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. VIII.
read all our tracts, and committed to memory,
lately, the Assembly's Catechism ,' from which
he has received a correct view of all the doctrines
of the christian religion. With aa view of rendering
him useful to this mission, I placed him under my
moonshee for further instruction, and he has made
considerable improvement in reading, writing, and
arithmetic, for the last six months, so as to be able
to conduct the duties of the christian school, in
which he is now employed. It gives me pleasure
to inform you, that I recently baptized him , after
having evidence of his sincerity in the faith of the
gospel. He has also been admitted into commu
nion. While a sennassi, he used, from pride of 6
heart, to call himself Veerat, which means “ Su
preme Being ;' but the gospel has humbled his
spirit, and he now submits to be called Veerapah.
2 Cor. x. 4, 5. ” In 1830, Veerapah was employed
in the christian school, and had nineteen boys and
twelve girls under his care .
The Rev. Mr. Taylor officiated for some years
as chaplain to the garrison at Belgaum ; and , there
is reason to hope, that his labours among the
English were blessed to the conversion of several,
some high in office, and others in the ranks. On
the appointinent of a chaplain, he gave himself
more fully to missionary labours, in which he has
also been very successful.
Among the natives the truth has not been pro
claimed in vain. Three persons of some distinc
tion were baptized at Bombay, from this place.
A persecution followed ,and two of them abandoned
their profession for a season ; but one subsequently
returned, and appeared to be stedfast. It is not
known what has become of the other . The two
CHAP . VIII. ] INDIA . 221

are entirely forsaken by their friends. Others,

also , made a promising profession.
Native services andschools, an English service,
the distribution of the scriptures and tracts, and
various itinerancies, still proceed. Samuel and
Jonah , the native Tamul assistants, render valuable
services, and their conduct is exemplary. An
interesting station at Darwar, is assiduously, and,
through the Divine blessing , successfully culti
vated by Dhondapalı, who was the first-fruit of
this mission . At the school in the jail he has
been very useful. Some of the prisoners have ex
pressed a desire for christian baptism , and several
have acquired a very creditable knowledge of the
principles of christianity. To Dhondapah they
are much attached . Mr. Beynion says, - He is
the most spiritually -minded native christian I ever
conversed with . I have never heard him speak
upon any subject , but what was either more or
less connected with the salvation of his own soul ,
or with the cause of Christ in general . His trials
and sufferings have been many and severe , and the
sacrifices he has made are of the most painful
nature ; but amidst all he has been supported , and
has maintained a most consistent character. He
has literally, for the sake of Christ, forsaken wiſe,
and children , and brethren , and lands. In a con
versation I had with him , on adverting to his suf
ferings , he modestly observed , “ Yes, I have been
called to endure a few trials, and my friends fre
quently tell me of my losses ; but it is not always
that they ask me what I have gained by them ."
In the year 1826 , the Rev. Mr. Prawin thus
writes from Calcutta, where great effort had been
made : --- You will, I trust, have received our
U 3
222 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. VIII. +

communication, announcing the cheering tidings of

the baptism of nine Hindoos, five adults, and four
children. Our hearts, on that ever -memorable oc
casion , were elated in no ordinary degree. In
these dear emancipated captives we saw, asit were,
the enemy conqnered, and the Prince of Peace
take possession of a portion of his own inheritance.”
.66
Through the gracious continuance of the
Divine favour on our feeble labours, we have now
the pleasure of reporting things of a still more
encouraging nature. Apart from the satisfaction
it will give you to hear that these converts stand
fast in the faith, and, amidst much opposition ,
quit themselves like men , you will, we doubt not,
be highly delighted to hear, that, on the 3d instant,
four additional members were received into our
native church . Three of these converts are natives
of Rammakalchoke; and the fourth is a native of
Bageshur, a village about a mile distant from it.
These disciples dedicated themselves to God in the
ordinance of baptisın , in the Kidderpore chapel, in
the presence of a number of delighted spectators.
Truly, we felt that the Lord waswith us on the
occasion ; it was none other than the house of
God,and the gate of heaven.
“ The services of the evening were peculiarly
solemn, interesting, and profitable. Mr. Gogerly
gave out the hymns ; Mr. Piffard offered the intro
ductory prayer ; Mr. Edmonds, from Chinsurah ,
addressed the congregation in a very animated and
impressive manner, from John i. 42, “ And he
brought him to Jesus.' The scope of this exccl
lent address was to show, that the sole object of the
Missionary Society is to bring sinners to the
Saviour , and that, in the prosecution of this great
CHAP. VII .] INDIA . 223

work , we do not design to proselyte the heathen

to any particular denomination of christians, but
to make them sincere followers of Christ. Seve
ral questions were proposed to the candidates for
baptism , to which they gave appropriate answers.
The ordinance was then administered to them , and
they were accordingly numbered among the dis
ciples of our cominon Lord. Mr. J. Hill con
cluded the service by prayer, in which he affection
ately commended these new converts to the pro
tection and blessing of God. One of the natives
who were baptized is an aged female, nearly eighty
vears of age. Her son was baptized in October
last. For some time after, she was extremely
averse to the truth . The Lord, however, has, we
trust, since taught her the error of her ways, and
ellectually turned her heart to himself. She fre
quently speaks of the goodness of God in saving
her at the eleventh hour, In her we see another
proof of the efficacy of the gospel, to bring old
idolaters from all the false hopes of a demoralizing
superstition, and to induce them to trust alone to
the crucified Saviour for salvation .
“ I believe I have mentioned that, through the
kindness of a lady, to whom the Society is greatly
indebted, a native bungalow had been built at
Rammakalchoke. It was opened for public wor
ship on the 27th of January. Since that time,
the Lord has made bare his arm in a most glorious
manner ; and the idols of the heathen he has begun
to abolish .
In the beginning of February, we opened a
school at Rammakalchoke, and in a few days up
wards of sixty boys were collected . Some of them
are now reading in the gospel of John . On the
224 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. VIII.
20th ult. the native christians tore up their idol
Sheeb, or Seeva, of that form commonly called the
Linga. It is a massy stone, of some hundred
pounds weight. The demolition of the idol has
produced a wonderful effect upon the people.
Ramjhee, the owner of the temple, says, that when
the Destroyer, for that is the meaning of the idol's
name, was taken out of his residence, the whole
village ran together in perfect amazement, one
crying one thing, and another another. Each
individual seemed to say, Great is Sheeb of the
Hindoos ! The impression, observed Ramjhee,
was like the shock of an earthquake.
“ The rumour of the demolished idol has spread
through all the region round about, and we cannot
but hope that much good will be the result. On
the 27th of last month , the idol was brought to
Kidderpore, and presented to us by its owners,
who have turned away from it with utter abhor
rence . Here, indeed, we stand amazed, and say,
“ What hath God wrought ! ' Never did our most
sanguine expectations allow us to expect that we
should live to behold this obscene idol, in any in
stance, abolished before our eyes. This is the
first that has occurred in Bengal ; and, it is
important to add, that the rooting out of this idol
from his dwelling -place, by the hands of his owners,
and consigning it to destruction, has proceeded
from the principles of the gospel.
“ I should now subjoin a particular account of
this idol , but, alas ! like the deeds of darkness that
are perforined in secret by the heathen, of which it
is a shame even to speak, so the history of this
monstrous image is too indecent to see the light.
Sheeb has more worshippers than all the other
CHAP . VII .] INDIA . 225

gods put together, and scarcely any merit is

thought equal to that of building a temple in
honour of him . It is painful to add, that, notwith
standing the dreadful obscenity which is connected
with the worship of this image, the Hindoo females
pay their adorations daily before it. In honour of
Sheeb, also , a most abominable festival, called
churuk pooja, is annually kept. And oh ! could
our friends in Europe witness, but for a few mo
ments, the heart-rending spectacles that, on these
occasions, are every where exhibited in Bengal,
they would surely pray more fervently, and labour
more abundantly, that the kingdom of God might
coine among the people of this benighted land.
Last Saturday, being the first day of this festival,
thousands of the worshippers of Sheeb commenced
their work of self-torture , by making beds of thorns,
on which they cast themselves nearly unclothed.
On the sabbath - day they cast themselves from
stages of from eighteen to twenty feet high upon
iron spikes . On Monday morning, they pro
ceeded to Raleghaut for the purpose of piercing
their tongues and sides. I visited this scene of
horror, in company with Mr. Piffard, on Monday
morning. We arrived at the spot a little after five
o'clock . The roads leading to the temple were
crowded for miles by multitudes from all quarters.
Some of these infatuated people carried drums and
various instruments of music ; others were seen
with spits and swords, and the various instruments
of torture which are used in the performance of
these horrid rites. We entered the temple with
difficulty, on account of the crowd. And here it is
impossible to give an adequate idea of the various
tortures which these deluded men were inflicting
226 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. VIII.
upon themselves, under the vain hope that God
was well pleased with such sacrifices. These
wretched slaves of idolatry, some with spits and
living snakes run through their tongues ; some
with canes and cords run through their sides ; and
some with their foreheads, breasts, and arms, stuck
with pins, all danced before the idol with indecent
gestures. Indeed, I almost shudder whilst I think
of these sanguinary rites ; at the same time, I
greatly rejoice to think, thatone of the images of
Sheeb, in honour of whom all these acts of wicked
ness are performed, has been destroyed before the
people of Rammakalchoke. Thus let all the re
maining idols of the earth perish, O Lord !
- The native christians will proceed, without
delay, to pull down their deserted temple, and with
the materials a small chapel and an adjoining
room , for the temporary residence of the mission
aries, will be built. To accomplish this desirable
object, one of the native christians has given us a
suitable piece of ground, and the bricks of the tem
ple. In addition to this grant, about one thousand
sicca rupees will be required. This sum, I doubt
not, will soon be furnished by the liberality of our
friends ; so that I hope, within three months, those
very bricks that once enclosed the demon of im
purity, will serve the purpose of screening your
inissionaries from the rays of the sun, whilst
preaching to the heathen the unsearchable riches
of Christ.
“ On Wednesday, we spent the fore part of the
day in thanksgiving to God for this gracious mani
festation of his favour towards us. After praising
the Lord for his goodness in converting the heathen ,
we together partook of the supper of our common
CHAP . VII .] INDIA . 227

Lord . Eleven natives sat down with us at the

ordinance, and we found it a time of refreshing
from the presence of the Lord. O that our
friends in England could have enjoyed the luxury
of seeing these once benighted Heathen sitting
down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in their
right mind.
“ Rammakalchoke lies nearly in the centre of a
vast number of villages, which contain at least
twenty thousand inhabitants. Eight of this mul
titude, who were not long since literally sitting in
darkness, and in the valley of the shadow of death ,
have been brought into marvellous light ; and
others are coming forward to join themselves to
the Lord. May we not then call upon the churches
of Britain to pray for this little flock, which the
good Shepherd has recently brought into the fold.
The grace of God has been gloriously displayed in
their conversion . Twelve months since, neither
their village nor populous neighbourhood were
even known to us. The poor heathen inhabitants
were living in a gloomy region, where all the hor
rors of idolatry were maintained in full vigour ;
for there the sound of mercy, through the crucified
Redeemer, was not heard. We rejoice to think
that the banners of the cross are now displayed to
these wretched slaves of superstition, to whom the
Lord appears to be saying, Behold me ! behold me !
to a eople that was notcalled by his name.
The Calcutta mission was bereaved of a most
valuable labourer in 1826. From an account fur
nished by one of the associates of the Rev. J. B.
Warden ,the following particulars are extracted :
“ His sufferings were extremely great, to an extent
which I have never witnessed in any other person .
228 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. VIII.
One day I was condoling with him, for to have
preached patience, under his acute agony , would
have been as cruel as it was unnecessary, when he
said, - Yes, my sufferings are indeed great, and
require much patience to endure; but, I am aware,
that the furnace must be heated in proportion to
the metal which it has to fuse .'
“ In reply to a query proposed to him , he said ,
With regard to my own safety , I have not a
doubt; and , with reference to death, it appears to
have lost all its terrors. I know I am a worthless
creature ; but the precious blood of Jesus ! how
perfectly it answers all my wants !!
“ These patient and tranquil feelings conti
nued till within two days of his death, and then
resignation brightened into rapture, and meek
submission into ardent and lively hope. How
strikingly was this exhibited, at the moment le
was informed that the opinion of his medical
attendant was , that he could not survive twelve
hours ! Raising his eyes and his hands to heaven,
with a voice that seemed more than human , he
exclaimed --- Othou blessed Jesus ! Is it pos
sible that I am within twelve hours of thy pre
sence, where is fulness of joy ; and thy right hand,
where are pleasures for evermore ! Oh, what
must the river be, if one draught from the stream
can give me such delight !'
“ Afterwards he joined in a hymn of praise, and
the ecstacy depicted on his countenance, and ex
pressed in his tones, was indescribable. In the
evening, he spoke of the glories of Christ, and the
wonders of redemption, in a manner which batiles
de scription :he appeared more like a sainted spirit,
th an an earthly creature . Poward the close, turil
 CHAP. VIII .] INDIA . 229

ing his eyes to the friends who stood round, he

said ,---- Spectators ! hear my dying words. If
you would be happy, if you would be happy with
God for ever, come to Jesus, trust in Jesus !
O let my poor dying voice give emphasis to my
words - Do come to Jesus ! In this strain he
spoke for about five minutes ; after which he
scarcely spoke, except on the morningof his death,
when , grasping the hand of one of his brethren
with both his, he looked up, and said, - Brighter
----brighter - brighter still ! Oh , to be lost in won
der, love, and praise !”
“ He left one little boy, exceedingly like his
father ; and, when he took him in his arms, his
prayer was, -- O mny dear boy, may God make
you a better missionary than ever your father has
been
The Rev. Hiram Chambers became also the
prey of death . “ He was recommended , in conse
quence of illness, to embark for England, and
arrived at Madras, but unfortunately was unable
to obtain a passage in either of the ships that left
before the monsoon ; in consequence of which we
were obliged ,” says Mrs. C., “to remain at Madras
three months, during which period my husband's
health and strength declined greatly. We, how
ever , in the middle of December, engaged a pas
sage on board the Woodford, Captain Chapman,
and went on board as soon as the ship arrived in
the roads ; and we were on board ten days prior to
the Woodfordsailing. The ship weighed anchor
on the 7th of January, at three o'clock ; and, at
half-past six on the same evening, my dear hus
band was removed from me , and his dear babe, to
the bosom of his Saviour, whom he desired, and
X
230 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. VIII.
endeavoured to glorify and serve, and who had
comforted and supported his sinking spirit, and
wasted frame, through a long affliction.
“ His mind was calm and peaceful throughout
the whole of his protracted illness. He would fre
quently say,-- My covenant God has been
pleased to pour into my soul so much of the con
solation of his Holy Spirit, and has given me such
sweet views of the character of Christ, in all his
offices, that I dare not doubt that this affliction is
sent in much love and wisdom , both to my own
soul, and also to you :' and, he would aud, -- I
He should be pleased to spare iny liſe, I am de
termined, in his strength, to proclaim the gospel of
his Son with greater earnestness than I have ever
yet done . I did not think the solemn hour was so
near. Though my husband was the subject of
extreme debility for three days prior to his re
moval; yet, as he had little or no pain, I cherished
the hope of a favourable change : but, alas ! how
fallacious was this hope ! the mandate had gone
forth , and his spirit was called to take possession
of the rest that remaineth for the people of God !'
He was seized with a fainting fit about five o'clock ,
which continued some time, but from which he
recovered, and conversed with me in a very con
soling manner ; commending me and our two dear
children to the care of a covenant-keeping God,
and entreating me to remember his faithfulness in
seasons that were past. He assured me that Jesus
was increasingly precious to his own soul, and that
the precious promises contained in the word of
God were still his solace and support . He re
quested me to raise hinn from hiscouch, which I
endeavoured to do, when he laid his head on my
CHAP . VII .] INDIA . 231

arm , and breathed his spirit into the hands of his

heavenly Father. It was, indeed, falling asleep
in Jesus . ”
At Berhampore, Messrs. Tyerman and Bennet
(
remark ,- “ A blacksmith , who had been employed
yesterday on the mission premises, fetched away
his tools this morning, for the purpose of worship
ping them , this being the day on which the Hin
doos pay divine honours to the implements of
their various trades : the files and hammers of the
smith , the chisels and saws of the carpenter, the
diamond of the glazier, the crucible of the gold
smith , &c., & c., all become idols on this anni
versary. Thus do they resemble those of old , who
sacrificed to their net, and burnt incense to their
drag."
The following is an interesting extract from the
journal of a missionary while here on a tour :
“ Afterbreakfast, I took under my arms a num
ber of tracts, and sat down under a large tree,
where the people had collected to receive, accord
ing to my promise, the tracts. I preached, or
rather argued for a considerable time, when several
cried out , “ Send for such an one ; from the know
ledge of the shasters, he can answer the sahib ;'
the man came, but he could not succeed to their
wishes, and they sent for another, and another.
Still, by fair argument, they were left, according
to their shasters, without a Savicur. At length ,
6

with one consent, they exclaimed , “ Sir, if we are

wrong , and have no Saviour, tell us where one is to
be found.” They listened with a degree of interest
to remarks on the design and efficacy of Christ's
death . When I had done, as the sun was become
hot, to save time I gave my tracts to be distributed
232 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. VIII.
by one of the most respectable men , who was im
mediately surrounded by applicants. I had re
served a gospel of Luke, but a man followed me
and constrained me to give it to him , by pleading
my promise on the past night. When he had re
ceived it, he took hold of my horse's reins, and
6
said, “ Sir, I will not let you depart, until I have
some clue to the meaning of the book, otherwise it
will be useless to me when you are gone. Here,
sir, what is this--Mungal somachaps Good news.
• What is this Luke ? Luke is the man's name
who wrote this book . • Kostrick --what is that ?!
6

Written ; and the whole sentence means -- the gos

pel written by Luke. Who was Luke ? ' He
6

was a man acquainted with all the Lord Jesus

Christ did and said on earth ; with the reason of
Christ's coming into the world, and with the man
ner of his death ; and these are the things con
tained in this book. 6That will do, sir ; now I
shall understand what I read . I left him, and
prayed that the Lord might give him understand
ing in all he read. At three o'clock I arrived at
Cutra, dined , and went into the bazaar, where I was
surrounded by an audience of mussulmen , but the
abusive language I received here cannot be com
mitted to paper ; at length a venerable old mussul
man came up and stilled the people, and then ob
served, ' Sir, your message is not to mussulmen ,
6
but to Hindoos, who worship idols. I replied,
“ Yes, to mussulmen ; for they, as well as Hindoos,
have souls to be saved .'- True, but mussulmen
cannot fail to obtain heaven ; for there is one God ,
and Mohammed is bis prophet : besides, sir, your
books are all for Hindoos. “ No, I have Persian
gospels for mussulmen .'_ Will you give meone ?
 1.]
CHAP . VIII. INDIA . 233

Certainly : ' he stayed and accompanied me to my

tent, and requested a copy of every book which I
had in the Persian character. I complied with his
request, from the consideration that he could read
iluently, and appeared like one desirous of reading.
Influenced by his example, many mussulmen now
begged a book, and I distributed the remainder of
my gospels and tracts in the Persian language. ”
The first labourer at Chinsurah, was the Rev.
Robert May. No sooner did he arrive, than he
entered with great ardour and activity on the work
of opening schools for native children, inparting
also religious instruction to the children of Eu
ropeans, and he had the gratification of beholding
his labours crowned with very encouraging success.
He established at this station about thirty native
schools, containing nearly three thousand children,
among whom were about seven hundred sons of
brahmins. But, alas ! the period soon arrived
that was determined by an inscrutable, yet all-wise
and merciful Providence, to be the boundary of his
mortal existence. By a singular coiucidence, he
entered Calcutta on the 11th of August, 1812, in
order to commence his mission in India ; and, on
the same day of the same month, in the year 1818,
he entered Calcutta to close it. In thebeginning
of that month he was attacked by a fever. The
disorder gaining strength , he was induced to go to
Calcutta , that he might obtain the best medical
advice ; but every attempt to relieve him was
fruitless, and the day after his arrival he breathed
his last .
When approaching the close of life, his hunility
and self-abaseinent were such , as to lead him to
think it almost impossible that one so unworthy
X 3
234 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. VIII.
as himself could be saved. But afterwards he
found joy and peace in believing. He said , “ Il
is Jesus Christ whom I want !-- I build upon the
foundation, Christ !-Jesus is precious to iny
soul! ” and shortly afterwards expired.
66
Being at Chinsurah during the festival of the
Doorga, the goddess of nature,' say Messrs.
Tyerman and Bennet, “ we saw heathenism at the
height of its madness. In the palace of an opu
lent baboo, an idol with ten arms, manufactured
for the occasion , at the expense of five hundred
rupees, was placed in the recess of a superb apart
ment, used as a temple. The image, not yet hav 1
ing been consecrated , was said to be blind ; but a
small hole was left in one of the eyes, through
which the divinity was supposed to enter at å par
ticular crisis of the rites, when the orifice was im
mediately closed , and she was shut in ; not long,
however, to remaina prisoner there, for soon after
wards the idol itself was broken to pieces, and cast
into the Ganges, with many others, carved for this
particular festival, and by the sale of which the
craftsmen make no small gain . Before the sanc
tuary was a spacious area, about the middle of
which a stump of wood was fixed in the ground,
having a notch in the top of it, wide enough to
admit the necks of kids or lambs, when slain for,
offerings ; across which there was an iron bolt
to confine the animal, with the head projected , as
through the loop-hole of a pillory. Beyond this
was another stouter apparatus of the same kind ,
with an opening wide enough to secure the necks
of young buffaloes. These two stakes were, in
6
fact, the horns of the altar,' a mound of earth
being raised on that side of each, over which the
CHAP . VII !.] INDIA . 235

animal was to be stretched to receive the mortal

stroke. For this a tremendous knife, something
like a bill - hook, four feet in length , ( including a
short handle,) and very broad, strong, and sharp,
was provided . This slaughtering place was sur
rounded with posts and railings, to which were
bound two buffaloes , the one about two years, and
the other fifteen months old, also four kids and a
lamb, all males . The hors of the buffaloes were
painted red, and garlanded with foliage ; their
bodies were successively sprinkled with water from
the Ganges, and an inſusion of turmeric poured
upon their heads. A few green leaves were strewn
on the ground under their bellies, and a yellow
cloth cast over their backs ; after which, the man
who was to be executioner on the occasion, lightly
drew the great knife across the neck of each of the
intended victims. The four kids and the lamb ,
one after the other, were then brought forward ,
and their bodies being stretched across the earthen
altar, and their necks fastened within the forked
stake, each in turn was decapitated by a single
blow. The inoment the head fell, à bralimin
snatched it up, and ran to present it to the idol.
Another brahmin took up the body, and held it
while the blood flowed into aa sacred copper vessel,
lined with plantain leaves. Immediately before
the knife descended, at a given signal, a terrible
din of gongs and drums, accompanied by a loud
shout of the multitude, was raised on every hand,
which continued till the head had been laid before
the idol . When the five sınaller animals had been
despatched, a piece of the flesh of each was cut out
of the carcase, and thrown into the dish that had
received its blood , and the whole was set, reeking,
236 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. VIII.
before the shrine where the heads were . The
lesser stake was then pulled up , the earthen altars
repaired , and a large gourd , with a streak of red
paint, was placed upon it. This was split in two,
and both ends being thrown aside, seven sugar
canes were, in like manner, first laid upon the
altar, and each cut in two. These were to repre
sent offerings of the fruits of the soil. The larger
buffalo was then led within the enclosure, and his
neck fixed within the fork of the stronger stake ;
while, by means of ropes fastened to all his legs,
his body was drawn out, and held down upon the
earthen mound, or altar. The sacrificer, a black
smith , a man of mighty bone and muscle, tlien
fetched the knife, with great formality , from before
the idol, where it had been laid with each of the
former offerings. For a few moments he looked
with intense earnestness towards the image of
Doorga, as though imploring the might of her ten
arms to aid his two; every eye was fixed on him ,
and every face expressed a strange solicitude for
the sequel, as the canon law, in such case, requires
that the head of the victim shall fall under one
blow ; for, if this be not effected, the omen would
be deemed most unfortunate, and the sacrificer
would be driven away with scorn and cursing from
the place . The blacksmith, however, on this
occasion, failed not ; having deliberately taken aim ,
and lifted the terrible instrument, one moment we
saw it gleaming through the air, and the next it
was crimsoned and reeking with blood from the slain
beast, the head of which was immediately caught
up, and presented to the idol. Meanwhile the
people shouted and danced ; hugged in their arms,
and crowned with a chaplet of leaves, the brawny
CHAP. VIII.] INDIA . 237

slaughterman, as a benefactor of their country.

Presently, however, a grand struggle took place for
the body of the buffalo, which was dragged away
by the strongest party, in triumph, as lawful spoil.
The second bullock was beheaded with the same
good luck ; but the body of this was seized by a
number of women, who fought with Amazonian
fury for the possession of it. Many men and boys
after, pressed forward to dip their hands in the
blood, as it lay in pools on the ground, marking
with it their temples, and various parts of their
bodies . A lighted lamp was then placed at the
head of each of the victims, and one of the brah
mins began to mutter over it his prayers and in
cantations, but we were not allowed to see or hear
any more of the ceremony. On the evening of
the following day, all the idols prepared for this
anniversary were brought down to the river, em
barked on a platform between two boats, from
which , with great pomp of music and pageantry,
they were plunged into the stream . We were told,
that the spiritsof the gods, being supposed to have
gone out of the images, they were regarded as
dead carcases; and, instead of being worshipped,
were spurned and execrated by the people, who ,
both on land and water, indulged themselves in the
most abominable excesses.
“ It is the gospel,” said Mr. Townley, who
spent seven years in India, and laboured at Chin
surah, “ and that alone, which can save the soul ;
and this is the grand consideration on which mis
sionary societies must proceed. A Hindoo, in his
dying moments, had been brought to the margin
of the Ganges, to breathe his last. I said to him ,
$
Have you a good hope ? Do you think of
238 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. VIIJ.
going to heaven ? Do you think that the sight of
the Ganges obliterates your sins, and that the wor
ship of your gods has blotted out your trans
gressions ? ' lle said, “ I have no confidence in
all these things .' ' Do you then know ,' said I ,
of any mode satisfactory to your own mind, by
which your transgressions can be forgiven ? ' ' No !
I know of none .' • Then what is the necessary
consequence ? Do you know that you have
6
sinned ? " Of that I have no doubt .' Do you
know that God punishes sin in hell ? " “ Yes .
• What then is the inference ? ' ' I am going to
hell. I could not but drop a tear, when standing
by the entrance of the dying man's tent, who had
been brought to the river of their god, thus vainly
hoping for salvatio ."
n
Ai Chinsurah, Martha, the wife of the Rev. G.
Mundy, died in 1824. She was the daughter ot
pious parents, and appears to have been from her:
infancy the subject of religious impressions. It
was not, however, until she was thirteen years
of age, that a decided turn was given to her reli
gious character ; this was effected by hearing read
the experience of a missionary . It is remarkable,
that this was the experience of her brother-in -law,
the Rev. W. Reeve, of Bellary, a circumstance
which she did not know until she became a men
ber of that mission .
Mrs. M., under the patronage of the London
Missionary Society, leſt England for India, when
she was eighteen years of age, and joined the
family of her brother and sister at Bellary, where
she entered, with the greatest ardour, into mis
sionary work ; and considered no sacrifice too
great, and no fatigue too much to be endured, so
 INDIA . 239
CHAP . VII .]
that she might win souls to Jesus. Owing to the
indisposition of her sister, the whole of the do
mestic concerns of the family devolved upon her,
together with those of the family of the Rev. Mr.
Hands, who, in a letter addressed to her afflicted
partner, since her decease, thus speaks concerning
her : - “ She was very much beloved at Bellary,
but, perhaps, by none more than myself. I loved
her for her eminent piety, humble and amiable
disposition, and especially for her kind attentions
to my dear motherless children ; and I cannot tell
you how much I was affected , when I read in the
papers , a few days ago, an account of her death . ”
To the labours above stated , she added the charge
of a small boarding -school, the profits of which
were devoted to the support of the native schools
connected with the inission. Her leisure was oc
cupied in studying the Canarese language, in which
she made considerable proficiency , in storing her
mind with heavenly truths, and in private devotion,
to which she devoted a large portion of her time.
Whilst residing there, she gave the most decided
proof of her attachment to the cause of missions.
Bellary is a military station , and has likewise a
civil establishment; and she there had various op
portunities of settling herself in life, in connexions
where both piety and worldly affluence presented
themselves to her view . But she had set her heart
on missionary work, and persevered in her deter
mination, either to share with such a partner the
trials of his arduous labour, or to remain in single life.
She arrived at Chinsurah in March , 1821, and
immediately commenced the study of the Bengalee
language, which she acquired to a considerable
extent. The deplorable state of the native females
240 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. V.:
affected her heart, and caused her to adopt such
measures as appeared most likely to benefit their
condition. She, therefore, in connexion with Mrs.
Townley, opened a school for the instruction of
native female children ; and to this school three
others were added , one of which contained upwaris
of sixty girls ; and frequently has her heart bounded
with love and gratitude to God , when she has heard
these once neglected infants singing the Saviour's
praise, and repeating those lessons which were able
to inake them wise unto salvation . She also directed
her attention to the education of aa few young ladies
in the settlement, who could bear testimony with
how much affection and concern slie sought their
welfare.
At length Mrs. Mundy was attacked with the epi
demic fever, which had raged throughout Calcutta,
and had now penetrated the districts round about.
This brought on, it is supposed, a premature con
finement. Soon after this event, the hearts of her
family and friends were filled with joy in the pros
pect of her speedy recovery ; they united in their
thanksgivings to God, and fondly anticipated a
continuance of their joy. But, alas ! soon they
had to exclaim, “Verily, thou art a God that
hidest thyself.” The song of rejoicing was ex
changed for the voice of weeping, the anticipation
of gladness gave place to the corrodings of grief ;
and the beating of grateful hearts, was paralyzed
by cold despair. Within two hours after her de
livery , death spread its awful gloom over the house,
and she calmly announced her last hour to be at
hand. The acuteness of her pain rendered conver
sation impossible ; but it was evident, from the few
expressions which dropped from her lips, that a
CHAP. VII .] INDIA . 241
holy peace reigned in her soul. She manifested
an entire subinission to the will of her heavenly
Father, and no rising doubt obscured her view of
that celestial country into which she was about to
enter. In the midst of the distressing scene, her
afflicted partner said to her, “ Oh ! my dear, my
dear Martha, you are going to leave me, what
shall I do ? ” God ," she replied, in great pain,
“ will take care of you . ” Some time after, he
said, “ My dear, do you know where you are
going ? is Jesus precious to you now? do you
feel his presence ? She answered, “ Yes .” The
same or similar questions were afterwards repeated,
to which she uniformly gave the most satisfactory
answers . When very near her end, her husband
said, “ My dear, do you know where you are ?
are you sensible of your state ? ” She opened her
eyes, but could not speak ; he then said , “ If you
are sensible of your state, and feel perfectly happy,
then make me a sign if you are unable to speak.
She then raised her hand ; and, as it fell, said with
much emphasis, “ there .” She survived the birth
of her infant only seven hours, and sweetly fell
asleep in Jesus.
Some account of Allahabad has already been
given ; the following particulars are from the
journal of Messrs. Tyerman and Bennet: - “ Here ,
we were introduced into a subterranean temple,
dedicated to an idol which we cannot name, but
which is more worshipped throughout India than
all the millions of other false gods put together.
An ancient female led the way, with a single lamp,
through a long dismal passage, about seven feet
high and six wide, at the extremity of which was
the sanctuary of abomination, literally achamber
Y
242 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. VIII.
of imagery ,' more than a hundred and twenty feet
long, and nearly half as broad. The ceiling, which
was not higher than that of the passage, was sup
ported by a very great number of square stone
pillars, in rows, forming various dreary aisles,
through which the glimuner of the lonely lamp,
casting strange black shades from all the station
ary objects, as we passed along, made darkness
visible, and peopled it with fitting phantoms.
Multitudes of images, some without heads, and
others without bodies ; and others, again , nu
tilated in various ways, ( all equally good , and all
as good as new ,) were discoverable in the recesses
of the walls, and on the floor in the spaces between
the columns ; they were of the usual sizes and
shapes, standing, sitting, and lying. At lengt?
the sibyl brought us to a place where there was
nothing to be seen but the forins of two human
feet, cut upon a flat stone. Here she set down
her lamp, and squatting herself on hier heels, by
certain very significant motions gave us to under
stand, thathere she expected to receive a gratuity
for having shown us the rarities of her dungeon
temple. Half a rupee brought a smile over der
gaunt countenance, which certainly made her ap
pear the most beautiful object among all that she
exhibited . In one corner of this noisome, dark ,
and filthy den, she pointed out to us an “ immortal
tree . It was a biforked stump, and actually had
upon it a few young and tender shoots. This was
also a god ; but, god or tree, that it could live and
grow in such an atmosphere, was beyond our
strength of faith to receive ; and we were afterwards
assured, that, when one stock decays, or ceases to
germinate, another is substituted ; and this change,
 INDIA . 243
CHAP . VII .]
though the roots of the incumbent are daily wa
tered, to keep up the semblance of vegetable life,
takes place not much seldomer than once a year.
The information was confirmed by the suspicious
appearance of a cast-away stump, of the same
kind, which we happened to spy in another part of
the temple.
“ Some idea of the prodigious multitude of pil
grims that annually visit this holy city, may be
formed , from the fact, that there are four hundred
barbers in it, who are supported , principally , by
shaving the heads of bathers in the sacred waters
of the Jumna and the Ganges ; such purification
being considered indispensable before an ablution ,
which is supposed to reach the very soul, and
cleanse it from all defilement. A small tax is
levied by the British government on each of these
strangers ; and, at festival times, the office where it
is received , and licences to bathe are issued , is
thronged with eager applicants, who grudge no
labour, suffering, or expence, that they may obtain
heaven by such means as are here required for the
purchase of it.
“ Some remarkably shocking instances of absurd
superstitious worship we saw while here . We
happened to be visiting a very handsomely stone
built temple, covered with well-executed sculptures
of their idols, holy persons, &c., in stone, of the
highest relief. In this temple are several stone
idols, representing the serpent, the cobra capella ,
or hooded snake. The largest,which represents a
serpent twelve feet long, with five heads, and the
hoods on all expanded, coiled into a sort of
Gordian knot, and very well cut, is the principal
object of worship in this temple. While we were
244 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. VIII.
looking at this stone snake, a horrid looking man ,
unclothed, rushed in , ( he was about twenty - five
years old, ) being covered with the ashes of burnt
ordure, and his huge quantity of hair matted with
mud -dust. His eyes appeared inflamed : he bowed
before the serpent, then prostrated himself, after
wards respectfully touched his head , looked fixedly
upon the serpent, prostrated himself again , then
touched it, and rushed out, as if in a paroxysm of
delight, at the thought of having worshipped this
thing ! When we got out of the temple, he
walked all round, within the veranda, and having
once more bowed at the door of the temple, he
departed with a hurried step. We cannot conceive
ofany human being having more the appearance
of a demoniac than this miserable creature, who,
nevertheless, is regarded by the poor Hindoos as
one of the holiest of men .
“ Mr. Mackintosh informed us, that in this part
of India there are now none of those suttees, of
which formerly there were many. He observed,
that he never knew instances here of infants being
exposed in trees, or thrown into the Ganges, nor of
parents brought down to the river, and having
their mouths, ears, &c. , filled with the mud of the
Ganges, left to die. But Mr. M. took us to see
some tombs of persons who had procured them
selves to be buried alive, as the most immediate
way to heaven . The last of these shocking inter
ments took place about seventy years ago. An
other horrid forin of self -murder has happily been
put down by a regulation of the government, and
the wise and firin application of it by the present
truly worthy judge and magistrate, Mr. Colvin ,
who said, he had not suffered any one to drown
CHAP. VII .] INDIA . 245

himself at the junction of the Ganges and the

Jumna ; having declared, that if any one attends
another, either with a boat, or to assist in tying on
the eartheu pots, or helps the individual to throw
himself into the river, the person or persons so
acting shall be regarded as accessary to the mur
der, and be dealt with accordingly. An instance
of this self-drowning, Mr. C. said , had not oc
curred since he has held the government of
Allahabad, nor will he tolerate either these or any
other cruelties which he can prevent. We rejoice,
also , to state, that this is the sentiment of all such
judges and magistrates as we have had intercourse
with in the diferent districts. This, in connexion
with the fact, that the shackles of caste and brah
minical domination are much and obviously weak
cning, is a subject of sincere congratulation to the
friends of humanity and piety.”
Allusion was made at the commencement of this
volume to the state of Hindoo females ; of this, the
following dialogue, between a missionary and one
of the most cultivated class, is still further il
lustrative :
Native Woman.--Where have you been since
leaving this place ( Rovil-pittagar) ? She was
told ; and immediately rejoined, “ You have a
school there ."
Missionary .-- Yes.
Nat. Wom .- It is a good thing.
N.

Miss.-- Can you read ?

Nat. Wom .- I ! no, indeed.
Miss.--Why not ? Is it a good or bad thing
among your people, not to allow women to read ?
Nat. Wom .- Oh ! I don't know . Among your
caste I know the women read ; and besides, you
Y 3
 2.16 MISSIONARY RECOrds . [CHAP. V'11.
honour them and worship them , and place them 25
your equals. But among us it is not so ; we are
scolded and ill-treated, and made to do ail kinds
of menial offices, and meet with nothing but abuse.
Miss.-That ought not to be — but it is a bad
thing not to allow women to read.
Nat. Wom . - How ! we have other things to
attend to, and what need have we of reading ?
Miss. - Have you a soul as well as we ?
Nat. Iom .-- What is that word, “ Soul ? "
[ After a little periphrasis in explaining what
was meant by the word for “ soul, ” she allowed
she had a soul. ]
Miss. - And is it not of importance you shoull
know how the soul must be saved ?
[ It was needful here again to explain what was
meant by the soul being saved. She then said, “ It
was a good thing for the soul to be saved .” ]
Miss.--Now, if you could read our true Vedam ,
(which we so call because we conceive your Vedas
to be false,) you would learn many things on this
subject ; and especially you would read of the
Lord Jesus Christ, who is a great Saviour, and
who died to remove our sins, and to reconcile us
to God .
[ Here I had to explain who Jesus Christ was,
of whom , poor woman, she had never heard ! I
had to explain how and why he died for our sins ;
and, as all was new , even to explain the word used
by christians to denote the Divine Being.)
Nat. Wom .-- After all, ( she continued ,) we have
no time ; we are soon going to die ; and it too
late to attend to these things now .
Miss.-- And when you die, where do you sup
pose you will go ?
CHAP. VII . INDIA . 247

Nat. Wom .--- Ah ! I can't tell .

Miss.-- Then that alone shows the importance
of learning to read the bible ; for it declares, that
they who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ go to
everlasting happiness ; and they who do not
believe, and die in their sins, go to endless
punishment.
Nat. Wom .--- And what is to be done ?
Miss.- Pray to God to give you his Holy Spirit .
Nat. Wom.-- ( Interrupting. ) What is that word,
Holy Spirit ?
[ The word was explained to her by a peri
phrasis ; and occasion occurred to show that the
Godhead exists in a threefold personality -- and
these three, one. ]
Miss.---To resume: you must pray to the Fa
ther to give you his Holy Spirit, to give you
power to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as a
Saviour, to change your bad heart, and to enable
you to lead a good and holy life.
Nat. Wom.--I have no memory : I cannot
remember these things.
Miss.----What ! no memory ? cannot you remem
ber so short a prayer as this :- “ Ö Heavenly
Father, give me thy Holy Spirit, give me power
to believe in Jesus Christ, give me a better heart,
and enable me to live a good life ? "
Nat. Wom .--Yes, I think I can remember that;
repeat it again .
I did so, and asked, “ Will you promise me to
say thisfrequently - every day, and several times
66
a day ?” “ Yes,” she replied, “ I give you my
promise I will ; " and , no doubt anxious to end the
conversation, added , 66 now I must go . ” She ac
cordingly departed , saying, " A good way this ;
218 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. 111 .
yeur's to a good way ! ” and repeated these wondes
till out of hearing. Would she be faithful to her
promise, of which I could have little hope, the
Lord might bless even this conversation to her
soul . And should this," says the narrator, “ fall
beneath the eye of any benevolent persons, who
yet have sympathised but little with the heathen ,
may they learn to pity those whom they have not
pitied before ! "
The protestant religion was introduced into
Chittoor, a small town, about eighty miles wesi
from Madras, by the late excellent Joseph Dacre ,
esq., one of the judges, who taught the people on
Lord's days, established schools among them , and
exerted himself in every possible way that was
calculated to do good . It is supposed he ex
pended in the cause of religion from twenty to
thirty thousand pounds. Mr. D. was instrumental
in the conversion of another judge, G. J. Waters,
esq ., who became most disinterestedly devoted to
the cause of religion, addressing the people in the
Teloogoo language, while Mr. D. spake to them
in Tamul, each holding stated meetings for in
struction in the great things of God. They were
assisted in their efforts by native teachers.
A church of native converts was formed here a
few years since by the Rev. Mr. Crisp, of Madras.
Sixty -five native members, all in the judgment of
charity decidedly pious, partook ofthe Lord's supper.
Several persons were appointed to the office of dea
cons .
Schools for boysand girls, containing about
one hundred children, were in operation ; the girls
being under the immediate superintendence ofMrs.
Dacre, who was deeply interested for their welfare.
The Rev. Mr. Jennings was appointed as aa mis
CHAP . VII .] INDIA . 249

sionary to this station in 1827 ; and, in the follow

ing year, he had to announce the deeply-lamented
death of Mr. Dacre. In reference to the close of
his career he says, " I was with him day and night,
a witness of his sufferings, and of hisfaith. Re
nouncing all self-righteousness, and all self-de
pendence, he looked to the Saviour with the same
faith and feeling of unworthiness as the penitent
malefactor on the cross; and at length enjoyed the
placid assurance of his interest in Christ, declaring
all is peace, built on the right foundation . On
6
one occasion , he said, ' I have preached Christ
with all the powers of my soul, and now He alone
is my confidence. Jesus,' (assuming the language
of prayer ), ' I have sinned against thee ! I have
dishonoured thee ! but thou art still my hope.
And wilt thou now let me go ? Canst thou let
me go ? No ! Thy mercy is a sea of boundless
love !' On another occasion, he remarked , alluding
probably to the ungenerous and unjust construction
which was too frequently put on his motives, ‘ Had
any one asked , for the last seventeen, I think I
may say, twenty years , what had been the object
I had chiefly in view, I could have answered, by
divine grace, without hesitation --- The glory of
God ; an important judgment for the conscience to
pass on itself, in the prospect of immediately
standing at the bar of God. During his illness,
he was sometimes elirious ; but even then his
remarks were interesting, as manifesting the state
of his heart. His funeral took place by torchlight;
and was attended by a great multitude of natives,
as well heathen as christian . He died where he
wished to die, in the rooin which he appropriated
250 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. YII.
for divine worship, and where he had incessantly
taught numbers how to live, and how to die. He
was buried in a spot pointed out by himself,
between the graves of two Europeans, to wbose
conversion God had made him instrumental.
In every point of view this distinguished christian
philanthropist appears to advantage. His personal
piety produced a remarkable decision of character;
and , in order to enjoy as much retirement and
devotion as his active life would permit, he in
variably rose at the early hour of four every morn
ing. As a public servant, he was known as “ a
terror to evil doers, and a praise to thein that de
well. " His concern for the salvation of the heathen
was intense. He established schools, procured
christian catechists, preached the gospel, conversed
with all the natives with whom he had intercourse,
(commonly with tears in his eyes,) on the great
subjects of religion, circulated the scriptures and
religious books ; in fine, did every thing which a
heart overflowing with love to God and man , could
suggest. Though he was much imposed on by
artſul men , who took advantage of his benevolent
solicitude, yet, surely, he cannot have altogether
laboured in vain ; for, at his death , he left not fewer
than four hundred natives at Chittoor, including
children, distinguished by the name of christians.
To many of his countrymen , too, he was made
useful, some of whom have fallen asleep, but others
remain yet to bless the world .
He remarked, on the arrival of Mr. Jennings,
that his work was done ; and in this he was correct,
but little did he think that this promising mis
sionary would speedily follow him to the tomb.
CHAP . VII .] INDIA . 251

Yet so it was : he died in peace, universally re

spected and loved . Before his death , he had the
satisfaction to witness the completion of many
arrangements for the stability and advancement of
the mission . By the liberality of several persons,
and especially ofMr: Waters, à convenientmission
house had been provided , situated on a piece of
land,which the latter generously gave to the society.
A mission chapel has also been opened . Two
native teachers labour at this station : the schools
are improving, and the native christians are fre
quently visited.
At Combooconum some native teachers have
been employed as readers ; the following paragraphs
are taken from the journal of the Inverkeithing's
reader :
“ I addressed some of my neighbours, who were
assembled together, and showed them that the
homage paid by them to images is a reproach to
the holy name of God , &c., wbo is the Lord of all
creatures. I exhorted thein to believe the gospel,
and showed them , that the despisers of it would be
condemned . When I read a tract, a young man
present derided, and another seemed to listen with
more attention, but he doubted the truth of future
rewards and punishments. I observed, that kings
and governors never suffer their laws to be broken
without punishing the offenders, much less will
God pass ove the evil and good actions of his
creatures.
“ Discoursing with aa bazaar man on the heinous
sin of idolatry, telling him that all men are sinners,
and that the rites and ceremonies of the heathen
could not take away sin, he seemed to listen with
very little interest, and asked me a number of vain.
252 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. VIII .
questions. I offered him a tract, which he declined
to receive, saying, that he had no time to read.
After leaving this place, I fell in with several
people, who, to my surprise , listened with great
attention . One asked, how sins were to be par
doned. I, of course, spoke of the Lamb of God
which taketh away woman
the sins of the world ; a
likewise was very attentive. It was an interesting
meeting to me, and I hope to them . I left them
with an earnest exhortation to embrace the gospel,
which had been explained to them , observing, the
time past was long enough for them to have re
mained in darkness.
“ As the schoolmaster of Karupoor was reciting
the poems of an ancient monk on the vanity of the
world, and the misery of those who seek it in pre
ference to the eternal God, I explained to him that
weare by nature ignorant of our heavenly Father;
and though we might hear or read good moral
instruction, yet our corrupt nature is averse to
follow it, and that the holy Christ must renew
our minds by his grace. I exhorted him and his
family to embrace the gospel.
6
“ Hereafter , he
said, ' that must be done.'
* Two or three persons were sitting together and
hearing a heathen story read ; when they had done,
I asked them what instruction they obtained from
what they had been hearing. They replied, that
it was an account of a giant who was a great mur
derer, and when he could not contend successfully
with a stronger giant, he fell at his feet, and im
plored pardon, which was granted. So we must
pardon those who beg for it, and fall at our feet.
I asked if the book told any thing about the holy
attributes of God, atonement for sin, &c. ; they
CHAP. VII .] INDIA . 253

said, “ If the book was attentively read, it would

explain also these things. I acknowledged there
were some good moral lessons found in some of
their books, but they also contained many immoral
things, such as the theſts and adulteries of Krishnu,
Seeva, &c. Besides, the heathens were very guilty
of making indecent pictures, to assist men's cor
rupt minds to do evil . These things undid all
that was good in their religion, and led men to
eternal destruction. As we were discoursing, the
number of persons gradually increased. One man
replied in favour of idolatry with much noise and
warmth. I proceeded to show them that idolatry
was the root of all evil, and a great dishonour to
the God of heaven ; and mentioned the love of
God , in giving up his Son to be the Saviour of
sinners. They contended that the idols were re
presentatives of God, as the dewan (prime minister )
represents the king. One man put his hand on
his breast, saying, God is here,' meaning that the
soul is God. Others said, ' Idolatry is supported
because many obtain their living thereby. I men
tioned several things to point out the vanity of their
customs , as to which they were silent.
“ Some of the heathen boys, in one of the
schools, asked for tracts to read to their parents ,
which I gave them , with advice to read them
carefully.
“ I examined the Karupoor scholars, in Dr.
Watts's First Catechism , and explained to them the
signification of some words which they did not
understand , particularly that God was a spirit. I
conversed with them concerning idolatry, and asked
them whether it was proper to compare the God
who is a spirit, to idols, male and female deities,
Z
254 NISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. VIII.
& c. The boys answered , ' No.' Then , I said,
why do you worship these idols with your parents ?
The boys answered, that they ought to follow the
customs of their forefathers, and have such images,
to be conforned to the world.
“ I met a man at Karupoor school , who told
me that he wished to become a christian, on pur
pose to get a living, because his hard labour was
quite insufficient to maintain his family. I said ,
that he was not to be commended for forsaking
the customs of his forefathers, and embracing an
other religion, merely for a living, instead of seeking
eternal happiness for his soul. Moreover, he
spoke some immodest words ; then I advised him
not to speak so . He replied , that even christians,
who are long acquainted with christianity , speak
as badly as the ignorant heathens do. I told him
true christians would not do so .
“ I conversed with a respectable old man at the
English school-room , who was present at the
examination of the scholars, concerning the parable
of our Lord respecting the unfruitful fig -tree, and
asked him whether he ever seriously reflected on
his past lite. He said, that, from his infancy ,
his life was unspotted. I repeated the Ten Com
whether
mandments to him , and inquired of him acknow
he had perfectly obeyed them . He then
ledged he was guilty of idolatry , and other sins.
I advised him to pray that the Lord would en
lighten his understanding, which was entirely
clouded by heathenish superstition, that he might
discern between good and evil .”
Mr. Mead appends to the preceding extracts the
following remarks :
“ The readers are all, I trust, pious young men ,
 1.]
CHAP. VIII. INDIA . 255

and have been under the care of different inission

aries, either as seminarists or catechists. The
Inverkeithing reader is the most experienced in
religious knowledge and piety. All of them are
acquainted with the rudiments of the English lan
guage, and devote some time daily to improve
themselves farther in it. I meet them most even
ings in the week, when they are at home, and
explain the scriptures, receive their reports, and
give them such advice as appears necessary, from
what passes daily in their intercourse with the
heathen. They are pursuing theological studies
on the plan of the ' Assembly's Catechism,' the
translation of which into Tamul I have just finished ;
it has undergone many revisions, and I hope it
has advanced to a degree of improvement that will
enable the Tamulian to understand that excellent
form of sound words.' ”
The preceding extracts show the simplicity of
their node of teaching their fellow -countrymen
the truths of the gospel.
256 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. IX.

