culties, ought we not to depend upon sound deduction as well as upon direct intimation? How much of our learning on many subjects is inferential? How much even of the moral instruction derived from the Scriptures is so; and if, with Dr. Drummond, we refuse all that is not directly revealed, we shall reduce our morals to the bare letter of the Ten Commandments; our science to the axioms of Euclid; as well as (what Dr. Drummond conceives would be the result) our theology to the meagre skeleton of Unitarianism. In this, as in every other circumstance, Rome and Racovia* approach very near. (To be continued.) FOREIGN RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. INDIA. Bombay.-Extract of a letter from a Clergyman of the Established church, stationed at Bouge in the presidency of Bombay dated 29th Aug. 1827. "I said in my first letter that the greatest enemies to the advancement of Christianity, were Christians themselves. I have now been twelve months. in the country, and the more I see of it, the more proof have I that I was right. Many of us by all manners of dissipation, by defrauding the natives of large sums of money in the gratification of an unbounded extravagance, and a luxury alike injurious to their health and to their character; by gambling, by Sabbath field-sports, and by a total neglect of all religious duties, degrade the character of Englishmen, and of Christianity, and deeply injure the cause of religion. It is peculiarly unfortunate that the European vices are in most unfavourable contrast with the simple