CHAPTER IX .

Change effected by various means. - Native

Reader's. --- Account of a Gun Lascar.--Death
of a Native Convert.-- Hindoo Predictions.--
Speech of Mr. Hands.-- The aged • Christian,
Gooroopal .---Importance of Family Prayer.-
Gooroopal's Grandson .--- A Briton converted
in India.--Sketch of the Convert, Alexander
Effects produced by a Tract.--State of Mis
sions in India, by Mr. Mundy. — The Tamul
Tract Society - The Scriptures valued at Surat.
----- Accounts of Native Readers, by themselves.
--Spirit of Persecutio.in Travancore.-- Cheer
ing Intelligence from carutta,
By the concurrent testimony of all ranks and
parties, the change for the better in India, since
ihe beginning of the nineteenth century, has been
surprisingly great, both as it respects the manzers
and practices of natives and Europeans. Worldiy,
irreligious persons acknowledge the change, and
confess it has been a good thing to have such an
increase of clergymen and churches in different
parts of Bengal, the Upper Provinces, &c. The
irnly seriousand intelligently observant part of
society here, see and acknowledge that this re
markable amelioration has resulted from the divine
Providence having disposed the minds ofchristians
to send out so inany pious and devoted mission
aries, of the different protestant denominations,
who have borne a steady, faithful, and scriptural
testimony against vice and ignorance , whether in
7
CHAP. IX.] INDIA . 257

natives or Europeans, and in favour of truthi and

piety. This has also been very greatly aided by
the faithful labours of many of the clergy, who did
not go out as missionaries, but whose zeal for the
diffusion of divine truth amongst the heathen , is
most pleasingly displayed.
The degree of union, and disposition to co
operate in works of piety and benevolence, which
exists in India, has very much strengthened the
hands of all christian parties, and increased the
friends of each . And if this spirit of christian union
continue and increase, it must very greatly aid
the progress of gospel-truth and holiness through
these regions, and proportionably tend to disarm
Satan of some of his more formidable weapons .
Among the means of doing good just adverted
lo, native teachers hold no inconsiderable place ;
and, within the last few years, many benevolent
persons in this country have engaged to contribute
to the support of certain individuals, to whom are
given the names of some whom they highly
venerate and love . Some brief sketches of a few
of these cannot be unacceptable.
Samuel Stephenson Greatheed was one of the
first that made a profession of christianity in
Travancore. He was employed by Mr. Ringel
taube as a catechist ; and the management of the
mission, at his departure, was left in his hands.
His knowledge of the word of God is considerable;
but that it is the power of God to salvation to
every one that believes, he has not till lately felt.
The preaching of the word appears to have been
the means of effecting an impoitant change in his
views . The doctrine of salvation through the
blood of Clirist greatly affects him , and the
z 3
258 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. IX.
preaching of it frequently melts him into tears.
His reports are becoming more interesting. The
disorderly conduct of the professing people around
him , seems to be a source of grief to him , espe
cially the violation of the Lord's day , -- a sin that
prevails to a mournful extent among the people
at Mayilandy, where he is employed . They have
imbibed very loose ideas on this subject, as well as
on many others of vital importance, which has
greatly retarded the work , and to counteract the
bad eflects of which is a most difficult task. There
is a pleasing circumstance connected with his
labours that must not be omitted . An aged person ,
of some influence in the country, has, for a coll
siderable time, listened with much interest to his
instructious, and has appeared at times deeply im
pressed ; but his family connexions have hiiherto
prevented him from making an open profession of
his sentiments.
James Clark is also aa native of Mayilaudy, and
was employed by Mr. Ringeltaube to superintend
the cultivation of the mission fields. He is a per
son of superior abilities, and his knowledge of the
scriptures is extensive. To this may be added ,
that his conduct is correct, and, it is hoped , he has
a sense of the evil nature of sin, and of the neces
sity of the blood of Christ to take away its defile
ment. The congregation has greatly increased by
his labours.
Charles Seymour. — The first person who was
called by this name possessed good natural abili
ties, and a very amiableHe
him to all around him .
temper, which endeared
was suddenly called
from his labours on earth , it is hoped, to his reward
in heaven , His successor is truly devoted to his
CHAP. IX.] INDIA . 259

work, and so consistent in his walk, that his neigh

bours, who do not like his religion, are constrained
to speak well of him . He has no particular con
gregation under his care, but visits the principal
ones in the western district, to exhort the readers
in those stations to a more diligent discharge of
their duties ; to encourage the younger part of the
congregation to study the scriptures, and the dis
courses given them by the Travancore Tract
Society ; to exhort all to a walk and conversation
becoming the gospel, andto ascertain particularly
what progress they make from month to month .
John Clapham is esteemed among the heathen
on account of being of high caste. He made a
profession of christianity in the year 1819, and
has remained steadfast to the present time. He is
a person of considerable energy of mind, and has
been the principal means of raising two or three
small congregations. In many instances , he has
afforded great assistance to the people, by main
taining their rights, and vindicating their conduct
from misrepresentation . To accomplish this object,
the dewan of Travancore allows him free access to
him at all times. His more particular charge is
the small congregation at Paenguddy.
John Oldfield . - The first person who was called
by this name, changed his office for one of a more
lucrative nature under the circar. However, he is
not like many, who, for the sake of ce, exchange
their religion . He continues his attendance on
the preaching of the gospel ; and, it is hoped ,
appreciates its value. The person who now bears
this name demolished his idols in 1821 , and since
that period has exerted himself with great zeal in
and has been the meansof bringing
a better canse ,
260 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. ix .
many families under the sound of the gospel , that
otherwise might have remained to the present tiine
devoted worshippers of the evil spirit.
Henry Martyn, aged about fifty, died suddenly
at Eranici. He retired to rest in the evening
in good health, but was found the next morn
ing a corpse. He was a man of a studious and
contemplative turn of mind , which was directed
to the study of the scriptures, in an acquaintance
with which he had in a short time made much
progress. He had to contend with much opposi
tion, on account of his religion, from the heathen,
but more especially from some branches of his own
family ; which , like his divine Master, he bore
with much patience, till he was called to his
reward .
Richard Knill.— The first person that was called
by this name was a native of Tanjore, who removed
thither with his family in 1822. The person now
so designated is a young man of good moral cha
racter, acquainted with the scriptures, and has
appeared at times to be deeply affected under the
preaching of the word. Tittavilly is the sphere of
his labour, called by Mr. Knill, in his account of
the congregation in Travancore, “ The earthly
paradise .”
Rowland Hill is a native of Tanjore, and re
ceived a christian education under the missionaries
at that place. As he is a person of high caste and
good address, he has been principally employed
among the heathen in the towns and villages con
tiguous to Nagercoil , in many of which a man of
lower caste would not be able to gain a hearing.
Thousands, by his means, have been warned to
flee from the wrath to come, and pointed to the
CHAP . IX.] INDIA . 261

Lamb of God , who taketh away the sin of the

world . Many hundreds of tracts are also silently
repeating the same thing, which he has had abun
dant opportunities of distributing among all classes
of people. O that the seed thus sown may spring
up, and bring forth fruit to the glory of God !
Charles Noel Welman . - The first person thus
designated, had been educated among the Roman
catholics, but beingmuch impressed by reading the
New Testament, he renounced the errors of popery,
and seemed zealous for the propagation of his
new tenets . But, I am very sorry to say ,” says
66

Mr. Mault, “ (for there were many pleasing traits

in his character,) he sunk into a state of slothfulness,
a

out of which it was impossible to arouse him ; and

he manifested such a particular objection to pursue
a course of studies with the other readers, that we
were compelled to discharge him . The young
man now employed,has enjoyed some advantages
in the seminary at Palamcotta, under the care of
our much esteemed friends , the Lutheran mis
sionaries. He is a person of an amiable temper,
diligent in his work, and particularly attentive to
the instructions given him . Vadah hankollum in
Tinnevilly, and the large districts by which it is
surrounded, are the scenes of his labour. A few
have lately been added to the congregation
there."
Edward Parsons is brother to the reader John
Oldfield ; he embraced the christian religion in the
year 1820, from which time he regularly attended
on the means of grace , and made such attainments
in christian knowledge, as to induce us to select
him for aa reader at the time when our number was
auginented. He was employed for a considerable
262 MISSIONARY RECORDS , [CHAP. IX.
time at Mundekadı , and had charge of the con
gregation there. But as persons possessing some
knowledge and experience of the christian religion
were greatly wanted among the new congregations
towards Trevanderam , he has lately been stationed
at Coolootoory, abont half way between this and
Trevanderam , near to the public road .
Peter Roe enjoyed the advantage of our semi
nary for nearly two years, and during that period
manifested a teachable disposition, and some pleas
ing indications that our labours were not in vain .
His parents, who knew of no advantages but those
connected with things present, after many efforts,
succeeded in enticing him away from the school .
The young man was not inactive while at home,
but exerted himself to induce his parents to attend
on the means of grace. They came, and for a
time manifested much zeal for the new religion ;
but, in the hour of temptation, fell away, to the
great grief of their son , who, though alternately
allured and threatened to forsake the christian
religion , remained steadfast. He was appointed
to his present situation a few months ago, at
Mathavelly, where he is very active, particularly
in catechising the people. Several additions have
been made recently to the congregation.
It may be proper to remark, that the business
of the native teachers is to read the scriptures,
and to teach the catechisms to those people who
have made a profession of christianity in the vil
lages where they respectively reside, and to travel
to the towns and villages around , to invite the
heathen to forsake their idolatry and sins, and to ,
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they may be
saved , and to distribute tracts among the heathen
CHAP. IX. ] INDIA . 263

and others who are able to read them , and willing

to receive them . That this plan, wherever suitable
instruments can be obtained, is admirably adapted
to propagate the gospel, will appear to every
person acquainted with the state of society in
India. Indeed, some of the simple facts stated in
the preceding pages are sufficient to recommend it
to general notice .
The following is an interesting communication
from the Rev. W. Crow :
“ It will give the directors pleasure to learn,that
for several inontlis previous to my leaving Quilon ,
à Gun -Lascar, named Poonyan, of the Hon. East
India Company's service, and formerly a heathen ,
had been under a course of instruction, with a. view
to christian baptism . From his own account it
appears, that, by reading a book some years ago, in
the Tamul language, which was translated or com
posed by a missionary, he was faintly impressed
with the folly of idolatry, and had ever since
relaxed in his attention to its rites. This im
pression seems to have been considerably strength
ened by the perusal of a tract given to him when
passing through Nagercoil about six months prior
to his coming to me, Though convinced of the
absurdity of idolatry, I found him but slightly im
pressed with a sense of sin, totally ignorant of the
way of salvation, and cleaving to his own obe
dience as the ground of acceptance before God .
I endeavoured to lead him to a view of his state of
ruin as a sinner, the inefliciency of unaided human
exertions, and pointed him to the Lamb of God,
which taketh away the sins of the world .' His
progress in christian knowledge was remarkably
rapid, and he shortly appeared to have obtained a
264 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP, 1x.
clear and consistent view of the way of a sinner's
reconciliation to God . The atonement, as exem
plifying the Divine benevolence, of all other doc
trines, always seemed most to interest and affect
his heart. The feeling and earnestness he evinced ,
and the regularity of his attendance at themission
house, appeared to indicate sincerity, while, as far
as I could ascertain , he had nothing to expect
from becoming a christian , except the scorn and
reproaches of his comrades . I procured for hiin a
New Testainent, which he usually made his com
panion. On one occasion, looking at the scrip
tures, he said, with a countenance of joy, “ I could
feed on them ; signifying thereby, the high value
he placed upon them .
“ As the time of my departure from Quilon
drew near, and being not only fully satisfied of his
sincerity, but having strong reasons to believe that
he had been brought under the power of Divine
grace, it was with great pleasure and delight I
administered to him and his infant the ordinance
of baptism , by means of which they were brought
over from the side of heathenism , and received
within the pale of christianity. This solemn and
interesting service took place publicly, amidst a
small congregation of natives and descendants of
Europeans, on the 18th of December last, being
the sabbath previous to my bidding the scene of
my labours and anxieties a final farewell. I gave
him the name of John Carter, in affectionate
remembrance of him whom it pleased the Lord to
inake the instrument of good to my own soul ; and
to his infant daughter, the name of Mary. His
wife was present during the whole of the ceremony,
and the deepest interest and solemnity were de
CHAP . IX.] INDIA . 265

picted in his countenance, while the tear of grati

tude was seen starting from his eye. The follow
ing circumstance appears to me a strong presump
tive proof of his sincerity, and of his determination
to follow the Lord fully.
“ As it had always been my custom , in my
interviews with him , to dwell upon important
truths, he had sca ly had his attention at all
directed to non -essential things ; but early in the
morning of the day on which he was to be bap
tized, he came to me to inquire whether it was
not necessary, before he received baptism , to cut
off his long hair, to take out his ear-rings, and his
child's nose jewel, and to strip himself of other
heathen ornaments. I replied, that it would be
suitable to do so, but that he might see that I
exercised no power over him in these respects, I
referred him to the following passages of scrip
ture : 1 Cor. xi . 14 ; 1 Pet. iii. 3 , 4 ; Isa. iii . 18,
&c . These passages seemed to have their full
and immediate effect upon him. He hastened
home, cut off his hair, stripped himself and his
child of every jewel, and in a short time returned
with his wife and infant, anxious to testify his
adherence to the cause of truth and piety. By
those who are acquainted with the superstitious
attachment of the heathens here to their jewels,
long hair, & c., this circumstance, though in itself
trivial, will be considered indicative of a deter
mination to renounce every vestige of heathenism .
He also informed me of his intention to remove
his dwelling from those of the heathens by whom
he was surrounded, to a more retired spot, where
he might enjoy devotional exercises, free from
their noise and intrusion ; and that he would
2 A
266 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. IX.
endeavon , as soon as his little girl was of sufficient
age, to get hier into a female mission school, that
she might be removed from the temptations of vice
and corrupt example, and enjoy the privilege of
religion and education. Many other pleasing
circumstances might be mentioned corroborative
of his sincerity and decision, would time permit.
We felt much grieved to part from him , and had
there been nothing else, our regard for him would.
alone have formed a bond of strong attachment to
Quilon . I commend him to the care of Him who
is able to uphold him , and make him endure to
the end, and I hope to meet him “ as iny joy and 97

crown of rejoicing at the day of the Lord Jesus.'

In 1828, the Rev. Mr. Reeve states, that a
member of the native church at Bellary entered
into his rest. Throughout a severe and protracted
aflliction , his deportment and temper were con
sistent and exemplary. On being asked where his
hopes for eternity were founded, he replied, “ Lord,
to whoin shall we go ? Thou hast the words of
eternal life ? ” And added , “ For me to live is
Christ, and to die is gain .” In a season of acute
pain and great exhaustion, he dilated with apparent
delight on the cheering invitation , - Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden , and I
will give you rest.” Referring to his distressing
affliction , he said, “ The Lord Jesus Christ en
dured scorn and reproach , and at last the shame
ful death of the cross, for the salvation of sinners ;
and surely it becomes me to be patient under suf
fering !” When about to depart, he observed
that all fear of death had been removed , and that
he was willing to receive the inessage , 66
The
Master is come, and calleth for thee ! ” His last
CHAP. ix.] INDIA . 267

moments were employed in prayingfor the grace

to be brought at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
What a delightful instance of usefulness is this !
In the knowledge of divine things, and in the
peace and hope which were thus displayed, we see
the operation of that God who teacheth to profit,
and who alone can tranquillize and animate the
soul. The widow of the departed is a very con
sistent member of the church.
Such cases as these increase in interest when
contrasted with the state of the multitude around .
During the ravages of the cholera morbus, pre
dictions and apprehensions arose, of which Mr.
Campbell says, “ While entreating the heathen to
take refuge in Christ, it is lamentable to hear them
6
reply, “ Mariam ' a most infamous goddess, is
angry with us. She has sent her hosts to destroy
our city ; and we must appease her by sacrifices,
by offerings, by entertaining strangers, and by
charitable deeds ; and thus, by supplying her with
p
plenty of food, constrain her to depart.' At re
sent, two of their prophets are going through the
country, saying, the present dynasty is at an end.
' Veeruvasuntarayana,—the last incarnation of
Vishnoo, will speedily be born. At his coming,
three-fourths of men will be destroyed, and only
one -fourth survive : and all these judgments are
sent to prepare his way, and are only the forerun
ners of greater desolations. In that day a golden
goddess shall be born : such will be her beauty and
attractions, that they will prove the bane of man
kind : the worship and adoration she will receive
:

in one kingdom , will bring down upon it the ire

and thunders of a more powerful kingdom , till the
earth becomes a desert and a wilderness.' It is
268 MISSIONARY RECORDS , CHAP. IX .
certainly a strange coincidence, that, at a time in
which the christian church is animated with the
most glowing prospects, the heathen should thus
expect a revolution which is to purify the world.”
Active efforts are still made . The native
christians have, of their own accord, and at their
own expense, erected a convenient place of wor
ship, capable of accommodating upwards of a
hundred persons; The native church consists of
twenty -five members. A Canarese seminary has
been established , which has been recently joined
by a candidate for missionary labour, who is now
а.

usefully einploved.
From a most interesting and affecting address
delivered by Mr. Ilands, of Bellary, at the annual
meeting in 1829, the following extracts are
made :
" When I was about to leave Bellary, though
very ill, I could not deny myself the gratification
of visiting the neighbouring schools ; at one of
them I said to the masters, ' I am about to leave
you, and to return to my own country. After I
had addressed them for some time, and offered up
a solemn prayer, I said to them , -- For many
years this school has been kept up, and one of us
has constantly visited you : tell me, then , what
:

fruit have we gathered ? Not one real christian

has been added unto us from among you ! I am
now returning to the friends who sent me to ou ,
and who will ask me what I have done. What,
then , shall I say of your village ? ' The poor
men looked me earnestly in the face ; and the
principal of them at length said , Tell them , sir,
that the harvest is nearly ripe.' And I do say so
to you , my dear friends, the harvest is nearly ripe.
 x.]
CHAP . IX . INDIA . 269

All we want is more missionaries, more schools,

more funds. The people of India have set you a
good example : may God enable you to imitate
them ! I rejoice to tell you , that at Bellary alone
we raised, in one year, six hundred pounds; and
this is a considerable sum , taking into account the
sınall number of christians who reside there ; and
I believe the sums collected in this country bear
no proportion to it. O, may the example stimu
late you to exertion !
" I rejoice in being able to inform you, that the
influence of the brahmins is tottering in the East,
and that they no longer maintain the hold they
once possessed over the Indian princes : they are
now an ignorant, a degraded, and a despised race.
The very last time that I beheld a great Indian
festival, I was addressing the words of life to the
people, when I saw a number of persons ad
vancing with a great noise, bearing a palanquin
which contained one of their gods : they approached
the place where I was sitting ; one of them looked
up , and observing me, said to his fellows, " There
is the padre ! We will not pass this way, lest he
should curse us ! They knew well enough that
it was not my practice to curse them , or to curse
any one, but they were ashamed that I should see
them with their idol .
“ One evening in the course of the last year,
during an abominable feast, wliich is even now
kept up, I was disturbed by a great noise round a
shop at some distance froin me ; and, perceiving a
large crowd near it, I went out to see what was
the inatter. As soon as I arrived, a veil was sud
denly drawn over something that was concealed
within . I asked the people what they were doing
2 A 3
270 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. ix .
there, and what was the meaning of the veil. They
said they were celebrating the feast of love. * Of
4

love, ' I exclaimed ; say rather of lust. Can I

not see what it is ? ' No, they replied , we
should be ashamed to let you see it. At this
time a number of fathers and mothers were stand
ing by. I said , “ I will see it ;' when one of the
crowd drew aside the curtain , and I beheld a most
appalling sight, that filled my soul with horror ,
such abomination as I had never before witnessed !
I then said , “ I wish you would give me that.'
They refused. I again requested it, but they
again refused. At last I said , ' I will not go away
without it, so you must give it me.' Then one of
the persons went up to the place, took the abomi
nable idol , and put it into my hands. I then said,
My friends ! I do not like to interfere with your
customs ; but you know , as well as I do , how much
this is calculated to injure, destroy you : may I
break it in pieces ? One of the party replied that
I might ; on which I did so, and trampled it under
my feet. I then addressed them upon the awful
consequences of worshipping their idol , and be
sought them to turn to that Saviour, of whom they
had often heard ; and I trust that the address was
not without effect, but that it has produced lasting
and happy consequences."
An aged native christian , named Gooroopah,
died in 1829 . Every time I visited him ," says
Mr. Reeve, “ I was much struck with his patience,
calmness, composure, and resignation. On being
asked, if it should appear the will of God to call
him now from time into eternity, whether he was
prepared for his great change, he replied, “ I hope
SO .
I am very anxious to go and see my Lord
CHAP . IX.] INDIA . 271

Jesus Christ, who loved me so much as to come

into this world, and shed his blood for me on the
cross, that my sins might be pardoned .' When,
6
at another time, the question was asked, “ Is your
mind still fixed on the Saviour ? ' He answered ,
• Certainly, my dear teacher, it is ; I am waiting
for Him . When questioned as to the grounds of
his hope, he said , ' I expect to be saved only
through the merits of Jesus Christ.' When
referring to the situation of his family after his
removal, he observed , “ If they continue to seek
that holy God who is on their side, they will have
no occasion to be afraid . At another time he
said, I thank God my mind is happy. I have
only another day to spend on earth : then I shall
be released from all sickness and pains, and
enter into that blessed place where all sorrows will
be for ever done away . ”
His conduct, during seven years which elapsed
since his baptism , was quite unimpeachable. He
At family prayer
could neither write nor read. ,
one of his grandsons read the scriptures; after
which, the venerable man , in simplicity and hu
mility, presented appropriate petitions to the
throne of grace. Nor is it improbable that, in
this respect, he condemns some whose eyes may
pass over this page. Reader ! has He who
setteth the solitary in families thus distinguished
you, and have you no domestic altar ? Then
have you not learned to show forth “ piety at
home. “ The principal part of family religion,"
says archbishop Tillotson , “ is prayer, every morn
ing and evening, and reading some portion of
scripture ; and this is so necessary to keep alive a
sense of God and religion in the minds of men ,
272 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. IX
that when it is neglected, I do not see how any
family can , in reason, be esteemed a family of
christians ; or , indeed, have any religion at all."
It is high time for you to awake out of sleep, and
to care for the souls of those around you. No
excuse for neglect or delay can be admissible.
All objections arising from a supposed want of
ability are obviated by the means for conducting
the devotion of your family, which are within your
G
reach . Let then your language be, “ As for me and
my house, we will serve the Lord ! "
A grandson of Gooroopah's has recently died.
His views of his character and condition as a
sinner, of the necessity of an atonement, and of
the suitableness of Christ's sacrifice, seem to have
been very clear and scriptural. His faith and
love were steady ; his resignation under affliction
exemplary ; while he appeared willing to depart
and be with Christ. This is the fourth of the
family who lias died in the faith . His mother
was eminently pious; and his grandmother, like
her husband, lived consistently, and died rejoicing
in hope of the glory of God.
Several labourers have been , and are engaged in
this field , where a dew from the Lord has very ma
nifestly fallen . Samuel Flavel conducts the Tamul
services with constancy and beneficial effects. In
one place he has encountered much opposition
from the Roman Catholics, who are there very
numerous . Snares have been laid for him , and
many devices employed to deter him from con
tinuing his labours ; but he has persevered , and
the opposition has been recently less violent.
In an address at the anniversary ineeting, in
1830, another striking fact, in reference to Bellary ,
CHAP. IX. ] INDIA . 273

was thus given by the Rev. D. Stuart. as Just

before I left Dublin, your missionary, Mr. Hands,
had visited Ireland, as the representative of your
society. He was some time in Dublin ; and at a
public meeting held in that city, at which he was
president, he was accosted by a captain Stewart,
from Bellary. They had not seen each other
from the period that they separated in India, and
had only that morning met each other after their
return , • Oh !' said captain Stewart, do you
remember the little solitary spot, surrounded by
shrubs and trees that concealed us from view,
when you and I disputed, inch by inch , the doc
trines of the gospel ?' ' Yes ,' replied Mr. Hands,
• I did not then think that I should conquer , but
I knew who would ; and how do I rejoice to meet
you in Ireland as a brother in the gospel !' There
is an instance of the triumph of the gospel in
Hindostan ! Is it not an encourageinent to us
who aresurrounded by the light of the gospel in
England ? Here is a man who was proof against
the gospel at home, but he was carried half across
the globe, and there he received the truth in the
love of it, and came away to be an instance of its
power, to be a monument on which is inscribed ,
6
By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
The following interesting instance of the success
of Samuel Flavel is taken from a paper in “ the
Missionary Annual, ” by the Rev. J. Reid .
In 1819 he was residing for a short time at
Mysore, and occupying himself in preaching the
gospel to his heathen countrymen in that city.
While engaged in distributing some portions of
the scriptures and some tracts , Crishuppa, the son
274 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. IX,
of a very respectable brahmin , who held the re
sponsible situation of accountant of his village,
proinpted by curiosity , came and requested a part
of the New Testament.
His wish was gratified, and in the history of the
Saviour he discovered a singular purity and ex
cellent beauty, which presented a striking con
trast to the polluted, frivolous, and degrading tales,
of which the professedly sacred writings of the
heathen were chiefly composed, and hence he be
came deeply impressed by its claims to Divine in
spiration . Still, in this new revelation, there were
inany difficulties which he could not solve, mys
teries which he was unable to comprehend, and, as
he more minutely examined them , their magnitude
appeared to increase. He saw, also, that the re
ception of the scriptures would require the total
rejection of the books received by his forefathers,
and that this would be attended with shame, per
secution , and suffering. But, with his mind reso
lutely set on the investigation of truth , at whatever
cost, and with the hope that his difficulties would
be reinoved , he went from place to place, inquiring
for the person who gave him the book, naturally
expecting to obtain from him the information he
desired .
Not succeeding in his attempts, he was recom
inended, by some of his villagers, to the Roinau
Catholic priest at Seringapatam , and earnestly
solicited his assistance. The priest told him that
the removal of his perplexity was not the work of
a day, and that he was not well acquainted with
the native languages, but that if he would accom
pany him to Pondicherry, whither he was about 10
proceed , he would instruct him as far as his abili.
 INDIA . 275
CHAP. IX .]
ties should serve , and that he would there meet
with persons, who would explain the book to him
more fully in his own language. He did not he
sitate, but relinquished his situation, and set out
for Pondicherry.
During the journey the priest embraced every
opportunity of insinuating the doctrines of the
papal church; taught him several prayers to dif
ferent saints, and to the Virgin Mary, and endea
voured to shake his faith in the authority of the
word of God , by occasionally suggesting further
difficulties. The gospel of Christ, in the expla
nation of which the young brahmin was chiefly
interested, formed no part of his instructions.
Not satisfied with this, on arriving at Pondi
cherry, he urged instruction on the points by
which he was perplexed , when the priest, after
striving for a long time to divert him froin his
olject, and finding his anxiety for the interpreta
tion of the scriptures increasing, plainly told him
that he had nothing to do with the bible ; that it
lay under the curse of the pope of Rome, and that
the way to get to heaven was to believe what he
had been endeavouring to teach him . Thus de
ceived and disappointed, he returned to his father's
house, but said nothing to his relations as to the
uneasiness of his mind , or the book that occasioned
it, but kept it in a private place, and frequently
retired to examine it in secret.
Some time after, he accidentally observed a por
tion of the scriptures in the possession of one of
his acquaintances ; and on finding that it was like
the one he had received, he inquired whence it
had been procured. Being informed that some
missionaries at Bangalore had given the book , and
276 MISSIONARY Records . [ CHAP. IX ,
that it contained the doctrines which they preached,
he immediately set out for Bangalore , accompanied
by a younger brother. On reaching the mission
house, they were received with joy and kindness
by Mr. Laidler and Samuel Flavel, and immedi
ately entered on the object of their visit. For
eight successive days, from very early in the morn
ing till late at night, Samuel and the young brah
min were engaged in diligently and prayerfully
searching the scriptures; the one producing his
difficulties and objections, and seeking, with much
meekness, instruction upon the points which he
did not comprehend ; the other endeavouring, with
simplicity and faithfulness, to unfold the inysteries
of Divine truth , and to clear away the obstacles to
its reception into the heart. By them both the sea
son will be had in everlasting remembrance. To
the one it afforded inuch encouragement, as in it
he was honoured to be the instrument of saving a
soul from death ; to the other, it yielded essential
and lasting benefit, as it is hoped he was converted
to God .
He became convinced of the inspiration and
Divine authority of the word of God. His be
nighted understanding was enlightened by the
spirit of wisdom and revelation. He saw his guilt,
helplessness, and misery ; the utter insufficiency
of his own ( poonia ) meritorious works, to recom
mend him to the favour of the true God ; the folly
and sin of idol worship ; the impossibility of sal
vation by any of the various means on which his
fathers had fixed their hopes ; and under the in
fluence of these convictions, he looked to the only
Saviour of sinners, the suitableness of whose work ,
the efficacy of whose merit, and ' the power of
 INDIA . 277
CHIAP. 1x .]
whose grace, had been recommended to his regard,
and impressed upon his heart. He became a re
gular attendant on the means of instruction , and
lived in the habitual exercise of private prayer.
After the lapse of a short time, having expressed
an earnest desire to make a public profession of
his faith in Christ, he and his brother, to whom
the conversations had also been made useful , were
baptized and admitted into church fellowship,
throwing off the brahminical thread , and all the
other outward marks of his caste , at the same
time with the inward prejudices of heathenism .
The former now assumed the name of Alexander.
After his admission into the church , he mani
fested the ardour of his love to the Redeemer, by
his unremitted zeal and activity in the promotion
of his glory, and the advancement of his cause
among the beathen . He accompanied the mis
sionaries to their preaching stations, and took an
active part in exposing the degrading nature of
the heathenish ceremonies, proclaiming the glad
tidings of mercy, and directing them to that Sa
viour, whose preciousness he had himself expe
rienced . In order to qualify himself more fully
for these duties, he applied with great diligence
and perseverance to the study of the scriptures,
and thus became more firmly established in the
faith , and attained more clear, extensive, and prac
tical views of religion .
He was also employed as a teacher of the
Canarese language, and when not engaged in the
work of instruction, he employed much of his time
in disputing with the brahmins and others on the
doctrines of their shasters, and in shewing the su
preme excellency and importance of the doctrines
2 B
278 MISSIONARY RECORDS . CHAP . IX.
of the cross, These excited the indignation of
his hearers, which was often manifested in open
insult, or in more secret and malicious injuries.
By means of the brahmins of his own caste, with
whom he had conversed on some of these occa
sions, his parents and relations heard of his con
version to the christian religion. Enraged by
the boldness with which he persisted in his en
deavours to bring thein to a conviction of their
errors, and to an acquaintance with the things that
belonged to their eternal peace, they went to his
father's house , and reproached his parents with
the disgrace their children had brought upon their
caste, and threatened that, if they should again
receive them into their house, or own or treat them
as their sons,they would immediately be excom
municated . Their parents , partly under the in
fluence of a false shame, and partly from fear of
the consequences with which they had been threat
ened , promised to disown their sons, and, in token
of this unnatural act, they went into mourning,
and performed the usual brahminical funeral rites.
After this, they sent a man of low caste to inforın
their sons of what had taken place, stating, as their
reasons for such conduct, “ That they had brought
infamy upon their family and caste, by embracing
the (pariah ) low -caste religion ;" and charging
them never more to call themselves their relations,
or to enter within their threshold .
Anxious, however, to make known to their
friends the delightful change they had experienced,
they went to their village, but the threatenings of
the brahmins prevented an interview . Unwilling
to leave without seeing their parents, they went to
a choultry , and continued there for some hours .
CHAP . IX . ] INDIA : 279

They were soon surrounded by a large crowd ,

some of whom reviled them for the disgrace they
had brought upon their family ; some were indig
nant at their folly and wickedness, in departing
from the religion of their ancestors ; others shed
tears of regret at their weakness, in relinquishing
so many comforts. Alexander, having now a fa
vourable opportunity of making known the love
and grace of the Saviour, with much earnestness
and affection , showed to them the way of life and
of true happiness, demonstrated the reasonableness
of his own conduct, and entreated them to weep,
not for them , but for themselves, and for their
sins, and to flee to Him who was appointed as the
hiding -place from the storm , and the covert froin
the tempest. After having remained four days in
and about the village, andfinding that no commu
nication could be had with their relations, they re
turned with feelings of the most poignant grief to
Bangalore.
Some time after, Alexander, accompanied by
Samuel Flavel, went again to the village. They
soon attracted a large concourse of people ; and
the gowda (headman ) and others, together with
the father, mother, sisters, and brothers of Alex.
ander, came down to the choultry where they had
put up .Some were crying, others were cursing
Samuel Flavel, while Alexander's mother, in a fit
of frantic rage, rolled herself on the ground, beat
ing her breast, and tearing her locks ; then rising,
covered Samuel over with mud , and throwing sand
into the air, vented her malice in the utterance of
the most fearful imprecations upon him , for the
mischief which he had done to her sons , and the
interminable shame and grief which he had brought
280 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IX.
upon herself, her family, and all her kindred .
Some now interfered, and endeavoured to pacify
her, by declaring that the man was not to be
blamed ; that it was the forehead -writing or des
tiny of her unfortunate son. At length, Alexander
addressed them for more than an hour, explaining
the motives that had induced him to embrace
christianity, the benefits which he had derived
from the change, with the glorious hopes of which ,
through the atoning sacrifice and perfect righte
ousness of Jesus, he had become the happy sub
ject ; and exhorting them to turn from dumb idols
to the service of the living and true God .
While he was speaking the crowd gradually
dispersed, and he was left with only his mother
and sister. These led him to a short distance
from the village, and seating themselves under the
shade of a large tree, they conversed with hinn for
several hours together, entreating him , with much
earnestness to return to his own religion. But,
painful and severe as the trial was, his faith stood
firm, and he was enabled, by Divine grace, to
withstand their solicitations, and even to rejoice
that he was counted worthy to suffer for the sake
of Christ.
After this he demanded his wife, to whom he
had been betrothed in infancy, and to whom he
felt in honour bound ; but they told him the con
nexion had ceased on his apostacy from their
gods , and that she must henceforth consider her
self aa widow. Every privilege was promised him
if he would return ; but to all proposals of the
kind he gave a most decided negative.
After the season of personal trial was over, his
ardour of piety and zeal, unhappily, began to
CHAP . ix.] INDIA . 281

abate . Ummindſul of the deceitfulness of his own

heart, he was less watchful over its secret and
sinful emotions, and gradually yielding to their
influence, he became the prey of temptation, which ,
by evil-designing men, had been laid in his path,
and on the ground of which he was separated
from cominunion with the church . Satan , re
joicing in his fall, and intent on his destruction,
now tempted him , while under the influence of
despondency and shame, to desert the mission,
and to retire to some part of the country where he
was not known ; but the purposes of the Most
High towards him were those of parental chas
tisement and love ; he again employed the instru
inent of his conversion in diverting him from his
intention , and directing him afresh tothe fountain
opened for sin and uncleanness ; and, finally, of
reclaiming him from his backslidings. After a
period of more than six months consistent de
portment, he was re-admitted to the church of
Christ.
About this time he was married to a native
christian, of Bangalore, who is now his widow.
His services in behalf of the mission were
zealous and valuable . In the midst of them he
was seized with cholera, and, in the course of five
hours from the period of attack, was removed to an
eternal world. The last few days of his life were
eminently characterized by spirituality of mind
and intensity of zeal , so much so as to attract the
particular notice and remarks of those around him .
On the morning before he was taken ill, he was
asked to engage in social worship, and his prayer
was strikingly earnest and heavenly. During his
few last hours he continued sensible, and when in
2 B 3
282 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IX.
any degree relieved from his agonizing sufferings,
his language was that of a humble contrite sinner,
who had found peace through the blood of the
cross . His confidence in the Saviour was un
shaken, and his hopes of heaven bright and steady.
On one occasion , during his illness, his strength
appearing to revive, sitting up , and taking Samuel
Flavel by the hand, he addressed him in the fol
lowing affectionate words, which were written down
by one of his friends present. “ The Lord God of
Israel bless you and your labours, and give you
inany heathens to bring to Christ, my beloved Sa
viour, as I was given to you to lead my soul to
him . You are my spiritual father, for it was you
who directed me where to find a loving Saviour,
when I was seeking happiness, and knew not
where to find it, for I could find none in the wor
ship of idols ; but now, through your instrument
ality, and by the grace of God, I have found a
living Saviour, whom I am now going to behold ,
and with him to be happy for ever. Yes, I shall
soon be with him ; but, О that I had one day ,
or at least one hour, before I go , to tell my
heathen countrymen at Humpee what God has
done for my soul ! " He was exhausted and could
say no more . About two hours before his death,
the person who had been called away returned ,
and in going in to see him, to administer some
medicine for his relief, he seized his hand, and
pressing it to his bosom , exclaimed, “ Oh , my
dear friend, I am so glad you have come in time
to see me before I go to heaven .” He continued
to speak, but nothing more could be distinctly
heard. At about twelve o'clock , feeling respira
tion difficult, he was raised, and in a few minutes,
char . ix .] INDIA . 203

on finding that he was sinking, he lifted up his

hands in the attitude of prayer, and bowing his
head, feebly said, “ I am going to my beloved
Saviour !” and shortly after, he peacefully fell
asleep in Jesus.
From Mr. Hill's journal, the following account
of a man of the name of Comol, will be read with
interest.
“ A man named Comol, obtained a tract, and
conveyed it home safely ; for sometiines the
brahmins contrive to deprive the people of their
tracts, and destroy them . He collected his
neighbours : the book was read, and occasioned
many inquiries about the christian religion . In
a few weeks he came to Berhainpore, deputed by
his neighbours to make farther inquiries, and re
turned home with one or two additional tracts.
After several of these visits, myself and Mr. Ray
accompanied him to his village, named Robona,
where we were received by the villagers with
many marks of attention and respect, and spent
the day under a grove of mangoe -trees, in preach
ing and conversation . We repeated these visits
several times, till the intense heat rendered such
journeys dangerous. Comol continued his visits
to us, and at length took up his residence at Ber
hampore, and became hurkara ( a person who col
lects the scholars) to the girls' schools, and em
ployed his leisure hours in learning to read. In
December, he accompanied me in a preaching
tour, and rendered me great assistance in distri
buting tracts ; taking the tracts after I was fatigued
with preaching, and collecting a number of na
tives around him , he procured the assistance of the
best reader, and defended the trnth as far as his
284 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IX .
abilities enabled him . At other times, requesting
permission to take with him a few tracts, he went
on before, and circulated them in villages cou
cealed froin the road by trees and under-wood.
He afterwards accompanied me to Calcutta, where
the native christians encouraged him in seeking
the salvation of his soul . He was much affected
by the baptism of two converts at Kidderpore, and
entreated to be baptized himself, saying, that he
believed in Christ with all his heart. It was ,
however, thought advisable to defer his baptism
till he had become more confirmed in the faith .
On his return from Calcutta, he openly professed
his faith in Christ, and exchanged his idolatrous
songs for those of Zion. He afterwards accom
panied Mr. Gogerly and myself to kopilaswor
fair ; during which period we resolved to delay his
baptism no longer, and accordingly I baptized
him at Berhampore, Sunday, March 11th. In
answer to questions proposed to him , he stated his
belief in God the Father, God the Son , and God
the Holy Ghost ; that these three persons are one
God ; that the Father sent his Son to redeem
men ; that the Son gave his life for the world ;
and that the Holy Spirit regenerates the hearts of
sinners. That, in renouncing the worship of idols,
he acted from judgment. That he found idolatry
a refuge of lies ; and, to save his soul, he had fled
to the true refuge, Christ Jesus. That he had no
earthly gain in prospect by thus making a pro
fession of Christ. He intended to have had his
two sons baptized at the same time ; but an hour
before the time of worship , a multitude of persons
collected around his house, ( amounting , hy the testi
mony of others, to five hundred ,) and prevented , hy
CHAP, Ix. ) INDIA . 285

persuasion and raillery, his wife and children from

accompanying him to worship. He, therefore,
deemed it prudent to escape from them as soon as
possible, and leave the baptism of his children to a
future period.”
An interesting view of the state of the missions
was given in an address by the Rev. Mr. Mundy
in 1830, and from this the following extracts are
made. “ I have often thought that, in the last
chapter of the gospel by Mark , we have an illus
tration of the missionary work in India, at the
present day. We have there an account of the
female disciples who visited the tomb of the Sa
viour. They set out a great while before day ; it
was with them a dark and gloomy morning, and
they said as they proceeded on their way, “ Who
shall roll us away the stone ? But when they
arrived at the sepulchre, the stone was rolled away.
We have been in similar circumstances in respect
to our missionary work in India. When we com
menced in that country, our prospect was dark
and gloomy, cheerless, and almost hopeless ; a
thousand stones of difficulty every where presented
themselves, and we said , " Who shall roll us away
the stone, for it is very great ? ' But now we
look, and behold the stone is rolled away, and a
wide and effectual door is opened to the gospel of
Christ. But I have been reminded that mission
aries are not to deal in general principles and
theories, but to come at once to facts. I will,
therefore, briefly state one or two, bearing on the
work , and calculated to illustrate the preaching
of the gospel in India. The station which I oc
cupied was Chinsurah, about twenty -five miles
north of Calcutta, and near the French settlement
286 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IX .
Chandernagore. Upon one occasion , I went with
a brother missionary to preach to the Hindoos, and
we took our station upon the French settlement,
As we were preaching, the French governor passed
by, and looked somewhat astonished at our pro
ceedings. After the service was concluded, he
sent his servant to inquire who we were, and by
what authority we preached to the people there.
We informed him who we were, but as to our au
thority for preaching there, we confessed that we
had none but that of our divine Master ; we had
been accustomed to preach there, we added , and
hoped that we might be permitted to continue.
A few evenings afterwards, however, we were de
sired to depart, and prohibited from going thither
in future. The congregation of Hindoos were
much affected at the circumstance, and exclaimed ,
that if we came there no more, they would not
again hear of the things in which they had been
instructed. At the same time they inquired whether
we could not come upon the borders of the settle
ment, and, standing upon English ground , defeat
the purpose of the French governor . I look upon
this, sir, as a fact of an interesting nature ; for at
one time, these poor Hindoos, instead of regretting
that we were not permitted to preach to them the
words of this life, would have rejoiced.
“ I am happy to say , that there is not only a
disposition among them to listen to the gospel,
but there is a great decline in the brahminical in
fluence. A short time ago, as some of the mis
sionaries were going up the country to preach ,
they found, about one hundred miles north of
Calcutta, a young woman, exceedingly ill with the
cholera morbus. They administered some medi
CHAP. IX.] INDIA . 287

cine to her, and the disease was immediately

checked . They then said they had come, not
only to bring medicine for the body, but also for
the mind ; they had come to preach the gospel to
the Hindoos, and inquired whether she could
procure a congregation for them . A congregation
was collected, and one of the missionaries was in
the act of addressing them, when a brahmin passed
by ; he immediately made up to the missionary,
6
and inquired, “ What are you doing here? Why
are you preaching to the people in this way? '
6
Why may I not thus preach to them ?? rejoined
the missionary. Why, do you not know,' said
the brahmin, that the sudras are only one
remove from the brute-beasts, and that they do
mot know what you are saying ?' It is false ,'
6
exclaimed the people ; proceed with your work ,
we understand what you say ; go on . The brah
min passed on, evidently much chagrined, and
folding his arms, stood on the opposite side an
object ofcontempt, while the missionary proceeded
with his work.
* You have , no doubt, my christian friends, read
the ' Holy War,' and you recollect that the first
advantage, gained in the siege of Mansoul, was
the forcing of Ear-gate. We have gained that
advantage in India. We found Ear-gate bolted
and barred against us ; but I rejoice that it is now
opened ; and the people generally are willing to
listen to those truths that are able to make them
wise to salvation . It is not, however, the mere
disposition to listen --not merely the decline of
brahminical influence, that I have to bring before
you ; I can testify of souls brought under the
influence of the gospel, and who have received
288 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. ix .
Christ as a Prophet, a Priest, and a King. Some
time since, the inhabitants of a village called
Rainmakal choke, about five miles south of Cal
cutta, to whom the missionaries had preached ,
were converted to the faith and obedience of the
gospel. With their own hands they pulled down
their idol temple, and gave the ground and the
materials to the society . • Here,' said they, ' let
a christian church be erected.' That christian
church has been erected with the very materials
that composed the idol temple, and within its walls
hove I frequently had the honour and the happi
ness of preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ.
I can tell you, my christian friends, with truth and
sincerity, that in that village, and in others by
which it is surrounded, a great and glorious work
is going forward. It may truly be said of that
part of the country,
6
the fields are white unto the
harvest. '
“ I lately saw a letter from Calcutta, sir, from
Mr. Adam , and I was permitted to take an extract
from it, which , with your permission , I will read .
(MA M. here read an extract from the letter,
which gare a most favourable account of the
christian deportment of many of the converted
Hindoos, under very trying circumstances, and
stated that it was sufficient to put to the blush
many ofthe most privileged among British chris
"
tians.) But there is one fact, sir, " continued the
speaker, “ connected with the general state of the
country, that is very encouraging to my mind, I
mean the knowledge of the gospel that is spread
throughout the land . It is a fact, that there are
hundreds and thousands of Hindoos who are well
acquainted with the leading truths of christianity ,
1
CHIAP. IX. ] INDIA . 289

and with the most important doctrines of the

gospel. Indeed, they know them so well , that it
is only required for their salvation that their know
ledge should be sanctified by the application of :*
to the heart by the Holy Spirit of God. And were
all the Hindoos, who understand the gospel, to be
thus converted, our work would be done , and the
foundation be laid for the conversion of the whole
of Hindostan. This knowledge has been dissemi
nated by the circulation of bibles and tracts . That
blessed book which has God for its author, sal
vation for its end, and truth, without any mixture
of error, for its matter, is circulated throughout
the whole continent of India ; and some instances
have occurred, in the history of missionary labour
there, in which a Hindoo , far distant from any
missionary station , having received a bible or a
tract, has been converted , and died in the faith
and hope of the gospel.
“ Will you permit me to advert to the schools
in India ? Wehave them there in active operation :
the children are committing large portions of
scripture to memory , and from time to time adults
are coming to the missionaries to be instructed in
the truths of the gospel. The Hindoo boys ar
very intelligent, which renders our work, as far as
they are concerned, most interesting and encou
raging . The boys in the government school were,
some time since, going through a catechism of
geography, when a brahmin came in , and inquired
what they were taught. Upon ascertaining that
they were taught that the earth was a globe,
moving round the sun , he became somewhat
alarmed, and insisted, according to their shasters ,
that it was an even plain, resting upon the back of
2c
290 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IX.
a tortoise . He was proceeding to instruct the
boys in this kind of philosophy, and stating, that
when an earthquake occurred it was in conse
quence of the tortoise, upon the back of which the
earth was placed, going to sleep ; when one of the
6
boys whispered to another, and said, “ Ask the
brahmin upon what the tortoise stands.' From
this, my friends, you will perceive that these boys
can think for themselves ; and by and by they
will act for themselves, and no louger be held in
the chains of brahminical slavery.
“ Many of these things have been denied by
persons who have resided in India, upon their re
turn to this country . I recollect, some time since,
hearing of one of thesepersons, who was residing
in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Upon hearing
something said about the work of God in India,
he denied it altogether, and affirmed that nothing
of the kind that had been stated was to be found
existing in India . The gentleman who was re
lating the facts, shrewdly guessing how the case
was, asked the disputant what he would say, if,
upon his return to India , he should be asked about
the operations of the East Riding Itinerant So
ciety . * Itinerant Society, Itinerant Society ,' re
plied the disputant, ‘ I was not aware that there
was any such society existing.' Such a society
there is, however, and it is employing a great num
ker of agents in preaching in Thi various places the
gospel of the Son of God. s is the case,
with respect to India . People reside there for
years , and never trouble themselves with mis
sionary work ; and then they come here, and affirm
that there is nothing doing. I will not tell you of
thousands who are converted ; but I do say, in
CHAP. IX.] INDIA . 201
truth , that a great and glorious work is going for
ward in India . I say that we are, at least, laying
the foundation for a church within which millions
of souls will be gathered to the praise of our
exalted Lord . ”
Colonel Phipps, being on the platform , spon
taneously rose, and said , that as he had resided in
that part of India to which the mover of the re
solution had referred, he could corroborate almost
every statement that he had made.
6
Yesterday,” says the Rev. W. W. Addis, in a
letter from Nagercoil, “ we held the anniversary of
our Tamul Tract Society ; and could you have seen
the numerous assembly of professing christians,
and heard many of the truly eloquent speeches
delivered, you would indeed have rejoiced greatly.
There were many present that a year ago were
sink into the filth and abominations of idolatry ;
but, by the blessing of God the Spirit, on reading
the tracts distributed, they have renounced idolatry,
and are now seen in their right mind, in the
assembly of those who worship the living and true
God . The native christians have exerted them
selves greatly on behalf of their perishing country
men during ihe last year, and have subscribed to
our Tract Society alone, upwards of one thousand
rupees, or about one hundred pounds sterling,
including a few sales of tracts and occasional
donations. We have printed thirty -five thousand
tracts and small books, besides the usual number
of school-books, &c. , and the general business of the
printing -office and book-binding department; so
you see we are in the midst of labour, having
nearly thirty congregations and chapels to attend
to, thirty -nine schools to superintend, together
292 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. IX.
with our duties of study and composition. I am
generally in the towns and villages, in which we
have congregational schools, three or four days
each week ; I examine the schools during the day ,
and address the people in the evening, and at night
sleep either on the floor, or on a small cane-bot
tomed couch , without bedding . This inay appear
a
a hardship after a day of severe toil, but really it
is not, for during the day the heat is intense, and
you are glad at night to lie as cool as possible,
and the labour of the day generally produces a
good night's rest, if not disturbed by musquitoes,
lizards, scorpions, or rats, all of which I frequently
encounter. I wish I could give you a just de
scription of the congregations and the schools, but
a person must see them in order to have a right
impression. In the former, the order, the de
cency, and apparent devotion, are very striking to a
stranger; it was to me on my arrival, after seeing
nothing but idolatry for the distance of four hun
dred miles which I travelled ; after such scenes, to
see the assembly of Hindoo christians, in this mis
sion, was exceedingly striking, and hard must that
heart be which could not be moved at such a sight.
In the latter the children learn remarkably fast ;
I never saw any thing to equal it in England ; to
see little boys of three or four years old repeat
Watts's First Catechism , without an error ; others,
scarcely any older, repeat the doctor's Second Cate
chism all through perfectly , and the multiplication
table in the Hindoo arithmetic, which amounts to
many millions, and contains fractions, while the
older boys write a fine hand, ( on ollas, ) and are very
quick in all other branches .
" I must not omit to inform you of the success
CHAP. ix .] INDIA . 293

of the gospel in the western mission , that joins this,

under the care of the Rev. Messrs. Mead and
Miller ; there they have also upwards of twenty
congregations, and as many schools, and fifteen or
sixteen chapels ; but they have suffered severe
persecutions lately, and several school-rooms and
one chapel have been burnt down. The poor
christians have endured their afflictions with chris
tian fortitude ; some have even lost nearly all their
property for the sake of their profession . On the
young rajah's coming to the government, the great
men and leading people of the heathen made a
vigorous attempt to raise idolatry to its former
splendour; matters at present are pretty quiet.”
In a letter from Surat, the Rev. W. Fyvie
says “ One trait in the character of the native
converts in Goojuratt, I consider very pleasing :it
is their love to the word of God, and their dili
it.
gence in studying . In March , 1827, the first
native convert paid us a visit at Surat, bringing
with him a friend, who wished instruction and
christian baptism . They had not seen the whole
of the bible ; they had,however, the principal parts
of it, which were carefully bound up, and showed
evident marks of having been perused. They
remained with us a month, and their knowledge of
the scriptures, and the readiness with which they
could refer to particular passages and circum
stances, quite surprised and highly pleased us.
They were in the habit of perusing the divine
word by day and by night. I was really astonished
at their attention to the bible ; many nights, when
I have awaked from my first sleep, about one or
two o'clock, I have overheard these men reading
the psalıns of David , and other parts of the
2 c3
294 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. IX.
scriptures. Oh ! how does the conduct ofthese men ,
whose eyes were opened, as it were, but yesterday,
to see the glorious light of revelation, reflect on
the con luct of many who are endeavouring to send
the bible to the heathen , and who have had the
sun of revelation shining on them since their
infancy, but who seldom read that bible them
selves. Before they left us, we furnished them
with one copy of the whole bible, neatly bound
up , with which they were greatly delighted ; and
which, I have no doubt, they now make their
daily study, and esteem it more than their neces
sary food ,'s
The following are interesting accounts of native
readers, written by themselves :-) . Palmer says ,
“ I was born in the year 1786 ; my parents
were heathens, who zealously served the devil by
sacrificing to him , indulging in drunkenness, and
other abominations. I was, however, at seven
or eight years of age, sent to school ; but having
no inclination to learn , I did not make much pro
gress. When ten years old, both my parents died,
and it was the province of my brother to take
charge of me, who took me from school, and sent
ine to work in the fields, or to watch the cattle, as
my services were most required. At some seasons
I obtained leave to attend school, but there I wasted
iny time in play or idleuess; and, though often
punished for not attending to my lessons, and
ashamed at the progress of other boys compared
with myself, which made me sometimes resolve to
be more diligent, yet, owing to a want of sufficient
food , and of a disposition to learn , I made very
little progress in any learning that was useful. At
this period , I knew nothing of the true God, or of
CHAP , IX.] INDIA . 295
the Saviour of the world , and, consequently, was in
a very miserable condition, in which I continued a
servant of the wicked one, and of my own sinful
inclinations, till God in his great mercy sent the
gospel to this country. My brother and other
relatives were among the first that made a pro
fession of christianity ; and I, having a desire to
learn the newreligion, was included in the num
ber. After having been under instruction for
some time, and having declared that we had for
saken the world, and the service of the devil, and
turned to God with all our hearts, we were bap
tized by Mr. Ringletaube, in the name of the
Triune Jehovah , in the year 1808. I was then
twenty -two years of age.
5
About this time I was appointed schoolmaster
at Mylandy, and was sent on the Lord's day to
conduct the public worship of God, in the small
congregation which had then been collected at
Pitchy-coody -irruppoo. The school at Mylandy
was soon after given up ; nevertheless, I continued
for some time to go to Pitchy -coody-irruppoo as
usual on the sabbath, though at this time I pos
sessed little knowledge of the sinfulness of my own
heart .
“ In the year 1821 , the congregation at
Tamarakolelum being destitute of a teacher, I was
sent thither to read the scriptures, and teach the
catechisins. When thus employed, observing
many heathenish customs among the people, and
other things inconsistent with christianity, I was
led, by reading the 20th and 21st verses of the
second chapter of Colossians, to ask if these people
could be dead to the world ; and being convinced
that their conduct was in opposition to the word of
296 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. IX .
God, I determined to exert myself to reform them ;
and by reading the scriptures to them , and ex
plaining them as well as I could, I in some mea
sure succeeded, as many became more regular in
their attendance on the means of grace, and more
orderly in their conduct. Observing this, I wis
encouraged to be more diligent, and with gladness
discharged the duties of my situation ; but this joy
was not without pain , which arose from some
having no disposition either to learn or amend,
« Till this time, I felt but little of the evil na
ture of sin ; but God's time to convince me of it
was come. By the instructions I had the oppor
tunity of receiving weekly , with the other readers
at Nagercoil, together with the study of the sacred
scriptures, God was pleased to open my eyes to
see my real condition as a sinner. I well remem
ber the powerful impressions that were made on
my mind discourses from these texts : 6' Except
6
a man be born again ,' &c.; ' If any man be in
Christ he is a new creature,' &c. I thought that
this change was necessary for me, and for the
people I was appointed to instruct, and was en
couraged at times to exert myself on their behalf ;
at other times I was discouraged, and tempted to
be less zealous in seeking the salvation of the
people around me.
“ About this time, I was thrown into great dis
tress by reading the first three verses of the second
chapter of Romans ; and hai serious thoughts,
from a sense of unworthiness , of giving up my
situation , and living as a private christian ; which
I thought would be less dangerous to others, and
more profitable to my own soul . While in this
state of mind, I was led to reflect that the harvest
 x .]
CHAP. IX . INDIA . 297

was great, and the labourers few , and that the real
disciples of Christ were as the salt of the earth,
and the lights of the world — that if they asked
they would receive - from which I obtained com
fort, and had a great desire to be useful to others.
I saw, also, that the thought of forsaking my situa
tion was a temptation of the wicked one. Since
that period, I have still found the world, the fiesh ,
and the devil , to be great enemies to the right per
formance of the duties incumbent on me , and I
daily feel the necessity of prayer to God, through
the merits of Christ, to enable me to overcome them .
“ At Tamarakolleum
.
, where this good man is
stationed ,” says the missionary who transinits
these particulars, “ a church has been formed ,
partly of pious individuals belonging to this , and
partly of those belonging to other congregations.
Here, I trust, there are fourteen or fifteen persons
brought to a saving knowledge of the truth , and a
few more are inquiring theway to Zion. Some
of the former are very active in diffusing a know
ledge of the gospel, especially three devont women .
The school is well attended , and the master, who
has enjoyed the advantages of our seminary, is
diligent. J. Palmer, beside instructing the church
and congregation, visits ten contiguous villages, to
inake known to their inhabitants the word of life.”
“ Edward Balm was appointed, in 1825, to labour
at Nagercoil, and in its vicinity . The young man
who first bore this name died in 1829. His
amiable disposition, piety, diligence, and talents,
endeared him to all who knew him ; and we would ,
with unfeigned gratitude, adore the Giver of all
grace , who made him to differ so greatly from
many who had been favoured with the same
298 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IX.
advantages. His memory is embalmed in our
hearts, and the influence of his pious example, I
trust, will continue to be felt for many years to
come.* A short time after his death, his place was
filled by the truly amiable young man whose his
tory follows." He writes :
“ I was born , a heathen , about the year 1810,
and was taught to live in the open breach of that
6
commandment, that says, “ Thou shalt have no
other gods besides me , by serving divers idols.
In the year 1815, many in our village, near to
Mylandy, became christians, and my parents were
among them ; but, being very young, I knew
nothing of the new religion we professed ; my
parents, however, sent me to the christian school,
that I might have an opportunity to learn from the
holy scriptures, something about the great and
glorious God, and of the blessings procured by the
sufferings and death of Christ. My desires were
not like theirs, for I had no taste for learning --my
nature was depraved--I was fond of playing, and
much addicted to lying ; and in this sinful and
unprofitable way I spent my time. God , who de
sires not the death of aa sinner, but is willing to im
part knowledge and good desires to all, inclined
my heart to long for admittance into the seminary
at Nagercoil ; and I obtained my wish, by being
received into that institution , in the year 1821.
Soon after this, my dear parents, in the course of
a short time, were removed from this world by
that fatal disease , the cholera morbus, to which so
A brief memoir of this excellent young man was drawn
up in Tamul, and published by the Nagercoil and Palam
cotta Tract Society, which was sought after and read with
great interest.
CHAP. ix .] INDIA . 299

many have fallen a sacrifice. I was led by this

painful event to reflect, that the state of man was
indeed miserable ; that death quickly makes him
his prey. My mind being thusaffected, the words
of Job, who says, “ Man that is born of a woman
is of few days,' &c., made a deep impression on
me ; I thought that much of my time, in which an
opportunity had been afforded to obtain everlasting
good, had been spent in vain ; and that in future
such a blessing would not long be continued to me.
I resolved, therefore, to be more diligent in my
studies, and began earnestly to read the sacred
scriptures, from which I learned that sin was very
hateful to God ; that he loved those that did good,
and was displeased with the wicked every day. I
discovered that iny own heart was deceitful and
desperately wicked, that my understanding was
darkened, and my will perverted. These things
became a burden to me, and I was led to pray ,
and to prefer the scriptures to every other book,
the knowledge of which was sweet to my soul, and
I was filled with a desire to make known to others
its sacred contents . I saw also the necessity of
being a suitable person, and the importance of
beingqualified forso great a work.
“ While these things continued to occupy my
thoughts and desires, I heard that a few young
men were wanted to go to Allepie , to be em
ployed as readers of the scriptures at that place ;
I desired to go, but had some difficulties about
leaving my friends, (the distance is about one
hundred and thirty miles,) but by reflecting that
he who follows Christ, must deny himself and take
up his cross ; that many, to instruct my country
men , had come from a far country, my scruples
300 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IX .
were removed, and I resolved to go. With two
others I was sent to Allepie, but that place not
agreeing with my health , and from other circun
stances, I returned to Nagercoil in a few months,
and was taken into Mr. Mault's family, where I
remained till I was appointed, last year, to read
the sacred scriptures in this neighbourhood. The
Lord has given me the desire of my heart ; and
when I reflect on his goodness, my joy is like the
joy of one brought out of darkness into light.
Moreover, that passage often occurs to my mind,
where we are commanded to be diligent in business;
and if at any time I am tempted to be slothful, my
conscience admonishes me that it is not right ; the
word of God tells me, if I suffer the souls of men
to perish through my negligence, the account I
shall have to render at the day of judgment will
be dreadful beyond description . It is, therefore,
my desire to be found diligent in showing to others
the way of salvation . “ They that be wise shall shine ,'
&c., Dan . xii. 3, is a motive to diligence. O that the
Holy Spirit may be imparted , that while I make
known the truth to others, I myself may not be a
cast-away, but may obtain a part in the blessings
which Christ has purchased by shedding his pre
cious blood ; and that those who are instructed by
me may be as a well-watered tree, whose branches
extend on every side, and which brings forth much
fruit in its season : that they may be the true dis
ciples of Christ, and, at last, be made partakers of
that inheritance which is reserved for the people of
God, is my sincere prayer.”
“ When this interesting youth returned from
Allepie," says themissionary, “where he had con
ducted himself well, there being no vacancy for him
CHAP. ix.] INDIA . 301

in the mission, I took him into my own house, and

in my journeys among the congregations he usually
accompaniedme. On one of these occasions, being
weary through the numerous engagements of the
day, after giving an address in the evening, I asked
him to conclude the service by prayer. The earnest
ness and enlargement with which he addressed the
throne of grace convinced me that he was qualified
for a more important situation ; and as the recent
death of E. Balm had occasioned a vacancy at
Nagercoil, he was appointed immediately to take
his place, and has from that time been diligently
engaged in reading the word of God here and in
the neighbourhood. The villages and towns con
tiguous, which present an extensive field for exer
tion, and a congregation here, consisting of more
than two hundred persons, including the two
schools on the premises, is the sphere of his la
bours. There are a few among the latter, I trust,
who wave passed from death unto life, whose con
duct is agreeable to the gospel. Five adults are
candidates for baptism , who, with their offspring,
will be admitted to that rite, God willing, in
about a month. A few have lately been gathered
from among the heathen who join in the worship
of God on the sabbath .
“ The least improvement made in outward com
fort and cleanliness by the christians, who are prin
cipally gathered from the lower classes in society,
isviewed by the heathen with the greatest jealousy,
and some of the poor people, in several of the vil
lages, have been called to suſfer on this account.
One of the schoolmasters here had only a few
months before erected a neat cottage on the pre
mises, when last month it was maliciously burnt
2 D
302 MISSIONARY RECORDS . ( CIAP. IX .
downl, merely because it was built high enough to
enter it without bending double.
“ Besides the two schools on the premises, there
are four others in villages within a mile of the
mission house, composed of heathen children of all
castes ; and although christianity forms a promi
nent part of the instruction, their parents seem to
take an interest in their progress .”
“ The present number in the girls' school,"
Mrs. Mault writes, “ is fifty-eight, and some of them
are interesting children. Mary Hopeful has be
come decidedly pious : her conduct of late has
been very pleasing. Sarah Frankland, the child
now supported by the St. Neot's friends, is im
proving in learning. It affords us pleasure to ob
serve, in the women that were formerly scholars
in this school, habits of industry, and propriety of
behaviour, which we hope will have a favourable
impression on the neighbourhood, in reference to
female instruction . About one-third of the girls
in our schools are slaves ; and , as the children of
slaves here are always the property of the mother's
master, we have formed the resolution that each
girl, by her own industry, shall purchase her free
dom before she leaves the school. Our wishes
have hitherto been realised in reference to this ob
ject, as every girl that has left the school has left
it free, one girl excepted. The master of this
child would not receive her money when offered to
him , under the pretence that she would become a
mission slave ; but since her reinoval he has con
sented to the purchase. It will give you some
idea in what light slaves are viewed by the higher
castes, who are their inasters , when I mention one
circumstance . A girl in the school had become
CHAP. IX. ] INDIA . 303

big enough to work in her master's field ; he,

therefore, came to make his claim to her. I asked
him if it would not be well for her to learn to
read, and whether he should not allow her to do so.
He replied, “ It may be well for you to instruct
her as you will get a better place in heaven there
by ; but it is enough for me, if my bullocks and
slaves do the work required in the fields. Here
you see man , who is immortal, classed with the
brute which perisheth. And this is only a solitary
instance ; for the lower classes in society here are
not allowed to enjoy even the same privileges as
cows, and some other of the brute creation . It is
to these lower classes principally that the gospel is
preached ; and to some it has been the power of
God unto salvation. It is to the improvements
which christianity has made among these despised
persons that much of the opposition of last year is
to be attributed . The higher ranks are getting
jealous, lest they should lose their authority over
these poor oppressed creatures; and so no doubt in
the end they will ; for, unless they bestir them
selves, theirdogs, as they call them , will get be
fore them in knowledge. Even now they dare not
venture to oppress a christian, in many instances,
to that degree they do their own dependents.”
From Neyoor the annexed sketches were for
warded. James Meybohn, Venning's reader, thus
writes :
“ My native place is Kotnavilly, of Colatchy
district. I was born in the year 1794. My an
cestors, being ignorant of the one true God, were
worshippers of evil spirits, of various descriptions.
From my infancy up to the time of my conversion ,
I was a zealous follower of them . The names of
304 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. IX.
the demons we chiefly depended upon were Ma
poodattan , Mayakondan-poodattan,Malgaky, Pe
revadeiven, Madentambooran , &c. In order to
please these vain gods, I fasted, abstained from
certain sorts of flesh , offered sacrifices, and paid
VOWS. All these religious rites were exactly and
punctually performed . Besides these , I trusied in
the famous goddess at Mundakandoo for protection,
and to this demon I sacrificed goats, fowls, and
boiled rice, and worshipped it with the greatest
veneration . I trusted, also, on the reputed Soo
pramanien Samy, at Trichendoor, and Arumogum
Samy, together with the Pilleyar, and such like
Samies, In order to pay my devotions and vows
to these idols, I journied to distant countries, to
their respective temples, and stayed for about ten
days at a time, during which I abstained from fiesh
ofevery sort, and lived upon vegetables, resorting
to these images twice a -day, liſting up my hands to
them, and washing in the sea, in order to purify
anyself. After which, going round the Samy
houses that are on the beach, and prostrating myself
>

before each of them , I offered, also, pepper and

inoney, and procured the sacred ashes, sandal, and
garlands ; with these I adorned myself, believing
that the gods from whom I obtained them were the
only beings that could save and protect me.
While I thus devoted my time, and all I had, in
the worship of these gods, several of my relations
were removed to eternity by the cholera . I was
much alarmed and territied at this event, and was
foolishly persuaded that the goddesses Marianna
and Oochenemagaly, being divinely authorized ,
were destroying the people with the said disease,
and, therefore,to appease them , I sacrificed goats
 20

CHAP. ix.] INDIA . 305

!

and fowls, and , offered boiled rice, cocoa -nuts,

plantains, & c ., as well as addressing my fervent
supplications to them for deliverance. Moreover,
I was very particular in going to the soothsayers
or fortune-tellers, when any of my relations were
attacked with disease . I also went to them at the
birth of a child, in order to be acquainted with its
a

fortune. At the commencement of a marriage, I

used to mention the name of the bride and bride
groom , in order to know which day would be the
best for performing the ceremony, and whether
they would live together happy. At the time of
sowing and reaping I went to them to learn good
and bad days. I was very punctual in performning
the ceremonies for the dead, putting rice and
cocoa -nuts in the mouth of the deceased, with
various other superstitious rites ; but the infectious
and dangerous cholera was still raging with the
utmost extremity, and many hundreds were carried
away by death.
66
About this time my eldest brother embraced
christianity, and the Rev. Mr. Mead established a
school, and employed him as a teacher. A chapel
was likewise built at Kotnavilly, and religious in
struction was daily imparted, and christian worship
conducted on sabbaths. Though the saving truths
of the gospel were preached in this my native vil
lage, yet I was disinclined to embrace it, but re
mained without worshipping the demons for about
three days. During this period I now and then
read the books which were given me, and some
times attended to the scriptures when read by
others. While in this state I attained a slight
knowledge of the only true God, who created all
things in heaven and earth , and perceived that it
2 0 3
306 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. IX.
is from him alone we obtain every blessing. I was
also persuaded that the demons I worshipped did
not create me, nor are they able to save me. 1
was convinced within myselfthat I ought to aban
don idolatry, and worship the one true God. I
therefore embraced christianity in the year 1819,
and attended to the instruction imparted by the
Rev. Mr. Mead. I was afterwards employed by
him as a teacher in the school at Kotnavilly, as
well as performing divine service on sabbath, and
reading the scriptures to the heathen. While I
was thus engaged, I possessed great fear when I
reflected on the various ways I displeased God
during the time of my ignorance. I was now con
vinced that the foolish ceremonies and the wor
shipping of idols were an abhorrence to him , and
unless I forsook all those sins and evil doings of
mine, heartily repented of them , and learned to
know and believe in God the Father, and Jesus
Christ, whom he hath sent, I should still be
under the wrath of the Almighty. I was confident
that I should obtain forgiveness if I went with a
firm belief to the Saviour of sinners. I therefore
prayed to God that he would enable me, by his
Holy Spirit, to walk in his ways, to give me a
heart possessing a true and firm belief in that
Saviour.
66
My labours were not confined to Kotnavilly, 1
but I frequently went to several other places. In
1825, five of my relations died of cholera within a
few days. By the mercy of God, and the kind at
tention of Mr. Mault, I escaped from this dan
gerous illness, and in a few days was recovered . I
now received much comfort and energy, and was
soon able to go about as usual. I was then ordered
CHAP. IX .] INDIA . 307

to Trevandrum , where, and in several other places,

I laboured in the work of the Lord ; during this
time, also, I was never deprived wholly from re
ceiving religious instruction , but now and then had
the privilege of enjoying the valuable blessing when
I went with my reports. About this time some
passages of the holy scriptures would often occur
to my mind, and I was assured , by the words of
our Saviour, that impenitent sinners cannot escape
eternal punishment. I then felt myself to be the
greatest of sinners, and that remission of sins could
only be obtained by Jesus Christ, who saves from
the power of Satan, and from eternal ruin. It is
through him alone sinners can obtain righteousness
and holiness ; and in order to procure these ines
timable blessings, he suffered and died, the just for
the unjust, to bring us to God. Under such re
Hections I prayed God to look upon me in mercy,
and to forgive me my sins, for the sake of the pre
cious blood of his dear Son Jesus Christ ; to grant
me his Holy Spirit, that I might be made a new
creature . In 1828 , it was the will of the Lord to
raise me up a new congregation at Senterailly,
where I laboured for some time. I am fully per
suaded that the pleasing success I have hitherto
met with in my labours, is not through any of my
weak exertions, but is solely caused by the blessing
of God ; that it is by his grace his cause flourishes,
and I pray God that he would enable me, by his
Holy Spirit, to be more and more useful. ”
Paul Walter, Venning's reader, says,
“ I was born at Etainbally, district of Nanja
nadoo, in the year 1800. I , as well as my parents,
were worshippers of idols, namely, Sheven , Vishnoo,
Brummah, and Supramanien, and the evil spirits
308 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. IX.
connected with them , namely, Oochnemagaly,
Patheracally, and Mootoonnaly ; we worshipped
also deparied spirits. Our sacrifices consisted of
goats, pigs, fowls, cocoa - nuts, plantains, flowers,
and incense. At the time of offering these obla
tions we used to fall down and prostrate ourselves
before them ; from this act we rose under the per
suasion that the evil spirit had taken possession of
us, and then we used to reel about as those who
were deranged. At such seasons, many diabolical
deeds we performed, which were fast leading us to
eternal destruction . We never had the least sense
or fear that the result of these offences would
plunge us into hell tire ; but we were still active in
the love and performance of them , and delighted
in these exercises. By the perusal of the shasters
we were well informed of the conduct of the gods
we worshipped. Their history consists of the most
disgraceful passions and vices imaginable, such as
war, strife , pride, malice, revenge, falsehood ,
whoredom , theft, &c., and we took it for granted ,
that if we were to commit the like heinous crimes ,
we could not be under the displeasure of our gods,
and, accordingly, we followed their example with
ont the least fear or remorse .
66
While we were in this way pursuing the paths
of destruction, the Rev. Mr. Ringletaube arrived in
South Travancore, and preached the gospel, and
five or six chapels and schools were erected, where
the people attended to instruction and divine wor
ship. A chapel and a school-room being erected
in the village where I resided, named E tambally,
several einbraced the truth , and a congregation
was formed. As I had been tanght in a heathen
school, I thought that insullicient, and sceing that
CHAP. ix.] INDIA . 309

a charity -school was established in my native

place, I lost no time in repairing to it. Here I
not only received useful knowledge, but also chris
tian instruction. The teacher also supplied me
with the gospel of Matthew , which I took home,
and daily read to my parents and relations. Look
ing at them , I one day addressed them thus :--- 0,
my father, I read in this gospel that all mankind
are sinners, and, in order to save them, God sent
his only-begotten Son to be the Saviour of sinners.
This Saviour, out of his infinite love to perishing
man , became incarnate , bore the Divine vengeance
due to us for sin, suffered , shed his precious blood,
and died ; that he rose again and ascended into
heaven , and sitteth on the right hand of God, and
thence he sends his Holy Spirit to influence the
hearts of his people, to convert them , and bring
them to God . Shall we not also come to a conclu
sion , that it is folly to trust and worship devils ?
May we, then, receive the loving and true Saviour
of sinners, be instructed in his holy gospel, and
walk in the true way ; then we may be confident
that we shall indeed be saved from sin and eternal
death ! ' From the day I thus addressed them ,
and discovered the state of my mind, I put away
heathenish practice, and attended worship on sab
baths, and religious instruction . I was at this
time fifteen years of age. A short time after, my
parents, seeing I was earnest in attending christian
instruction , became convinced of their error like
wise, and my father made this remark in the
family :—How shall we escape eternal damnation,
who have once heard of a true and saving way ,
if we do not repent, and seek the salvation of our
Saviour ? Come, then, we shall also be taught in
310 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. ix .
the way of salvation, for it will be of great advan
tage to our souls.” They afterwards attended
worship on sabbaths, received instruction , and
embraced christianity. While I and my parents
were thus become the worshippers of the one eter
nal and true God, who is holy, wise, just, and
merciful, we not only abolished the images, the
representatives of the vicious gods and evil spirits,
which were adored in the time of our ignorance,
but also destroyed them , their altars, and their
houses. The truths which we derived from the
pure gospel were also imparted to our relations,
four families, consisting of twelve persons ; these,
by the grace of God, embraced the true religion,
and are enabled to this day to stand stedfast in
their calling. Mr. Ringletaube, hearing of our
walk and conversation , inquired the more minutely
into our conduct, and, being satisfied , baptized me,
my parents, my sister, brother, and uncle,
" On my being examined by him in my reading
and writing, he placed me as a monitor for six
months in E tambally school. Afterwards, the
school-master became a reader, and I was em
ployed in his place. A few years after, Mr. Rin
gletaube left the mission in charge of the late
Vadamanikom , catechist of Malaudy, and returned
to Europe, from whence it pleased the Lord to
send us another pastor in 1817. On his arrival I
was employed as a reader in the congregation of
E tambally, to read the scriptures, catechise, and
conduct divine service . The number of persons
who attended in this place was then from fifty to
sixty. In the year 1826 I was sent to labour at a
village called Tittevilly. As the Lord was pleased
gradually to enlighten my understanding , I was
CHAP. ix.] INDIA . 311

strengthened to go on in my work in a strange

village, so that, within a year, God blessed my
labours, and added to the congregation two hea
then and one Roman catholic, with their families.
It pleased the Lord to bless my labours in other
villages also, and at the end of six months a new
congregation was raised at Saynamvilly, where I
ng labour with great encouragement."
In South Travancore, where the progress of the
gospel had, for some time, been both more rapid
and more extensive than at any other of the So
ciety's stations in the peninsula, the spirit of per
secution has recently manifested itself with ex
traordinary violence ; but, though much alarm has
been excited, and, on the part of some of the
native christians, no small measure of suffering
endured , and notwithstanding many, yielding
intimidation, have withdrawn themselves from the
means of grace and instruction, yet there is reason
to hope, that the cause of christianity will be
eventually a gainer, as, indeed , it usually is, when
recourse is had to such means to counteract its
influence, or retard its triumphs. The opposition
to the truth commenced in threatening language,
and afterwards proceeded to overt acts of personal
assault, annoyance, and public ontrage. Some of
the schools were interrupted ; the books torn and
cast into the streets ; two of the chapels were set
on e , and one of them destroyed ; menaces were
used to deter the native christians from attending
public worship ; the men were seized on the sab
bath, and compelled to labour on that day ; the
women were insulted, and beaten in the bazaars ;
alarm and terror spread in every direction , and
many retired to the mountains for safety ; but even
312 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. ix,
this avenue of escape from the fury of their perse
cutors was closed up, by cutting off the communia
cation between the high road and the mountains.
Among the christians seized at one of the above
mentioned places, was the schoolmaster, and the
principal man of the village, who had recently em
braced christianity. The house of the schoolmaster
they first plundered, and then burnt. The house
of another respectable native, whom , with others,
they had falsely charged with murder, they broke
open , robbed , and ( he himself being absent) seized
his three sons ; in short, the outrages of the in
furiated men became so alarming and intolerable,*
as to render it absolutely necessary to apply for
military aid, which was the means of checking for 1

the time, though not of preventing, the further

violence of the assailants . Several of those who
had been seized were, on false accusations, impri
soned for many months, and afterwards flogged,
and led through the public streets, as objects of
contempt and scorn . Unprotected as these native
christians were, every enemy of their religion
seemed to take a cruel advantage of their defence
a

less state, to insult and abuse them : the pagan

idolater, the mohammedan, and the papist, as
though united together by a cominon principle,
and instigated by a kindred spirit, seemed equally
to exult in the violent and unprovoked aggressions
to which they were exposed ; and such was the
infatuation towhich the indulgence of the spirit of
persecution at length led, that these peaceable and
* The persecutors, in one of the villages, after seizing
the men , and insulting the women , cruelly cut off the ear
of a female upwards of ninety years of age.
 CILAP. IX . ] INDIA . 313
inoffensive people were, in some places, absolutely
watched and treated by their enemies as so many
traitors and rebels. It appears to have been de
termined, if possible, to root out christianity from
the district in which the first assault was made,
and, had the persecutors succeeded in this attempt,
to stir up the people of other districts to similar
proceedings for the like purpose.
The communications, however, show, as already
intimated , that, notwithstanding temporary inter
ruption to the work in some places, and the de
clension of a number of the people, the issue will
be very different from that which the persecutors
had anticipated. Even during the period of these
troubles, which continued for several months, the
missionaries were cheered by observing beneficial
effects resulting from them at some of the stations,
and by witnessing events in others, which, as they
showed the reality and strength of religious prin
ciple, when brought to the test of persecution,
could not but afford them great encouragement.
At the time some were withdrawing from the con
gregations, additions of others, who avowed them
selves christians, were here and there made to
them . The attendance, too, in some of the con
gregations, instead ofbeing diminished, was greatly
increased. An additional impulse, also, was given
to catechetical instruction , the good effects of which
soon became evident. The weaker sex, whose op
position had in some districts formed the chief
impediment to the introduction of the gospel, were
called, during the persecutions, to manifest in a
distinguished inanner the triumph of christian
principles, and afforded the fullest evidence that
the truth had not been received by them in vain.
2 E
314 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. IX.
The members of the congregations in the western
division of the mission, where the persecution
chiefly raged, continued to assemble to the number
of eight hundred to one thousand ; while the
native readers, who, during a considerable pe
riod , could not, in the discharge of their duties,
often appear in public, displayed the most com
mendable zeal and prudence ; “ ceasing not to
teach and to preach in the name of the Lord
Jesus,” to the people privately in their houses,
or as favourable opportunities occurred, in public,
although exposed to much contempt; and it is
pleasing to add, that their labours, during this
period, were, apparently, not without genuine
spiritual results. In the district where these
troubles chiefly prevailed , most of the people had
been very recently brought under christian in
struction . The more intelligent of them appear
to know, that christianity will repay them for all
their sufferings, and they even express their de
termination to use all their influence in imparting
the truth to others.
In a letter, written by the Rev. Mr. Buyers,
shortly after his arrival in Bengal, and dated Cal
cutta, October 27, 1831 , he observes, “ The open
ings here for preaching the gospel, exceed my
most sanguine expectations. As Mr. Christie was
about to distribute a number of Bengalee tracts ,
the rest of the people pressed around him with
such importunity, that he was obliged to ascend
the small pulpit, before he could succeed in giving
them to those who seemed most likely to be bene
fited. To behold such an eager scrambling for the
word of life, and the manifest disappointment of
those who could not obtain a book, was to me a
CHAP. IX . ] INDIA . 315

cheering sight in this pagan land. This desire to

hear the gospel, and to obtain books, we do not
indeed regard as a real thirst for spiritual know
ledge ; though, in some instances, it may be ; yet,
we rejoice in it, and hail it as the harbinger of
glorious things for India. The temple of God has
not yet been erected in this part of the world ; but
the mighty fabric of Hindooism is tottering ; and
many, even of its greatest votaries, anticipate its
fall.
“ Among the natives a class has sprung up,
some of whom are brahmins, who openly avow
their opposition to idolatry ; and publish several
weekly newspapers,both in English and Bengalee ,
in which they fearlessly call on their countrymen
to abandon Hindooism . From one of these, a
paper, the editor of which is a brahmin of high
caste, I give you the following extracts. He thus
writes :
“ A person that is at all conversant with the
state of affairs in Calcutta, must be aware that
there are five parties among the Hindoos; the first
is composed of a people that are sincerely orthodox,
and blindly led by an enthusiastic madness ; the
second of those, who, in their closets and bed
rooms, indulge in excesses of every sort, and avow
themselves to be the enthusiastic advocates of
error ; the third, of those who appear liberal before
Europeans, and orthodox before Hindoos ; the
fourth , of those whose minds are not in fact
shackled by prejudice, but who profess to be Hin
doos, by pretending that Hindooism is pure Deism ,
and not idolatry ; and the fifth and last, of those
who make a downright avowal of being hostile to
the mysteries of Hindooisin, and who are now set
316 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. IX.
about inquiring after truth ; that they may be able
to impart it to others, when Hindooism is knocked
down . '
“ In another part of the same paper are the
following words, which are certainly stronger than
could have been expected from persons exposed to
the greatest opposition on account of their senti
ments :
If there be any thing under heaven that we
look upon with the utmost abhorrence, it is Hin
dooism . If there be any thing which we regard as
the worst instrument of evil, it is Hindooism . If
there be any thing which we behold as the greatest
promoter of vice, it is Hindooism . And if there
be any thing that we consider as most hurtful to
the peace, comfort, and happiness of society, it is
Hindooism . And neither insinuation nor flattery,
neither fear nor persecution, can alter our resolu
tion to destroy that monstrous creed .'
“ Such are the words of men who have been born
in families that for ages have subsisted by the
popular superstition. These men are not indeed
christians, but have abandoned the religion of
their fathers, and profess themselves to be inquirers
after truth .
“ Since writing the above, I have been with the
brethren Lacroix and Christie, at another preaching
station, in one of the most popular parts of Cal
cutta .
A great many people were present, and
though all heathens, they were as attentive as any
christian congregation. Mr. Lacroix preached a
sermon, introductory to a course, whichhe intends
to deliver, on the evidences of christianity, and
the want of evidence in support of the Hindoo
system. I counted upwards of twenty brahmins,
CHAP. IX . ] INDIA . 317

some of whom, I was told , were learned men, or

pundits ; but no objections were brought forward .
After the service, such was the anxiety to obtain
tracts, that almost the whole congregation pressed
forward, each putting in his claim so urgently,
that it was difficult to prevent confusion. When
I saw some aged brahmins pressing through the
crowd, extending both their hands for tracts, I
thought, surely , if the friends of missions, in Bri
tain, could behold such a scene, they would become
more fervent in their prayers, and liberal in their
contributions, and many of them more willing to
devote themselves personally to the work of the
Lord among the heathen .”
Connected with Calcutta , at some of the places
which the missionaries visit, they have had fre
quent opportunities of addressing assemblies, some
times consisting of a thousand persons ; and , at
times, bralımins, soodras, and mohammedans seat
themselves together, and often listen with all the
attention and decorum of aa christian congregation .
After the services, numbers have pressed round the
missionaries to receive the books of heavenly wis
down ,' as even brahmins have designated the portions
of the scriptures and the tracts which the brethren
distributed.

2 E 3
318 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. x.

CHAPTER X.

Church Missionary Society.--Sketch of Abdool

Messeeh .- Madras.--- Pagan Festival.- A De
votee.--A Juggler.-- Prevalence of the Cholera .
- Its pretended cause.-- New Church.-- The
Convert l'engedasalam .--Baptism of a Brah
min .- Worship of a Demon. Interesting Con
versation with a Boy .---Meerut.--- A Fakeer.-
Effect of Gospels distributed by the late Mr.
Chamberlain .-- Piety and Courage of Anund
Messeeh .--- The Convert Kanya.— Remarkable
Death of a little Boy.
The proceedings of the Church Missionary So
ciety, now to be recorded, like those of other
bodies already given , present a combination of
light and of shade. Among the most interesting
characters thus brought before us, is Abdool Mes
seeh , who was born at Delhi.
His original name was Shekh Salih . His father
was considered a learned man , and gained a live
lihood by teaching children. He wasthe instructor
of his son, who made considerable proficiency
both in the Persian and Arabic languages .
At the age of twenty - one, he became moonshee
to an officer in the East India Company's service,
and at this time was so zealous a mussulman, that
he induced a Hindoo servant of this gentleman to
become a inohammedan. After engaging in a
variety of pursuits, he went into the Mahratta
country, and enlisted as a trooper in the service
of Ibrahim Ali Khan, one of the chieftains of he
CHAP . x.] INDIA , 319

Javudpore rajal. Indian soldiers of this descrip

tion are more like the English yeomanry cavalry
than dragoons. Each man finds his own horse
and accontrements, and is at liberty to leave the
service whenever he pleases.
This step Abdool considered the beginning of
God's special favour to him ; for while under the
command of Ibrahim Ali Khan , Meer Khan ,
another chieftain , at that time in the service of
the same rajah , was sent to murder Rao Scivac
Sing, the rival of the Javudpore rajah. The
Scivac Sing, Abdool stated, was a young man of
very interesting appearance; and pity for his
untimely death , with the horror excited by the
exposure of his head as a spectacle, raised in his
bosom afeeling of disgust at the perfidy of man
kind. Hitherto he had been a stranger to such
treachery, and considering that he was liable to be
made an executioner, in circumstances of equal
cruelty, he resolved on quitting the army, and
earning his bread in some peaceful way, by any
labour, however degrading. This determination
was acted on, and he supported himself at Luc
kun by preparing green paint.
At the end of about a year, he went to Cawn
pore to visit his father, at that time engaged as
tutor in the house of a rich native, who lived in
the premises adjoining those of the Rev. H. Mar
tyn. Here he heard of Mr. M.'s preaching to the
poor natives, who assembled on the lawn before
his house on Sundays, and he determined to go,
as he expressed it, to see the sport. Mr. M.
was explaining the commandments to the people
on his arrival ; he was struck with the observations
that were made, and considered them as both
320 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. X.
reasonable and excellent. He told his father
what opinion he had formed, and begged him to
procure him some employmentat Cawnpore, where
he might hear more of these things. This led to
an introduction to Mr. Martyn, and to Abdool's
being engaged to copy Persian writings. He ob
tained a lodging on the premises, without making
known his wishes. Here he had many oppor
tunities of obtaining the information he desired,
particularly by inquiring of the native christian
children the subjects of the lessons they had
learned at school; and by this mode, he was
enabled to gain some insight into Divine truth.
When Mr. M. had finished his translation of
the New Testament into Hindostanee, the book
was given to Abdool to bind. This he considered
as a fine opportunity, and on improving it, and
reading the word of God, he discovered his state,
and perceived therein a true description of his own
heart. He soon decided in favour of the christian
religion, but still concealed his feelings, till Mr.M.,
being about to leave Cawnpore from ill-health ,
he could no longer refrain from soliciting advice
as to his future conduct, earnestly desiring, at the
same time, to be baptized. It was agreed, there
fore, that he should accompany Mr. M. to Calcutta,
there he was committed to the care of the Rev. D.
Brown, without complying with his wish, but this
was done five months afterwards, full satisfaction
having been given as to his change of heart. On
this occasion Mr. Brown wrote to a friend : “ On
Sunday last I publicly baptized Shekh Salih. It
was a most solenn and heart-affecting occasion.
Good people of all ranks attended ; and, in the
evening, I preached on the subject. This has
21
CHAP. x.] INDIA . 321

made a very serious impression at Calcutta. I

have had great satisfaction in the event. The
circumstances of his case were remarkable. May
we every Whit-Sunday witness similar wonders
of grace! I made full investigation, and was
thoroughly satisfied with the Shekh's account of
his conversion. His christian name is Abdool
6
Messeeh , Servant of Christ,' a particular cir
cumstance leading to the selection of that name.”
Some of his friends now wished him to go forth
straightway as a missionary. To this he respect
fully objected, saying , that as he was yet but
little acquainted withthe contents of the bible as
a whole, he should perhaps, in ignorance, assert
things not agreeing with the analogy of faith ;
this most reasonable statement was, however, con
sidered a proof of aversion to labour; and, for a
time, he reinained in obscurity. At length the
friend , whose scholars Abdool had resorted to for
instruction at Cawnpore, visited Calcutta, and be
ing able to converse familiarly with him in Hin
dostanee, could not but be delighted with his good
sense and remarkable ingenuousness. By this
friend he was again brought into notice, was finally
engaged as a catechist, and accompanied the Rev.
Daniel Corrie to Agra, with the design of settling
in that city. During his journey thither, an in
cident occurred, which afforded a proof of the
influence of Divine grace on the heart of this pious
and devoted man . On leaving a place called Da
napore, the boat in which Mr. Corrie was pursuing
his route, went on a - head, and the boatmen took
the liberty of going into the market without per
mission. Abdool, desirous of keeping up with
his friend, said to some christian children who
322 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAPP.. X.
were with him , “ Come, let us take hold of the
line, and draw the boat ourselves ; which, when
the boatmen hear of, they will be ashamed, and
coine to us.” In this way they proceeded about
a mile on the bank of the river, till at length they
approached a spot where a mohammedan merchant
was purchasing wood. On seeing Abdool, he asked
one of the children who he was, and was answered ,
“ A christian .” When the boat came up, the
merchant said, “Pray, sir, wait f.; your boatmen,
and do not take that trouble .” They have be
haved very ill,” replied Abdool, “ and this is the
only punishment I can inflict, by endeavouring to
shame them .” “ But for a man of your appear
ance , " rejoined the stranger, “ to engage in such
servile work is very degrading; and you, no doubt,
inust feel ashamed in the presence of so inany
people .” “ When I was of your religion ,” said
Abdool, “ I should indeed have felt ashamed ; but
I have embraced a religion, whose Author was
meek and lowly, and now I rather take pleasure
in an employment by which the pride of my heart
is hunbled .” After demanding what faith he now
professed , and being told it was the religion of
Jesus, the mussulman began to revile him in
very coarse language ; but Abdool, instead of
evincing the slightest resentment, embraced with
avidity an opportunity which occurred , of showing
his calumniator some civility. Astonished at this
conduct, and completely ignorant of the principle
from which it resulted, the merchant exclaimed to
some persons who had assembled around him , “ See
how this man has learned to disguise his feelings :
I gave him abuse, and he returns civility !” But
Abdool coolly replied,, “ This is not hypocrisy ,
 INDIA . 323
CHAP. x .]
but what I have been taught by my new religion.
Had you used such language towards me when I
was a mussulman , I might probably have fought
with you, but now ," continued he, taking out his
testament, and referring to the fifth chapter of
St. Matthew's gospel, “ I am taught to pray for
my enemies.” The merchant was obviously im
pressed by this, and, after a short conversation,
he requested that a copy of the gospel might be
placed in his haus.
On his arrival at Agra, Abdool commenced the
work of religious instruction with great zeal and
diligence ; and, as many hundreds of persons had
recently fiocked to the neighbourhood, in con
sequence of a scarcity in the Mahratta country ,
occasioned by a terrible drought, he embraced the
opportunity of going among them , distributing
pice or halfpence, and inviting them to hear the
gospel, and to send their children to him , to learn
to read. “ At first,” it is said, “ they received him
as an angel of light ; but, a report having been
spread among them , that he was an Arabian, who
wished to carry off their children, the poor natives,
for several days, refused to receive the charity which
he offered them, or to hear any thing from him ." .
In the course of a week or two, however, they
perceived that their suspicions were unfounded,
and his public services were attended by hundreds ;
many of whom , on hearing an exposition of the
decalogne, cried out aloud, “ These are true words;
and the curse of God will fall upon us, if we obey
them not. ” Indeed, the congregations who as
sembled to hear of “ the new way,” soon began
to increase rapidly, and comprised many respect
able persons, both Hindoos and mohammedans.
324 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ciІАР. х.
A school was also opened for the instruction of
children ; and Abdool was visited every day by
persons who came to converse with him on the
subject of religion , and, in some instances, appeared
deeply affected by the truths which they heard .
One evening, in particular, while the native chris
tian children and servants were at worship, a
venerable man , who stated that he was ninety
years of age, came to his house. During the
recitation of the liturgy he knelt down with
them ; as they proceeded in that service, the
tears began to roll down his furrowed cheeks ;
and toward the end he repeated Amen , ſervently,
after each petition. When prayers were ended,
he went up to Abdool and embraced him ; and, on
being asked if he knew that he was embracing a
christian, he replied in the affirmative, and added,
“ I have often seen the English at worship, but
never understood their language; but your prayers
are most excellent, and my soul has been greatly
refreshed by thein .”
The 10th of June, 1813, is noticed in Abdool's
journal, as “ the day on which the doctrine of
Christ witnessed a triumph .” “ For three weeks
46
past,” he says , à faqucer of the Jogi tribe has
come frequently to our morning worship in the
school. On Tuesday, the chapter to be read in
order was John xvii. The subject of it, and our
Lord's manner toward his disciples, arrested the
attention of the Jogi, and the tears flowed plen
tifully down his cheeks. To -day he brought his
wife and child ; said he was a convert to Jesus,
without reserve ; and began , of himself , to take
off his faqueer's dress. He first took the beaus
from his neck ;-broke the string to which the
CIIAP. x.] INDIA . 325

charm given himn by his goroo was suspended ;

and broke off an iron ring worn round his waist,
and to which an iron rod about two feet long was
attached. He then put on some old clothes which
we had by us, and said he wished to be instructed
in the gospel, and to get some employment. A
rupee being given , to procure food for the family,
his wife went and bought a spinning-wheel, saying
she would spin, and earn a livelihood ; and the
whole family afterwards ate their dinner with us
of their own accord . These are wonders in the
history of a Hindoo ! "
Two days afterward , a mussulman came to the
house, and asked the Jogi if he had really become
a christian ? He answered, “ Yes, and have, just
now, been eating beef with Abdool Messeeh .” The
mohammedan then turned to the Jogi’s wife, and
inquired if she had embraced the same faith ;
asking, at the same time, what could have induced
her to renounce her former religion for chris
tianity. She replied, that, by the grace of God ,
she had become a christian ; and though she had
not yet learned much of the gospel, and being but
a rustic, could not dispute with a learned man ,
like him ; yet what she had heard of the doctrine
of Christ had brought rest and peace to her soul,
and therefore she had embraced it.
In July, 1814, Abdool paid a visit to his rela
tives at Lucknow , where he was most cordially
received, and readily permitted to speak to his
fellow -sinners of the only means of escaping the
wrath to come. “ Myapproach having been an
nounced ,” says he, “ thirty persons, friends and
acquaintances, came out to meet me. Among
them , my father, my brother Josephi, and two
2 F
326 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. X.
brothers-in-law, embraced me, and rejoiced greatly.
After arriving at my father's house, I read the
ninth chapter of the Acts, and explained it as the
Holy Spirit gave assistance, and joined in prayer .
About sixty men and women were collected , all
of whom heard with attention , and appeared
pleased ; and my mother and sisters expressed
themselves thus : · Praise to Jesus Christ, that
we, who were separate, are again brought together.
We are his sinful servants. How shall he not
vouchsafe his grace unto us ? ' And my father ex
6
claimed, his eyes streaming with tears, O Lord
Jesus Christ, Ī , a sinner, cannot praise thee as
thou art worthy. Through the gladness thou hast
shown me, half my illness is removed ; and I am
now persuaded that thou wilt restore me to health ,
and deliver me from the hands of all my enemies .'
“ The next morning, all my relations , male and
female, having set their several households in
order, collected for worship . I read the fourteenth
chapter of St. John's gospel, in which is recorded
the glad promise of the Holy Spirit's coming.
My servant and another person then sang a
hymn , with which my parents were much de
lighted ; and friends and neighbours collected in
such numbers that there was no room left. After
worship, I went, with my brother, in quest of a
larger house , which we met with within the pre
cincts of the British resident, and there took up
our abode . My relations came to me there ; and
great numbers of poor, and blind, and lame, came
daily for charity. Those mohammedans who had
formerly been my friends came also, for the pur
pose of disputing with me, and these I answered
as the Holy Spirit enabled me.” On the 11th of
CHAP . X.] INDIA . 327

August, Abdool returned to Agra, accompanied by

his father, and five other members of his family,
with several other persons ; one of whom , an aged
Molwee, appeared earnestly desirous to ascertain
the way of salvation .
About a week after Abdool's return , the Rev.
Mr. Corrie, in consequence of ill health, was under
the necessity of quitting Agra, in order to visit
England. On this occasion he observes, in his
journal, “ I committed the congregation to the
care of Abdool Messeeh and Mr. Bowley, amidst
many tears on the part of the new converts, and
much sorrow on my own ; but the will of the
Lord is to be acknowledged in my departure, no
less than in my arrival at this station. During
the preceding sixteen months, seventy-onenatives
have received baptism , of whom about fifty are
adults, about half mohammedans, and the other
half hindoos. Of these, one has been expelled ;
six have apostatised ; four are gone to their friends,
and are, we hope, holding fast their profession ;
and others are occupying different stations, as
readers and catechists ."
It was expected that, on the removal of Mr.
Corrie, little more could be effected, during his
absence, than the preservation of the infant church
collected by Abdool's labours ; and it seems that
only a short time elapsed before the interest began
visibly to decline. Abdool , however, continued to
bear a faithful testimony to the truth , and, not
withstanding all his discouragements, to watch
with unremitting vigilance over the flock com
mitted to his care. He also devoted a consi
derable share of his time and attention to the
bodily diseases of the poor natives, for whom he
328 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. X.
prescribed, and to whom he distributed medicines
gratuitously. These benevolent exertions, how
ever, were by no means productive of the gratitude
which they deserved ; as will appear from the
following extract of a letter written by an intelli
gent officer at Agra .
“ In the course of the last two months, Abdool
cured a hundred people, and many of them very
difficult cases : yet not one of them returned to
the kuttra ( the place of worship ) to give thanks
to God. Nay, not even one of them thought
of thanking the man who had thus been the in
strument of Divine goodness. When I tell you
that I have reason to believe a great portion of
his salary is expended in the purchase of medi
cines, you will not think it ill bestowed . The
mortality in the town has been great, since the
beginning of May, and still rages with unabated
violence. Abdool told me, that, in the course of
one day, during the last month , he observed six
teen corpses carried along the narrow street that
passes by the kuttra . ' I could not,' he observed ,
see these poor people dying like dogs, without
knowledge and without a Saviour, but with heart
felt grief ! '
The health of Abdool having been , for a con
siderable time, in a very infirm state, he visited
Calcutta, in the year 1820, at the desire of the
committee, and found great benefit from the change
of air. In order to improve his residence there to
the best advantage, he left the hospitable roof
of his friend, Mr. Corrie, who had some time
since returned to India , and took up his abode in
the midst of the poor ; but the place soon be
coming too small, a more commodious house was
CHAP. X.] INDIA . 329

hired, where from a hundred and fifty to two hun.

dred of the most wretched of the population,
comprising the aged, the disabled , and the diseased
---poor Portuguese or country -born --belonging to
no caste, and having previously found scarcely any
one to care for their souls, attended him three
tiines a week. It may be necessary to add, that,
in the month of October, in the same year, this
excellent native christian received Lutheran ordi
nation .
Having left Calcutta in the beginning of No
vember, Abdool, in working up the Ganges, ar
rived at a village called Jerret, where he had an
interesting interview with one of the natives, who
had attained the age of one hundred years. 56 He
had built a mosque, and dng a pond in that vil
lage,” says Abdool, “ and had three sons, and
grandsons having children. Supposing me to be a
mussulman guide, he approached me with great
respect ; but on my relating my history from be
ginning to end, he was much astonished ; and his
children, with many of the villagers, gathered
round me. I asked if he could read , but he replied
6
in the negative. I then said, “ O ! sir, I grieve
for your state. God has greatly lengthened your
days, and has given you all kinds of earthly wealth,
in riches and in children ; but, alas ! you have
not yet obtained the knowledge of the true God .
It would , perhaps, have been better for you had I
not met with you ; and yet, if I were not now to
tell you the truth , your blood would be upon my
head . Having said thus much , I remained silent.
6
He then said, ' Pray, sir, tell me what I must do.
I have done every thing that I have been told by
native teachers. I have dug a well, and built a
2F 3
330 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. X.
mosque, and given much in charity. All these
external services I have performed ; but, from your
discourse, I find that these things are all for making
a name in the world . I answered, ' I tell you, in
God's name, that now is your twelfth hour ; and
il you will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you
shall, without the merit of your own works, beyond
all doubt, obtain salvation . I then read , and be
gan to explain to him the parable of the labourers,
who, in the evening, received wages alike ; and I
endeavoured to make known the divinity and glory
of the Redeemer. He then turned to his eldest
6
son , and said , “ What shall I do ? ' He, hearing
this, rose, and , going into the house, told the fa
mily ; when the younger son came out, and said
very angrily to his father, ‘ Old man ! are thy
senses gone ? Dost thou think of forsaking thy
religion , and becoming an infidel, which will ruin
us all ? On hearing these words, the aged mus
sulman said to me, ' I tell you truly, that I have
heard what you have read, and understand it, and
that I desire, in my heart, to becomea christian ;
but the love of my children will not allow me . I
asked, “ Will your children, also , save you from
hell ? ' and, after shaking off the dust of my feet,
I departed from them , and returned to the boat.”
Abdool's approach to Agra was, of course,
known, and, as it appears, anxiously expected by
many. Three stages from the end of his journey,
he found about fifteen hindoos and mohamme
dans, who had come thus far to meet him , and
fervently thanked God for his return . At Feroza
bad, twenty other persons were waiting for him ;
and during the last stage, several more met him
on the road ; so that by the time he reached the
 CHAP. X.] INDIA . 331

kuttra in Agra, he was attended by great num

bers ; and several English friends who had, for
some time, taken a lively interest in the mission,
were also ready to offer him their unfeigned con
gratulations. " I praised God for his mercies,”
says Abdool, “ and straightway celebrated public
worship ; the Hindoos and mussulmen joining
aloud in the Amen ."
Of Abdool's resumption of his labours, Mr.
Crowley, who, at that time, superintended the
school at Agra, writes as follows :
“ His returning to this too -long neglected sta
tion as an ordained minister of the gospel of Christ,
will, I hope, be productive of the happiest and
most beneficial effects. This, indeed, is already
manifest ; as many nominal christians, who, I have
reason to believe, have never entered a place of
worship for many years past , have, since his arri
val , become regular attendants on sabbath - days.
Blessed be God for this mercy ! The church here
is now very decently attended, including many
persons of the Armenian and Roman catholic per
suasions ; and, occasionally, a few Hindoos and
mussulmen ; the latter of whom, I firmly believe,
are induced to attend only from a knowledge of
Abdool's ordination .”
In 1825, bishop Heber, who admitted Abdool
Messeeh into the ministry of the established church,
“ He is a very fine old man , with a magnifi
says ,
cent grey beard, and of much more gentlemanly
manners than any christian native whom I have
seen . He is every way fit for holy orders, and is
a most sincere christian, quite free, so far as I
could observe, from all conceit and enthusiasm .
His long eastern dress, his long grey beard, and
332 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. X.
his calm resigned countenance, give him already
almost the air of an apostle.”
The following year he was stationed at Luck
now, and succeeded in disarming opposition , by
his wisdom and kindness, while he asserted, with
out compromise, the peculiar doctrines of revela
tion. In the beginning of 1827, he became
seriously ill, and sent a message to the resident,
requesting the favour of a visit. With this wish
Mr. Rickets readily complied. To him he made
known his desires as to his funeral, and declared
that death had no fears for him , because the Sa
viour had deprived it of its sting. The day before
his death he requested his friend to write his will.
This being done, he dectared to the witnesses, be
fore his brother and relatives then present, in a
cheerful manner and with perfect composure of
mind, putting his hand upon the seal, that the
seal was his. He then said, “ Thanks be to God,
I have done with this world ! and, with regard to
my mother, " putting his hands in a supplicating
posture, “ I commend her to God.” He then
expressed other wishes, and engaged fervently in
prayer. In the evening he manifested the same
composure ; a portion of scripture was read, and a
favorite hymn sung. This he had composed but
a short time before, and of it the following is a
literal translation .
“ Beloved Saviour, let pot me
In thy kind heart forgotten be !
Of all that deck the field or bower,
Thou art the sweetest, fairest flower !
Youth's morn has fled , old age comes on ;
But sin distracts my soul alone :
Beloved Saviour, ler not me
In thy kind heart forgotten be !"
CHAP. x.] INDIA . 333

He joined in singing this hymn, and desired it

inight be sung a second time: but, alas ! he could
nolonger articulate distinctly,and became insen
sible to every thing around him . He lay, seem
ingly in perfect ease, till about half-past eight,
when he raised his head from the pillow, and with
his left hand took hold of the hand of his friend
then gently withdrew it--and breathed his last.
A corresponding committee was formed at Ma
dras in 1815. Here the Rev. Mr. Rhenius had
an opportunity of witnessing a famous festival
of the heathen, at a place called Conjeveram .
“ Soon after breakfast,” says he, “ the morning
procession was announced, and we met an immense
concourse of people. The head brahmin , having
put a garlandof flowers round my neck, requested
ine to go before the idol, to the pagoda where
it was to be deposited. I accordingly proceeded
about half a mile, through a crowd of persons,
among whom it was necessary to make way for me.
Astonishing was the sight of the throng ; the broad
street being completely filled , and the house -tops
on each side occupied by a great number of per
sons, all anxiously waiting for the procession,
6
conducted by the · holy brahmins,' two of whom
were standing on the vehicle, with fly -drivers in
their hands, waving them incessantly, to guard the
idol either against the insects, or the dust, or the
hot wind.
“ I was seated in the hall of the pagoda, when
the procession approached at a slow pace. And
oh, what zeal was manifested by the throng to
obtain a sight of their god ! Some were clapping
their hands toward him , others lifting themup in
silent adoration ; some falling prostrate before
334 MISSIONARY RECORDS .
[ CHAP. X.
this imaginary deity, others, with anxiety de
picted on their faces, watching for the first and
best opportunity of paying the tribute of their de
votion ! Surely their eyes are closed , that they
cannot see, and their hearts, that they cannot un
derstand ! On these occasions, indeed , it seems as
if the very air were infected with the effusions of
the evil spirit, who doubtless takes a malignant
delight in seeing men thus degrade themselves.
“ At last the idol arrived , passed by me, and
was placed in the inner part of the temple. The
eyes of the populace followed it, accompanied by
loud rejoicings. The brahmins then ascended the
vehicle, in order to receive a touch of the golden
crown which the idol wore ; and which the chief
brahmin , I believe, placed for a few seconds upon
the head of each of his brethren . I then left the
pagoda, and went home.
“ When the evening procession was announced ,
after dinner, our attention was excited by two tall
and stout figures, in the midst of the crowd, painted
and in masks. These were representations of a
man and woman , made of paper , with awkward
faces, arms, and bodies, and carried by persons
concealed within them . The figures, which were
about ten feet high, danced, and made the most
antic gestures . A boy also had on a mask re
sembling the head of a lion, and danced about
among the dancing girls.
Arriving at the pagoda, we seated ourselves in
the hall, and awaited the procession, which soon
arrived , with the customary shoutings. The idol
having been fixed in his place, a number of brah
mins, seated in rows opposite to us, received some
refreshment ; and four or five of the dancing girls
CHAP. x.] INDIA . 335

were selected to dance before us, which they did,

with gestures which would have been considered
shameful even in a theatre in Europe.
66
Retiring home about midnight, I assembled
our people,and concluded the day with supplica
tions to the living God, for ourselves and all around
us.. I then retired to bed, rejoicing in the oppor
tunity which I had enjoyed of making known the
gospel to the heathen , and of mourning over their
darkness and folly.”
The following day, Mr. Rhenius, in walking out,
met with a person walking on spikes, and holding
in his hand a thick iron staff, with which he occa
sionally beat himself on the back . On being ad
dressed, he threw off his painful shoes, whichwere
taken up by his wife ; and being questioned as to
the cause of his inflicting such torinents upon him
self, he candidly confessed that he did it merely to
obtain a living
On one occasion, a wretched devotee called,
who had his mouth locked up, by an iron wire
drawn through his cheeks, and passing through
his mouth ; a small chain was hanging out of his
mouth , fastened to the wire within, at the end of
which hung a sinall box of brass ; upon one of his
shoulders he had two heavy links of an iron chain ,
and his face was smeared all over with ashes. He
had evidently taken leave, for the present, of all
earthly enjoyments, as he could not even smile, or
move his mouth in any considerable degree, with
out pain. On inquiring the reason for this strange
dealing with himself, he said that he had been
afflicted with an obstinate dysentery, which no
medicines would remove : he then applied to a
gooroo, who advised him to make a vow ; according
336 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. X.
to which he chained his mouth in the above
manner , which he has to endure until he has pro
cured, from the charity of others, one hundred and
fifty such heavy links of iron as those which he
carried, in order to form a chain , with which to
draw the idol's car. Each link is about six inches
long , and proportionably thick : of these he had
collected one hundred , which he had made with
the money he had gathered from the people.
Since he has done sc he says, his sickness has
disappeared. He wa , a young man of about
twenty -one years of age, and could not read. “ I
made the plan of salvation known to him ,” says
one of the missionaries, “ but I nearly despair of
such people, as they will naturally oppose every
idea which will make thein think they have suf
fered so many things in vain .”
Of another deluded creature, Mr. Rhenius gives
the following account :-“ As soon as he saw us,
:

he began his antics, which were so disgusting that

we would have left him immediately, but were de
sirous of seeing what the end would be. He dis
torted his body in such a shocking manner, and
assumed such unnatural forms and voices, that
words are inadequate to convey an accurate idea
of his appearance; and all this was set off by the
various colours with which he was besmeared . At
last, to crown his folly, he took a rope made of
rags, and tied it round his body. He then dipped
the end of it in the oil of a lamp which was before
him , and , having kindled it, he held it near his
face, and looked at it earnestly for some time, as
if going to fight with it. Then rubbing his tongue
over with the burning oil, he tore the flaming
torch with his teeth , and chewed the pieces !
CHAP. X.] INDIA . 337

“ I, at first, stood motionless, silently meditating

on the fallen condition of man ; but, at length,
being unable to bear the sight any longer, I
stopped him , and asked, " Who are you, and why
do you act thus ? ' He lifted up his eyes and
hands to heaven , and replied , ' It is the will of
God !' 6
No,' said I , not of God, but of the
6

devil . Then , turning to the brahmins who sur

rounded us, I asked how they could suffer such
creatures in their company and in their pagodas,
if they pretended to any holiness ; and whether
this were a sign of virtue or depravity. They stood
5

amazed ; and the poor man himself said , ' I do it

for the sake of aa livelihood .' ”
In order to illustrate r the miserable resources
of the natives of India in seasons of extremity ,”
the corresponding committee of Madras, in their
report of the state of the mission in 1818, advert
to two signal judgments with which that city and
its environs had been recently visited :
“ That fatal disease, ( the cholera spasmodica ,)
which commenced the preceding year in Calcutta,
and passing from thence into the upper province
of Bengal, extended its desolating ravages through
some of the fairest portions of Hindoostan, de
scending downwards through the Deccan, mani
fested itself, at length, in Madras. The calamity,
for a short tiine, threatened the severest conse
quences to this place ; but the humane vigilance
of the governinent, and the exertions of the Euro
pean inhabitants generally, favoured by a merciful
and gracious Providence,mitigated its effects; and
it finally subsided, leaving fewer victims than might
have been expected , from the nature of the disease,
the extent of its ravages elsewhere, and the crowded
2 G
338 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. X.
population of the Black Town of Madras and the
adjacent villages .
“ During the prevalence of this disorder, the
idolatrous ceremonies of the Hindoos, intended to
propitiate the deity presiding over this species of
disease, were, as might be expected , universal and
unceasing ; and the most preposterous impositions
were practised on the deluded multitudes. An
idol, called Yagatha Ummah, which had been
locked up, by public authority, for the last forty
years, on account of some serious dissentions which
had occurred at the celebration of one of her fes
tivals, between the right and left hand castes , was,
by mutual consent of the contending parties, libe
rated , on due public securities'; and, being sump
tuously adorned, was led forth in tumultuous
procession throughout the settlement. Pretended
incarnations of the offended deity were also exhi
bited, and paraded abroad in the same manner.
The blood of sacrifices flowed every where, without
interinission ; and the ear was stunned with the
continual clang of loud instruments and cries,
mingling with horrid dissonance, but forming the
only species of application to heaven which the
infatuated people could offer." - It appears, indeed,
from the statement of an individual then residing
in Madras, that an idiot boy was actually sacrificed
to one of the idols, on this truly distressing oc
casion .
Very different,” say the corresponding com
mittee, were the proceedings at the mission
house. There too the visitation , heightened as it
was by the occurrence of a tremendous storm ,
which , in the course of a few hours, dispersed,
wrecked , or sunk, every vessel in the roads, and
CHAP. X. ] INDIA . 339

rendered the settlement a scene of desolation, with

the loss of many lives, both at sea and on shore ,
was deeply felt and religiously acknowledged. A
solemn service of humiliation, to which all persons
were invited freely, was established every Thurs
day, when prayers and supplications were offered
for themselves and the people before the Lord of
hosts. A small tract, entitled “ The Warning ,"
was composed for the occasion , and circulated as
widely as possible. Of the heathen, very few were
attracted to this interesting assembly ; but the eye
of the Lord, we may hope, was upon it ; and the
missionaries were much gratified by the general
ſervent spirit which pervaded the meetings, and the
good impressions which seemed to survive them in
the congregation. It is pleasing to add, that only
one casualty happened within the mission from the
epidemic, namely, the death of a catechist's wife .
Mr. Rhenius , in speaking of the epidemic, says
that a brahmin gave him the following accountof
their views of the cause of that dreadful malady :
“ In ancient times, Mariamma, an evil goddess,
thirsted after the blood of men ; and, in order to
get the power to satisfy her desire, she went to
Siva, and made a great penance before him. Siva
asked her what she desired, and, on her soliciting
for power to destroy men , he granted her request.
From that time she has gone about inflicting death
by means of the cholera morbus. Sometimes, in
deed, she seems to repent of her cruelty, and, re
tiring to a mountain , remains there inactive for
ten or twelve years ; but she then breaks forth
with new fury upon mankind .”
The same person, in speaking of the means of
securing themselves against the attacks of this
34 ) MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. X.
sanguinary goddess, observed ,, “ When the semi
gods perceived the destruction which Mariamma
made in the earth , they came with great lamenta
tion before Siva, complaining against her, and ask
6
ing , · Why did you give such power to her ? ' Siva
6
replied, “ She made so great a penance, that I was
obliged to grant her request ; but, in order that
there may be a deliverance from, and a defence
against her power, I give you here a muntra, or
prayer, which will secure any person who re
peats it ! "
Mr. Rhenius observes, that the leaves of a cer
tain tree are supposed to be very agreeable to
Mariamma, and powerful enough to prevent her
attacks. The people, therefore , thread them on a
string, which they tie across the street, particularly
at the entrance of their houses, where they also
place some oblations.
In the month of June, 1819, the missionaries
had the pleasure of laying the foundation of a new
mission church, within the limits of the premises
recently purchased for them by the society, as
being much pleasanter and more salubrious than
those which they had previously occupied. On
this interesting occasion , the Rev. Mr. Thompson
thus expresses his feelings :- " The 30th of June
was, indeed, a great and happy day to us. Several
friends assembled with us at the mission - house,
with major D’Havilland and his family, the super
intending engineer, who is ex officio the architect.
From thence we proceeded to the long-desired spot.
There we found our Tamul congregation, ranged
opposite to the place where the missionaries and
myself were to stand, with a considerable number
of natives and others all around us, and spectators
CHAP . X. ] INDIA . 341

on the tops of the adjoining houses. The service

began with the hundred and seventeenth psalm , in
Tamul ; then followed a prayer, in English, by
myself. Mr. Rhenius addressed the people, con
sisting chiefly of his own congregation, in Tamul,
and then laid the stone. Having happily had it
suggested to him, by a gentleman present, to ex
plain this part of the ceremony , to prevent any
erroneous notion among the heathen spectators of
any such thing in it as their own superstitious
practices, he again addressed them. A doxology
was then sung, in Tamul, in which hallelujah
sounded out, very distinctly and affectingly ; and,
after Mr. Rhenius had offered up a prayer, in
Tamul, we concluded with the apostolic benedic
tion , in English and Tamul alternately ; Mr.
Rhenius following me sentence by sentence, so as
to end both together ; the effect ofwhich was very
solemn and impressive. The people were all very
attentive ; and their expressions of satisfaction , as
they were dispersing, were highly gratifying. It
was, on the whole, I suppose, one of the most in
teresting ceremonies of the kind ever witnessed in
Madras.'
The circumstances under which one of the
heathen converts was baptized, in the year 1822,
were peculiarly interesting, and have been thus
narrated
66
by Mr. Barenbruck :
Vengedasalam , a candidate for baptism , was
severely tried . His wife had, some time before,
removed into the country, to her relations ; and
on hearing that her husband was preparing for
baptism , she refused to return.
Several his
of re
latives, who lived with him , now withdrew from his
abode, and others threatened him ; but some
263
342 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. X.
advised him to go and fetch his wife first, and then to
be baptized. When he informed me of his afflic
tion, I directed him to commit himself to Christ,
and exhorted him to be much in prayer, looking
upward for strength and support. As he was now
sufficiently instructed to give an account of his
faith, and make an open confession of the doctrine
which he believed, I proposed to receive him the
next Sunday into the church of Christ, if it were
agreeable to his wishes. He complied with this,
chose his name, and acquainted me with his
sponsors.
“ The next morning, poor Vengedasalam came
to my room in great anxiety. He could not bear
the thought of separating from his wife ; nor did
he think that he should be able to endure the re
proach of his relations for Christ. He said that
he would go and fetch his wife and child, and
then, on his return, receive baptism. I foresaw
that, if he went, he would assuredly be prevented
by his relatives from returning, and that they
would succeed in their mischievous plans. After
praying with him, I told him to be on his guard,
and not to go a step without the Lord. I encou
raged him to look to Christ for strength, because
6
he says plainly, “ Whosoever loveth father or
mother, or wife or children, more than me, is not
6

worthy of me.' ' Consider this,' I said, “ and enter

not into temptation. I know that your trial is
severe, and I feel for you ; but, remember, there is
a God , who will take you up when your friends and
relatives forsake you . He will not leave nor for
sake you ; no, not even in death , nor in the day of
judgment. He is able, if it be good for you, and
you can put your trust in him , to restore to you
CHAP . X.] INDIA . 343

your wife, even though she were kept under the

most suspicious eye of yourenemies. Remember,
that whosoever giveth his life for the Lord, shall
preserve it ; but he who doth not entrust the Lord
with it, shall lose it : so, consider, it will be with
your wiſe. The case is such that it must be left
to you only -- you must come to a determination ;
but do not determine without prayer. He took
leave of me, to go and fetch his wife to town, pro
mising to return after three weeks ; and I looked
to the Lord, the only help in time of anxiety, and
sought his grace to support him, and inspire him
with perfect resignation.
“ In the afternoon, Vengedasalam came to my
apartment, quite composed, and with joy in his
countenance . • The Lord ,' said he, has given me
grace, so that I cannot transgress against those
words which you mentioned . I must love Christ
more than my wife and friends. I will commend
all things to God, and trust in him , believing that
he will take care of me. I sincerely wish, in the
name of the Lord, to be baptized to-morrow .'
66

The next morning was the sabbath, and many

heathens were present at the Tamul sermon.
Vengedasalam was received into the church of
Christ by baptism, and took the name of Cornelius,
which he chose from the subject of my first Tamul
sermon . After divine service, he came to my room ,
thankful, as he expressed himself, for the mercies
of God .
66
• The same evening, Cornelius was summoned
before the head-man of his caste, who had for
merly treated him with great kindness. When he
went with the catechist, he was asked, why he had
acted so foolishly as to embrace the christian
344 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. X.
religion. He replied, “ I have not acted foolishiy ;
for I believe that I cannot be saved from eternal
damnation without the Redeemer, Jesus Christ.'
• That,' said the head -man , ' is your misled mind ,
which makes you think thus. By how can you
know that it is the word of the true God ? ' Per
6
mit me to say,' rejoined Cornelius , “ that honey is
sweet, but its sweetness is known by him only
who has tasted it. A man having no taste , can
not, by any description , forin a conception of the
sweetness of honey. Read but our true vedam ,
and, if you seek earnestly the salvation of your
soul, you will then know that it is the word of the
true God.' »
On the 1st of January, 1823, a brahmin was
publicly baptized, by the name of John, after
making a suitable address to the congregation, and
breaking the sacred brahminical cord, with which,
it has been justly observed , Satan binds these de
luded priests to his service. And about three
weeks afterwards, six heathen women were ad
mitted into the church by the same solemn rite.
Of one of these, an aged female, Mr. Ridsdale ob
serves, “ I had, one day, a most interesting con
versation with her. I asked what had induced her
to think of changing her religion. She replied,
* Before, I worshipped plenty of idols , but what
good ? I went to the church to receive alms, and
heard the catechist preach ; then, after he had
done, Padre Hough asked us questions, and,
among others , il we knew that we were all sinners .
I went home, and thought, What this ? Then the
light begin to come into my mind , and I feel my
self a great sinner. Then I tell my son and
daughter that I like to be aa christian. They laugh
CHAP. X. ] INDIA . 345

at me, but I not mind. I feel very great love to

Jesus Christ, and I think upon him always.' On
my asking why she wished to be baptized, she
6
replied, “ That I may come to Christ, and get par
don and salvation.' Fearing that she might en
tertain erroneous views of the ordinance, I asked
her if she thought that the baptismal water could
pardon and save her. But she answered, with
great energy and expressive oriental gesture, 0,
no ! water can do nothing. Only Christ can save
me. I asked her, whither she expected to go after
death . She replied,, " To God.' But,
6
• ' said I ,
when you die, they will put your body into the
ground ; how, then, can you go to God ? She
6
said, “My soul will go to God . And, on my ask
ing how she knew she had a soul, she observed,
6
' I see, and think, and do many things, which my
body could not do of itself : if my soul was gone,
then iny body would be quiet.'
“ The case of this poor Hindoo woman , who is
about seventy years of age, and her hair as white
as wool, is, I trust, a practical comment on that
6
beautiful passage of holy writ, “ Hath not God
chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith , and
heirs of the kingdom , which he hath promised to
them that love him ? ‫ررر‬
In addition to the public ministrations of the
Rev. Messrs. Barenbruck and Ridsdale, great at
tention appears to have been paid to the great work
of translating and publishing a variety of useful
books in the Tamul language ; and the following
anecdote, as connected with this department of the
mission, is too interesting to be withheld.
“ A little while ago," says Mr. Ridsdale, “ our
an
old chariot, belonging to a pagoda near
316 MISSIONARY RECORDS .
[ CHAP. x.
premises, was sold, and from a part of one of the
wheels we made the platten of a new printing-press.
This suggested to me the idea of turning Satan's
weapons against himself ; and, accordingly, with
this piece of wood, which had been for years em
ployed in his service, we struck off a thousand
copies of that beautiful portion of holy scripture,
the fortieth chapter of Isaiah's prophecy, in the
form of a tract. May these little messengers of
heavenly wisdom contribute to sap the foundations
of idolatry, and to dissipate the shades of heathen
superstition !"
The great enemy of man not only defiles the
minds and manners of the heathen , but draws them
into the worship of himself. This will appear from
the following fact. While Mr. Rhenius was cate
chizing in one of the Tamul schools, he was in
formed that a schoolmaster, who, three days before,
asked leave of absence, was in the neighbourhood ,
close by the school, and, to use the phrase of the
natives,,“ playing the devil.” Mr. R. having sent
for him , and been told he could not come, went
over to the place where he was, and found him in
front of an idolatrous place of worship , and in the
midst of a concourse of people, sitting, nearly
naked, and besmeared all over with red, yellow ,
and white colours, and cow dung. Before hiin was
placed a censer, with incense burning, over the
perfume of which he held his head, in order to be
come inspired, or rather intoxicated, while three or
four musicians played to aid him in so doing.
As soon as he saw Mr. R., he rose, approached
him , and made his salâm . Mr. R. expressed his
astonishment and concern to find him there, and in
such a shocking condition , and told him , that he,
 INDIA . 347
CHAP . x.]
who had sufficient knowledge of the wickedness of
these things, and yet practised them , would receive
greater punishment than others. He excused him
self by the plea of custom , and said he had been
persuaded by the people not to go to the village in
the south, for which absence had been asked , but
to transact this business. Meanwhile, the musicians
had become quiet ; and as the people listened at
tentively to the conversation , Mr. R. exhorted them
to repent, and turn from the delusions of the devil,
whom they thus willingly served.
The idol, on such occasions, is a simple heap of
clay, in a pyramidical form , which is painted white,
and ornamented with various figures, in other
colours. In some places it is three, in others five,
and in others about seven feet high. They worship
in it a demon, and different castes give it names of
different devils. This demon, theyimagine, causes
sickness and other evils, as well as health and pros
perity ; and they worship it in order that it may
remove the one and give the other.
To gratify it the more, they make, perhaps
every two months, a feast, for which the people
bring offerings of rice, &c. , which they boil and eat
on the spot. At such times, one of the persons
more particularly interested in the favour of the
demon, devotes himself to be possessed by it, for
which purpose he proceeds as the schoolmaster
did ; and while thus preparing himself, the demon ,
it is supposed, enters the devotee, who then be
gins to dance and make various frantic gestures ;
utters different sentiments, expressing his gratifica
tion at their offerings and devotion ; and promises
them protection and happiness. Sometimes he
makes known his wishes by peculiar signs : by
348 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. X.
putting his hands to the sides of his head, so that
they stand forth like horns, he signifies to the
people that he wishes to have a goat sacrificed to
him , which sign they no sooner observe than they
bring the goat, and sacrifice it with shouting and
worship; or he beats his sides with his elbows, as
a cock does with its wings, by which they under
stand that he wants a cock as an offering, which
they immediately bring him. The demon ex
presses himself highly delighted with such offer
ings, and repeats his promises of protection and
prosperity. Such feasts last sometimes two or
three days, and are always accompanied with much
music and shouting.
The schoolmaster was, of course, dismissed from
his office .
One of the seminarists, a boy of thirteen or
fourteen years of age, was suddenly attacked by
disease, when an interesting conversation took
place between him and the missionary. “ You
seem composed ; does this arise from solid peace in
66
your heart ? ” “ Yes." Now, tell me, what is
the kind of peace which you feel ? ” “ The peace
of God . ” “ How did you come to possess this
66
peace ? " By believing in Jesus Christ . ”
“ When did you begin to know Christ ? ” “ After
my admission into this institution .” “ In what
particular manner did you come to this precious
knowledge ? ” “ By reading the word of God.”
“ Did any particular passage strike you ? ” “ Yes . "
“ What was it ? ” “ This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation , that Jesus Christ came
into the world to save sinners.”
The corresponding committee at Calcutta, first
employed two native christians at Meerut, to read
CHAP . X. ] INDIA . 349

the scriptures and superintend schools ; but, in

1815 , the Rev. H. Fisher arrived as chaplain of
the military department, who has since been active
in promoting the spiritual welfare of the heathen
around him . He has been instrumental in bring
ing several natives to the knowledge of the truth,
and of collecting a small church and congregation,
to which he statedly preaches once on the sabbath,
in Hindoostanee. Several schools have been es
tablished in the vicinity, under the superintendence
and instruction of native christians.
Alluding to a conversation which Mr. F. had
with the native christians, according to his usual
practice on the sabbath , he says :- “ Last Sunday
we were conversing on the universality of the feel
ing that prevails in all nations, that some atone
ment for sin is necessary . I related to them what
iny three sons had seen as they returned with me
from Hurdwar. A fakeer was observed , by the
road side, preparing something extraordinary ;
which, having never observed before, excited a
near ard examine
curiosity to draw several his employ
ment. He had Hindoo pilgrims round
him , all on their way from the holy Ghant, who
assisted in preparing the wretched devotee for some
horrible penance, to which he had voluntarily
bound himself, in order to expiate the guilt of
some crime which he had committed long ago.
His attendants literally worshipped him ; kissing
his feet, calling him God, and invoking his bless
ing. A large fire was kindled under the extended
branch of an old tree ; to this branch the fakeer
fastened two strong ropes, having at the lower end
of each a stuffed noose, into which he introduced
his feet ; and thus being suspended with his head
2 H
350 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. X.
downward over the fire, a third rope, at a distance
toward the end of the branch, was fixed, by which
he succeeded, with one hand, to set himself in a
swinging motion , backward and forward, through
the smoke and flaming fire, which was kept blazing
by a constant supply of fuel, ministered by many
of his followers ; with the other hand he counted
a string of beads a fixed number of times, so as to
ascertain the termination of the four hours, for
which he had doomed himself daily to endure this
exercise, for twelve years, nine of which are nearly
expired. A narrow bandage is over his eyes, and
another over his mouth, to guard against the suffo
cating effects of the smoke. By this means, he
says, he shall atone for the guilt of his sins, and
be made holy for ever. The last half hour of the
four hours, his people say, he stands upright, and
swings, in a circular motion, round the fire. On
coming down, he rolls himself in the hot ashes of
the fire. The boys went to see him again in the
evening , when he was engaged in his prayers, but
to what or whom they could not tell.
“ I asked my little congregation what they
thought of all this . They sat silent, with their
eyes cast down, and sighed heavily. At length ,
Ånund turned to Matthew Phiroodeen, and, passing
his arms round his neck, exclaimed, with the most
touching expression of affection, as well as of gra
titude to God, ' Ah, my brother ! my brother ! such
devils once were we ! but now, and he lifted up his
eyes to heaven , and elevated his whole person ,
Jesus ! Jesus ! my God ! my Saviour ! ' It was
very affecting.”
Mr. Fisher wrote, at the close of 1826 :--- Our
missionary establishment, this year, affords not
CHAP . x .] INDIA . 351

much to communicate. My own more immediate

personal occupations are extensive and laborious.
The church , the hospital, and other occasional
duties, entirely engage a chaplain's time in a place
like this, and a faithful helper would be a blessing.
Behadur Messeeh , as usual, resides on my com
pound : I think him sincere, faithful, and diligent.
He still acts as my clerk among my native flock,
and teaches the different catechumens. One of
these men is in a very interesting state ; and I
trust, ere long, that I shall have it in my power
to communicate his story , when his name shall
be enrolled among the other converts. The con
verted Naik , Matthew Purrub Dheen , is still also
with us, a steady , pious, and consistent christian.
The young professor, Jacob Joypal, has absented
himself, and we know nothing of him . Mooneef,
100, is said to have returned to his brother, and,
of course, to his former profession, though I have
no particulars."
On aa visit of Anund Messeeh to Delhi, he heard
that a number of strangers from several villages to
the west had assembled together, nobody knew
why, near the imperial city ; and were busily
employed in friendly conversation, and in reading
some books in their possession , which had induced
them to renounce their caste, to bind themselves
to love and associate with one another, and to
lead a strict and holy life. He, therefore, instantly
set off for their placeof rendezvous, and found about
five hundred people, inen, women , and children,
seated under the shade of the trees, and employed
in reading and conversation. On accosting an
elderly mati, the following conversation passed.
6
Pray, who are all these people, and whence
354 MISSIONARY RECORDS, [CHAP. X.
and rice, declaring how fully they depended apca
him , and how surely all his shrines and his ser
vants would be enriched by prospering the rebel
lious prince, and confounding the christians.
Anund was acquainted with several of them ,
and entered into conversation with them as to their
employment. He asked how it was that their
natural sense did not show them the folly of trust
ing to a worthless block, an image, with hands
and feet which could not move , and a head that
could not think or know ! Among many things,
he said, “ Were there no other cause for your
believing me, when I say ye are mad , save this---
you are all trusting in what cannot possibly help
you, while the christians trust in the one eternal
God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the everlasting Sa
viour, to bless their cause--this, this only is
enough ! They are mighty soldiers in battle ,and
very wise ; but their greatest strength is God, and
their Counsellor is God : his name is Jehovah :
his name is Jesus Christ ! ” The priests were
enraged, but treated him only with contempt :
they told him that he was a Feringee, and spoke
what he wished ; but that their leading priest had
assured them, so long as Bolodeb sat on the
Bhurtpore throne, Bhurtpore could never fall.
Lake Sahib conquered other places, but here he
was beaten. “ Well,” said Anund, “ time will
show whether Bolodeb or Jesus be God : I shall
come again, when the fort has fallen . Do you
pray to Bolodeb , while I go and pray to Jesus
Christ.” Anund stayed at Bhurtpore, and was
a spectator during the siege, and at the storm .
He was the first who communicated to Mr. Fisher's
son - in - law the glad intelligence of the safety of
CHAP. X.] INDIA . 353

five or six years before, and fell into the hands of

several persons residing in different but neigh
bouring villages. A public reader seems to have
been selected in each of them ; great interest was
excited ; they determined to separate from the
rest of the Hindoos, and to establish a party of
their own choice; and , as their numbers daily and
rapidly increased , the idea was at last suggested
of convoking a public meeting of all their congenial
associates, to ascertain how many accepted this
new doctrine. The large grove of trees near Delhi
seemed a convenient spot ; and this interesting
group was assembled for this very purpose, when
Anund's visit took place. He afterwards visited
them at their respective villages, and his instruc
tions were most gratefully received.
The piety and courage of Anund Messeeh are
alike remarkable . Knowing that the three sons,
and the son-in-law of Mr. Fisher, were with their
respective regiments at Bhurtpore, from regard to
them and their family, it is believed, he yielded
to the anxiety he felt to be near them, and though
he was no soldier, to share their perils.
On his way he went to Brindabon, the head
quarters of superstitious brahmins and sacred
monkeys ; and arrived at a time when the whole
body of the priesthood were engaged in the noisy
and disgusting exercise of their Poojah to Bolo
deb , entreating, in consequence of rich promises
and presents from Bhurtpore, his omnipotent in
terference to establish and set up on high the
throne and dominion of Doorjun Saul, the usurper,
and to prostrate and destroy every effort against
hiin, hy whomsoever made. They loaded the idol
with flowers, and incense, and flatteries, and glice,
2 3
354 MISSIONARY RECORDS.
[ CHAP. X.
and rice, declaring how fully they depended upon
him , and how surely all his shrines and his ser
vants would be enriched by prospering the rebel
lious prince, and confounding the christians.
Anund was acquainted with several of them ,
and entered into conversation with them as to their
employment. He asked how it was that their
natural sense did not show them the folly of trust
ing to a worthless block, an image, with hands
and feet which could not move, and a head that
could not think or know ! Among many things,
he said, “ Were there no other cause for your
believing me, when I say ye are mad, save this ---
you are all trusting in what cannot possibly help
you, while the christians trust in the one eternal
God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the everlasting Sa
viour, to bless their cause----this, this only is
enough ! They are mighty soldiers in battle,and
very wise ; but their greatest strength is God, and
their Counsellor is God : his name is Jehovah :
his name is Jesus Christ ! ” The priests were
enraged , but treated him only with contempt :
they told him that he was a Feringee, and spoke
what he wished ; but that their leading priest had
assured them , so long as Bolodeb sat on the
Bhurtpore throne, Bhurtpore could never fall.
Lake Sahib conquered
66
other places, but here he
was beaten. Well, ” said Anund , “ time will
show whether Bolodeb or Jesus be God : I shall
come again , when the fort has fallen . Do you
pray to Bolodeb, while I go and pray to Jesus
Christ.” Anund stayed at Bhurtpore, and was
a spectator during the siege, and at the storm .
He was the first who communicated to Mr. Fisher's
son -in -law the glad intelligence of the safety of
CHAP. X. ] INDIA . 355

two of his sons, both of whom had mounted the

breach with the fifty - ninth regiment of foot. “ I
saw them with my own eyes,” said he, “ on the
top of the rampart ; and afterward in the town,
when the fight was done, and where the streets
were running with blood, quite safe, quite well:
God is merciful, and heard my prayers for Christ's
sake. I was near the trench, and I prayed all the
time ! I remembered the words of David : ' A
thousand shall fall at thy right hand, and ten
thousand at thy left; but it shall not come nigh
thee .'
Anund returned to Brindabon . “ And now , "
said he, addressing his Hindoo acquaintance,
“ what do you think ? ” They looked ashamed
and confounded , and were enraged with their idol,
told him he was a deceiver, beat him with their
hands and with sticks, and reviled him with the
inost disgusting and gross abuse. Surely the con
viction must have rushed on their minds, “ The
Lord , he is the God ! The Lord , he is the God ! ”
A young lad named Kanya, about seventeen
years of age , the son of Naïck, became one of
Anund's scholars ; and eagerly received the doc
trines of the christian religion. He was taken
seriously ill , and ultimately died . In the course
of his trying sickness , Amund was continually
with him ; and, at the youth's own earnest request,
used to pray for him and with him to the blessed
Saviour of sinners' souls.
On the day of his death he was listening, with
intense delight, to Anund's conversation , respect-.
ing the pardon of sin and the Lamb of God. His
weeping mother entreated him , now that death was
near, to pray to Devi Bowanee . With apparent
356 MISSIONARY RECORDS , [ CHAP. X.
disgust and indignation, he replied , in his native
language, “ I want not Devi Bowanee ! Eessa !
Eessa ! Anund,” said he, turning faintly towards
him , “ Pray ! Ah ! Eessa, Eessa : from him I
shall receive salvation .” With such expressions
as these upon his dying lips, he closed his eyes
and expired.
The parents came up to Anund , when they found
that he was dead, and, with the tears streaming
down their cheeks, exclaimed, “ Our boy was not
willing that we should burn him . Our boy has
died in your faith , and it is better that he should
be buried by christian hands. ” Anund replied,
that he would bury him after the form of the church
of England. He was at once requested to do so, and
the parents and crowds of their friends attended
the funeral, while Anund committed his body to
the earth in sure and certain hope of the resur
rection to eternal life, through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
To Mr. Fisher we are indebted for the following
striking fact. A little boy, five years of age , had
been well instructed by his pious mother in the
word of God, but, in the midst of much promise,
which gladdened her heart, he was bitten in the
cheek by a large dog, and she soon perceived that
her beloved child was about to fall a prey to that
appalling malady, hydrophobia . Presuming on
the known state of the child's mind , she at once
told him not to be alarmed , but that he was going
to the Almighty. “ You are going now to heaven,
my love .” He immediately caught the words ;
and, in the very midst of his convulsive efforts,
asked quickly, " To die ! To the Almighty ! To
heaven !” of this he was again assured, when
CHAP. X. ] INDIA . 357

he entreated his parents not to weep. His mother

urged him to pray. “ I have prayed, my mamma,
I do pray, was his reply.” The convulsions be
came
more powerful, and his respiration spas
modically quick and hurried, when he supplicated,
“ O Lord, have mercy ! O Lord, have mercy !
O papa, pray for me, dear mamma, pray for me !”
Dreadful to witness were the struggles of the body ;
yet his soul seemed in perfect peace, and as if
the body were enabled to bear its abounding suffer
ings, through the abounding mercies of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
At length he exclaimed, “ Papa, come, kneel
down, and pray for me. Oh, when will the angel
come ? ” He was assured Jesus Christ would
take him to himself. “ Yes ," he replied empha
tically, “ Christ will take me .> ” He called for
his little brother, and his bearer , who had been
his faithful and constant attendant since his
birth, he desired him to put his trust in God, and
blessed him . “ United prayers,” says the Rev.
Mr. Fisher, were now offered up to the throne
of grace and mercy, to take this young and beau
tiful plant, a flower of the Lord's own cherishing,
to its kindred heaven ; and our prayers were heard .”
The disease generally lasts eight days, here it
actually raged only three hours . The fits seemed
now less severe. As we were looking at and
watching little sufferer at the foot of bed ,
he called out to me in a clear firm voice, “ Come
here , sir, and shut my eyes ! Aha ! Aha ! ” said
he, there ! there ! It is now over ! Papa, don't
cry ! Mamma, don't cry ! ” He paused a moment
-“ Papa ! Mamma !” We are close at your
side, love !” He summoned me by name also to
358 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAY, XI .
coine near to him , and softly sighed out his soul
into the hands of his Maker, with the affecting>
words, “ Mercy ! mercy ! Happy ! happy ! ”

CHAPTER XI .

Chunar.--Baptism of a Brahmin and a Moon

shee.-- Power of the Brahmins. - Sufferings of
Mary Gibbs.--Obituary of Nathaniel Tajhkan.
--- A Devotee.- Testimony of Archdeacon Wil
kinson . Sketch of Mark Rummun Loll.
Memoir of the Rev. C. Friend .---- Allepie. ---
Effect of Reading the Scriptures.---Cotym .-
Account of the Syrian Christians.
Mr. W. BOWLEY, a young man born in the coun
try, was settled at Chunar, in 1816. At the coni
mencement of 1818, the Rev. Mr. Corrie says,
“ The usual number of Europeans who attend
divine service is about forty, and that of native
christians, who attend worship in Hindostanee,
about seventy or eighty . The number in both
congregations has been gradually and regularly
increasing, and testifies, of itself, to the diligence
and exemplary conduct of Mr. Bowley, and of the
blessing attending his labours . I conversed with
ten Hindoos, who appear to be fully convinced of
the truth of christianity, though not yet prepared
to encounter the consequences of an open profes
sion . Some of them even join Mr. Bowley occa
sionally in prayers. One of them , on being asked
what he considered the great peculiarity of the
CHAP. XI.] INDIA . 359

christian religion , answered , that, in every other

system of religion , works were made a condition
of justification , but in christianity, only faith in
Christ is required ; while, wonderful to say, it
produces more exemplary holiness than any other
system . The whole congregation almost were in
tears during a sermon, in which Mr. Bowley set
before them the Saviour's sufferings; and, during
the communion, the greater number appeared
deeply affected, and all of them exceedingly
serious and attentive.”
A convenient spot of ground for the erection of
a church having been fixed on, Mr. Turnbull, the
proprietor, on being requested to dispose of it,
generously offered it as a gift, for the purpose in
tended ; and the Marquis of Hastings was pleased
to aid the collection by the very liberal donation
of one thousand sicca rupees.
In the month of July a brahınin and a moon
shee were baptized. At this interesting service,
after the regular worship, and an address from
Mr. Bowley , they both came forward . The brah
min then addressed the hearers : “ Behold ! I
declare before all, and let Hindoos and mussul
men pay attention to my words : I have been on
pilgrimage to Juggernaut, to Dwarkanauth, to
Budeenauth, and to the different Teruths, or pil
grimages ; but, in all my travels, I found not the
true way of salvation, till I came to this place,
and heard the gospel, which , by God's grace, I am
convinced is the only way to happiness, and I
truly believe and declare, before Hindoos and
mussulmen, that if they do not embrace the gos
pel, the wrath of God will abide upon them , and
they shall be cast into hell. ” On saying this, ho
360 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CIAP. XI .
drew out his brahminical thread, and broke it
asunder before the people , saying, “ Behold here
the sign of my delusion ! ” and then delivered it
to Mr. Corrie .
After him , Moonee Ulee, the moonshee, thus
addressed the people : “ Attend, brethren , and
hearken unto me . I was a mussulman , and had
spent much of my time in the company of learned
men of the same profession. I have studied the
meaning of the Koran, and I have paid adoration
at the tombs of peers ( saints, or spiritual guides ].
In those days, whenever I saw a christian, my
spirit was stirred up within me to slay him ; but
on hearing the holy gospels, light has sprung up
in my mind, which has increased ; and I have
been more confirmed in this faith since I saw the
pentateuch and psalms. To receive christian bap
tism, I have come from Delhi. My mind has,
moreover, been strengthened and established by
the instructions which I have received from the
Rev. Mr. Corrie ; and now , before all my brethren
present, I embrace this true way of salvation ."
After this, Mr. Corrie addressed the people from
Matt. xxviii. 19 ; and then baptized the two can
didates, the brahmin by the name of Keroul Mes
seeh , “ Only Christ ,;" and the mussulman by
66
that of Moonef Messeeh , Eminent Christ."
The church having been commenced , the Cal.
cutta corresponding committee were naturally
anxious to provide the station with an ordained
missionary. This, however, could only be accom
plished by the removal of Mr. Greenwood from
Kidderpore, where he had no employment as an
ordained minister ; and various reasons urging
this measure, he arrived at Chunar, Jan. 13th ,
CHAP . XI. INDIA . 361

1819. Mr. Bowley continued his wise and zealous

efforts, assisted by Nicholas, one of the natives
educated by Mr. Corrie : the place of divine wor
ship was usually crowded on Sundays by native
christians, and the heathen were occasionally
drawn to hear the words of life, among whom
some instances occurred of saving conversion to
the christian faith . In addition to his labours,
Mr. Bowley was employed in a revision of
a

Martyn's Hindoostance translation of the New

Testament. Two of the gospels had been printed
by the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society, and from
these he derived essential help in his labours for
the good of the natives.
In the following year, Mr. Bowley wishing to
superintend the press, visited Calcutta, and was
there solemnly set apart to the sacred ministry,
by the imposition of hands, according to the usage
of the German Lutheran church . Mr. Greenwood
regularly officiated at Chunar twice on Sundays,
and on Wednesday evenings to the European in
habitants of the station . The schools also were
prospering, and new ones were opened .
A gentleman in the company's service, who
visited this place, bears the following testimony to
the exemplary state of the native christians :
“ It was delightful to witness the beautiful order
and decorum of the native women . The first sight
of such a congregation of worshippers is, of course,
the more striking, because one has hitherto been
accustomed to see the women of this country under
such very different circumstances.
“ The whole appearance of the barracks, of the
houses of the invalids, and of those of the native
christian women , was such as reminded me of a
21
362 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. X !.
country village in England on the sabbath -day.
Some were sitting at the doors, and others in the
verandahs,reading ; and the whole of them were so
quiet, that one could not but be sure that the gospel
of peace was known there. I have not seen any
thing like it in India before ; on which acconni,
perhaps, it was the more observable by me : but
the natives themselves, Mr. Bowley told me, say
that the place has been quite aliered since the
gospel has been preached. The hawkers and
venders of goods now never think of going to the
barracks on a Sunday ; for they only meet with
reproof or advice, instead of selling any thing; and
the very coolies of the place have learned some
thing of Jesus Christ, for the women talk of him
to all who will listen ."
The power of the brahmins over those of rank
is evident from the following fact, related by Mr.
Bowley : “ I saw a brahmin bring the rajah, in a
brass vessel , what they call the waters of life flow
ing from the feet of a brahmin . I have since
been informed, that it is the daily practice of the
rajahs, to take this draught before they eat ; and
that, unless they first take it, they eat not , though
they fast the whole day. The rajah did not take
it in iny presence, not having puritied hiinself by
bathing : he ordered it, therefore, to be put by
till then . It is of no consequence from whom
they obtain this filthy washing of the great toe,
so that it be from a brahmin . Thus the princes
of Hindostan are kept under control ! ”
Mary Gibbs was among the first who attended
the means of grace in Hindostanee, at Chunar,
and thenceforward conducted herself with great
propriety. Though very poor, she seemed con
CHAP . XI. INDIA . 363

tented. Highly prizing the ordinances of religion ,

she would never be absent, unless prevented by
sickness. For some months previous to her death,
she was confined to her bed, and in this state was
frequently carried to the church. She remarked,
that, as her Saviour suffered so much for her, the
least she could
66 >
do was to be resigned to his will.
Time was,” she added , “ when I could not for
any thing absent myself from the meetings ; but
my mind was suspended” --that is, in anxiety-
“ looking to those holy seasons when people go to
the house of God. ” The love and sufferings of
the Saviour were the theme of her conversation .
She told her landlady, ( a Roman catholic,) the
day before her death , that she was about to take
her departure ; the other, not comprehending her,
replied, “ Whither are you going ? ” She answered,
“ To my Saviour, who calls me !"
Nathaniel Tajhkan was an invalid sepoy, of about
sixty years of age, and by birth a mussulman ;
but for four or five years before he embraced chris
tianity, he had renounced that faith for the tenets
of Cuveer, a Hindoo sectarian , had abstained
from animal food and from all strong drink, and
was so diligent in his new profession, that, in a
short time, he made some proficiency in the
doctrines of his master. His conversion to
christianity happened soon after preaching had
commenced in a school-room in the Chunar Ba
zaar, about the latter part of February , 1826.
Being informed by some of his comrades, that the
gospel was proclaimed in Hinduwee by a missionary
in the bazaar, Tajkhan attended ; and, as he after
ward expressed himself, the very first discourse that
he heard went a great way toward his conversion .
364 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP . Xi .
He now anxiously looked for the preaching even
ings ; and, by the time that he had beard the thirci
or fourth discourse, his mind was quite changed,
and he unbosomed his thoughts to some frieniks
and also to a native christian, and received some
tracts and the Hinduwee gospels, to peruse. The
Divine Spirit soon convinced him that he was a
lost sinner, and needed just such a Saviour as is
revealed in Christ Jesus.
He now saw that cuveerism was no more than
high -sounding words, without any transforming
influence for the better upon the life : it pufied him
up with a high notion of his own importance. In
fact , he perceived it to be a species of atheism , as
is the case with the generality of the Hindoo sects
differing from gross idolatry.
Having satisfied himself as to the divinity of
the christian religion , and the all-sufficiency of
Jesus Christ to save sinners to the nitermost, he
embraced christianity, and was baptized on Whit
sunday, the 14th of May, 1826, by the name of
Nathaniel Tajkhan , in reference to his guileless
simplicity.
No sooner had he given himself wholly to Christ
than he was called to be a sufferer for righteous
ness' sake. His submitting to baptism was the
signal for his being made the object of persecution.
When he renounced mohammedanism for cuveer
ism , so far from being a sufferer, he was rather
raised in the estimation of his neighbours : but it
was not so when he laid aside the delusion of
Cuveer for the sublime truths of the gospel, for
both Hindoos and Mussulmen united against him .
Poor Nathaniel was now said to be out of his
senses ; and his sufferings arose chiefly froin lus
CHAP. XI. ] INDIA . 365

associates in the army. He was said to have en

tailed disgrace upon his household, was become a
kafir from the religion of his forefathers, was an
outcast from society ; and every opprobrious epithet
which they could think of as most galling to the
natural feelings was now heaped upon him ; but
he was supported under all his trials by the Saviour
whom he had embraced, was therefore enabled
to bear up with christian patience and forbearance,
and he made it his aim to overcome their evil with
good. After persevering in this manner for awhile,
his persecutors were shamed to silence ; so that
his most bitter enemy became his greatest admirer,
and himself begged, through Nathaniel, for the
gospels, that had wrought so great a change in
him, and he ever after became his friend .
On hearing of his patient suffering under per
secution , we are prepared to hear of his regularity
in religious ordinances. This part of Nathaniel's
christian conductwas conspicuous to all :: for, from
the time that he heard preaching in the bazaar till
he left Chunar to go to his village, he was a con
stant attendant, when his public duties and health
permitted ; and though he resided half a mile from
the church, yet neither the heat nor the rain could
keep him away from public worship. He was
equally as regnlar in family religion ; nor did his
military duties prevent him wholly from reading
and praying with his wife, at least once a-day :
and as his presence was seldom required after he
came off his post, he used then to return home to
seek the Lord in family duties. The same spirit
that taught Nathaniel to set so high a value on
public and family worship, influenced him to prize
the communion of the boily and blood of Christ,
213
366 MISSIONARY RECORDS , [CHAP, XI,
of which he became a regular and devout par
ticipator.
Nor did his religion rest here : for, although he
was a stated attendant on the public and social
ministrations of the word, yet was he also a con
stant searcher of the scriptures himself. From
the day that Nathaniel heard the gospel, such a a

relish for the word of God was given to him , that

he became proverbially attached to the gospels;
and, as regularly as his duties would permit, he was
seen with his Hinduwee New Testament under his
arm , coming toward the church of an -afternoon
to read, and have his difficulties explained. He
was frequently heard to bless God that he was
favoured with this boon, ere his sight was quite
eclipsed with age : being determined to make the
best use of his remaining vision , he was seldom
seen but he was perusing his book ; and it was
very remarkable, that, while some native christians
and others were engaged in discoursing on abstruse
points of doctrine, and in unprofitable disputes,
Nathaniel has been noticed sitting by them intent
upon the oracles of truth , drawing water from these
wells of salvation for the sanctifying of the soul;
and , even when on his post, a religious tract was his
usual companion.
The limits of Nathaniel's profession did not
stop here ; but, like the disciples of old, having
found the Messiah, the Anointed of God for the
salvation of sinners, he manifested ardent zeal for
the conversion of others. The first thing which
Nathaniel did in this way, was to labour for the
conversion of his partner in life. What anxiety
did he express for her salvation ! He laboured
night and day to bring her to the knowledge of
CHAT . XI. INDIA . 367

the only Saviour. While she employed herself in

spinning, he used to sit by her reading the cate
chisin and the gospels ; and he could find no rest
so long as he thought that she remained an alien
from the commonwealth of Israel. Sometimes his
hopes were raised respecting her, and at others,
depressed, according as she was inflnenced by the
power of the word, or by the devices of the enemy,
who is ever found ready to stir up his emissaries
against the truth . He frequently bronght her to the
missionary to hear the word from him ,and that she
might join them in Hindoostanee prayer. He con
tinued thus till he saw his labours crowned with
success, when she was baptized , in the name of
Christ.
Wherever Nathaniel could get a person to attend
to reason , he was always found willing and able
to render an account of his faith ; and he always
found occasion to rejoice in such cases , inasmuch
as the divinity of christianity was confirmed to bim
by the Divine aid which he experienced to stop
the mouths of gainsayers: hence he was never
found reluctant to speak, when a suitable oppor
tunity presented itself, to make known the Saviour.
Having many relations, it was for the purpose of
bringing them to the knowledge of the truth, that ,
though he was ill with asthma, he obtained leave
of absence, and went to his village.
In his way, having previously supplied himself
with tracts and single gospels, he distributed
these to any who could read ; and, at his own
village, he gave the headman some. To all , he
declared that he had embraced the christian reli
gion ; and therefore would neither eat nor drink
368 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ c AP. XI.
with any of his friends, lest he should be accused
of taking their caste ; and he exhorted them to
act as he had done, by renouncing their false ways,
and believing in Jesus Christ for the salvation of
their souls.
Not many days after his arrival, he was taken
ill at the village of his son-in-law : thence he was
removed to the village where his brothers lired,
where he survived but ten days. His wife said ,
ihat during the whole time his book was his life ;
That he gave single gospels to most of his friends;
and his complete testament he reserved for his
brother, who could read well . At every interval
of his cough, he used to read and speak to his
brothers, and lamented that he was not spared for
their sakes. On presenting his testament, he told
his brother to remember that the half of his soul
was in that book, to prize it as he prized bin , that
it would be the means to him of comfort in time,
and his guide to eternal happiness ; that it was
the book of God, and he had found it so to his
own soul : and continued “ You are all in an
awful delusion , and I came home to deliver you
from it, but, alas, for you, that I am called away !
Now Iam dying: take heed you do not bury me
among Hindoos or Mussulmen, but inter me
remote from all ; and communicate the news to my
spiritual guide, who will cause a tomb to be erected
over my remains.”
Thus was this good man called to his rest, re
mote from his christian brethren , while engaged
in propagating the gospel among his heathen re
lations.
One heathen, on hearing of Nathaniel's death ,
 CHLAP . XI .] INDIA . 369

said, “ He became, in the most strict sense of the

term , a new creature from the time that he em
braced christianity . "
In reference to one of his journies, Mr. Bowley
says, “ A devotee, covered with ashes, approached,
and made a very humble salaam . In him I re
cognised an old acquaintance, whom I had met at
Allahabad fair, five years ago. He then professed
faith in Christ, read our books, and ate our food
in my boat ; but still adhered, for a subsistence, to
the externals of a devotee . Our people having
been to the village to distribute books and speak
to the people, he welcomed them , and received
books ; which brought hiin again in the evening,
with two of his disciples, one a thanadar, the
other a Mussulman, to whom he has preached
Christ as the only Saviour of sinners. On ques
tioning them , they acknowledged the fact. He
told them , before all our people, that he was a
disciple of mine, that I was his gooroo, that they
must now acknowledge me as such , and diligent
beggedly
attend to all that I shonld say. He then
I would consider them as believers in Christ, and
instruct them accordingly. They brought the
gospel and tracts which they possessed, received
more froin iis, attended evening and morning
family worship, brought us milk , & c.”
About a fortnight was spent by Mr. Bowley and
his companions at Goruckhpore. The following
extract of a letter, of March 3 , 1828, from the
Reverend Michael Wilkinson to the archdeacon of
Calcutta ,bears an honourable testimony to them :
- Toward the latter end of January, I was
visited by my friend and fellow -labourer in the
cause of Christ , the Rev. William Bowley ;
!
1
370 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. XT.
accompanied by three native readers and catechists,
Christian Tryloke, Charles Doss, and Kurrum
Messeeh. These devoted men daily attended Mr.
Bowley and me, during their stay, to the bazaar,
or to other places of public resort which I had
been in the habit of frequenting. On these occa
sions, they were each engaged, alternately , in
reading to the people. The whole of our visits
were of the most gratifying nature, and I cannot
but think that good will result from them .
This visit of our friends was peculiarly gratify
ing to me, considering the circumstances under
which I had been placed at Gorucklupore. For
three years I had been a solitary witness for our
holy religion, so far as respects public preaching ;
and, from the ignorance of the people of what was
going on at other places, they had generally con
ceived my apparent zeal to be singular: the visit
of our friends, if it did no more , at least must have
removed this impression . But I cannot think that
this is the only good which will result from their
ministrations among my own people and the na
tives generally. Great inquiry was soon excited ;
and astonishment was expressed, on seeing wit
nesses for the truth of christianity, and against
the falsehood of their own religion, from among
their own countrymen . These men being respect
able , well-informed , and intelligent, the astonish
ment excited was the greater. Large crowds of
people were every where collected together, and a
great number of books and tracts were distributed
to persons who could read .
66
During the stay of our friends at Goruckhpore,
Charles Doss, one of the readers, was inarried to
a young person , who, of Mussulman descent, and
CHAP, X.] INDIA . 371

for nearly three years had been an inmate of our

own family. During this time, she was under the
daily care and instruction of Mrs. Wilkinson ; and,
from the time of her leaving, bas been kindly pro
vided for, and her instruction continued , by two
ladies of the station. She is, in every respect,
much superior to, and better informed, than her
countrywomen in general. She was baptized by
me soon after my arrival here."
Mark Rummun Loll was about forty - five years
of age, and was employed at Chunar as Hinduwee
schoolmaster for upward of eight years. The fol
lowing account of him appears in the Society's
“ Missionary Intelligence,” published at Calcutta;
and seems to have been drawn up by the Rev. W.
Bowley, under whose labours this native was
brought to the knowledge of the gospel.
“ Rummun Loll was a Hindoo by birth, and of
the kayath or writer caste. Being a respectable,
shrewd, and intelligent man , he held the situation
of ghaut manjee, provider and controller of boats ;
and not many years after the Church Missionary
Society had occupied Chunar as a missionary
station, Rummun Loll, being well qualified , was
engaged as one of their Hinduwee teachers for
heathen children. Being thus employed, he was
in the way of reading, hearing, and teaching the
principles of the christian religion.
“ About three years ago, he made known his in
tention of embracing christianity ; and, about this
time, devoted himself to the diligent perusal of
the New Testament: but observing, it seems, that
others , who appeared far more advanced in chris
tian knowledge and concern for their salvation,
continued to keep aloof from the ordinance of
372 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ IIA . XIN
baptism , the vital spark in hin gradually disap
peared, and he returned to the common concert
e dness of the people around him , till of late, when
it pleased the Lord to raise up and to add sone
Hindoos of respectable character to the church .
He was also in indifferent health for some months,
but not so as to keep him away from his school.
“ About nine months ago, his father's gooroo
(spiritual teacher) being informed of hisprecarious
state of health, came and stayed with him ; and,
from time to time, urged it upon him to become
his disciple, without which he insisted he could
not be saved. In answer to his solicitations, Ruu
mun Loll wished him , in the first place, to come
and argue with the missionary, and to confute
him : the man , however,evaded any direct reply,
but still insisted on Rummun Loll's yielding to his
entreaties. Rummun Loll now candidly told him ,
that, having read and heard the gospel, his eyes
were opened ; that he would go and embrace chris
tianity, and become the missionary's disciple ; that
he had hitherto , out of respect to his father, per
mitted him to lodge in his house, but that he would
suffer it no longer ; and unless he came and esta
blished his systein before the missionary, he must
be gone. The gooroo, seeming conscious of the
weakness and insufficiency of his system to stand
the test of reason , quitted the house.
“ All this took place in the month of April last ;
and, on the last sabbath of that month , he came
to the missionary and unbosomed his mind, en
treating that his baptism might not be deferred.
He acknowledged, in the true spirit of a penitent,
his aggravated sin , in putting off the concerns of
his soul, and not embracing christianity years ago ;
CHAP, XI . ] INDIA . 373

that he was thoroughly convinced that Jesus Christ

was the only Saviour of sinners from the wrath to
come ; and that He, alone, was his hope and con
fidence. Finding that he seemed really to feel
what he said, and that he had well considered the
subject, he was advised to wait another month,
to give himself up to prayer and to the diligent
reading of the New Testament, and to read and
explain the principles of the christian religion to
his wife. On Whit-sunday, June 3 , 1827, he was
baptized , together with seven other Hindoos, old
and young
" The next morning, Rummun Loll returned to
his house in the town , when a crowd of his neigh
lours and acquaintances collected to see him , as
if some outward or monstrous change had passed
upon him ; and some began to revile him with all
manner of ill names. One said , “ Alas, what have
you done ? ' another said, " Why did you thus
abandon yourself ? surely you were not in want:
you had a good situation, how came you to think
of becoming a christian ?? Rummun Loll calmly
replied, ' I have done the best that I possibly
could for myself, according to my judgment. I
have secured my salvation byembracing the reli
gion of Jesus Christ, and He is the only Saviour.'
“ Finding his wife indignant at what he had done,
and joining the people against him , he exhorted
her also to attend to these things. With rage and
tears, she replied , What business have you in my
place ? Why haveyou come to defile things here ?
Begone ! I shall have nothing to do with you any
longer : begging a pittance ispreferable to abiding
with a polluted being ! ' Finding her proceeding
2 K
374 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. XI.
in this desperate way, he left her, and returned to
the church premises.
“ The rumour of Rummun Loll's baptism was
not confined to his own neighbourhood, but soon
spread through every part of Chunar, and excited
great consternation : the people said that nobody
could now escape the contagion, and it became the
subject of conversation everywhere. Most of the
boys were withdrawn from the schools. Thus
things continued for about a month, when the mis
sionary was compelled, from ill health , to leave
home.
“ Rummun Loll, from the day of his baptism ,
regularly attended Hindoostanee prayers every
morning, with the rest of the converts, in the mis
sion premises. This service wasperformed by one
of the native christians, in the school-room adjoin
ing Rummun Loll's new residence. His disease
increasing upon him, he at length became too
weak to leave his room ; but he intreated that his
friend would come and read and pray with him
in his own house twice a-day, which was accord
ingly done.
“ The native doctor, finding that he became worse,
gradually discontinued his attendance. One day
the christians begged he would call ; and on seeing
him , he entreated him candidly to let him know
what he thought of his case. He was then told
that he could not survive more than week, and
that it was of no avail to administer medicines to
him : not at all alarmed, Rummun Loll replied,
“ Very well ; be it so, if it be the Lord's will ! It
is of little consequence. I believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ, and he will save me. ' His wife, who
CHAP. XI. INDIA . 375

bad become reconciled to her husband , began to

cry at what he said , saying that he had withdrawn
his band, and had given up all for lost. Rummun
Loll tried to console her, by saying, " Do not
lament and weep for me : since Christ our Creator
undertook our salvation, I believe in Him, and am
happy here, and shall be completely happy here
after : weep for your own sins and folly, and
turn to the Lord Jesus, that you also may be
saved . He then begged his christian friend to
come and read and pray with him oftener, saying
that he was too ill to read himself.
“ While he was in that state, an artful and
cunning brahmin took an opportunity, in the
absence of his friends, to steal in to him ; and
tried to extort something from him , by telling him
that the utmost had been tried, in the way of me
dicines, and had failed : as the only hope remain
ing, he had better now have recourse to offering a
calf, &c. to a brahmin , and he would soon see the
beneficial effects. In the true spirit of a convert,
Rummun Loll replied, “ Begone, you deceiver,
begone ; I shall give you nothing. '
“ One day the christian zemindar called upon
him with the friend who was in the daily habit of
praying with him , and said that they were about
writing to the missionary, and asked whether he
had any thing to say : he replied , that they, them
selves, knew in what a state he was ; and that
they might write and present his gratitude. The
zemindar then read an appropriate chapter, and
the other prayed with him . One asked how he
would have his corpse disposed of : he said , “ Let
it be committed to the christians.' The day pre
ceding his death , Mr. Morris visited and questioned
376 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CIAY. XI .
him about the state of his mind : Rimmun Loll
said that he felt well ; and rendered a good arcount
of the hope that was in him . Mr. Morris ex
borted him to keep close to Christ, and all would
le well. That evening his native christian bro
ther read and prayed with him as usual; and he
appeared no worse till toward the morning, when,
without a struggle or groan, he breathed his last.
“ His wife has forsaken all her relations, dili
gently attends the means of grace, is learning to
read the New Testament, and to repeat the cate
chism , and is importunate for baptism ."
The failure of Mr. Bowley's health having
greatly interrupted his labours at Chunar, it was
deemed expedient for the Rev. C. Friend to remove
thither from Benares, which he did in December,
1828, but he was not long after removed from this
world . The circumstances connected with his
death are thus detailed by Mr. Eteson , in a letter
of the 18th of June, 1829 :
“ On Wednesday, the 10th instant, Mr. Friend
read prayers and preached at Chunar church ; and,
during the service, fainted twice : none were pre
:

sent to take an active interest about him , and this

fact was unknown to all but those who were
present, who were English invalids, till after his
death . He had been previously requested to
abandon this part of his duties till the cessation
of the hot winds, but declined. On the morning
of Friday the 12th , the clerk called on him to attend
a funeral, which he declined , as he had taken me
dicine , and directed the clerk to read the service.
Just as he was going, Mr. Friend asked the clerk
if he thought that he looked pale. " No, he re
6
plied , “ you look more blooming than I have seen
CHAP. XI. INDIA 377

you lately.' The clerk, however, was mistaken ;

for this bloom , it appears, was the hectic flush of
fever. I believe that nothing further is known till
noon of the same day, when a message to Dr. Evans
arrived from Mr. Friend, that he wished to see
him immediately. Dr. Evans found him in a
raging fever, walking about his room , and appa
rently delirious. Mr. Friend, in describing his
sensations, said, that his flesh felt as if it were
dropping from his bones. Dr. Evans immediately
directed a blister to be applied to his head, and
other means to be used ; but had scarcely gone
home again , when he was hastily called by Mr.
Friend's servants, who said that their master had
fainted . He and captain Jeffreys, the fort-adju
tant, immediately repaired to Mr. Friend's house,
and found him laid on his couch , with his eyes
fixed, his teeth clenched , his whole frame con
vulsed, and utterly insensible. The lancet was
applied, but to no purpose ; and he departed this
world about four o'clock in the afternoon of the 12th .
“ An express was sent off to me, but I did not
receive it till late in the morning of the 13th .
He was buried at sun -rise, by the adjutant, with
every proper respect."
In reference to this afflictive occurrence, Mr.
Eteson remarks : - “ Having no one near hiin to
remind him of the necessities of his body, and
being too modest to complain , he perished for
want of timely precaution. Even on Thursday,
according to Dr. Evans's opinion, nothing, human
ly speaking, could have saved him , but vast doses
of calomel, and immediate embarkation for Eng
land . ”
Mr. Etcson adds- " You have lost a brother,
2 к3
378 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP xi.
whose piety and talents qnalified him for eminence
and usefulness --- 1, a fellow -student and missionary,
whose memory will be erer dear to me as long as
I live -- and the Church Missionary Society, a
most laborious and devoted minister. ”
The following extracts from letters , addressed
chiefly to his relatives in England, will illustrate
the character of this devoted servant of God , and
enable those who read them to estimate the loss
which the church of Christ has sustained in his
carly removal.
He left England in April, 1828, to join the
North India Mission ; and the vessel reached the
Madras Roads on the 16th of August, when , on a
review of the voyage, Mr. Friend writes-
“ You will be glad to learn that a kind and
gracious Providence has watched drer us hitherto,
and that I enjoy perfect health . We have passed
through different regions and climates : the ther
mometer has varied at least 30° , and we have ex
perienced one severe gale for about twenty hours ;
but the good hand of the Lord has been with us,
and His eye has been upon us for good.
During the gale alluded to, the wind blew with
great violence : we were obliged to heave -to under
bare poles, and suffer ourselves to be driven by
the wind and wares. I cannot say that I felt the
least aların : my soul was stayed on God, and was
therefore kept in peace. While the waves were
beating with great force against the ship, and the
wind was whistling through the yards, and I thought
of the possibility of her foundering, sweet indeed
was the thought, that death has lost its sting, and
can create no terror in the heart of the christian .
Oh ! let us cleave unto Christ, believe in him with
CIAP. Xi.] INDIA . 379

all our heart, and constantly exercise faith in that

redemption which God has given us in him : then ,
whenever the hour of death arrives, with a meet
ness for the inheritance of the saints in light, we
shall gladly leave this world of sin , to behold the
King in his beauty, and to have our souls assimi
lated to him .”
His feelings, occasioned by his first entrance
on a heathen land , he thus describes :
“ We landed early enough, last Sunday morn
ing, to attend St. George's church ; and, in the
evening, we had the pleasure of hearing brother
Ridsdale at the inission church . The scenes
around us are new , and deeply interesting : we
perceive ourselves in a foreign land, and in a
heathen country : and it is almost impossible to
describe accurately the feelings of the mind, on
first beholding the temples and the worshippers of
Satan . I think I shall never forget how I alınost
involuntarily shrunk back from a man who ap
proached me, who bore on his forehead , not the
name of my God, but the mark of the enemy both
of God and man . We passed an idolatrous pro
cession on our way to the church in the evening ;
and, while Mr. Ridsdale was discoursing on “ This
is life eternal , that they might know Thee , the
only true God , and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast
sent,' we heard the sounds of the unhappy natives,
who were striking their rude instruments in total
ignorance of this eternal life. Last evening I
preached at the Mission church , from a text, the
truth of which every thing around me makes
me feel more forcibly, Unto you , therefore ,
which believe, Ile is precious.' There were five
missionaries present ; brother Ridsdale , brother
380 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAI. XI.
Eteson, brother Kindlinger, from Pulicat, iyself,
and Mr. Adam , of the London Missionary Society,
who has just arrived at Madrąs, on his way to
Calcutta.
“ We desire simply to leave ourselves in the
hands of our heavenly Father, to labour in that
part of the vineyard which he may appoint ; and
only wish, that, wherever we are, we may be kept
from falling, and from all that is inconsistent with
our holy calling, and be found faithful even unto
death . "
During the week that the vessel remained at :
Madras, Mr. Friend and his companions were
hospitably received by Mr. and Mrs. Bannister :
in reference to this , he writes :
“ Our stay at Madras was a very delightful
break in our voyage: nothing could be kinder than
the treatment which we met with . At a prayer
meeting on the Thursday evening, we met several
of the household of faith, and mingled our prayers
and praises. Delightful it is, inthe kingdom of
Satan , to meet with some of the children of
Jehovah, to talk of the loving-kindness of the Lord .
“ On the twenty -second of Angust we visited
Perambore ; where Mr. Sawyer, our missionary,
resides. Mr. S. was then absent, but we inspected
his school and church. I was deeply interested
in hearing, for the first time, children of heathen
parents reading the book of the Lord. At my
request, they read part of the third chapter of St.
John's gospel, in Tamul, and answered some ques
tions which I put to them through their teacher.
Some of the elder children sung a hymn in Tamul :
thus have I heard the Lord's song in a strange
land . In a part of his compound, near the public
CHAP. XI. INDIA . 381

road , Mr. Sawyer has built a church, with which

I was exceedingly pleased : it is a neat little build
ing, plain and compact. It is intended for the
natives, and therefore has no pews ; for the con
gregation , after their custom , sit on the ground.
Happy shall I be when I have a place like this,
and the giſt and grace to speak to the people, in
their own tongue, the wonderful works of God.”
Mr. Friend and his companions left Madras on
the 23d of August, for Calcutta : of their arrival
he thus speaks
“ Calcutta, Sept. 12, 1828.-On the 31st of
Augnst we anchored at the Land -heads, and ar
rived the following evening within a few miles of
Diamond Harbour. The next morning , we pro
cured a boat from the harbour, and left the Ganges ;
as the pilot thought, that probably a week would
elapse in getting up the river. We were all that
day, and a great part of the following, in getting
up to Calcutta, as the current down the river is at
this season so very strong. With the exception
of passing the night, our excursion was very plea
sant. I shall not attempt a description of the
scenes we witnessed ; but shall refer you to bishop
Heber's journal, where you can find more than I
could inform you , and put in far better language
than I am master of. The following extract ,
however, froin a memorandum which I made at
the time, may not be uninteresting :
666
Sept. 2. - We started again soon after mid
night: the moon was just risen, the sky was clear,
the water calm : the only thing that disturbed the
almost universal silence, were some distant sounds,
which proceeded, we feared , from some poor idola
ters at their midnight orgies. A few hours before
382 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ciiAP. XI.
we had witnessed a severe thunder -storm ; but we
were able , I trust , both in the storin and in the
calm , to feel the consolations of the gospel, and to
realize the presence of our heavenly Father. We
proceeded pretty briskly till we came to a small
village (Neckta,) where we procured some fruit,
milk, &c. , and remained while the crew rested and
the tide abated : we then started again, the men at
first towing us, but afterwards making use of a
small sail . The banks of the Hoogly are in many
parts really beautiful, at least at this season of the
year. There are, indeed, no high lands nor con
spicuous views, but the banks are frequently seen
covered with the richest verdure down to the water's
edge. I am at this moment writing on board of
our little bark, taking pleasure in beholding the
scenery, but inwardly grieving that the inhabitants
are unacquainted with that gracious Being , who
spoke --and all was made. I might almost apply
6
the words of bishop Heber, and say, ' Every pros
pect pleases, and only man is vile.' Oh ! happy
fast-approaching time, when light shall dawn on
this benighted land, and the song of the ransomed
of the Lord shall resound in the dwellings of the
poor Hindoos ! '
Soon after their arrival at Calcutta, Messrs.
E teson and Friend proceeded to Benares; from
which place, as has been stated, Mr. Friend re
moved to Chunar : of his occupations there , he
gives, in December, the following account :
“ My present plans and labours are as follows :
One English service on the Sunday, and one
Hindoostanee ; one English service in the week ,
visiting the hospital and school, attending the
bazaar every afternoon with brother Bowley and
CILAP. XI .] INDIA . 383

the native assistants ; together with attending to

all the occasional duties of burying, marrying, &c .
At present, I can only take the prayers in Hin
doostanee : a young man, a Bengalee by birth ,
reads a sermon prepared by brother Bowley. This
young man, should I remain here, I am to endea
vour to bring forward, that he may hereafter be
ordained. You will perceive, by this, that there
is no want of employment. Beside the public
service mentioned , there are Hindoostanee services
early on Sunday mornings and on Thursday even
ings ; but these are left, in a great measure, to the
native brethren , of whom we have three or four
very superior, and, apparently, excellent men .
Brother Bowley is so unwell, that he cannot take
a very active part, bodily ; but he does mentally :
he moves the whole machine among the natives.
In the conversations which take place, when he
finds it necessary, he is always ready with his
words of advice or reproof. This has been .a busy
week with me : I preached on Wednesday evening,
preparatory to the sacrament on the following
( christmas) day. Early on the morning of that
day, we had Hindoostanee service and the Lord's
supper, in the latter of which brother Bowley
assisted. The communicants were numerous, and,
apparently, devout : many of them are the widows
of European soldiers, who married native women .
After this, had full service and sacrament in
English ; and again , in the afternoon , assisted in
the Hindoostanee worship. To-day, Saturday, I
have to preach again before the freemasons of
this place , it being St. John's day : then , to -mor
row, is the sabbath again .”
On the same subject he writes, in March :
384 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. XI.
“ My engagements here are much the same as
when I last wrote . We have continued going to
the bazaar every day, to read to the people : our
encouragement, at times, has been very great, and
at times very small ; but we were in the path of
duty, and were assured of the favour of our Lorel
and Saviour. The people sometimes show the
inost disheartening apathy : they gape and stare,
or sneer, or langh , and then pass on. At other
times, we are cheered by finding that the word of
the Lord has affected some immortal sonl ; and we
tremble , with hope, that an heir of glory will be
burn . I am happy, most happy, in my work :
and should be far more so, if itwere not for a body
of sin and death, and an evil heart of unbeliet.
The chief of the native converts, I speak of about
six individuals, afford me much satisfactionr.
“ Mr. Bowley , I am sorry to say, is on the Ganges
for the benefit of his health, and will probably go
down to Calcutta. This is no small trial ; but
there is One who never changes, and is always
present. I manage as before, in the Hindoostanee
congregation : I read the prayers , and Charles
Doss a scrmon of Mr. Bowley's : this relieves me
of much anxiety ; and, from the native accent.of
" Charles, and the perfect simplicity and idiom of
Mr. Bowley's composition, is more effective than
if I were to preach myself. We have other assist
ants, but at the present moment they are absent
from the station .”
The following extracts from Mr. Friend's com
munications, will show the feelings of his mind
ou occasion of forming a missionary association
at Chunar :
“ I think I mentioned , in my last, that I wished
CIiAP, XI. INDIA . 385

to form a missionary association here. I suc

ceeded in doing so on the twenty - ninth of January,
after having preached a missionary sermon , and
sent round a circular. Our new association is at
present supporting two readers, three Hindee
schools , one Persian school, besides printing a
tract. Printing short addresses and tracts forins a
part of our new association .
“ Jan. 25, 1829. Sunday.- Preached a mis
sionary sermon , from the words, ‘ Freely ye have
received ; freely give ,' which apply with peculiar
force to Chunar. Our collection was not large,
but then we have no persons of wealth here : it
amounted to between eighty and ninety rupees,
which I hope we shall get made up to one hun
dred. This, I believe, is the first charity serion
ever preached here. I feel strongly, that more
ought to be done in India for the extension of the
gospel ; but it is painful to observe with what
indifference the subject is viewed. May God assist
me to bring about aa different feeling in Chunar !
“ Jan. 29.--- This has been a memorable day
for Chunar. A public meeting has been held for
the formation of aa missionary association . The
meeting was held in a large room at my house,
and was pretty well attended ; but we were disap
pointed in not having several gentlemen whom we
expected, and especially in the absence of the Rev.
Messrs. Proby and Eteson, from Benares. Brother
Wilkinson presided, and gave some interesting
accounts of the state of the people. In some places
there is certainly a great spirit of inquiry arising :
conversions, too, have been recently inore nu
merous. Brother Wilkinson has been the honored
instrument of admitting no less than seven , during
2 L
386 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHA P. XI.
the last fourteen months, into the full of Christ.
Our subscriptions have been more numerous than
we had anticipated, and , I trust, will yet increase :
we had the pleasure of reading the names of twelve,
who volunteered to be collectors ; and if they posa
sess, as I trust they do, a right spirit, we shall
hope to do something, however small, for the pub
lication of the gospel. Two individuals, not of
this place, who were prevented attending, have
given donations ; one of one hundred , the other of
fifty, rupees. I cannot but hope for many colla
teral benefits from the formation of this association .
O that it may be the beginning of better days
for Chunar ! May it induce some to think of
their own souls, as well as for the souls of others !"
In reference to his health, and to the climate,
he thus expresses his sentiments, in December :
“ I have continued, through the loving -kindness
of the Lord, to have very good health . The weather
is at this season very delightful ; and so cool, and
in themornings and evenings so cold, that I can
scarcely fancy myself yet in India. Every person
speaks in the strongest manner of the hot season ,
and hot winds, which I have yet to experience.
Even brother Bowley, who was born and brought
up in the country, says, that the air at that time
is not hot,but fiery ; however, it is pleasing to find
that the cold season is so pleasant. Thus may
we ever look from present evil to future good ;
especially with regard to these minor evils, which
must be experienced while we are travelling, com
paratively in the dark, in the midst of a dangerous
wilderness . The night will cease , the day will
dawn ; the difficulties will vanish , the enemies be
overthrown : only let us be faithful to the warning
CHAP . XI. INDIA . 387

voice of that beloved Friend, who will never leave

us nor forsake us."
Mr. Friend's labours seem to have been conti
nued without interruption, till the termination of
them in the sudden manner which has been de
scribed ; nor does he appear to have suffered more
inconvenience from the climate, than is ordinarily
felt by Europeans. On this subject, the following
remarks are extracted from a letter addressed to
his relatives a few days previous to his death :
“ From the short time I was at Madras, I could
not learn much of the climate ; but I find here,
and suppose that it is so there, that exercise is
indispensably necessary in order to preserve health.
You must walk or drive out every day ; yon are
obliged, in this country, to keep a conveyance,
something like a single-horse chaise at home,
which is called a buggy ; the society gives a
monthly allowance for travelling expences, which
includes this : the first expence, however , comes
very heavy. This, and some other things, would
be luxuries at home; buthere they are only neces
saries, which we would gladly do without, if we
could . Chunar is considered a very hot place,
and the season , bitherto, has been very severe ;
but, through the kindness of our heavenly Father,
I have been very well . From the construction of
the houses at Madras, I suppose that they have
not the hot winds : here , our houses are like Eng
lish houses, with respect to thick walls and glass
windows, or rather doors. During the hot winds,
which are now blowing, we shut them up close
early in the day, except two or three doors facing
the wind, where tatties, that is, grass on bamboo
frames, are placed , and kept constantly wetted :
388 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ char. XI .
the wind , passing through these, has its heat
absorbed, and enters the houses comparatively cool.
This is all well ; but sometimes, the sun is very
hot, the ground ready to burn the feet of the poor
creatures who are obliged to go out, and no wind
blowing : it is then rather trying. The Leginning
of the rains, till the earth becomes soinewhat
:
cooled, is represented to me as very bad : our cold
season here is very agreeable.”
How soon disease , aided by the climate, was to
carry off this faithful servant of Christ, has been
already seen. That he was habitually prepared,
by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, for this change,
appears from the general tenor of his communi
cations, and from the following remarks addressed
to his relatives some time before his departure
from England :
“ You seem to have continued warnings, that
this is not your rest. How apt we are to forget
this ! I may think of journeying into the coun
try ; I may think of voyaging to the East ; but
seldom can I realize, to any considerable extent,
that trip I must shortly take, where all are spiritual
beings ; where all will appear new , and wonderful,
and strange ; and where I shall be brought into
the immediate presence of Him , in whom we now
live, and move , and have our being. And this is
the more remarkable, since, generally, our curiosity
is most alive where we have the least information .
And what do I know about that eternal world ?
No traveller, out of all the millions that have gone
thither, has ever returned to give us an account of
that mysterious world . And then, when I feel
that my happiness for ever and erer is connected
with that world --that there I shall enjoy ineffable
CHAP . XI. INDIA . 389

bliss or insupportable woe ; and, moreover, that

the sun , which now is shining in glory, may rise
the following morning and gaze on my empty
tabernacle ; nay, that at the next breath , the
breath of life, the spiritual principle, may come
forth free from her prison-house , and take this
solemn and most interesting excursion : how is it
that the things which are seen so completely drive
away the consideration of those things which are
unseen ? Let us guard against this : let us live in
the constant remembrance, that there is but a step
between us and death . Surely, if we do this, we
shall also constantly remember Him who is the
resurrection and the life. He has taken away the
sting of death : that which caused death to be so
terrific was the sense of deserved punishment:: let
that be removed by faith in the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world ,' then welcome, angel
of rest, sent to remove us to a calm , and happy,
and glorions home. But we must also seek the
gracious influence of the Spirit of our God, to
change and purify our souls ; that, being made
like unto the angels , we inay be able to enter into
angelic employments ; being made in some degree
partakers of the moral likeness of Jehovah ,we may
be able, in some degree , to participate of His hap
piness. The christian must ever bear in mind,
that holiness is happiness : it contains the very
elements of happiness. Mark , then, the gracions
dealings of God in his fatherly corrections, and
seek to have the object of his chastisement
realized in your souls. •6 He chastens for our
profit , that we might be partakers of His holiness,'
Heb . xii . 10.
• “ I have parted with any old friend Yate , and
213
390 MISSIONARY RECORDS. CAP. XI .
with Mr. Davey. May the Angel of the covenant
go with them ! We are separated in body, but
still one in spirit
" Partakers of the Saviour's grace,
The same in mind and heart ;
Nor joy, nor grief, nor time, por place,
Nor life, nor death, can part.”

His anxiety for the spiritual interests of others,

which is one evidence of a gracious spirit, is de
veloped in the following expressions of his senti
ments to his relatives. On one occasion , he
writes :
“ I long to hear of your temporal welfare, but
still moreof your spiritnal . Is Christ becoming
more precious to your souls ? Is the world losing
its magic influence ? Is prayer more your delight,
the bible more your treasure, and God more your
All in all ? We must have no half measures in
religion : a small degree will only make you
unhappy : but give yourselves up to God, give up
your lieart and best affections to Him , tread the
world under you, look forward to eternity and
glory, anticipate the joy of heaven , and then the
prayer of your souls will be, Lord, lift thou up
the light of thy countenance upon us. That the
blessed God and our Saviour may visit you with
every spiritualblessing , is my constant prayer.
“ How small and trifling, comparatively speak
ing, are the things relating to this world in which
you are concerned, now I am so far removed from
you ! Not that I am not interested even in your
smallest concerns : I can tread in imagination each
well -known walk , gaze on each well -known scene,
talk on cach well-known event : but, still, the
 INDIA .
CHAP, XI.] 391

things which relate to another and a better world

a worid of joy and bliss, a world in which we meet,
but never part - possess an overwhelming impor
tance. Blessed be God, that he has brought most
of you, I trust, to know and love him ! Seek to
know him more and more : seek to be filled with
the knowledge of his will , in all wisdom and spi
>

ritual understanding ; yea, seek to be fruitful in

every good work, and increasing in the kuowledge
of God . The knowledge of God, in his Son , will
make you wise, holy, and happy ; will raise your
thoughts and desires above this lower world , and
lead you to have your conversation in heaven ,
while you are still on earth. The Lord give you
this knowledge more and more .”
On another occasion, he inakes the following
appeal to the heart and conscience :--
“ Before entering on my more immediate labours
as a missionary, when my time will be, I hope,
completely taken up, I wish once more to address
you, in writing, concerning that salvation which it
is my desire to live and die in publishing to the
world . A world lying in wickedness, exposed to
the just indignation of God , is calculated to raise
the sigh of pity, and the energies of the man who
has tasted the sweets of pardoning mercy . But
while the missionary surveys the wide world, and
looks on all mankind as forming but one family,
he still feels a more earnest desire after those who
are, in a nearer way , “ bone of his bone, and flesh
of his flesh ,' that they may escape from impending
wrath , and obtain an inheritance among them
that are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus. Sufler
me, then -- it may be the last time that I may ever
392 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAY. XI.
be able efficiently to do it -- suffer me to nrge upon
you the consideration of your eternal welfare.
“ You will probably say, that you do not neglect
religion ; that you attend to public and private
devotions, to the Sunday -school, and to other
places where you hear and see that which is good.
But what is the state of your soul before God ? Is
your heart yet changed ? Is your temper sub
dued ? I do not mean eradicated , but is its violence
abated ? Do you strive against it ? Do you
mourn , when it gains the mastery over you ?
Monrn , vot only for the unhappiness it causes
yourself and others, but because it is so sinful in
the sight of God. Is your heart sanctified ? Do
you think, in the sight of God , that you are
washed, and sanctified,andjustified, in the name of
the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God ?
Can you call God to witness that you have indeed
repented of your sins committed against him who
has spared you so long, bestowed blessings so
numerous, and loved you so much as to give his
Son to die for you, that you might not perish, but
have everlasting life ? Are you so sensible that
you deserve never-ending misery, even the worm
that never dieth , and the fire that is never
quenched ?” that it is the earnest cry of your soul,
6
God, be merciful to me a sinner ! save me, Jesus,
or I perish ! ' You sometimes hear faithful and
very plain preachers , and you say that yon like to
hear them : but tell me, in the sight of God , do
you delight to do what they advise you to do ?
Am I wrong when I say, You know , but you do
not ? Oh,my sister ! awful indeed is your state ,
to sit and hear the gospel, to be privileged to be
CHAP . XI .] INDIA . 393

told of your danger, and the way of salvation ; of

your disease, and of a cure ; of your helplessness,
and of a Guide, a Helper, and a Teacher in the
blessed Spirit ; of a hell that yawns for you , a
heaven that is open to receive you ; of the blood of
Jesus, which cleanseth from all sin ; of God, who
is now a reconciled Father, beseeching you, by
his ministers, to repent, and to trust in the glad
tidings of mercy ! With all these momentous
things placed before you continually, you neglect
the welfare of your dying soul, and suffer yourself
to be occupied with any thing other than with the
great work of your own salvation . Think of these
words from that blessed book ; which, if you were
to read more, and to pray over more, you would
be different from what you are — How shall we
escape, if we neglect so great salvation ? In the
words of your incarnate God, let me say, ' One
thing is needful. You have an immortal soul to
save , a soul which will soon be separated from the
body, a soul capable of the most exquisite happi
ness or misery. That soul is under the curse of
God's violated law : but Jesus was made a curse
for is, when he was crucified on the cross, that the
curse of the law might be removed from ns. But,
the death of Christ, his agony and bloody sweat,
his cross and passion , his death and burial, resur
rection and ascension , will have been in vain for
you, unless you apply to God, that the precious
blood of Christ may be applied to your guilty con
science; that you may, individually, be made a
partaker of all the benefits of his work . Seek,
then, through the blessed Jesus, for that salvation
which you , as well as all others, need. Seck the
pardon of your sins, and the sanctification of your
394 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ снАГ. Хі .
soul. Ask , in the name of the Redeemer, for the
gilt of the Holy Ghost, to enlighten your mind, to
convert your soul, to make you see your need of
Christ, and to go to him for the salvation of your
soul . " God was in Christ reconciling the world
6

uto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto

them .' Unto me, unworthy as I am , he has been
pleased, by his own grace, to commit the word of
reconciliation. You know that I desire your best
interests and everlasting welfare : suffer me, then ,
with all the affection of aa brother, united to all the
love which I bear you, as one for whom Christ
died, as an <ambassador for Christ, as though God
did beseech you by me, I pray you , in Christ's
stead, be reconciled to God : for he hath made him
to be sin for us who knew no sin , that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him . He
that believeth in the Lord Jesus ; ' that is , trusts in
what he has done and suffered ,' shall be saved . He
that believeth not, is condemned already.' At the
great day of judgment, that you and all dear to
me may be found among the redeemed of the
Lord, is my fervent prayer.”
To a relative, who was about to proceed to
India, he addresses the following judicious re
marks :
“ I rejoice at the thought of your coming into
the missionary field. Do not come with too san
guine hopes of success ; that is, of seeing with
your bodily eyes the fruit of your labours, but with
an earnest desire to labour quietly, meekly , affer
tionately, and faithfully, and to leave the result
with God. You will have often need of strong
faith : you will need it much , when the hour draws
nigh to say farewell : you will need it, when float
CHAP. XI . ] INDIA . 39.)

ing on the mighty waters: you will need it in

many varied and trying circumstances, all through
your course. It was an excellent prayer of the
disciples of old, “ Lord , increase our faith ! The
missionary, above all persons, is called to walk by
faith . You will have the very great advantage of
having a companion experienced in the ways of
the Lord, to be your guide and counsellor, and the
helper of your joy. But do not rely too much on
inan : let your chief reliance be on the Lord your
God. Man is frail and weak, liable to be removed
by many accidents ; but God is firm , and strong,
and abideth for ever. Strive to obtain a habit,
through grace, of casting all your care on God . " *
In 1816, the Rev. Mr. Norton was settled at
Allepie, and greatly attracted the attention of the
natives. One occurrence in this mission evinced
the happy effects of perusing the sacred scriptures.
A Hindoo youth, belonging to the school, who was
employed by Mr. Norton to transcribe portions
of the gospels in the vernacular tongue, became
impressed with a conviction of the truths contained
in them , and gradually discontinued the observance
of the idolatrous rites of his family. He was
removed by his relations into the interior of the
country, in order to detach him from the mission ;
and violence was threatened, to induce him to
conform to the customary practices of his caste ,
Urged by this treatment, he fled from the country,
and coming into the Tinnevelly district, he heard
of the mission in the town of that name, and
sought entrance into the seminary there. The
missionaries at Tinnevelly wrote to Mr. Norton, to
* The Rev.C. Friend wrote the tract, No. 277, “ Do you
want a Friend ? ”
396 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAI. XI .
ascertain the truth of as much of the youth's
account of himself as he might be acquainted
with , and he was enabled, so far, to confirm its
accuracy . The youth applied himself diligently
to his duties in the Tinnevelly seminary, prepara
tory to baptism ; and the missionaries there wrote
in terms of entire approbation of his conduct. .
Roman catholic, who joined the Protestant church ,
suffered, like this youth , much persecution . “ We
are obliged , ” says Mrs. N., " to take him under
our care , or they would confine him in what they
call the black -hole. The bishop sent a petition
to the British resident, requesting him to make
Mr. Norton give him up. The resident sert it
to Mr. Norton, wishing him 10 communicate a
full account of the case, which he did ; and the
young man begged leave to write to him also,
which he was permitted to do . He told the resi
dent that he had been in our school more than
four years : that he had thus learnt to read his
bible, and that he could not belong to a church
which would deprive him of the only book that
would teach him the way to heaven . Several
others in the school told their parents that they
>
could not give up reading the scriptures.”
At Cotym , a village on the Malabar coast, the
labours of the missionaries are principally devoted
to the spiritual good of the Syrian christians, of
whom it is necessary to premise some account.
· The Syrian christians, otherwise called St.
Thomas's christians, inhabit the interior of Malabar
and Travancore, in the south -west part of Hin
doostan . They extend from north to south one
hundred and fifty or two hundred miles, and in
breadth forty or fifty. Between fifty and sixty
CHAP . 1.] INDIA . 397

churches belong to this ancient branch of the

christian church, which has preserved the Syriac
scriptures, in manuscript, from Christ and the
apostles ; and , uconnected with the rest of the
christian world, has stood for ages, amidst the
darkest scenes of idolatry and persecution . The
tradition among them , is, that the gospel was
planted in Hindoostan by the apostle Thomas.
Landing at Cranganore, or Chenganoor, from Aden
in Arabia, he was well received by Masdeus, king
of the country, whose son , Zuzan, he baptized,
anıl afterwards ordained deacon . After continuing
some time at Cranganore, he visited the coast of
Coromandel, and preached the gospel at Melapoor,
and finally at St. Thomas's Mount, near Madras,
where he was put to death . His tomb long re
mained an object of veneration. Dr. Buchanan
entertained a decided opinion, that we have as good
authority to believe that the apostle Thomas died
in India, as that the apostle Peter died at Rome.
That christians existed in India, in the second
century, is a fact fully attested . The bishop of
India , was present, and signed his name, at the
council of Nice, in 325. The next year, Frumen
tius was consecrated to that office by Athanasius,
of Alexandria, and founded many churches in
India. In the fifth century, a christian bishop ,
from Antioch , accompanied by a small colony of
Syrians, emigrated to India , and settled on the
coast of Malabar. The Syrian christians enjoyed
a succession of bishops, appointed by the patriarch
of Antioch, from the beginning of thethird cen
tury till they were invaded by the Portuguese.
They still retain the liturgy anciently used in the
churches of Syria, and employ, in their public
2 M
398 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. X1 .
worship, the language spoken by our Saviour in
the streets of Jerusalem . The first notices of this
people, in modern times, are found in the Por
tuguese histories. In 1503, there were upwards
of one hundred christian churches on the coast
of Malabar. As soon as the Portuguese were able ,
they compelled the churches nearest the coast to
acknowledge the supremacy of the Pope ; and in
1599, they burnt all the Syriac and Chaldaie
books and records on which they could lay their
hands. The churches which were thus subdued,
are called the Syro-Roman christians, and, with
the converts from other tribes, form a population
of nearly one hundred and fifty thousand. " Those
in theinterior would not submit to Rome, but,
after a show of union for a time, fled to the moun
tains in 1653, hid their books, and put themselves
under the protection of the native princes, by
whom they have been kept in a state of depression .
These are called the Syrian christians. About
ten thousand persons, with fifty-three churches,
separated from the catholies; but, in consequence
of the corrupt doctrines and licentious manners
of their associates, they have fallen from their
former state, and very few traces of the high cha
racter which they once possessed, can now be
discovered.
The majority are poor, and support themselves
by daily labour ; others employ themselves in
merchandize and agriculture. Though many
among them are most highly respectable, especially
those of the class termed Tarragan, yet there are
none who can justly be styled men of property ;
there are very few indeed among them possessed
of property to the amount of five thousand rupees.
CILSP . Xl .] INDIA . 399

The number of officiating priests, commonly

called Catanars, is one hundred and forty -four.
These are wholly supported by the offerings of
the laity on festival days, and on the administration
of the occasional rites of the church, which , for the
most part, afford but a very scanty support ; and in
very few instances do the monthly offerings re
ceived by a catanar exceed five rupees. They are
generally of the best families, and, consequently,
upon their character as to morals and information,
depends, in a great degree, that of the districts in
which they reside.
In 1806, this people was visited by the late Dr.
Buchanan, who presented their case to the public
in his Christian Researches, since which much
has been done to meliorate their condition . He
commenced a translation of the New Testament
into the Syrian language, which has been com
pleted and published since his death, and copies
sent to each of the churches.
Some account of other means adopted for their
welfare remains to be given.
Colonel Munro , the company's resident in
Travancore, having erected a college at Cotym ,
for the education of the Syrian priests, wished to
place an English clergyman on the spot. Accord
ingly, the Rev. Benjamin Bailey proceeded, with
Mrs. Bailey, overland to Travancore, and they
were fixed at Cotym about the beginning of 1817.
All the measures planned by colonel Munro were
cordially approved by the Syrian clergy , and aided
by them so far as it had been practicable, to
carry the arrangements for their accomplishment
into effect. For the translation of the Syrian
400 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHIAP. Xi .
scriptures and liturgy into Malayalim , the vera
cular language of the country, a number of learned
catanars were assembled by the metran ; and at
this period, they had advanced in their labours as
far as the first book of Samuel in the Old Testa
ment, besides the books of Psalms, Proverbs, and
part of Isaiah ; and in the New, to the Epistle to
the Philippians. The execution of this work was
superintended by the Rev. Mr. Bailey ; the college
also was commiited to his charge.
In the course of 1818, her highness the Ramte
of Travancore presented the college with twenty
thousand rupees, which were laid out in land;
besides a previous gift of one thousand rupees, for
erecting a chapel, and furnishing the buildings of
the college. She also annexed to it a tract of land
in the neighbourhood of Quilon , at least seven
miles in circumference, with several subsidiary
grants, in order to render it productive ; and, lastly.
appointed a monthly allowance of seventy rupees
from the state , for the support of a hospital, to be
attached to the college. The rajah of Cochin,
also, emulous of her highness's bounty, presented
five thousand rupees for the benefit of the pro
testant missions, the whole of which was appro
priated by the resident to the support of the
southern mission , under the Rev. Mr. Mead, of the
London Missionary Society .
Till the end of 1818 , at which time Mr. Fenn
arrived, Mr. Bailey was the only missionary resi
dent at Cotym ; and the number ofhis occupations
prevented his making so much progress in the
arrangements of the college as he wished , and,
consequently , this accession was of great im .
portance.
CHAP. XI. ] INDIA . 401

In December, 1819, the missionaries wrote :

“ The year has been an anxious one. The de
parture of the late resident depressed our spirits
at its commencement; and a constant succession
of events, perplexed in their connexion , and im
portant in their consequences, has kept our minds
on a continued stretch, and occupied much of our
most valuable time, while they have been as a dead
weight upon our spirits. The efficiency of the
missionaries, in the past year, has therefore been
<<
small. ” Of the college,they say :--“ The number
of students receiving instruction is twenty -five ;
their studies are the Syriac and the English : three
of the students are surpassed by very few of the
catanars in their knowledge of the Syriac. Their
progress in the English is small ; the pronuncia
tion they are gradually acquiring, and six or seven
of them can read any book with tolerable ease :
beyond this, their knowledge of the language can
scarcely be said to extend . Besides the students,
there are eighteen children receiving instruction in
English . The difference of these , from the stu
dents, consists in their having received no ordina
tion , by which the students are irrevocably set
apart to the clerical oflice.” There was also
school at this time in Cotym , the scholars of which
varied from thirty to fifty in number; and another
on the college property in Calada, having sixteen
scholars, the instruction being then confined to
Malayaliin .
Through subsequent years the missionary work
was prosecuted with energy and effect. The trans
lation of the scriptures proceeded in the Malay
alim , and preparation was made for printing them.
Hopeless of any thing better, at least for a long
2 M 3
402 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. X}.
time to come, Mr. Bailey, without ever having
seen a type-foundry, or its apparatus of any kind,
and eager to get some portion of the seriptures and
some other works respectably printed, as soon as
possible, set himself to endeavour to form his own
types, with such aid as he could find from books
alone, and from common workmen . He had re
course chiefly to the Encyclopædia Britannica ;
and, with the instructions which he derived from
this and another small work or two, a common
carpenter, and two silversuniths, he succeeded so
completely, that he sent a specimen of his types,
in print, to the resident, who much admired their
beauty and correctness, and complimented Vir.
Bailey on his success . He counted upon being
able to prepare a sufliciency of types for the prini
ing of the whole of the scriptures in little more
than a quarter of a year. Besides the correctness
and beanty of his types, noticed by colonel Newall ,
he afterwards so reduced them in size, that they
could be printed at one-half of the cost of the old
types .
A permanent reduction in the expense of print
ing also took place, involving another interesting
circumstance in connexion with Mr. Bailey. The
printer, sent from Madras, was dismissed. In the
mean time, a youth , adopted some years ago by
Mr. Bailey, as a destitute orphan child, had ac
quired the art of printing sufficiently to succeed
as hear printer, to which office he was appointed
on a salary of seven rupees per month . This little
incident added singularly to the completeness of
Mr. Builey's work ,in the edition of the Malayalim
scriptures. The translation was entirely his own ,
the types were formed by himself from the very
CH AP. XI. ] INDIA . 403

mould, and the printing was executed by an or

phan boy,reared up by his charity.
“ When at Quilon ,” Messrs. Tyerman and Ben
we
net remark, in one of their communications,
were not more than twenty -four hours from Cotym
and the Syrian churches, which have excited so
lively an interest among christians in England ;
and being aware that the worthy church mission
aries there were desirous of seeing us, and that
our having seen those christians would be highly
gratifying to Our
short visit.
you all, we resolved to pay them a
pious and excellent friends re
ceived us with all the cordiality and joy of brethren
and sisters, and showed us no small kindness.
We saw all that was possible for the short time of
our visit, both of the state of these churches, and
of this mission among them : we shall give you a
general idea in as few words as we can . The
whole Syrian population, in Travancore, amounts
to thirteen thousand families, perhaps about se
venty thousand individuals. They have fifty -five
churches still in their hands ; the papists have
appropriated several others to themselves. These
churches, in general, resemble the parish churches
of our own country, though of course they are of
various sizes, and differ much as to the style of
architecture. Some of thein are respectable build
ings, and of considerable extent. They have nei
her pews nor benches inside. At the east end
there is a kind of altar, with steps, on which a
cross is placed, and tapers lighted in time of wor
sluip. Their mode of worship strongly resembles
that of the Armenian churches, and strikingly
approaches, in different ceremonies, those of the
church of Rome. Though they have crosses in
404 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. XL .
their churches, there is no crucifix , nor carved
image. The service is read in the Syriac lan
guage, of which the people know nothing , and but
few of the catanars are acquainted with it. The
catanars are the priests. Here is no preaching,
and nothing in the whole service for their editi
cation, but a short extract from one of the gospels,
which is read in the Malayalim language, which is
the language of these Syrian christians. The
Rev. Mr. Bailey is engaged in translating and
printing the scriptures in the Malayalim language,
and has made considerable progress . The Rev.
Mr. Doran is at the head of the college, in which
are fifty -one students and stout boys. Twenty
eight of these are intended to be catanars. On
examining all the pnpils in mathematics, Latin,
Greek, English, &c. &c., we found them in a very
respectable state of proficiency. Here is a sort of
grammar -school, in which are sixty boys ; from
these are selected students for the college. We
found them also in an excellent state . Besides
this, there are fifty- five other schools, containing
about one thousand children of the Syrian chris
tians, in different parts of the country, Both the
college and the schools are conducted on principles
which are decidedly evangelical, to which the
metropolitan does not object. He was from home,
but we saw his substitute and representative. Oi
all the catanars, there is but one, a young man ,
who appears to be truly pious. Mr. Bailey has
been permitted occasionally to preach in the
churches; and a good understanding appears to
exist between the missionaries , and the metropoo
litan and catanars . "
CHAP. XII .] INDIA . 405

CHAPTER XII .

Burdwan . - Worship of Paper, Pens, and Ink.--

Success of the Schools.--The First Converts.
Alarming Inundation .-- Mercenary Character
of the Hindoos.-- Attempts at Imposition .-
Baptism of a young Brahmin . - Card - Playing
abandoned.- Low Opinion of Hindoo Ve
racity .--- Temple at Goruckhpore.-- Interesting
Conversation with aa Native . - Baptism , Perse
cution, and Firmness of a new Convert.--First
Female School at Calcutta .-- Conversion of a
Little Hindoo Girl. - Mayaveram . - A Wor
shipper of Vishnoo. - The Odia Tree.---Folly
and Delusions of Heathenism .-- General Effect
produced on Heathen Neighbours.---Memoir of
Nanjanamuttoo.—Love to the Scriptures com
bined with Benevolence .-- The Convert Abra
ham.--Tinnevelly.-- Estimate of the Influence
of the Gospel on Native Christians.- Vindi
cation of their Character and Motives. - The
Convert Stephen.-- Detection of False Ac
cusations.

AT the close of the year 1816, the corresponding

committee at Calcutta received a communication
from lieutenant Stewart, stationed at Burdwan ,
proposing an extensive plan of native schools at
and near that place. Three schools were accord
ingly taken under the society's care. With the
concurrence of the committee, the plan was after
wards extended , and additional schools opened .
406 MISSIONARY RECORDs. [CHAP. XII .
Of the state of these schools, an impartial
observer says, Aug. 28, 1817 : - “ I am at Burd
wan , in the house of lieutenant Stewart, an officer
in the company's service. If every missionary
did as much as he has done, and is doing, for the
cause of civilization and religion, he need be in no
fear asto his reputation with those who employ
him . He has done wonders in this neighbour
hood , in regard to education . ” The number of
schools was soon after increased to ten, in which
about one thousand children were taught the Beil
galce language, by the new method so successfully
adopted in Europe, with judicious modifications
and improvements by lieutenant Stewart. Though
lieutenant Stewart did not formally and regularly
teach the scriptures, he continually distributed
copies of the gospels and religious tracts, which
were eagerly sought after by the young people
when they had learned to read. Receiving an
impulse, and borrowing light from the plans and
operations of the late active and excellent Mr.
May, at Chinsurah, he still further improved his
system ; and of its efficiency, Mr. Robertson and
Mr. Thomason speak in the highest terms. The
latter says, after an cxainination he conducted --
“ It was very pleasing to hear a simple and good
account of the English government, the two houses
of parliament, the army and navy, and universities
of England, with its chief towns, cities, and rivers,
from a company of poor Bengalee boys, who, un
less they had been brought under instruction , must
have remained in entire ignorance, and stupid in
difference to improrement.”
The Rev. Messrs. Jetter and Deerr were settled
at Burdwan , on the 17th November, 1819, lieutenant
 INDJA . 407
CHI AP. XII.]
Stewart having purchased a piece of ground, and
built a house for the accommodation of the mis
sionary family . The former took charge of the
central school recently erected, in which the Erg
lish language was taught, and Mr. Deerr superin
tended the Bengalee schools .
In July, 1820, there were about fifty scholars
in the central English school, and one thousand
and fifty in thirteen Bengalee schools. Their at
tendance was interrupted by the frequent recur
rence of heathen festivals, and by occasional
labours in the field. Mr. Jetter writes, on occasion
of a visit paid them by a kind friend :- “ We were
much grieved that he could not see much of the
schools, as the natives had, just then, two holy
days, if we may call them so, when all the schools
were shut up. They worshipped, during those
two days, paper, pens, and ink ! By doing so ,
they say, they become wise .”
In 1821 , an English clergyman being much
wanted, the Rev. John Perowne proceeded to this
station . His reception by the residents was most
cordial : a subscription was set on foot for the
erection of a suitable place of worship ; and , on
application to government, by the local authorities,
an eligible spot of ground was assigned for the
site ofa church, and an order issued to supply the
sum wanted to complete the estimate out of the
public chest. The success of the schools was
demonstrated by an interesting and extensive exa
mination . Mr. Deerr, in addition to his ordinary
engagements, took five boys into his house at his
own expense, to whom he gave religious instruction.
“ I am sometimes delighted ,” he says, “ with the
408 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP, XII.
answers which I obtain , when I ask these boys the
meaning of a passage of scripture.
6
For instance,
when I asked , " What did our Lord mean , when
he said , Whosoever seeth me, seeth the Father ?
One, who is of the brahmin caste, answered , I
think it may be understood thus : As the Father,
the Son , and the Holy Ghost are one, therefore
whosoever seeth the Son , seeth the Father also.
At another time, when I asked how it was that
David called Christ his ‘ Lord , though he was
also called the Son of David, the same boy said,
* David had become acquainted, through the pro
phets, with that great Redeemer who was to come;
and, in that respect, he called him his Lord ; and
because he became incarnate in the family of David ,
he is called his son .”
The first converts in this mission were baptized
on the fifth of May, 1822. An adalt native re
ceived, on this interesting occasion , the name of
Daniel, and a youth of thirteen years of age, that
of John . Another promising youth was a candi
date for admission to the holy ordinance. Mrs.
Perowne, after many unsuccessful attempts, suc
ceeded in forming a female Bengalee school. Mr.
Perowne observes, “ The remarks and questions of
the children in the schools evince that aa foundation
is laid for much future good. There is abundant
reason to bless God for what has been done . Who
would have expected , a year ago, to see one thou
sand Hindoo children reading the gospel ? Nay,
so greatly are these prejudices removed, that those
very boys, who, a few months since, disliked or
refused to read any book which contained the
name of Jesus, are now willing to read a professed
a
CHAP, XII.] INDIA 409

history of his life and doctrine ; and, what is inore,

in some cases they have solicited the gospel in
preference to every other book .”
The operations of the missionaries were con
tinued with much energy in all the departments
of their labours, until many of the school buildings
were either seriously injured, or entirely swept
away, by an alarming inundation, in the autumn
of 1823. All the houses of the poor Bengalees
fell in, and the people were obliged to climb up
the trees in order to save their lives. « There
they sat, without sustenance , for four days ,” says
Mr. Reichardt, then on a visit at Burdwan ,“ crying
to their gods, ' Hori ! Hori ! save us ---we are lost ! '
Brethren Deerr and Maisch, and myself, were
together in one house ; and if the water liad risen
but one inch higher , it would have entered our
rooms, and we should have been obliged to flee to
the roof, for which purpose we kept a ladder ready :
however, we were spared this danger, by the water
decreasing . Many idols , and particularly those
which they had prepared to celebrate the poojah
of the goddess Doorga , were broken to pieces, or
floated away. I saw a heap of them , abont sixty
in number , lying broken near the road. The im
potency of these idols was greatly exposed ; and
many of the Bengalees began to ridicule them ,
6

s areI dead
saying , “ Our godBut,
vent the food . '
— they could not pre
am sorry to say, this im
pression of the nothingness of idols, which they ,
«luring this awful catastrophe, received , is already
worn off ; for, soon after that , instead of the image
of Doorga, they worshipped a water -pot, into which
they had cited' her spir2itN.” The injury sustained
410 MISSIONARY RECORUS. [CHAP. X11 .
by this calamity was, however, repaired as soon as
possible.
Mr. Perownie strikingly describes the mercenary
character of the Hindoos. “ Is my acquaintance
with them enlarges,” he says, “ I am increasingly
convinced that there is scarcely one who has the
least pretension to religious concern . If you pro
pose any thing to a man, his first question is,
* What shall I get ? ' The priests discover the
same feeling ; they officiate at the temples because
they cannot get an easier or more lucrative situa
tion . The following incident will illustrate the
remark . In taking a walk one evening, I stopped
at a temple. At first, the officiating brahinin
seemed unwilling to converse ; at length, honever,
he laid aside his reserve, and we entered into con
versation . Pointing to an image that stood before
<
me, I asked , " What is that ? ' He replied, “ It is
God.' I expressed my astonishment that lie
should have such unworthy notious of the Deity,
as to suppose him a piece of stone, or that he
should be ignorant enough to think that imaye
capable of alfording him deliverance or saltation .
6
You know ,' I continued, that it is only stone,
and cannot help itself ; why do you thus dishonour
God, and deceive the ignorant people ? ' He re
joined, “ Sir, what can I do ? I have no other
means of getting a living. For my service at this
temple, I receive of the people of the village various
articles of food, &c., amounting to about four
rupees a month.' ' I perceive ,' said I, 6“ that your
God is your belly ;' he fully assented, observing,
* Yes; and if you will give me five rupees a month,
I will do as you wish . The natives unblushingly
CHAP, XI . INDIA . 411

say, We can do any thing for money -- nothing

without it. ' Such is the language, not only of the
most abandoned characters, but of some of the most
respectable among the sacred caste !”
In some cases attempts were made at imposition ,
and in one by a number of brahmins. It is thus,
in part, described by Mr. Deerr :-- " Christmas
day, on which they had settled to be baptized,
having passed away, their application appeared to
be mere pretence : in consequence, they renewed
their manæuvres with increased activity, to con
vince me of their unaffected piety and readiness to
embrace christianity. Once, on a Sunday after
noon , fourteen brahmins, all decently dressed ,
came, with the Doll pundit at their head : at first I
could not make out the ineaning of this, and said,
* I was almost afraid at the sight of you .' Appa
rently serene and joyful, they said , There is no
occasion for fear. Here you see how the grace of
God is multiplied ! All our hearts have been en
gaged to search after the true God ;' and they de
sired me to pray with them , and to unfold the
glories which the gospel contains. I gladly com
plied with their last-mentioned request ; aſter
which , every one in turn expressed his delight at
so excellent a religion , and his willingness to em
brace it. Visits of this kind were frequently re
newed, until they saw that they could not gain
their end ; for they had very significantly pointed
out to me, how advantageous it would be for the
extension of the kingdom of God, if the gospel were
no longer to be taught by devils,' but by people
who reverence it, and practice what they teach ;
meaning that they should be put in the place of
the present school teachers. I showed them , in
412 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. XII .
reply, that the devil sometimes appears in different
forms, and very often in that of an angel of light :
and that it would therefore be necessary to know
first, by evident proofs, whether the wicked one
had not hid himself in them under that garb.
Most of them fell off, by degrees, from this time,
and gave up all pretence of a wish for baptism .
It afterwards appeared that all had been pretence.
In 1828 Mr. Deerr thus writes :
“ About fifty -six persons were present at divine
service . I preached from Isaiah lvii. 15 , a tevi
peculiarly suited to the heathen who attended.
After the service I baptized a young brahmin : he
is of a very high caste, and of a handsome and
graceful appearance. The Coolin brahmins marry
from among his caste, and his relatives are of the
first respectability. The baptism took place, as
usual, in the presence of all the people who ai
tended service. When they saw that this young
man actually renounced idolatry, by embracing
christianity , strange emotions were visible in the
faces both of the brahmins and of the lower- caste
people : one in particular, who is a relative of the
young brahmin , got, as the natives call it, a " dry
face : his muscles must have been much contracted.
It is, in reality, a hard step for a high-caste brah
min to separate for ever from his relatives. I pity
them , but I see no way to avoid this. When the
young man took off his string, his hand trembled ,
but he soon recovered . His answers were reso
lute , and indicated some animation . He was em
ployed in one of our schools in Culna two years
ago, being an inhabitant of that place : there he
had an opportunity to become acquainted with the
gospel; and, since the sinall congregation has been
CHAP . X11 .] INDIA . 413

established in Culna, he has been very frequently

in company with the christians there . I had told
him that his baptism would furnish a good occasion
a

to give a short address to the audience, stating his

a

reasons for embracing christianity ; but he not

feeling confident enough to address heathen pun
dits, I thought it sufficient to let his actions speak.
“ We have now a few fine young men . May
our gracious Lord be pleased to smile upon them ,
and to endue them with his healthful spirit, that
they may become ornaments in his church ! ”
It is gratifying to find, that when the elder boys
in the school have had their faults pointed out ,
they have most willingly acknowledged their error,
and promised amendment; and, what is more,
have generally kept their word. Among the in
stances Mr. Perownle gives of this, he says, “ The
Hindoos are so fond of card -playing, that you fre
quently see them in bodies by the road-side, at
their favorite amusement. I am told , that people
of all stations are in the habit of playing, and that
a man will often win or lose the amount of two or
three month's income at one sitting. Suspecting
that something of the kind was going on in the
schools, I inquired ; and soon found, that every
boy, except the christians, was in the habit of
playing. I pointed out to them the consequences
which might be dreaded as resulting from this
6
habit ; and said to them, “ You know that it fre
quently occasions strife, and envy, and hatred
among you , instead of that love which our Lord
has commanded ; and in after life it may cause you
to neglect the duties of your station, and even lead
you to the commission of crime.' They seemed
convinced that what I said was just ; and, I have
2 N 3
414 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XII.
good reason to believe, that all the elder boys have
since entirely discontinued the practice.”
The natives entertain a low opinion of one an
other's veracity . On cne occasion, Mr. Deerr
says, “ Much conversation passed between me and
the people on the subject of the christian religion ,
Having received information that some natives
had expressed a wish to be baptized, the people
present discredited the report. The fact is, that
no Bengalce believes another Bengalee in a single
word ! They assert to me, again and again , that
there is not one of them , unless God shall change
their hearts, who will tell the truth . One said :
• If such a one speaks the truth when he sa 's that
he will be baptized, I will allow my ears to be cat
6
off :' and another, ' And I, my nose.' One added :
* If such and such a one would leave off lying , and
become a true christian, we should think it a mir.t
cle as great as those recorded in the gospel :
should such a one give up his caste and be bap
tized, I have no doubt but I may also then become
a christian : ' another said , 6“ And I too :' and a
third, “ No doubt we all shall.' Thus incredible
6

does the real conversion of any one of them seem

to the natives ; and, humanly speaking, I am in
clined to think with them : but God is mighty
above all, and I have no doubt but he will be
pleased to strengthen our feeble faith ."
Mr. Deerr gives an affecting instance of the
power of caste to extinguish the most tender feel
ings :- “ In the beginning of July, the sister of
one of our people died, four days after having
given birth to a son . The child's father and other
relatives immediately remarked that it would not
live. My wife immediately asked them to commit
CHAP . x11.] INDIA . 415

the child to her ; promising to procure a nurse for

it, and to bring it up, but they refused. Soon after
the child sickened, most likely from starvation, for
it drank milk with great eagerness when they gave
it some at our request. The offer to takethe
child was again made, but again refused ; because
they would have lost caste if they had complied.
They alleged, that devil had got into the child ,
and consulted with one another how to dispose of
it in the night. It was now evening, and the
father of the child had left home in the morning,
with the remark that he wished not to find the
child on his return . Some of the relatives pro
posed to lay the child on the bank of the tank in
the night, because the house would become defiled
if one possessed of a devil had remained in it ; but
they well knew that the jackals would carry off the
child : and so it was ; for early the next morning,
on one of us going to see what had become of it,
it was no more to be found . I would not have re
ported this barbarous deed, had not we ourselves
heard their own words. The relatives are of the
Khodal caste , only next above the Hârees ; and
yet they would sooner see their offspring perish,
than lose caste by giving the child to our care !"
At Goruckhnath , abouttwo miles from Goruckli
pore , there is a celebrated Hindoo temple. This
temple is situated in the midst of a beautiful and
extensive forest of mango-trees ; and is a place of
much celebrity among the Hindoos, who resort to
it, not only from the surrounding districts, but
even from the remote provinces of India.
A chief priest, called aa mohunt, and a number
of devotees are connected with this temple, and
are maintained by a large revenue derived from
416 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XII .
lands and other sources . The devotees wander
over the country , dressed in garments of a salmon
colour ; for the double purpose of extending the
tenets peculiar to this sect of Hindoos, and of col
lecting the contributions of the people in support
of the temple and its worship.
The peculiar feature of this superstition is, that
there is no visible representation of the supposed
deity : his influence, it is imagined, presides ;
while his seat, which has no idol figure on it, is an
object of idolatrous reverence.
Once a-week, on a fixed day, the chief priest
holds aa kind of religious levee in the verandah of
the temple. On these occasions, several handsome
carpets are spread near the central door, on which
is placed a large cylindrical pillow . Upon this
the mohunt reclines, clothed in a variegated silk
dress. A large concourse of disciples attend ; each
of whom , in regular order, ascends the steps of the
verandah , and advances towards the entrance :
having deposited his offering on the shrine, he re
tires, rings a bell hung up for the purpose imme
diately above the door, makes his salaam , or obei
sance, to the chief priest, and then mingles with
the crowd assembled in the quadrangle in front.
Rajahs, and other persons of rank or influence,
usually occupy a post of honor near the mohut,
after they have done homage at the shrine ; while
ordinary worshippers retire, satisfied with a slight
inclination of the band , or a condescending recog
nition from the priest.
The Rev. Michael Wilkinson visits Goruchh
nath , at those seasons when the greatest number
of heathen resort to it, distributing the scriptures
and religious tracts in considerable numbers, and
 CHAP . XII .] INDIA 417

sometimes holding conversation of peculiar interest

with the people. Of one of these visits he thus
writes :
“ On entering the place, I made toward the
temple, where a number of people were sitting.
On approaching near, I observed a person of con
sequence, on the right-hand side of the door,
reclining on a temporary sofa formed by a mattrass
spread on the open terrace, and covered over with
a loosely-spread rich silk-worked counterpane : he
was attired in silk of various colours, sewed to
gether in the manner of patch -work : his head was
ornamented by a turban gracefully wound round,
and a jet-black beard and mustachios graced his
face. On his left, a handsome looking young man
was sitting, dressed in a flowing robe of puce
coloured silk, by whom I was desired not to enter
the temple without taking off my shoes. Declin
1 ing to pay this honor, I withdrew aa little backward ;
when the person first mentioned ( who proved to
be the owner of the place, and a descendant of the
family by whom it was originally built) looked to
ward me, and, remaining in his reclining posture,
asked, in a very contemptuous manner, whence I
came . That I should be so regarded, you will
think no wonder, when I tell you, that, at the
same moment, he was receiving from the people
divine honors ! On my replying respectfully, his
face was swollen with rage ; and his eyes seemed
ready to strike fire, when he told me, with a most
6
indignant air of wounded pride, . You have usurped
our dominions, robbed us of the power and privi
lege of governing ourselves, and degraded us as a
people ! A inost pompous eulogium on their
forefathers, as to their antiquity and superiority
418 MISSIONARY RECORDS . CAP. XII .
over every other race, followed this charge of
usurpation. On being reminded of the circum
stances under which our governinent came to pos
sess so large a portion of territory, he was some
what surprised and confused, and could not help ?
betraying his own ignorance of the whole matter.
He was now told, however, that this was not my
concern, and that I served a Master whose king
dom was not of this world .
56

• A most interesting conversation now took

place, on the sulject of his own religion and that
of christianity.
“ He was first asked respecting the sacred place
where we were then present, and as to the beicit
derived by those who visited it. To this he re
plied, “ According to the faith and merit of each
person , so will be his reward .' When will this
reward be obtained, and what will be its nature ??
• The body is the cause of all suíſering, and of
every kind of evil, and emancipation from the
body is the reward ultimately expected by the 1

devotee of our holy religion.' ' Does this emanci

pation take place immediately at death to every
one who observes the directions of your holy men
and holy books ? • No one observes them per
fectly ; and, therefore, it is necessary to complete
emancipation, that each individual should pass
through several births. Is the present birth one
5

of thenumber P ' Undoubtedly .” Is it the irst ?'

Hesitating, ' It is impossible to say.' Then each
person , in every successive birth , is unconscious of
any one besides it ? This was admitted . • 1s
each successive birth for the punishment of sin ? '
“ Yes. These various births are hell. Each one's
present sufferings are for sins committed in a past
CHAP. XII. INDIA . 419

birth .' " But if the person be unconscious of any

previous existence, he consequently does not know
for what sin he is suffering his present punish
ment. No : how should he ? It was now
shown, that the purposes of the Divine government
in the punishment of sin could not, by this means,
be answered : to this it was replied, that what I
had said was very true ; but that what God did , he
did ; meaning, I suppose, that "He giveth no
account of any of his matters. To this I replied,
that God was all-wise ; and that all which he does
is always agreeable to his own nature and cha
racter, as holy,, just, and good. I then observed ,
that the alliance of a soul w a body conceived and
born in sin, could never effect its purification,
even admitting that it passed through ten millions
of births. No reply was made ; but, with a mani
fest change of countenance, evidencing better feel
ings than had been at first evinced, I was desired
to give an account of my own religion . This I
readily proceeded to do : it was the point to which
I had wished to come. In alınost every instance,
where much interest is excited, we are thus obliged
to hear and combat error , before we can get a fair
chance of being heard ourselves. After proceeding
some way, I was interrupted ; and told, that all I
had said was very good, but that I had learned it
from the Hindoo holy books , and that he would
proceed to finish what I had left unsaid . I begged
hard to be heard on , but could not succeed. In
the course of this interruption, the head pundit of
the place arrived ; and was desired , after intro
ducing me to him as a person disputing the truth
of Hindooism , to satisfy me that the Hindoo
420 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. XII .
religion was not only true, but the best. Avery
interesting discussion then took place.
“ The opportunities of conversing thus with
these infatuated people are the best means of
making christianity known . ”
Mr. Wilkinson , in a letter of the 3d of August,
1828 , relates the circumstances attending therecent
baptism of a native, which furnish a striking con
trast to the duplicity and fear of man sometimes
manifested. Mr. Wilkinson thus speaks of the
new convert :
“ He is a respectable mussulman , and has been
sometime earnestly inquiring after truth : he is the
headman of a village ; and has drawn over a great
portion of his people, by his conduct, to forbean
persecuting him , and I do hope that a good feeling
prevails among them . He is anxious to have a
church and school erected to Christ in his village.
His age I take to be a little more than fifty -- old
for this country. He is quite patriarchal in his
appearance, and really so in character ; a very
reverend good-looking man , a person of great
respectability ; and , what is more than all , so far
as he can be judged of, in earnest about his
salvation ."
The baptism took place on Sunday, the 10th of
August. In reference to this solemnity, Mr. Wil
kinson remarks :
65

It is extraordinary to observe the effect of this

sacred ordinance on the mind in this country ,
compared with what we witness in England , even
at the baptism of adults : here it is really a trans
lation from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom
of God's dear Son ; and the subjects of the ordi
CHAP. XII.] INDIA . 421

nance, so far as they are under right influence,

seem really to feel it such. It was remarkably so
in the case of the person in question. His own
expressions of what his views and feelings were, can
alone convey a proper idea. The mind carried
back, then resting on the present, connexions to
be broken , old habits given up , new connexions to
be formed , new habits to be acquired ; and a hun
dred circumstances connected with the past, and
the present, and the future, do not operate slightly
on a sensitive mind . My text was Gal . i . 15, 16,
which was perhaps as appropriate as any that I
could have chosen, . When it pleased God to reveal
his Son in me, immediately I conferred not with
flesh and blood .' Faithfulness to convictions, a
ready reception of Divine truth , an implicit deter
mination to renounce all for Christ, were, in him ,
remarkably exemplified : no consulting of flesh and
blood, so almost universally seen in most cases,
when the mind is enlightened and the jud ment
convinced , but the heart unaffected, or at least but
slightly. His determined but steady conduct
seems to have operated well on the minds of most
of his relations .'
The faith of this venerable convert was, how
ever, soon put to severe trial. Mr. Wilkinson
writes on Wednesday, the 13th :
“ He came to me, this morning, in great distress
of mind . He returned to his people on Monday,
and was well received by them all: but, on Tues
day night, a brother- in -law broke in upon their
peace ; and, being a man of some consequence
and influence among them , turned their hearts
from the dear old man by the most false statements
and misrepresentations , such as, his having been
20
122 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ chap. XII .
fed with swine's flesh , &c., every thing that was
obnoxious and offensive to the mussulman's mind :
all this was accompanied with threats and violent
gestures. I have advised him what to do, and he
is now returned to see what can be done toward a
reconciliation : but will have to endure, I fear, a
fresh fight of affliction. My going would only du
harm , otherwise I feel greatly inclined : a person
unacquainted with the habits and temper of this
people might, in such a case, by precipitancy do
inuch mischief. I am learning every day experi
ence , which it would be impossible to bequeath to
iny dearest son : things must be seen and learned
fron actual observation .
** Kader Buksh and Daniel went, this evening,
to see the good old persecuted disciple, and to
comfort and strengthen him . They found him
quite solitary. He bad just been beset by a num
ber of men, about fifty or sixty, sent to him by the
muſti, a law officer of the court, and high priest of
the mussalmen : the disgraceful manner in which
they had treated him , had a good deal depressed
his feelings : this is not to be wondered at, con
sidering the great veneration in which he has
always been held : he was, however, blesserl be
God ! firm and unmoved ; asserting his determi
nation , in the strength of Divine grace , to contime
stedfast in his profession of Christ. May the
Lord strengthen him , and confirm him unto the
end ! "
Other attempts were made to induce the old man
to recant, but he was preserved in his integrity : of
his feelings on these occasions it is stated :
“ He says that he is always astonished at him
self after il ey are gone ; he cannot think how it
CH AI. XII . ] INDIA . 423

is ; he seems, lie says, not to be like himself; he

feels to have quite another heart : how wonderful
it is ! ' ”
Of a visit paid to himn on the 16th, Mr. Wil
kinson says :
“ I found him alone, but happy. From his
appearance, he had evidently been much tried :
but the state of his mind evinced, that his tribula
tion had wrought in him patience ; and patience
such an experience, support, and consolation, as
filled him with a hope that maketh not ashamed.
In the presence of several who had assembled
around us, he related what had happened, the
treatment which he had experienced, and his own
feelings under it . This afforded me an oppor
tunity of contrasting the conduct of the persecutors
with that of the persecuted, and of expatiating on
the principles which actuated the one and the
other ; exhorting to a continuance in well-doing,
as the best way of putting to silence the ignorance
of foolish men .'
" Went, after breakfast, to measure out the
ground which the good Cornelius (by this name
he is in future to be known ) wished to appropriate
to the purposes of the mission. Having signified
this intention in the morning, arrangements had
been made for the purpose, and the old man was
present to receive us, which he did joyfully. Being
a little delayed, by the servants not liaving arrived
with the chain , we were informed that the mufti
had sent to hii immediately after our departure,
and desired his immediate attendance at his palace.
The old man stedfastly refused ; and received, in
return , more than usual abuse. A vast concourse
of people were assembled in order to witness the
424 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. XII.
appropriation of the said landed property to the
cause of Christ. The sight occasioned feelings which
I cannot express, and which I ever hope to recall
to my recollection. The measuring of the land
being finished, we took our leave ; commending the
venerable old man to the protection and grace of
God, in words which might be heard by those that
were standing near us."
The two following notices are from Mr. Wilkin
son's communications: they will awaken hope that
this mussulman convert may tread in the steps of
the venerable Abdool Messeeh , now with God ; and
thus add to the proofs already afforded , that the
fetters which the impostor, under Satanic influ
ence, forged for the human mind, cannot withstand
the power of the gospel when brought into action .
66
Aug. 19, 1828 .--- The good old patriarch's
trials are not all over . I went, this morning, to
see him at his house, and found him a solitary
being : his family had all been torn from him,
and carried he knew not whither. I have ein
ployed persons to find them out, and hope they
have succeeded . Who would have thought to see
him resigned even to this ? yet, so he was ! I
found him with Martyn's Testament in his hand ,
and the psalıns and prophet Isaiah by his side
good companions in tribulation !
“ Aug. 20.- Returned from a visit to the dear
old patriarch. I was astonished to find him com
posed , peaceful, and happy. Having learned from
him , the day before, that his people, &c., had been
seduced and taken away by some of his relations,
( a brother-in -law ,) the purpose of my visit was tu
see what step he intended taking. The parties
had taken with thein eighty - five rupees, and other
CHAP. XII. ] INDIA . 125

valuables to a considerable amount : they were, in

consequence, actionable, and he had been advised
to proceed aguinst them . On asking him about it ,
he said , “ No : I have sent to them to let them
know that I am aware of their doings, and re
quested that they would acknowledge the pos
session of the money, &c.;' stating, that, as to the
rest, he should leave them to God and their own
consciences, not doubting that they would soon see
their error." .
In 1821 the British and Foreign School Society,
in concert with some members of the Calcutta
School Society, then in England, obtained funds
for sending out a suitable female teacher to India.
Such a person was found in Miss Cooke, whose
services, on her arrival in India, were surrendered
by her first supporters to the corresponding com
mittee, who were extremely desirous of promoting
female education . The commencement of her
exertions was singularly interesting. While en
gaged in studying the Bengalee language, and
scarcely daring to hope that an immediate opening
for entering upon the work to which she had de
voted herself would be found, Miss Cooke paid a
visit to one of the society's boys' schools, in order
to observe their pronunciation. This circum
stance , trilling in appearance, led to the establish
ment of her first school . Unaccustomed to see an
European female in that part of the native town, a
crowd collected round the door of the school.
Among them was an interesting looking little girl,
whom the school pundit drove away. Miss Cooke
desired the child to be called, and, by an inter
preter, asked her if she wished to learn to read .
She was told, in reply, that this child had, for
2 0 3
426 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. XIJ.
three months past, been daily begging to be ad
mitted to learn to read, among the boys ; and that
if Miss Cooke, who had made known her purpose
of devoting herself to the instruction of girls, wonld
attend next day, twenty girls should be collected.
On the following day, Miss Cooke, accompa
nied by a female friend, who speaks Bengalee
fluently, attended accordingly. T'he visit is thus
described :
66
At nine o'clock in the morning, I accompanied
Miss Cooke to the native girls' school, and found
thirteen were assembled . As soon as the first
salutations were over, I conversed familiarly with
the children, in Bengalee, on which they all ap
peared delighted . I asked them if they would
attend regularly for instruction from that lady
(looking towards Miss Cooke, ) who was taking so
much trouble as to learn the language, for the pur
pose of instructing them. They said that they
would most gladly; and their little countenances
were lighted upwith
. joy. Two of them , whose
names are Monachee and Ponchee, said they
wished I also would come with Miss Cooke, and
talk to them .
“ The children then repeated their Bengalee
alphabet to Miss Cooke ; and after they had gone
over a few of the first letters several times, we
moved to come away. Little Ponchee took hold
of my clothes , and said, Stop, my mother is
6

coming.' I now found that some intelligence had

been conveyed to the neighbours of our being
there ; and whilst Miss Cooke was speaking to
Mr. Jetter, who had a boys' school in the place,
two or three of the mothers, neatly dressed in
clean white clothes, approached to the lattice-work .
CHIAP. XII. INDIA . 427

I drew close to them , and said, ' I hope you will

be pleased that your children should be instructed
by us. That lady, Miss Cooke, has come over
from England, solely for the purpose of instruct
ing the children of the natives of this country .'
Monachec's mother inquired if she could speak
their language ? I told them she had begun to
learn it, on her way hither ; that she could read
and write it a little ; and, in a short time, I hoped
she would be able to converse with them fainiliarly.
She heard, in England, that the women of this
country were kept in total ignorance, that they
were not taught even to read or write, and that the
men alone were allowed to attain to any degree of
knowledge. It was also generally understood,
that the chief objection arose from your having no
female who would undertake to teach . She, there
fore, felt much sorrow and compassion for your
state ; and determined to leave her country , her
parents , her friends, and every other advantage,
and come here, for the sole purpose of educating
yonr female children .' On hearing this, they
cried out with one voice, smiting their bosoms
a pearl of a
with their right hands, ' O ! what has
woman is this !! I added , She 6
given up
great expectations to come here ; and seeks not the
riches of this world, but that she may promote
your best interests .' • Our children are yours , we
give them to you ! ' rejoined two or three of the
mothers at once . After asking why I had learned
their language, they inquired if I were married .
6
And on their asking after
I said , “ I have been . '
6
my husband, I replied, “ He is not.' They now
whispered to each other, “ She has lost her hus
band : do not question her on that hcad :' and, for
428 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. XII.
a few moments, they remained perfectly silent,
with sad and sympathizing looks.” After a few
more questions the ladies retired, with the salaams
of both children and parents.
This development of Miss Cooke's plans seems
to have prevented much suspicion from being en
tertained as to her motives, and the effects of her
intercourse with the children . Petitions were pre
sented from time to time, from different quarters
of the native town ; so that eight schools were
soon established , and more might have been
begin, had time allowed . One instance, however,
of the suspicion with which untutorer minds are
apt to view disinterested labours for their good, it
may be well to notice.
The first girl who presented herself, after having
attended daily for some weeks, was withdrawn);
and , under the pretext of going to a distance, was
absent about a fortnight. Daily inquiry being
made after her, the father, one day, presented a
paper, written in English, which he required Miss
Cooke to sign ; and promised, in that case, to send
his child to school again. This proved to be an
agreement, by which Miss Cooke was required to
bind herself to make no claim upon the child
hereafter, on the score of educating her ; and that
her parents should be at liberty to take her away
when they chose. Miss Cooke, with the utmost
readiness, signed the agreement: the child returned
to school, nor has any further interruption, except
what the ignorance and indolence of the parents
occasion , arisen in any quarter.
It is pleasing to add, that several of the elder
giris at the asylum for the female orphans of
European parents, who had given evidence of hay
CHAP. X11.] INDIA . 129

ing become truly pious, entered, with gladness of

heart, on the study of Bengalee, in order that,
under Miss Cooke's instructions, they might be
prepared to act as teachers in the female schools.
Other schools for boys were opened, and the various
means of usefulness were plied with great activity.
The visits of the marchioness of Hastings to the
female schools seem to have been attended with
happy results. “ Certain it is," say the committee,
" that since her ladyship's visit, the mistress of
the Shyam bazaar school, the only female teacher
that could at first be found, has been called to
instruct a respectable brahminee, a widow, with
two other adult females, at her own house, during
the hours not occupied in the school: and this
widowed brahminee, though herself still a learner,
attends daily at the house of a brahmin to instruct
his two danghters.”
Mrs. Wilson ( late Miss Cooke ) has been per
mitted to see the fruit of her labours in the con
version of a little Hindoo girl, who has been the
means of bringing her father and mother to the
knowledge of the truth . All three were baptized
on the same sabbath morning. Mary Anne, as
she was then called, had beeu a constant attend
ant on one of the native schools , about three years
before ; at which time her father was absent, as
bearer to a gentleman who went to Rangoon.
After she had been about a year at school, she
objected to join her another in the usual poojahs
and worship of idols ; but, in all other respects,
was truly exemplary, and a most diligent, obe
dient child .On the father's return , the mother
told him of their daughter's objections, at which
he was greatly enraged, and forbade her attending
430 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XII .
school any longer. The child obeyed ; but in a
few months she pined away, and fell off in health
and spirits, yet often remonstrated gently wiih her
parents, and told them what she had learnt of the
true God . Some time after, the parents accom
panied their child to Mrs. Wilson's house , intreat
ing her to receive their daughter again, and also to
impart to them such instruction as she had re
ceived ; requesting, also, that the father might
have employment, and that they might reside on
the mission premises. Mrs. Wilson consented,
they became attendants on christian worship, twice
a-day; the daughter seized every spare moment te
read the scriptures them ; the father proved
most useful servant, and the mother conducted
herself in a quiet, modest manner. The daughter,
moreover, is likely to be one of Mrs. Wilson's
best teachers, as she has very good abilities, and
is very active.
At Mayaveram there has been a school since
1819, şince which great exertion has been marie.
The following is an instance of success. Siba
duinnahen was a worshipper of Vishnoo, and of
the king's or rajah's caste. Becoming acquainted
with a learned native, he read with him the vedas,
visited with him the saints of the mountains, and
also practised with him various penances, among
which were the following: Sitting, for a day or two ,
or a week, with the knees up to the shoulders,
shutting the eyes,and drawing no breath for an
hour ;-becoming fixed in a position with the head
on the ground and the feet lifted up towards her
ven , drawing breatlı in very small quantities for
two or three days; -- sitting on the ground froin five
to ten days, with the feet tied in the back with red
CHIAP. Xn ] INDIA 431

tape ; drawing no breath, for the first stage, from

sixteen to thirty -two minutes ; in the second, from
thirty -two to forty -eight ; and in the third, from
forty -eight to sixty-four minutes; in which penance
many are killed, by restraining their breath too long ;
--turning the tongue to the roof of the mouth, and
keeping it fixed there for half an hour or an hour
without respiration ;---stopping up the eyes, ears,
month, & c. and sitting thus for an hour ;--keeping
the body one or two hours under water , or if
possible, by much practice, for a day ;-raising
the body in a sitting position , one, two, and some
times five feet from the ground, by suppressing
respiration ;--and, in a sitting posture, crossing the
legs, and bending with the hands until they come
almost back , and sitting without respiration for an
hour. Sibadumnahen went through them all to
a certain degree; entirely, as he confesses, with
the sincere desire to receive, by these means, an ,
internal revelation of the Deity ; but being fre
quently in danger of killing himself, he at last
retreated from his retired habitation, and traversed
the country ; till travelling down the coast, most
likely considered by many natives as a great saint,
he went to Tanjore and Madras, and there became
acquainted with some of the missionaries. After
a short stay , he roved about for upwards of nine
years longer, and, as he says, “ Sometimes I was
( tressed in silk, and received adoration from the
people ; at other times I was poor and miserable,
for the blessing was not with me: but I should not
have got tired by this ; it was the distress of my
mind that pursued me, and drove me from place
to place. I could not forgive myself; and felt the
displeasure of God so heavily upon me, that at
432 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. XII.
times I thought I could not live. I heard the
christian veda, and heard it with pleasure. I read
and studied it, and read other bookson christianity
to my satisfaction, but could not get loose from
the world , nor could I even think of forsaking
heathenism . A friend said to me, referring to the
combination of heathenism with christianity ,' This
will not do, you only trifle with the truth and
provoke the anger of God ; turn to God . ” This
exhortation he obeyed, and exclaimed , - I long
now to cast of the heathen yoke, and to serve the
Lord .”
Mr. Barenbruck says, Aug. 2, 1831 , “ The
large odia -tree was cut or rooted up to-day, and
the fall was like thunder. This tree was wor
shipped by our new converts and their ancestors at
Valangaman for about four generations ; and
known by the name of Madura Viran , ( a hero of
Madura,) who is so called because he destroyed
znany wicked people at Madura. This large and
famous tree is said to be about one hundred and
twenty years old , and is considered by them and
the other inhabitants of this place as a holy tree,
the residence of their swamy , (idol,) the great
Madura Viran . These people, as well as their
forefathers, have adored it as a sacred tree ; and
offered sheep, fowls, swine, wine, &c . , once a year.
They never led strangers near it, fearing that they
would be hurt by the great Viran . If they were
sometimes obliged to rest or sleep under the shade
of the tree, they never ventured to stretch their feet
toward its side or trunk, expecting to be hurt by
the Viran for their disrespect to him . Such was
their great regard for this tree, as long as they re
Pied in heathenism ; but now they were ashamed
CHAP. XII. INDIA . 133
of their superstition, and did not fear the tree. At
first they cut several large boughs from it for the
school-room , which we now use also as a place of
worship ; and this day they cut down the whole
tree itself, to the great wonder and fear of many of
the inhabitants of this place. When the tree fell
down, many hundreds of people were surprised to
hear of it, and came to see it themselves . For
about a whole week, many used to come and see
the tree, as a miracle : they threatened our new
converts, that the Viran would soon revenge them .
The head old man was ill a few days ago, after he
had cut some boughs from the tree for the school.
The people immediately said, that Viran had pu
nished him . This the old man heard ; and wanted
to cut the tree down at once, to show that he and
his people are not afraid of it ; but that they trust
the great God Almighty. I rejoiced much to see
the steadiness of our new converts . Sensible of
the great weakness of the natives, as to fearing the
evil spirit, I consider that it is the Lord who gives
them His Spirit that they may not fear evil ones.
No people at Valangaman came to assist them in
cutting the tree. The whole was sold for about
twenty -six rupees. Being at Valangaman to in
struct some of our people , I found it a favourable
opportunity to read the word of God to those who
came to see the tree in great crowds, whom I
desired to come into the school-room , and began to
read and speak from the gospel to them .”
He also makes the following communication , il
lustrative of the folly and delusions of heathenism.
" While speaking with some of the people
near the river Cavery, two men came, carrying on
a board a pullaiyar, or household -god made of
2 P
434 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. XI .
cow -dung ! They turned the board, and dropped
their vile god into the river. I made some remarks
to the people : they admitted that a great part of
their religious ceremonies were much like the little
children's play ; and seemed to hear attentively
what I said to them of the true God. One of
tbem , a brahmin , of surprising ignorance, appeared
to dislike seeing the people so attentively listening
to my words ; and came forward, saying, that
whatever I had said and still might say, it was
certain enough that the pullaiyar was a god .
asked him, whether he was convinced that the
pullaiyar, which he said was a deity, was made of
cow -dung. “ Yes ,” he said , “ I am : and what
has this to do with the matter ? ” “ Nothing more,
I replied , “ than that you will easily find out that this
heap of cow -dung, however sacred it may appear
to you, cannot hear, nor see, norfeel, nor move :
but a dog and an ox may do all this, being at least
a living creature, and therefore far superior to the
pullaiyar.” “ Yes ," he answered, " the pullai
yar, I cannotdeny, is inferior, but still a deity. ”
“ By this , ” I rejoined, “ you are inclined to allow
that the dog and the ox are superior deities .” The
burst of laughter which issued from the crowd pre
vented the brahmin from saying any more in
defence of the pullaiyar, which in the mean time
had been dissolved in the water ; and one of the
heathens, who had heard me with attention , tun
ing toward it, said to the brahmin, “ Here you see
what your pulliayar is !”
We drew near to a village, where a great
feast was about to be held, as the pagoda car was
to pass through the street: we found it very noisy
as we approached the town, which is large: the
CHAP. XII. INDIA . 135

pagoda is very rich , having considerable funds.

On entering the place, every one appeared taken
up with the festivity of the day. On all these oc
casions, there is such a wild and horrible noise,
and their features bespeak so much of the phy
siognomy of the prince of darkness, that a chris
tian never can witness it without being shocked :
several times, when I have made an attempt
to speak to them on such occasions, and when
they did even attend to what I said, they ap
peared as if intoxicated. Thirty -three children
rose in their classes for examination ; and, as soon
as the car had finished its course through the town,
many of the returning people came to the school
and were present at the examination : after the
examination, I spoke affectionately but seriously to
the children, on the lamentable state of heathen-'
ism : some felt the truth , and told me that it was
all sin . When I spoke to the adultheathens,they
accorded with the children, and said , “ Sir, it is
now the cali yug [earthen age] : we must still
remain in our ignorance and the manners of our
forefathers ; but our children will come to the true
knowledge, and be happier than we. ”
As to the general effect produced, Mr. Baren
bruck writes, “ Among those who still remain in
heathenism , a good opinion of christianity is taking
root ; the worthlessness of their idols is more
openly acknowledged, and their worship neglected.
Some have gone so far as to make presents to the
mission of parts of their lands, for the benefit of
the christians, for the establishment of schools, &c.
We will not say that they have the purest motives,
such as christians would have ; but they evidently
have done this from a conviction that the christians
436 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. XII.
have right on their side. There would, perhaps,
appear still more of this benevolent spirit and of
this favourable inclination towards christianity ,
and opposition would be less, were there not some
influential natives, who , from interest in idolatry,
or from other motives, set themselves up as oppo
nents ; and secretly excite other people to oppo
sition, by promulgating a number of falschoods
respecting ourselves and christianity. They tell.
for instance , that, at baptism , we give the people
dirty water to drink, or that we put such water into
human skulls and then offer it; or that we give
them cow's flesh to eat ; or that we dissuade slaves
from serving their masters, and sub -cultivators from
paying their landlords their dues, persuading them ,
at the sametime, to wrest their lands from them ;
or that we allure people to become christians by
promising them remission of taxes, and such like.
In short, sometimes we are said to be the worst
people in existence ; or they say that only the
low parriars and some senseless toddy -people em
brace this religion , by which they endeavour to
lower it in the estimation of the people ; and ,
when they cannot deny that soodras are converted ,
of whom there are whole congregations, and that
even brahmins are in favour of christianity, desir
ing christian schools, that their boys may learn this
good religion, they quickly find out some other
reason to contemn them also. The bulk of the
people, howerer, become more and more aware of
these falsehoods : in some places, where they
used to point at a christian with sneering and
contempt, they now address him kindly, make him
read the book which he may have in his hand, and
often do not let him go without giving them a
CHAP. XII. ] INDIA 437

copy of it. While one richi native does all that he

can to injure us and the cause, another rich native
favours us and promotes it. Brahmin proprietors
have given lands as a charity for the setilement of
native christians. Two brahmins, in the beginning
of this year, even joined one of the congregations ;
bui, as we feared they would not hold out long,
both because we suspected their motives, and be
cause they would find the persecutions of the other
brahmins too hard for them , so it has happened ,
and they have withdrawn. Instances have oc
curred, in which brahmins, quarrelling among
themselves, have threatened one another with be
coming christians, if they were not immediately
satisfied according to their demands. Among the
lower classes, they began , some months ago, to
make superstitious use of our christian books. A
man had resolved to become a christian, and had
taken such books into his house : in the night,
either in aa dream or otherwise, the evil demon told
him , that unless he removed these books he would
no longer be hisfriend nor do him any good. The
man replied, ' Thou hast never done me any good,
neither will I serve thee any longer ; and these
books shall remain here. This was soon spread
among the heathen ; when some came and asked
for books, in order to keep the devil out of their
houses. This was , of course, refused .
Among Roman catholics, likewise, the truth is
gradually gaining ground ; and not a few have, in
the course of the year, exchanged their supersti
tions for the pure doctrines of the gospel.
“ The moormen also begin to lend a more patient
ear to the word of truth ; and though they, in ge
neral, remain still very obstinate in believing their
2 P 3
438 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. XI) .
prophet and his koran , yet individuals read our
books, and examine the nature of christianity .
Some have come and asked for the seriptures ;
others have made christians read them to thein .
In one place , a number of moorinen proposed to
one of us to have a public disputation with their
priests about religion : the next day was fixed for
the purpose ; but the latter failed to attend. In
another place, two moormen are very desirous of
embracing christianity ; but still stand back , from
fear of persecution and of remaining without a
livelihood.
“ Although, then, we have to pass through various
trials and difficulties, and through much evil 19
port, yet, in this district, knowledge is increasing
in all quarters. And if any district requires it , it
is this ; because the spirit of lies and deceit has so
extensively and shockingly possessed this people,
that it has been justly called the worst in India .
Christianity only can change this horrible state of
things ; and, blessed be God, this glorious work
is making steady progress !
“ There are, in the district, under the superin
tendence of the missionaries, fifty -five schools ;
containing, at the date of the last returns, one
thousand three hundred and sixty scholars, with
an average attendance of nine hundred and forty
three .”
The following are extracts from a memoir drawn
up by Mr. B at Mayaveram , in connexion
with whom John Devasagayam labours.
Nanjanamuttoo was born , in the year 1799, at
Tranquebar, where her father and mother are still
living : her father is interpreter to the Danish
government. She was married to John Devasagayam .
CHAP. x11.] INDIA . 439

in the year 1813, and became, during the space of

fifteen years, the mother of four children, of whom
only two are at present alive, and prove to be a
comfort to their bereaved father.
“ When we were at Combaconum and Tran
quebar, I knew but little about her; except in the
church, where I always observed her one of my
most attentive hearers. When we removed, in the
year 1826, from Tranquebar to Mayaveram , she
came along with us, accompanied by her husband
and two children ; and, since that period, I be
camemore acquainted with her.
“ On the 3d of June, 1826, when she expressed
to me her desire to receive the Lord's supper
with the other christians at Mayaveram, I had
the first conversation with her respecting the sal
vation of her soul. Through the grace of God,
she began to see, that to become a christian is to
be born again by the Spirit of God. From this
time, it was very seldom that she was absent froin
divine service : she was, indeed, an example to all
other christian women of our small congregation :
she attended morning and evening prayer very
regularly. I never perceived her attention tired,
or attracted by other objects, while at church .
The last time that I had conversation with her,
she assured me, that she knew not any thing
which she desired more than that the Lord would
forgive her sins, and give her an assurance of sal
vation : she had then been for some months la
bouring under the disease of which she died .
“ She used frequently to visit Mrs. Barenbruck ,
in company with the other christian women : on
being told that a weekly prayer-meeting among
women would be worthy of her consideration , she
collected several females, who assembled , fror .
410
MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XII.
that day, every week by turns in each of their
houses : indeed, among the female christians, and
to some heathen, she proved to be an excellent
catechist.
“ I saw her a day previous to her leaving this
settlement. There was a quietude and peace in
her countenance, which I liked to see, though I
was speaking of the probability of her days drawing
to a close. I saw she was weak, and therefore 1
only spoke a few words to her ; she appeared very
thankful, and it seemed hard for her at this time
to leave the mission . She departed this life at
Tranquebar, among her friends and relations. "
The last hours of this pious woman are thus
described by her husband .
“ She bore her sufferings with patience and re
signation, and meditated frequently on the passion
of our Saviour. When I asked her of the state of
her mind, she answe
wered , that she continually
looked to the Lord, and prayed that he would par
don all her sins, and receive her soul to his feet.
She frequently spoke of her death ; and directed
her much -distressed mother and sisters to Jesus,
and comforted them greatly.
“ A few days before her death, when she was
attacked by hard breathing, she called me, and
desired that I would bring up her two boys, one
about nine years old, and the other four, to the
service of the Lord . Another time, she appeared
to be greatly concerned for them : when I told
her that she should commend them to our blessed
Lord Jesus, who gave them to her, and who is
able to bring them back to her arms, she becaine
immediately silent, and appeared comforted .
“ Her last year was mostly spent in reading the
ord of God to herself, her relations, and a number
CHAP. X11.] INDIA . 441

of christian and heathen females, to whom she

found access since we came to Mayaveram : she
was also the principal leader of the females' Friday
meeting in our new mission . What she read fre
quently was, the Old and New Testament, Bun
yan’s Pilgrim's Progress, Indian Pilgrim , and
two other very edifying books : the hymn book
also she read, and most of the present tracts, to
herself and others ; and, whenever she went to
Tranquebar, although the visit was for a short
time, she took those valuable books with her.
“ When she left Mayaveram , she appeared to
be sensible of her death ; and desired me to write
to her sister's husband at Combaconum , and re
quest him to send her sister to Tranquebar for
some time. When I asked her why she made so
pressing a request, she told me that she wanted
her sister to be near her, and to read to her the
word of God . She had the attendance of her
mother, grandmother, aunt, and two younger sis
ters ; but they could not read. For several months
past, she took particular delight in reading an
excellent book, which was also the favourite book
of my late mother. I saw my wiſe frequently
reading it to herself, and to those christian and
heathen women who visited her ; and she spoke
also to me on the same when I was at leisure.
66
I grew sometimes very anxious lest she had
not given her heart fully or entirely to the Lord.
This I frequently spoke to her about, and she
acknowledged and lamented it ; and often prayed
to the Lord for the grace and strength of his Spirit
to convert her soul entirely to himself.
Reading some of her letters, I find in one,
dated June , 1827, when she was at Tranquebar
unwell. She writes :
442 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. XII .
“ I feel myself so weak, that I was not able to
go to church the last Sunday, and only my sister
attended the church . I am not now at my parents
house, but live in our house with my sister.
Christian helps us in reading at our morning and
evening prayer : Jesudasen attends to his learning.
In my present state, II resign my soul and body
into the hands of my gracious Father, and con
tinue to pray, that he may truly convert my soul,
and receive it to himself, whatever may be his
pleasure, either to keep me here or to call me to
himself .' »
One youth , on his leaving a mission -school, and
becoming a servant in the employ of a christian
gentleman , stood alone as an advocate of the
truth ; and, though persecuted by his family, was
made the instrument of converting one relative.
Being commissioned by him to undertake a jour.
ney, for the expense of which eight shillings were
allowed, he spent only a small sum of his own, that
with this sum he might purchase a Tamul bible.
In this he read both day and night. While pe
rusing it one day, a poor man came to him , aud
after hearing three chapters, said he would give
anything he had on earth to possess a bible. The
youth then inquired if he could read : he said , No ;
but he had a son who could ; when the vouth
generously gave him his dearly - bought and be
loved treasure .
Abraham was one of the first - fruits of the Tin
nevelly mission, and, in common with the rest,
endured afflictions for Christ's sake. In March ,
1828, he was appointed schoolmaster in a village
where he had previously assisted his brother Titus
in caring for the spiritual welfare of the people.
At that period the people were much harassed by
CHAP. X11 .] INDIA . 443

their enemies ; who, at last, burned down their

school and prayer-house, which occasioned pro
ceedings in court, where the enemies, both hea
thens and moormans, managed so as to escape
punishment; and, on their return , accused the
people at the station of various crimes, involving
Abrahain also in them . All at last came to
nothing ; but the tasildar, siding with the hea
then, had means of distressing the people at
hand previous to the decision. Abraham and his
friends were most unjustly kept confined by him
for about thirty days, without any examination at
all ; after which a kind of mock trial took place,
and they were liberated. But the cruel treatment
which they experienced destroyed Abraham's
health : he was taken ill in the prison, returned
home ill, aud never recovered . He was remark
ably meek, trusting in the Lord ; and always en
couraged the people to be patient in suffering, and
not to render evil for evil.
When he grew worse, he sent this message to
Titus-- " Read often our religious books : pray
without ceasing ; and be more and more diligent
in exhorting the people." To the heathen , in
another village, he sent the following message-
“Forsake your idols, and your vain ceremonies ;
and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repent,
and receive the forgiveness of your sins : thus
strive to escape from the wrath to come . The
next day he sent for Titus, desired on his arrival /
that the congregation might be assembled, and
spoke to them to the following effect. « As I am
now at the point of death , what do you think about
me ? O my dear friends, I greatly desire to
leave this world and this body. Were I still to
444 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. XII.
stay awhile, it would be well for you ; but let this
be not according to our wish , but to the will of
the Lord. Now , by whom do you think I ain at
present so joyful and comfortable ?» To which
Nallatambi replied, " It is by the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ.” Abraham then continued ,
“ Those who have not received the grace an'l
mercy of our Saviour Jesus Christ, cannot be so
joyful and comfortable at the hour of death. They
are not at all desirous to leave this world . They
are full of fear and trembling. They receive no
comfort from the god which they worship ; and
they die worthy of the punishinent of heil. On
account of such persons it is right that others
weep. Wherefore, do not think that I am afraid
to die, or that I am perplexed .” The people an
swered him to these particulars. He then further
addressed them thus :- “ Be diligent in going to
church and in prayer. Walk in the fear of the
Lord, until you leave this world . Pray also in
private. Do not forget, O do not forget the
things which I have now spoken to you. Do not
forget them ."
They then took him up, and carried him to
Tiroopoolangoody, accompanied by many of his
people. On the road, when he saw them come
along so far, he requested the cot to be put down ),
and called these people together, saying---- Why
do you come along so far ? I can be of no use to
you . But the Lord liveth for ever : believe in
him ; he will do what is necessary . Take care ,
that when you come to die, you may be as glad as
I am .” He then bade them farewell. When the
procession came near Tiroopoolangoody, it rained ,
so that Titus and the rest feared that Abraliam
CHAP . XII1.]
. INDIA . 415

would get wet: observing that, he said ," Are you

displeased with the work of the Lord ? Be pa
tiently resigned to his will.” They then reached
home, and had prayer together.
The next morning many heathens came to see
him , and lamented : he addressed them thus :
“ You need not weep concerning me; but weep
concerning yourselves. I rejoice to leave this
world . That you also may have such comfort and
joy, forsake the idols which you have so long
worshipped, and turn to the living Lord Jesus
Christ.
He then called Titus, and spoke thus to him :
“ Serve the Lord with fear, as long as you shall
be in this world. Be very diligent in teaching
the people. Call, yourself, the people together to
prayer ; and exhort them for their edification .
Boldly tell the heathen to repent, because the
kingdom of God is come nigh. In all your con
duct, fear God .” He then inforined him of the
persons to whom he owed anything, and the
amount of his debts ; and then called his wife,
whom he addressed thus : Weep not about me.
66

Believe in the Lord ; he will give you the needſul

comfort. Do not trust in me, who am shortly to
leave you. The Lord is immortal ; he will be
your helper for ever. Trust in the Lord Jesus
Christ.” He then turned again to Titus, and
said, “ Out of the pay which our reverend mi
nister gives me, defray the expenses, and the rest
give to my wife. Deliver my son over to him , to
care for the fatherless and the widow. My infant
child Isaac, give into the care of an old woman ;
for whoin ask our ininister for some support, as for
this boy. Be not careless about it .” Titus asked
2 Q
416 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [cular, XII.
him whether they had hitherto used any frand
against each other : he replied, “ You will not
du so : I know that very well ; but I say what
I must say . Now I cannot speak any more : feel
my pulse.” Titus did so ; and, as it was neariy
gone , said, “ Death is near.” Abraham their
spread out his hands, looked up, and prayed si
lently, which was evident from the movement of
6
his month : he then said, “ I cannot speak any
more. ” After that, he gave signs to lift him up.
Titus placed him in a sitting posture ; but he
kneeled down, with his face to the ground, and,
having continued thus for awhile, he cried, “ ()
Jesus !” He then gave signs to put him back
again. Titus did so ; upon which his happy spirit
left its body of clay. Titus further relates, that
he repeatedly spoke to the people the words be
fore stated : on one such occasion he said, " In
many words will be faults. Let us seek ,
above all , while in this world, the grace of ille
Lord Jesus Christ, who is able to impart such
comfort to sinful men in the hour of death . May
He himself fit us for it !” Not long before his
death he said also this to Titus : “ You need 1100
make vain expense in buying a new cloth for my
corpse. Both the body and the cloth will turn to
earth . All the ornaments of the body are vain ;
therefore don't do so . Ornament your immortal
souls."
Thus died Abraham in the service of his hea
venly Master ! Divine grace was very conspicuous
in him , as it was also in his brother Stephen .
Their spirits are now , doubtless, rejoicing together
in His presence. Their memory is sweet and
edifying. Blessed be the name of the Lord !
CHAP. XII, INDIA . 447

After stating the results of missionary labours

in the Tinnevelly district, Messrs. Rhenius and
Schmid proceed to answer two important inquiries.
66
But , are all these two thousand families true
christians ? To this we do not hesitate to an
swer, No ; not all . ' They are a mixture, as
our Saviour foretold that his church would be ;
• The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that
was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind ,'
Matt. xii.47. But all have renounced idolatry,
and the service of devils, and put themselves and
families under christian instruction, to learn to
worship God in spirit and in truth. And is not this
a great blessing to them ? Is it not an exchange of
a false, childish , impure, filthy, stupifying , de
grading worship, for the reasonable, holy, en
lightening, exalting, glorious worship of the true
God in Christ ? An exchange of the execrable
stories of wicked gods and men, inculcating and
encouraging all kinds of vices, for the blessed,
soul-converting, enlightening histories, and holy
precepts of the scriptures, a small thing ? Will
the people get better, so long as they think thai
their idols are gods, their lying and fighting gods
worthy of imitation, and their filthy stories plea
sant things ? A conviction of the contrary, a re
nunciation of them , a desire to know the truth , a
readiness to be instructed therein, are absolutely
necessary to true conversion : they are, in fact,
the beginning of it. When, therefore, we say that
they are not yet all true christians, we chiefly
mean , that they are not yet all high in the attain
ment of christian knowledge and experience.
Many among them may also have embraced chris
tianity, in the first place, merely because their
448 MISSIONARY RECORDS , [ CHAP. XII,
masters or friends did so ; and others, because they
saw the improved condition of the native chris
tians, and desired to be delivered from oppression
and wrong. But even among them we have had
many instances of their becoming, by degrees,
truly enlightened and blameless characters , who
would endure anything for Christ's sake, and are
an honour to the christian church . In short, there
are many who are really benefited by the change ;
and exhibit the regenerating influence of the gospel
on their souls, by a thorough change of prin
ciple. * We have many instances of persons en
during the most vexatious, injurious, and provoking
treatment of the heathen ; not, indeed , without
temptation and pain ; but with a meekness, and
patience, and self-denial, which show, at once, that
they are strengthened by a higher power, and that
the blessed injunctions of the gospel have taken
hold of their hearts . We have instances , in which
persons, after their conversion , have come of their
own accord, and confessed their having formerly
connived at cheating the government, by the na
tive revenue officers ; and their being compelled
by the gospel not to do so any longer, but to walk
honestly. Just now, a person, who has lately re
quested to be instructed, is earnestly desirous to
pay his due to the owner of his village, even be
fore the time, only in order to cut off every
* Such persons only are admitted into full communion
of the church by baptism : the rest remain candidates for
it. Hitherto, about five hundred have been baptized, in
cluding children . Not that there are not many more ,
among the rest, worthy of the ordinance ; but they are
delayed, partly by our carefulness in the matter, and partly
by the too many labours on our hands.
CIAT. X11.] INDIA . 449

occasion for opposing this step, and distressing him

and his family for it. We have many instances
of their forgiving their enemies for Christ's sake
of their love of truth -- of their lively hope of eter
nal life. Many have shown a complete horror
when thinking on their former worship of senseless
idols and cruel devils ; and praise the grace of
God, which gave them the light of the ospel.
Several have, on their death -beds, exhibited a con
fidence and joy in God, which astonished the by
standers, and made them express a wish likewise
6
to ' die the death of the righteous. On the con
trary, we have instances, also, of backsliders, and
others who allow their evil tempers and habits to
be troublesome to the rest. But who has autho
rised us not to expect such ? Had not the apos
tolic churches the same ? And can we marvel,
that, among those who arise from such a depth of
corruption and wickedness, and from so gross a
darkness as Hindooism is , there should , now and
then, appear remainders of the same ? From what
a labyrinth of false notions and evil habits have
they to extricate themselves ! With how many
temptations are they surrounded ! To what fears
and sufferings are they exposed , by their perse
cuting enemies, by the false accusations and com
plaints against them ! If they, then , occasionally
fall, by allowing themselves, perhaps, a lie, or
getting into a passion by provocation, we have
rather to commiserate and help them , than con
demn them , and at once pronounce them hypo
crites . It would fill a large volume were we to
enlarge on this subject; but this is not our present
design. The failings of the native christians, or
the intrusion of real hypocrites into the christian
2 Q3
450 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XI .
church , so readily animadverted upon by some,
do in no wise diminish our duty of teaching them
the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. What
they are not now , they may become hereafter. A
tree wants time to come to maturity, and to yieid
all the fruit we can reasonably expect.
“ But are not all these christians of the lowest
castes only, the dregs of the people ? “ And sup
pose it were so, what of that ? Shall that hinder
us in our endeavour to promote, and in rejoicing
in their conversion ? What, however, are called
the ' low castes of the people’ makes up a very
large portion of the natives : they are the laboui
ing class, without whom the rest cannot live.
From the neglect and contempt in which they
have been held for ages, they are , indeed, very
ignorant, with very little or no moral restraint on
their natural passions; without excitement to
appear decent ; full of slavish fear and blind sub
mission ; and therefore easily made tools of hy
the higher castes, for perpetrating their vile pur
poses : still they are our fellow -men, esteemed
equally with us before God, and capable of the
highest cultivation. What a blessing will it be to
the country, when all these low castes will be truly
converted to Christ ! A great mass of evil will
then be removed from this nation . And shall we
not labour for that end ? Shall we not instruct
them , if they desire it ? Shall we not stimulate
them to it, if they do not ? We should be per
fectly content, therefore, if our congregations con
sisted only of these low people. The value of the
soul does not depend on the native divisions of
caste, or any outward advantage whatever. But
the fact is, that only a few congregations are of
CHAP. XII.] INDIA . 451

these lowest castes : the shanar caste has yielded

the most ; and several are of the common soodra
and moodeliar castes.
Still, do they not become christians, in order
to be freed from taxes, or to deprive others of their
lands, &c., by our instrumentality ? No. These
are false accusations, which the enemies of chris
tianity bring against all these people, because
such cases may have occurred, though, we are
confident, without success : such persons must soon
find out their mistake, and either leave the church,
or yield to better feelings and views. These idle
accusations probably originate with persons who
have been obliged not to extort from the christians
more than what was right, and to restore to them
what they had unjustly made their own. We could
write long histories on this subject: suffice it to
say, that the christians, so far from being freed
from taxes, are, in not a few instances, obliged
to pay even more than they formerly did in their
heathen state, by which the native officers intend
to force them back to heathenism ; that the native
christians do not refuse to pay any taxes, but such
as are not ordered by government; and that they
most properly desire to be exempted from all
undue exactions which the native officers and mi
raskarers make to enrich themselves, and from
all demands for the support of idolatry. As of
old, so also now , there are many Demetriuses,
whose craft is in danger, and who therefore vent
their ill-will by such false accusations, and in
dulge in styling the christians ' slaves ,' 6
sense
less toddy-people,' &c. If moodeliars also become
christians, then, of course, they are also without
understanding. But God will and does confound
the calumniators.”
 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. XI .
The following account of a native christian is
extracted froin the journal of the Rev. J. C. T.
Winckler.
" Although Stephen was so weak and exhausted ,
on my arrival at his station on the 29th of July ,
that he could scarcely rise from his couch , yet, as
soon as he heard that I had come, he mustered all
his remaining strength, and came, with faltering
steps, to the church. I was sorry that he had come
so far, in such a weak state ; and caused him to
lie down quietly upon the couch , which had been
brought for him . Hesaid that he could not beip
coming, and praising the Lord, in the congregation,
for his mercy ; and that his chief delight was now
in the word of God . Toward noon , I visited him
in his house, and spoke more fully with him about
the state of his soul . He said that he was unable
to express all the mercy which the Lord had
shown to him . Upon my asking him , whether his
knowing himself to be a sinner did not disturb his
inward peace and joy in God, he answered , ' No,
not now ; for I fully believe, and know, that Jesus
Christ died for me, and has forgiven me all my
sins. The Holy Ghost is now no more against
me, but for me. I feel an unspeakable love to
him .' In short, all that he said respecting his
state amounted to no less than what is expressed
by St. Paul, Rom. v . 1--5. The several scripture
passages which I related during the conversation
delighted him much, and he failed not to make
a short comment upon them , from his own ex
perience : thus it was also verified in him, “ All
thy children shall be taught of the Lord .'
“ The next evening, after I had returned from an
excursion to some other villages, I heard that he
was not expected to survive the night. I hastered
CHAP. XII.] INDIA . 453

therefore to him : he could not rise ; but his

countenance indicated that he was peaceful and
joyful. He spoke little, except when his wife,
on seeing him, as it were, at the gates of death,
burst into tears, he recalled all his strength to
6
comfort her, and said, “ Do not mourn for me, as
those who have no hope! I am going to be with
the Lord. I shall not die, really. I have a place
prepared for me in heaven, where my Lord Jesus
Christ is ; and do not think that the Lord will leave
you, and my three little children, after my depar
ture. He will do more for you than I could do.'
66
“ Not only several of our people, but also a pretty
large number of heathen, were present. I showed
them how comfortless and despairing theybecome
in the prospect of death ; and said it could not be
otherwise, because they served and worshipped the
devil, and despised the word of God ; they could
see now , with their own eyes, what a difference
there was between the death of a true christian
and an ungodly man , one who worshipped idols
and devils. In such a strain I went on for some
time, and was gratified to see how those who
formerly reviled me when I exhorted them , now
received my exhortation , which was no less urgent
than ever, with a seeming meekness and gratifica
tion which I had not anticipated. True it is, that
the embracing of proper opportunities to exhort
the people conveys a great power of the Spirit
along with it ; though, on the other hand, we are
likewise exhorted to be instant in season and out
of season . I doubt not but the sight of this re
deemed and silently-departing brother spoke more
powerfully to them , or rather the Lord through
this means, than my words. May that grace
454 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. XIL.
which was made manifest here, not be received in
vain by them !
“ I went again to see him . He was now a little
recovered in strength , so as to be able to speak
out his heart freely again . He longed to be with
the Lord , but would subrnit in all things to the
Loril's will . He said, “ Should the Lord find it
6

good to restore me to health again , then I would

gladly go again to the station where I got sick ;
for I do not repine at all at my having been placed
at that unwholesome spot. I would rejoice to
inake known to the people the loving -kindness of
the Lord ; but I would wish rather to lay aside
the body of sin, and serve the Lord above.
“ One concern was still upon his heart. He
feared that he had displeased Mr. Rhenius, when
sick in Pallamcottah, by not applying a blister,
after Mr. Rhenius had shown much concern for
his health . He had a natural antipathy against
such European means, ( this is common among
natives, especially against surgical operations,
and was unable to overcome it : he begged me,
therefore, very earnestly, to speak with Mr. Rhe
nius, and to request his indulgence in this instance :
I assured him of it, and then we had a partiug
prayer, after I had read a portion of scripture to
him . Thus I parted with him for ever in this
world, under very delightful feelings, in the good
hope, through grace, to meet with him again in
brighter realmsabove."
Titus, the brother of Stephen , thus writes, on
the 24th of August, of the departure of Stephen
to his eternal rest :
“ This day, my elder brother, Stephen , died
joyfully, believing in the Lord. A few days before
 455
CHAP. XII .] INDIA .
that, when his wife and other friends were very
sorry and weeping, he said, “ You need not sorrow
and weer for me; here, in this world , is not my
place of rest. God has not made us for this
world. Will you not send me away with joy, but
with grief ? Will you hinder and grieve me, and
not leave me to pray to my Saviour, who is my
trust in this hour of death ? O let me alone !
He then liſted up his eyes to heaven , and prayed .
He spoke many other such words. On the day
of his death , I asked him whether he would not
take medicine. He replied, I shall shortly depart:
here I need no medicine : ' he then prayed again.
When the hour of death approached, it was as if
he saw the glory of heaven ; and then he called the
people of the house, who were doing somebusiness,
saying, “ Do you still do business ? Come ! I
am going ! Be you waiting ! O my brother, my
brother, my brother ! ' Then, folding his hands
and lifting up his eyes once more to heaven, he
fell asleep. Even the heathen round about were
affected and astonished at his manner of dying,
such as they had never before witnessed.”
Mr. Deerr, on visiting Culna from Burdwan, in
May of last year, thus speaks of a wicked plan
for the ruin of the native congregation there :
My first care was , to learn the state of the
little christian congregation. An old meddling
brahmin , who is always distinguished for busy
bodying, brought many charges against them .
Sii,' he said , “your christians do not keep the
commandments of God . I hope then ,' I replied,
<
that you will .' ' I am , as yet,' he said , “ a devil,
and pass for one, but these have been baptized.
If they are not better than I, then they are worse .
456 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XII .
Your christians do not keep the sabbath - day ; I
am always on the watch for your work , and went,
these three Sundays, and never found them pray
ing. They also have themselves shaved by heathen
barbers : they make marks on their foreheads ;
instead of reading the gospel, they read the poorans.
They do not preach the gospel in the streets and
in the markets. What have they been baptized
for ? And not only this,' said the accuser, but
they were going to do still worse , had I not pre
vented them : they were on the point of making
an application to the venerable archdeacon to ( )
tain the thousand rupees which you had received
for the baptism .' "
“ Having heard all this quietly, I had all the
christians and the accuser brought together, and
was happy to find that the whole was unfounded,
and the work of soine ill-inclined men , in order
to avenge themselves on the pundit, because he
gave me notice of their negligence in the schools.
The accusation of making marks on their foreheads
the old meddling brahmin shifted over in this way ,
that they had them before their baptism : of reail
ing the poorans, he could not prove more than
that he saw one lying in the room : as to prayers,
6
the christians told him , " We do not pray for show ;
come at our appointed hour, and you will see that
we do pray : ' and as to the application for money,
6
the christians said, “ We never knew that there was
money to be given at baptism ;' and some of them
proved to his face, that he was the very man who in
sinuated this idea to their mother. · Pray, said they,
' would our ignorant mother ever have known any
thing about getting money ? Did you not say,
“ I am the man who am admitted to gentlemen ; I
 INDIA . 457
CHAP . XII .]
was called to the vencrable gentlemen ," archdeacon
Corrie, “ in his budgerow .” Do but what I say, and
I will procure four hundred rupees for you ; for
Padre Deerr keeps this all secret from you , and
keeps the money for himself. The accuser had
nothing to answer to this, but went away in anger,
and said, I shall mind you !' The ill-inclined
men had evidently laid a plan for the ruin of the
christians.”
Having spent several days in a satisfactory
examination of the schools, Mr. Deerr writes :
“ Five persons came, and begged to be added
to the congregation by baptism . One of them is
a young man of about twenty -six years of age :
his former European master gave very good tes
timonies to his character. The man stated, that
the love and friendship which he enjoyed from the
christians here, was the first means ofhis thinking
about christianity. Another, rather an aged man,
seems to have been guided more by the example
ofothers, than by his own knowledge ; for, when
I asked for his reason for wishing baptism , he said,
I have hitherto worshipped Kalee, Doorga, &c.
and for no good : now I am come to worship you :'
on my manifesting abhorrence at such an expres
sion , the christians sitting by said, “ It means
nothing more, than that he wishes to become your
disciple ; for thus the Bengalees speak, when they
become the disciples of a gooroo : ' the adoration ,
however, paid to a gooroo approaches very near
to worship. Anothercandidate is the wife of one
of the young christians; and the remaining two
are a widow and her son . A brahmin, and two
more relatives to the christians here, wished also
to be baptized, but the connexions of these two
2 R
158 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XII.
persons prevented me from going to give them
instruction or their coming to me. I therefore
left this task to their relatives, the christians here.
Another man , from Dhatregrum , came and asked
for baptism : he had got information of the gospel
from the pundit there :: I could see no ground for
suspecting this man , that he had been guided by
any worldly interest. It must be a painful reilee
tion that so little labour is devoted to this populous
region ; for the portion of time which I can an
propriate to that place is not at all adequate to
wants .'
On Mr. Deerr's return to Burdwan , he writes
from that place in the beginning of July :
“ Three candidates came over from Čulua ; and
renewed, with great urgency, their application for
baptism : but I thought it proper to delay their
admission . That town being, in many respects,
another Corinth , and two of them being young
widows, I was afraid to receive them ; particulariv
as the world often judges unreasonably, and casts
all the blame of any inconsistency in the converts
either on the missionary or his work . Culna is a
place at which all kind of people stop, on account
of which more precaution will be necessary . Tie
old meddling brahmin, whom I have mentioned ,
is, in that respect, a very mischievous man ; his
tongue is like two-edged sword : it will be ne
cessary that I send him away.”
Out of the candidates which havebeen mentioned ,
Mr. Deerr admitted some to baptism : he writes on
the 15th of July ---
“ Six persons have been added to the small
congregation at Culna. One of them is a young
man who had been in the service of an European
CHAP. XIII ] INDIA . 459

gentleman ; and the others, a man, with his wife

and one child , and a widow and her son . I could
$

no longer refuse their request for baptisın. We

have lived,' they said, hitherto without God, and
we are without hope. They begged me, repeatedly,
not to refuse the means of obtaining pardon of sin ,
by embracing the Saviour Jesus Christ : their
hearts seemed always open to instruction, and
eager to receive every word that was told them .”

CHAPTER XIII .

General Baptist Missionary Society.-- Orissa .-

Persevering Opposition . - Evening at Jugger
naut.--- Cruel Mockery. - Effect of a Tract on
the Ten Commandments. - A Gooroo. - Interest
ing Visit.- Worship of Juggernaut.-- Ravages
of the Cholera .-- Native Preaching.-- Schools.
- Present Scenes and future Prospects of
Orissa. --- Origin of the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Missions.-- Bombay.
--Royal Wedding .-- Encouraging Facts. - Ef
fect of past Labours. -- Scottish Missionary
Society. --Stedfastness of Converts. -- Roman
Catholic Vicar, a Candidate for Communion .
-Baptism of a Child .-- A Sadhoo.-- Impor
tance of Devotedness to God .
The agents of the General Baptist Missionary
Society have made a stand for the cause of truth
and righteousness in Orissa. One of them , the
Rev. Mr. Bampton, has often been assailed by
abuse, but perhaps few instances of persevering
460 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XI .
opposition exceed what he encountered on one
occasion , “ With an awkward man or two ," he
remarks, “ I was this evening driven to the al
ternative of following them wherever they chose
to lead me by their questions, and then hear
ing very offensive remarks made on my replies,
or else to be determined not to be diverted from
some one point, and I chose the latter : but they
had their revenge, by shewing me, that, if I would
not go their way, I should not be permitted to go
my own . I sat down to read to myself, in hopes
oftiring out some of the worst ; but they annoyed
me, by one and another coming and reading aloud
a word or two at a time from the testament in my
band. I then walked backward and forward a few
paces, and attempted to keep up my spirits by
singing : in this the children mocked me; and
several sly attempts were made, I believe, when
my back was turned, to drive the cattle upon me.
The consequence of the whole was, that I did
:
very little during the evening : but I kept my post
as usual, till it was almost dark : and I am glad
that I did ; for I think if they could, by insults,
make us move sooner than we intended, they
would absolutely hunt us up and down the town
till they drove us home.”
In another communication, he says, “ I do not
wonder at a spirit of opposition showing itself,
for, besides what Abraham ( an assistant) does, the
people have what English preachers would call
four or six short sermons a day in different parts
of the “ holy town ” ; so that, as my pundit once
said, they have nothing but Yesov Kreest, Yesov
Kreest !
Sometimes the missionaries were assailed with
CHAP . XIII.] INDIA . 461

the most opprobrious epithets, and they mention

having retired amidst the shouts and hisses of
the multitude, and a shower of dust and broken
pots ."
From the pen of one there is an affecting de
scription of the close of a day near the temple of
Juggernaut. “ The shades of evening are now
prevailing, the sun is sinking in the western
waters, and leaving me in darkness. A feeling of
deep horror, that I cannot suppress, steals across
my mind, and irresistibly drives me away. The
jackalls are leaving their jungles, and repairing
hither for their nightly repast ; the eagles are
flying to the neighbouring trees for the night,
filled with the flesh of man ; the din of idol poojah
assails my ears from every direction , and the work
of blasphemy now commences."
On one occasion, Mr. Bampton writes : “ This
has been one of the worst nights I ever endured.
Mockery ! mockery ! cruel mockery ! almost un
bearable. 1 talked for awhile, and was heard by
some, on the blessings to be enjoyed by faith in
Jesus Christ; when man came, with a hell-har
dened countenance, and that peculiar constant
laugh which I can hardly bear. The burden of
his cry was, ' Juggernaut is the foundation ! Jug
gernant is completely God! Victory to Jugger
naut !” He clapped his hands - he shouted - he
laughed ; and induced the rest, or a great part of
them , to do the same.On the ground of reason ,
I fear no one ; and rage I can commonly bear
very well : but these everlasting laughing buffoons
are nearly too much for me. It is my one great
care , that, amidst a reviling, laughing, shouting
crowd, I do not seem abashed.”
2 R 3
462 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XIII.
A formidable and distressing obstacle to the
spread of the gospel, has been the tax levied on
pilgrims at the gate of the temple, which has been
partly appropriated to the support of its idolatrous
worship ; and hence, in the view of the Hindoo,
the government of India has supported this Moloch
of the East. It must be gratifying to every chris
tian mind, to learn that orders have been recently
issued for the abolition of the pilgrim tax.
A tract, containing the ten commandants, seems
to have arrested the attention of many, inore espe
cially that of a man, who, like many others in
India, is a gooroo, or spiritual guide. An interest
ing conference with him is thus described . 66 On
our arrival, we found some coarse cloths spread on
the ground, beneath a wide spreading tree. Se
veral of the disciples and villagers were assembled .
The man soon made his appearance, and a striking
one it was ; he appeared to be about fifty years of
age, rather below the middle stature, and inclining
to corpulency : round his waist he wore an iro
chain, to which was attached a small piece of cloth,
which passed through the legs and fastened or
tucked up behind : over his shoulders was thrown
his mantle, and his head was quite bare and shaved
close . On approaching us, he saluted us by
prostrating himself on the ground, and knocking
the earth with his forehead ; we, of course, did
not let him remain long in that position ; but
raising him up , saluted him in return, in our
European style, by a shake of the hand . He ex
pressed himself much pleased by our visiting him .
Our conversation soon turned upon religion ; but
although it appeared that the old man could not
read , yet, we were frequently surprised at the
CHAP. XIII.] INDIA . 463

correct scriptural knowledge which he possessed on

many subjects : a brahmin, it seems, had read over
to him attentively the books he had received froin
the missionaries , and , by the help of a strong mind
and a retentive memory, the old man had acquired
much inforination. Although we found he was in
error on several important points of doctrine, yet,
the correctness of his ideas on others, and his
peculiar method of conveying them , often drew
forth tears, and smiles, and wonder, and gratitude.
He often referred to the ten commandments which
were his standard. In referring to the death of
Christ, he illustrated it, by supposing the case of
a criminal condemned to die, for whom another
offers himself as a substitute : in speaking of the
folly of the distinctions of caste, he pointedfirst to
some clothes of a bearer in one place which were
spread out to dry ; in another place, to some clothes
belonging to other castes ; and lastly, to some
clothes of those of the lowest caste, and said they
would be defiled if they touched each other ;; but,
pointing to the sun, said , that it dried them all.”
Another missionary says, he thus remarked
on the New Testament : “ The gooroo said to his
disciples, ‘ My children ! there is truth , and there
is great truth . This is the great truth. There
are giſts of rice, of clothing, and of wisdom : this
is wisdom, the highest gift . Rice decays, clothing
perishes, but wisdom never dies. Take this, my
children ; and let this be your guide : all the sil
ver and gold in the world cannot purchase this :'
- To the residence of this man , our way was
through a rocky wilderness covered with jungle ;
but we here and there observed a beautiful flower,
a true picture of the moral world in heathen lands !
461
MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. XIII .
Among the millions of idolaters, there is here and
there a disciple of Jesus; but when shall the wil
derness become like the garden of the Lord, full of
flowers with here and there a weed !" .
The subsequent circumstances of the gooroo au
his disciples cherished the hopes which had then
been awakened. Eight or ten have repeatedly
visited the missionaries for instruction ; and their
views of christianity and of their own idolatrous
system are exceedingly improved. They have
diligently read the scriptures and other religious
books; the majority of them have devoted the
Lord's day to spiritual instruction ; many of their
heathenish customs are laid aside, and christian
practices substituted. They once thought then
selves a part of God ; now they acknowledge them
selves sinners against him , and liable to punish
ment. They offered idolatrous sacrifices, espe
cially to fire ; these have ceased ; and the stir
which they have made and are continuing to make,
is producing a very wide and strong impression
in the part of the province which they inhabit.
As for the gooroo, his caste is violated , his beads
are broken off, his chain is cast aside, and he
sits clothed in white raiment, and in his right
mind.
Another pleasing incident may be given. As 66

I was sitting in my study, ” says a missionary,

“ a pleasing native youth brought me a letter,
written on the tali leaf, from an Oreah brahui!!,
who lives about twenty miles off, and which was to
the following effect : A year since , I received one of
your books ; I have read it, and approve it, and have
taught it to my own children , and to those under
my care . But I have many children, and only thin
 1.]
CHAP. XIII . INDIA 465

one book : 1 pray you, therefore, with my salaam ,

that you will send me five gospels and ten tracts,
and let them contain much about Jesus Christ.'
His wishes were accordingly gratified.
It appears that several other books had found
their way to the village, and had created great in
quiry ; and that many others were desirous of
obtaining books, and further instructions in the
new religion. A number of brahmins' sons learn
ed the gospel as a part of their daily work, the
brahmin having obtained a New Testament, and
introduced it into his school for the instruction of
the children .
The description given by Mr. Sutton, of what
he witnessed on one occasion, is striking and ap
palling. Approaching the ears when a storm was
commencing, he observes :
“ Just as I came up within sight of them , the
storm came on violently: the thunder roared, the
lightning flashed , and the rain poured down in
torrents. In about an hour, the storm subsided :
the scattered multitude, which dispersed in every
direction at the coming of the storm, again as
sembled at the deafening sound of the tom -toms,
and the discordant clanging of the barbarous
trumpets .
“ Here I beheld a promiscuous multitude pros
trate before the all-commanding mahamah ( glory )
of Juggernant ; unrestrained by the mud or even
the water, thoughknee deep, which the soaking
storin had left. There, was seen a zealous mother
bowing down her infant's head before the idol,
and thus early initiating her tender offspring into
the degradation of idolatry. In another place,
was a group of men , women , and children ; bowing
466 MISSIONARY RICORDS . (CAP. XIII .
down with profond reverence, so that they might
touch with their foreheads the ropes of the dif
ferent cars ; and in some conspicuous spot, a
devotee, eager to distinguish himself, adrancing
with clasped hands and steady eye to the idol, till
a clear space being afforded him , he threw himself
flat on his face and worshipped : he lay a few mo
ments ; then , half raising himself , he stretched
forth his hands towards the idol , muttered a vain
repetition, and then prostrated himself afresh be
fore his god .
“ But suddenly the scene changed ! A shout
was heard ; a body, of perhaps two thousand men ,
armed with sticks and boughs, rushed towards the
cars. A louder shout was heard ; the people seized
the huge ropes, the clanging of the instruments
sounded with a more vehement peal, and the car
moved on : but it moved with a tardy pace ; and
to animate the draggers of the ponderous vehicle,
one of Juggernaut's adorers stepped forward at the
extreme front of the car, and practised licentions
gestures, and then exerted his stentorian lungs in
expressions as abominable : again he turned to
wards the god and repeated his abominations : the
god was pleased ; the draggers were fired with
6

fresh zeal, and the enormous load grated harsh

thunder,' as it rolled on its sixteen wheels, but
they ran foul ofa house ,and crushed the falling
ruins. They still proceeded ; women and men of
all descriptions and castes uniting to drag the pon
derous wain. Presently, two miserable wretches
were seen ; one with his shattered arm, and an
other with his writhing back, bleeding and torn by
the destructive car, but whether accidentally or
intentionally, I know not. * All seems infernal
CHAP. XIV .] INDIA . 467

revelry ; the wretches who utter forth their ob

scenity, the wonder- gazing mob with their voci
ferations, the crowds of women with their jarring
hoot, the indescribable noise of the harsh -sounding
instruments, the gay colours and long streamers
of the cars, the ugly shape and great-staring eyes
of the idols, the mad enthusiasm of the vast mul
titude, and a thousand things which can scarce be
described, all tend to impress one with the idea of
a holiday in hell, with its blasphemning monarch
led in triumph through his fallen associates .'
At the anniversary in 1829, though not so nu
merously attended as in some years, the ravages
of disease and death were terrific . Mr. Lacey
writes :
“ 5th .-- This morning I passed round on both
.

sides the street visiting the sick ; many of those to

whom I administered last evening were gone ; alas ,
gone! and their carcases presented horrid sights.
The grin of death still sat on their countenances ;
some had kicked off their clothes in dying, and
were lying naked ; but who cared about these
things ? I could see nobody concerned or moved ,
beside myself. " Sa gola, o sa bhe gola ,' ( that is
gone, and that also is gone ! ) said my bearer, as
we passed along. Found a great many new cases,
which have crept towards the sides of the street
during the night; five cases which I attended last
night I found had overgot the complaint ; they
are, however, extremely weak and helpless; good
attention, and a little comfortable accommodation,
would quite recover them . They are suffering
extreme thirst, and there is too much reason to
fear that the imprudence of their attendants will
kill them , for the complaint immediately returns
468 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XIII .
on their taking cold raw water, and they have not
firmness enough to deny them . I soon disposed
of all my medicine, and, had it been otherwise, to
attempt to relieve all was quite hopeless. The
poor parents, or other relations surrounded me,
flat on the ground, one crying out, “ See my son
in such a place ,' or, ‘ See my brother , or compa
nion , in such a place,' and it was difficult to get
forward ; I tore myself from among them . Some
caseswhich I saw were so far gone that we made
no effort to save them ; we gave to the cases which
were the strongest and best attended, and so the
most likely to be benefited .
“ We had the Lord's Supper this evening with
Gunga Dhor, and afterwardstalked with great de
light on God's love, eternal life, and on seeing
Christ in heaven. I asked Gunga what he thought
he should say to the Saviour when he first saw
him in heaven. He said he should not be able
to say any thing. This will be the case, till
strengthened by our Lord, to offer our praises for
his redeeming love. In our own strength what
could we do more than fall at his feet in silent
adoration and praise.
" 8th.Set out for Cuttack at nine o'clock this
morning, but, owing to hinderances from bearers,
at several stages, and bad roads, I did not reach
Cuttack before eleven o'clock at night. The dead
were very numerous on the road, and particularly
at the different villages and resting-places. Some
were partìy consumed , but mostly the bodies were
whole, except that they had lost their eyes , which
the crows pick out almost as soon as the victini's
life goes. Some lay dead under their clothes ,
having covered themselves up while ill, and had
 CHAP . XIII.] INDIA . 469

died in that condition . The stench from some old

carcases was intolerable ; they had fallen on or
just off the road, and who would carry them away ?
I was obliged to ride my horse the first two stages,
and by this means got by the nuisance as quick
as possible.”‫ور‬
Mr. Lacey writes in his annual statement :
“ Gunga Dhor has preached among the people
through the year without interruption. He has
frequently been engaged two or three times in the
day. The places of preaching are the same as
last year, except that Gunga, in going to and fro,
has stood and proclaimed the Saviour in other
parts of the town . Besides town preaching, several
festivals have been attended, when the gospel has
been widely made known ; and Gunga Dhor has
several times made short tours through the villages
and towns around his late residence. These jour
neys have commonly occupied from six to eight
days, and as the villages were situated very near
each other, three or four were visited in one day .
Our native brother, as a christian , gives us great
satisfaction ; and, as a preacher, he has greatly
improved, and is a labourer for whom our best
thanks are due to the Lord of the harvest . The
fervency and affection of his address are very par
ticular, and the clearness and force with which he
states and defends divine truth , and combats ido
latry and sin, very commonly silence the most
stubborn and ill-disposed objectors. These affec
tionate addresses come from a heart overflowing with
pity for his perishing fellow -countrymen ; for he
knows their depravity, the impotence and imposi
tion of the saviours they trust, and their disregard
for their etemal welfare, better than inost are able
2 s
470 MISSIONARY PECORDS . [ CHAP. XIII.
to imagine who have not been , as he has, an ido
latrous Hindoo with thein . The effect of preact
ing the gospel is wile and deep ,and such as couh !
not have been effected by any other means, 2 : 1
proves the wisdom of the Saviour's comunission,
" Go ye, therefore, into all the world and preach
(as a crier) the gospel to every creature.” The
effect of bazaar preaching, however, which is most
apparent to me, is a more correct idea of the gos...
pel, and is evinced by questions more pertinent
and gratifying than the people have heretofre
asked . It is much more pleasing and satisfait ry
to be asked , " Why did Jesus Christ endure sucu
6
pain. ?'' than " What forin is God ? ' or ' Woat
colour is Jesus Christ ?' ' The effect on SO10

occasions is such as leads us to expect that good

will now result ; yet such is the hard -heartedni
of the people, and such obstacles to their firsi
approach towards christianity , that our hopes are
disappointed . This leads us to feel our need of
Divine inituences, and that in a more than ordinary
degree . From our own experience there is reason
to think that we are ordinarily favoured with a
degree of Divine influence which would produce
good among hearers professedly christians , but
among Hindoos there are very extraordinary ob
stacles to be overcome, and therefore extraordinary
influences are requisite."
By recent efforts the brethren have gathered
a few more of the first-fruits of Orissa to God ;
and, besides rejoicing over those who have broken
caste , and renounced all for Christ, have witnessel
in other minds, indications that the power of the
gospel is felt, that the leaven of that gospel, thongli,
for aa while, hidden from those who put it into the
CIAP, Xlli. INDIA .

mass, is exerting its influence. As to the schools

at Cuttack , Mr. Lacey says :
« Of these there are seven, containing upwards
of three hundred children . Of these about one
6
hundred read the scriptures, · The History of
3 6
Christ,”: “ Jewel Mine of Salvation,' “ The Conver
sation between Father and Son ,' “ The Essence of
the Bible , and the Catechisms. Many of these
have committed all these tracts to memory , and,
from time to time, repeat different parts of them .
They have generally a very pleasing and correct
knowledge of the doctrines and precepts of the
gospel, much more correct than the country -born
christian youth in India , and I think generally
superior to the same class of youth in England.
There are few important questions which they
cannot answer. Another class of these children
6
read the Conversations between Father and Son ,'
6
and the Catechism , preparatory to being intro
duced to the first class : of these there are about
eighty or ninety. The remainder are writers on
the ground. There are a very few girls among
this number, but they are small, and always leave
school before they have obtained any good instruc
tion . On a Lord's day the larger boys are brought
by their masters to the mission bungalow, to our
Oriya worship, which , from the books they read ,
and the instruction they receive, they very well
understand , and we have good reason to expect
they will be profited. This plan also introduces
a proper regard for the Lord's day ; instead of
running about the streets and fields in play, they
attend the worship of God. Several of the elder
boys have left school, for the purpose of obtaining
employment, and others have been taken by us
and placed with other masters, to prepare them to
 472 MISSIONARY RECORDS. (CUAP. XII.
become teachers ; which plan, if we can succeeil,
will be a great advantage to our schools , as the
class of men we are obliged now to employ, often
leave their work to beg , whereas the other will not
be able to do so, being of a diferent class of the
2

people .”
Respecting the English school at Cuttack, the
missionary at the station furnishes some pleasing
information .
In reference to the present scenes and friure
prospects of Orissa, Mr. Sutton says :- " Where
ever I turn my eyes, the mouldering skeletons,
and the half-devoured carcases of Juggernant's
deluded worshippers, harrow up my feclings. And
here, thought I , for thousands of years, have thede
scenes of death and abomination insulted the Vie
jesty of heaven, and called for the curse of the
Almighty on these idolatries ! I could not help
exclaiming, How long, Lord ! O how long, ere
the power of the wicked one is subdned ! ere in
the place where Satan's seat is, the true worship
pers shall worship thee, who art a spirit, in spirit
and in truth ! Now , alas ! I turn with aа sickening
heart to the multitudes who are fiocking by me to
get a sight of these images of wood ; and now they
passby me , fullof the damnnable persuasion that it
sight of their adored block has taken away every
sin ! Another and another crowd follows, in end
less succession , and still there are more to come.
And now they have to retrace the same weary
steps ! Without money, without clothes, and al
most exhausted with fatigue, few will hail again
the place that gave them birth : for them no lume
will smile, no wife or children welcome their re
turn . But what is this to them ! They obeyel
Juggernaut's pleasure in coming to see him ; and
CIIAP. Xu .] INDIA . 473

now , if it is his will , they will die and go to

heaven. Such is their language. I feel a blush
for christians overspread my countenance while I
write. Can idolators thus sacrifice every comfort,
and even life itself, to enter on a long and dreary
pilgrimage, to obey the imaginary pleasure of
their idol ; and shall christians, with their infi
nitely more glorious prospects and unspeakable
obligations, be backward in the service of their
God and Saviour, and think any little sacrifice too
great ?' Away with such a spirit ! Be but half as
zealous as these idolaters, and these pilgrimages
shall soon Cease, these proud towers crumble
into dust, and the blessings of redeeming love
enrich delnded India .”
In the year 1808 , several pious young inen,
members of William's College in America, became
aflected by the state of the heathen . At length
one of them ventured to disclose his feelings to an
intimate fellow-student, when he learned , to his
surprise and joy, that his friend had been led to
contemplate the same subject with deep and pain
ful interest. It was soon discovered that others
breathed the same spirit, and after much delibera
tion and prayer, they resolved to go and preaclı
" the unsearchable riches of Christ," to some part
of the gentile world, whenever they should bave
completed their collegiate and theological course .
From this circumstance arose the “ Board of Com
missioners for Foreign Missions. "
One of these devoted young men was Mr.
Newell, whose excellent wife died on her passage
from Calcutta to the Isle of France. *
India was regarded by the American board with
* See her Life, No. 81 , Christian Biography,
2 s 3
174 AUSSIONARY RECORDS. CHAP. XII.
the deepest interest, and when some of their mix .
sionaries first landed in Bombay, the natives had
never heard the gospel preached in their own
tongue. No part of the scriptures had been trans
lateil. Nothing had been done to attract attention
to christianity. Indeed, without a knowledge of
the language; without bools, or printing press,
or schools ; withont a chapel; without the coul
tenance of government, and wholly unknown to
the native population ; when they contemplated
the structure of society, so artificial and so con
nected with the idolatrous systems of religion ;
and also the laws of India, which made the for
feiture of property the penalty for renouncing
Hindooism , or Islamism ; they must have regarded
the visible results of their labours as certainly re
mote . And so they did . But the note of pre
paration was heard immediately on their arrival.
At length the language was acquired, the New
Testament and some portions of the Old were
translated and printed ; books for clementary in
struction, and tracts of rarions descriptions were
published ; schools were established ; a chapel was
huilt in the centre of Bombay , and regularly
opened for christian worship ; the markets ani!
public places were frequented for conversation and
preaching, and numerous journies were taken .
In one of these excursions, Mr. Hall visited
Rawadunda, where he was informed there was to
be a royal wedding. On a previous occasion he
had become acquainted with a military officer of
the king of Callaba, by whom he sent a copy of
the gospel of Matthew to the king, with his sain
tation , saying, that if he should come into that
region again , he should request an interview with
CHAP. XII. ] INDIA . 475
his majesty. Mr. Hall accepted an invitation to
the wedding from his military friend, with the
ardent hope that God would favour him with an
opportunity to introduce the gospel into that
heathen kingdom . The young king, whose nup
tials were to be celebrated , was only thirteen
years of age, and the bride elect was no more than
seven or eight. The king's father had been dead
many years , and a brahmin had managed all the
affairs of the government, as regent. To the latter
Mr. Hall was introduced by the officer, before a
large company of the chief men , both civil and
military, beside brahmins and multitudes of com
mon people. In the view of this assemblage he
presented some books , which were kindly received.
In the grand procession he was placed at the right
hand of the regent, with whom he had many in
teresting conversations on religious subjects.
In his last interview , Mr. Hall found that his
books had been perused with attention , and that
the regent had spent much time in reading them
to his aged father. When Mr. H. requested per
mission to establish schools, he related what the
missionaries had attempted to do, and their sic
cess ; his statement was heard with apparent plea
sure, the request was granted , and the next day two
schools were commenced not far from the palace.
Other encouraging facts occurred to cheer the
hearts of the missionaries. Among the books and
tracts widely dispersed in the interior, were many
copies of the gospels. A copy of those of Mark
and Luke being found in some rubbish by an
English oilicer, he gave them to a native , who
lent them to an idolator belonging to the regi
ment; and they proved the means of convincing
 476 MISSIONARY RECORDS , [ CHAP. VII.
him of the folly and sin of heathenisi . A bralı
min , also, had his mind so inuch exercised by
reading a christian book , that he rose early olle
morning, and took down his household god, which
he had duly worshipped for thirty years, carried
it to a pond and threw it in . As the poor, helples
god sank to the bottom , he was more powerfully
impressed than before with the absurlity and
wickedness of rendering it homage. When his
family arose, and found the goal was missing, fear
and consternation seized on every mind ; but le
boldly declared what he had done, and went in
search of a missionary, that he might obtain fur
ther instruction.
An extract from the journal of Mr. Stone will
furnish an instance of the effect produced on a
heathen child in a mission school. The mis
sionary who established and superintended it died
long since ; the children of the school were dis
persed ; no one knew that any salutary impression
had been produced ; all , indeed , seemed lost. Bu
God watched the seed that was sown , and long
after the hand that sowed it had rested from its
labours, he caused it to spring up, and may yet,
make it a great trec . How many other instances
of this kind there are, (and donbtless there are
many,) is known only to God.
65
A young man who called on me yesterday,
and to whom I gave books, called again , bringing
his books with bim . I inquired if he had read
them ; he said he had read the tract on " the
wrath to come," and some parts of Matthew . I
inquired what he thought of the instruction they
gave . He replied, that it appeared to him very
good. This almost every native will acknowledge
CHAP. XIII, INDIA . 477

on being asked . I questioned him further on

what he had read , and found that he had read the
book very attentively . On inquiring where his
lodgings were, he said that he lived in the Hindoo
temple, and ate with the priests of the temple, as
he has no friend in Bombay , nor any money to
procure his food . On finding that he had ob
tained considerable knowledge of christianity , I
inquired respecting his parents. He said that
they were dead , and that they lived at Tannah .
I asked where he learned to read ; he said at
Tannah. I asked if he knew Mr. Nichols ; he
66
said, Yes, he taught me to read and write. I
was a little boy; my parents very poor ; so the
very good Mr. Nichols asked me to come to his
house with other poor boys, and he would teach
me to read : so I went, and he taught me to write
on a slate, and gave me some pice to get me
some rice to eat.” Hence it appears, that, under
Mr. Nichols' roof, the foundation of this young
man's education was laid , which is superior to
that of most natives. Very few natives read so
well as he does, and still fewer read so under
standingly . No doubt Mr. Nichols prayed much
for him , and perhaps, in answer to his prayers,
he has been , in the providence of God , directed
to Bombay, to receive further christian instruc
tion . Heis very desirous of obtaining some em
ployment to support himself, so as not to be
obliged to live on the offerings made to the priests
of the pagan temples."
The Scottish Missionary Society have also some
agents in India. The following are a few extracts
froin some of their recent communications :
In a letter froin Bombay, in 1831 , Mr. Wilson
says :
 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [ CHAP. XII ) .
“ You will be happy to learn that the Hirdoos,
whom I lately admitted into the church , remain
steady in the christian profession. Two of them
have been a good deal persecuted ; and Heerchund ,
the merchant, had almost lost his life by poison
administered by the people of his caste. It was
asserted that his mother had died of grief on
hearing of his conversion ; and he returned to
kutch to investigate the matter. I have lately
received some very pleasing letters from him ; and
I expect him soon to return, to prosecute his stu
dies , to which he devoted himself with steadliness.
He has circulated about six hundred gospels and
tracts in his native country ; and he says that the
people are anxious to see me. The Weishyu is
employed in the mission at Hurnee, and Messrs.
Mitchell and Nesbit give favourable accounts of
him . The woman appears to be growing both in
knowledge and grace.
“ One of the candidates for admission into our
communion , is the Rev. Mannel Piedade, a Ro
man catholic vicar. He lately came to Bombay,
and offered his services to our mission . I wrote
out a full staiement of his case to the correspond .
ing committee, and recommended their placing
him under me on probation . They agreed to niy
proposal. He is now studying with me, and
learning English. He knows several languages
which are in a greater or less degree spoken in
Bombay ; and , if God give him grace , I doubt not,
from what I have seen of him , that he will prove
an efficient assistant in the mission . Several of
the parents of the children attending one of the
Portuguese schools, appear to adhere to him . He
is a young man of twenty -seven years of age. He
tudied Latin ani theology at Goa. He has been
CHAP. X111.] INDIA . 479

in China as a visiting missionary ; and he once

spent a year in Bombay in that capacity .”
“ When at Poonah, I baptized the son of Ramu
Chundru . The fear of offending his heathen
friends, and the opposition of his wife, had for
many months exercised an improper influence
over him . Before we set out on the tour, I in
formed him that a term of our communion was a
readiness on the part of every professing christian
parent to devote his offspring to the Lord . He
actel upon the information which he received ;
but it was exceedingly painful for Mr. Stevenson
and myself, to observe that the mother forcibly
prevented the father from taking the child into his
own arms, and burst into tears, when, at his re
quest, it was devoted to the only living and true
God. Ramu. Chundru's relatives have been a
great impediment to his improvement; and I fear
that, on account of them , he has, on more than
one occasion, failed to confess Christ before men .
He has hitherto proved the most dillicult part of
my charge in Bombay ; and he has yet to learn
those habits of regularity and application, which
are essentially necessary to the profitable direction
of his undoubted talents and learning.
' Among the native heathen and Mohammedan
population ,” says Mr. Stevenson , “ we have seen
but little fruit of our labours. One Mohamme
dan, indeed, applied for baptism , but did not
evidence seriousness enough to warrant his ad
inission, and one heathen , whom I shall imme
diately mention, has been baptized. Besides de
voting a portion of the afternoon of every day to
going out among the people and declaring the
gospel, I have undertaken two pretty extensive
100 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [ CHAP. Xhite
tours for the spreading abroad the knowledge of
Divine truth . The former was to Nasuk in con
junction with Mr. Wilson and Mr. Farrar, of the
Church Missionary Society. The other I under
took, in the hot season, alone, to Akulcote , by the
way of Punderpoor. In all, I went a circuit of
about three hundred and fifty miles, from leaving
Poonah, till I returned again. As this tour was
undertaken about the middle of May, and the
weather was then very hot, the plan I adopted,
was to go out once to the market-place, converse a
short time with any individuals I met, distribute a
very few tracts, and then return to my lodging
place, telling those who wanted farther information
concerning the subject of christianity, to come
there, and also to tell their friends to come along
with them . In this way , I was saved exposure to
the heat, and had always large audiences. Pun
derpoor is a famous place of Hindoo pilgrimage,
and may probably contain twenty or thirty tholin
sand inhabitants. I met with some learned men
there whogave up all defence ofidolatry. This,
however, is not very unusual. The strongest de
1
fenders of idolatry, are those who have felt the
power of the evidences of christianity. I saw
there also a sadhoo who had seated himself in
the open air, exposed to all the intense heats, and
scorching winds of the season . He had a ling
before him , and over it a kind of coarse frame
work to support a pitcher of water. In the pitcher,
a bole was perforated sufficient to admit a straw,
along which the water descended, and dropped on
the head of the ling, the emblem of Shiwa their
great god . I asked the meaning of this apparatus.
The sadhop pleaded ignorance and custom . I
CHAP. X111. ] INDIA . 481

knew , however, the meaning to be, that while the

god in the three hot months needed water to be
put on his head, to keep him cool, the sadhoo
could bear the heat without it. A christian
or a European, may accuse me of calumny, for
ascribing such blasphemy even to a Hindoo ; but
it is a fixed and acknowledged principle of the
Hindoo religion, that a sadhoo is greater than any
of the gods they worship, and while he continues
seated , every one who comes near him , touches his
feet with his own head, before he sits down or
speaks in his presence. At Akulcote I was re
gularly challenged by the brahmins, and we had
a long disputation in the house of a gentleman,
with whom I staid the two days I was there. The
effect of this was, that two brahmin disputants
took refuge in scepticism , and declared all things
in religion doubtful. This is the creed of all
thinking Hindoos. In the smaller villages, I had
many opportunities of declaring the unity and
spirituality of God, and the grace of Christ the
great Prophet and Priest of the world. I distri
buted several hundreds of tracts, and portions of the
scriptures, in all about three bullocks' load, during
the month I was from home on this tour. The
work to me was most pleasant; generally speaking,
all were ready to hear ; few made any objections,
and even then the objections were candidly put
forth . May the Lord grant that his word may
make its way into many of the hearts of those who
heard it !»
For some years past, the Wesleyan Missionary
Society has been engaged in an assault on this
portion of the kingdom of darkness. Societies have
been raised from the native population ; schools
2T
482 MISSIONARY RECORDS . [CHAP. XIII .
have produced considerable good ; and the visits of
the missionaries to various places, where they have
employed themselves in preaching the gospel, in
conversation, and in circulating the scriptures and
religious tracts, have, at times, produced great im
pression. Many of their hearers have renounced
idolatry , while a still greater number have been leil
6
to put the important question, ' What is truth ?
Thus, a part of the good seed has sprung up ; the
rest is left to the blessing of Heaven.
The master, with an assistant, placed orer the
principal school at Madras, was reclaimed from
the errors of Roman catholicism . His father is a
headman , and all his relations are of the catholic
persuasion ; they count it a singular misfortune
that he should have opposed his judgment to the
priest's commands of implicit obedience. He is a
vigorous and active man, and takes great pains in
conveving light to his former people, by putting
the sacredscriptures into their hands.
In a communication from the Rev. Mr. England,
of Bangalore, he remarks : “ An encouraging cir
cumstance recently occurred . A whole family
came to me, requesting to be baptized. On in
quiring into the reasons which induced them to
make the request, the mother and daughter informer
me that a poor old native woman , who had lived
with an European soldier's wife at Trichinopoly
and Arcot, had taken great pains to instruct thein ;
and that the conviction of the folly and wickedness
of heathenism , and the truth and exceilence of the
gospel, induced them to take the step they had.
Such is the ignorance of the people in general, and
of the women in particular, that it was with great
difficulty I could obtain the above statement. I
CHAP . XII .] INDIA . 483

gave them the First Catechism , in Tamul, to learn ;

for, though they cannot read themselves, they can
get their little boy, who is in my bazaar school, to
read it to them . I have also just received intelli
gence of the probability of obtaining a place for di
vine service, at a village, a short distance from the
cantonment, called Alsoor, inhabited wholly by
wealthy natives of caste, speaking the Tamul lan
guage.”
Another missionary says, “ The English, Te
loogoo, and Tamul school, at Bangalore,is a most
important auxiliary. The sons of the most re
spectable natives , not even excepting the sons of
brahmins, are scholars. This circumstance, while
it inspires the natives in general with confidence
to send their children , cannot fail, in the end , to
produce a contempt for heathenism ; and also au
thorizes the hope, that,besides creating in their
tender minds a strong feeling of attachment to what
is external in christianity, it may also, through the
Divine blessing, be instrumental to the saving
conversion of some who may eventually be qua
lified and employed by the chief Shepherd as in
struments of great usefulness among their country
men . By means of this school, we have also se
cured a friendly personal intercourse with the pa
rents of the scholars, which it has been, and still
will be, our anxious endeavour to improve to the
furtherance of the gospel .'
An interesting account is thus given by Mr.
England in 1829, of one of the fruits of missionary
labour in this part of the earth. A very painínl
duty now devolves upon me. I have to inform
you of the death of one of my native assistants,
His name was Joseph , and of him , for nearly a
484 MISSIONARY RECORDS. CHAP. XIII.
twelvemonth in which he was employed in the
mission, I can say nothing but good. I never
had to reprove him for a fault ; and, although not
gifted with the highest order of natural talent, his
steady deportment, his christian affection , and his
fervent zeal for the Lord, made him a valuable and
trusty assistant in the noble enterprize of turning
the heathen from dumb idols to serve the living
God ! To his disinterestedness, a virtuc totally
unknown to a mere Hindoo, I can bear an honour
able testimony. For some months be cheerfully
discharged the duties of a catechist, without the
least pecuniary remuneration : and when aa salary
was paid bin , it was so trifling, that he might have
obtained twice the amount by employing his time
in any other way. I think there is every en
couragement to hope, that he was among the
number of those who have been “ called, and chosen ,
and faithful ;' and that his removal from the church
militant added another gem to the Redeemer's
diadem .”
Another extract from the same communication
is, in many respects, gratifying : “ On reaching
Poonamallee, I was informed that a heathen native
gentleman, the proprietor of ten or twelve villages,
hearing of my intention to visit that place,had, for
three successive days, come a distance of several
miles, accompanied by two of his sons, to see and
converse with me about christianity. On learning
this, I immediately sent my respects to the old
gentleman , and invited him to the chapel. He
soon made his appearance in his carriage, his two
sons, remarkably fine youths, accompanying him .
I found him a shrewd intelligent man . He ex
pressed his utter abhorrence of idolatry, assuring
CHAP. XII .] INDIA . 485

me, that he had not, for a number of years, paid

homage to an idol . His history contained some
very interesting passages, some of which I will re
late : My father, ' said he was officiating priest
of aa heathen temple, and was considered, in those
days, a snperior English scholar ; and by teaching
the English language to wealthy natives, realized
a very large fortune. At a very early period , when
a mere boy, I was employed by my father to light
the lamps in the pagoda, and attend to the various
things connected with the idols. I hardly remem
ber the time,' continued he, 6' when my mind was
not exercised on the folly of idolatry, These
things , I thought, were made by the hand of man ,
can move only by man, and whether treated well
or ill , are unconscious of either : Why all this
cleaning, anointing, illuminating, &c. ? One even
ing, these considerations so powerfully wrought on
my youthful mind, that, instead of placing the
idolsaccording to custom, I threw them from their
pedestals, and left them with their faces in the
dust. My father, on witnessing what I had done,
chastised me so severely as to leave me almost
dead. I reasoned with him , that if they were not
able to get up out of the dust, they were not able to
do what I could ; and that, instead of being wor
shipped as gods, they deserved to lie in the dust,
where I had thrown them . He was implacable,
and vowed to disinherit me, and, as the first step
to it, sent me away from his house. He relented
on his death -bed, and left me all his wealth.'
“ Our conversation continued several hours, and
much of that time was devoted to the discussion
of the subject of caste, the most important sub
ject in the estimation of aa native. He wished the
2 U
486 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XIII.
christian church to allow the distinction of caste ,
as a civil institution , in the manner suggested by
the late bishop Heber ; whose remarks on the
subject of caste among christians I put into his
hands, and with which he was so well pleased as
to take the trouble to copy them. He avowed his
firm belief in christianity, as a system revealed by
God , and his fixed resolv to embrace it the
face of the world . When warned of the evils of
procrastination in an affair of so much moment,
and asked why any delay was necessary , he re
plied, ' I have a large family of grown up children ,
who can exercise the same privilege of judging
for themselves, on the subject of religion, as I have
done ; I do not, therefore, see that it is my duty to
compel them to be christians with myself. I am
anxious to see them settled, by marriage, suitably
to their rank in society, so that my embracing
christianity would not ruin their prospects in life;
and then I purpose soliciting, without delay, the
ordinance of baptisın to be administered to me,
and to live and die a christian. I felt some de
licacy to ask a question which arose out of the latter
part of the preceding remarks; I however ventured ,
requesting to know whether he intended to marry
his children , male or female, to idolaters. He un
hesitatingly, and with considerable animation , re
plied, 'No,never.' Time for Tamul service having
arrived, and the congregation waiting, I reluctantly
broke off the conversation, inviting the old gentle
man and his sons to stay during the service. They
willingly complied , remarking , that as the even
ing was fast closing, and the road to their village
extremely bad, they should not be able to remain
until it was ended, which they hoped I should
 INDIA. 487
CHAP. XIII.]
excuse . When the service was about half con
cluded , they left the chapel. The whole of our
conversation was conducted in the English lan
guage, which he spoke with more ease and accuracy
than anynative I have ever heard. He has a good
English library, comprising the English, Roman,
and Grecian histories, and of which he is perfect
master; illustrating his remarks, in conversation ,
by references and allusions to the characters and
events described in those histories. Altogether he
is the most interesting, intelligent, conversable,
unprejudiced, and highly civilized native it has
been my privilege to see. To convince me of his
entire conquest over the prejudices of caste , he
99
joined me in taking refreshinent.'
Mr. England observes, in 1831 , “ A native
society of fifteen members, an English society of
twenty-eight , a society of Indo-Britons, of ten in
number, have been almost entirely the fruit which
the Divine blessing has given to the last year's
labours. Nor does our encouragement arise from
the numbers merely ; the christian simplicity and
ſervour which are blended in most of their cha
racters, and the steady and unblamable conduct
which they have exhibited, afford pleasing evi
dence that in assuming the forin of godliness they
are not destitute of its power .”
Mr. Bourne, of Negapatam , May 21 , 1831,
66
observes---- Considering the short period these
poor villagers have been under our care, their
improvement in scripture knowledge, in their
outward behaviour, and, in some cases, in correct
feelings concerning the necessity of salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus, very far surpasses
my most sanguine expectations. For the last two
202
488 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XIII.
months, Christian , a native catechist, has resided
among them ; and their rapid improvement in the
knowledge of divine things is aa satisfactory testi.
mony to his diligent attention to their spiritual
welfare, and his earnest solicitude for their estab
lishment in the gospel. No circumstance during
my visit afforded me more gratification than to
observe the attention which was paid to the day
of the Lord. The morning ( very different froin
what it is generally in India) had all the delightful
stillness which I have not unfrequently observed
on a sabbath morning in England ; every imple
ment of labour was laid aside ; a general cessation
from ordinary businesswas very perceptible ; and ,
at the appointed hour of worship, all repaired, in
clean apparel, to the little thatched school-room,
which served us as a temple in which to celebrate
the praises of the Most High. Twice during the
day, in the morning and in the evening, spiritual
sacrifices of prayer and praise were presented to
Jehovah ; and to these poor outcasts, who are just
6
emerging from darkness into marvellous light ,
the word of truth ,' which is able to make them
wise unto salvation, ' was proclaimed.”
More recent accounts announce a considerable
increase of the means of doing good in India, on
the part of the Wesleyan missionaries, and also
proofs of enlarged success.
A review of the contents of this volume, will
show not only that the necessities of India are
indeed appalling, but that much has been accom
plished for their mitigation . But how much more
requires to be effected ? Alas ! the duty of
christians at home is not yet done ; the obliga
tions under which they are placed are not suffi
CHAP. XII .] INDIA . 489

ciently felt. To adopt the language of the Rev.

Beriah Green , at Vermont, “ Thanks be to God,
a few ---the Lord increase the number a hundred
fold--- a few have begun to taste “ the luxury of
doing good . Would you hear the story of a plain
man of this stamp ? All along,, his reputation for
christian piety had been good and fair -- all along
he given what he could conveniently spare, to
promote the interests of Zion. It was a pleasant
morning in the month of May, when his wife and
children were gathered round him to hear a chap
ter in the bible. It was the 28th of Matthew.
When he had read the chapter, the sacred volume
still lying on his knee, his family saw in his coun
tenance the workings of a soul waked up to some
new and most interesting object. At length the
husband and the father, the priest of the domestic
circle, spoke out the feelings of his heart, the
new emotions which were agitating his bosoin, the
stedfast resolutions with which his soul was strug
gling. “ I am,' he said, “ no preacher, I claim no
skill in sacred criticism ; yet I plainly see, that this
last injunction of the Saviour extends its obligation
to me. I am bound to do what I can, to bring all
nations acquainted with the gospel; to extend to
the going down of the sun the limits of the church .
Hitherto, I have neither understood nor done my
duty. Henceforth , the great object for which I
will exert my powers and expend my strength,
shall be-bear witness, ye, who hear me speak ---
the extension and upbuilding of my Saviour's
kingdom . Know, my sons and daughters, that
henceforth, when you see your father labour and
deny himself, it is not that he may add field to
field, that he may augment an estate to afford
490 MISSIONARY RECORDS. [CHAP. XII.
you the means of sensual gratification when he is
dead, to be a bait to lure your souls into a fatal
snare. The improvement of your minds, the cul
tivation of your hearts, is a thing he may not
neglect. He is bound to train you up for exten
sive usefulness in this world, and for happiness in
heaven ; to exert your own powers, to act well your
part on the stage of life. Beyond this my obliga
tions do not extend ; beyond this I cannot go.
Henceforth , my time, my influence, my substance,
are devoted to the cause of Christ ; to the interesi
of the church . This declaration made, he cast
himself down at the mercy-seat, and, with his
housebold, sought in prayer the universal diffusion 6
of christian light. And when the petition, ' Thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is
in heaven,' fell from his lips, they fell as words of
weighty import. There was a simplicity; a fer
vency, an energy in his supplications, which could
not fail to give them favour with God. ” He ful
filled his ballowed resolution--he acted on prin
ciple - to do good was his leading object; an ob
ject, to which other things were made subservient;
in a word, the pages of his history were one con
tinued illustration of the Saviour's words, “ It is
more blessed to give than to receive.” And as the
reader admires this signal devotedness, let him re
member, that a voice addresses him saying : “ Go,
and do thou likewise ! " MUSEUM
THE END .
елтI:VNICLES

Printed by J. Rider, Little Britain , London .

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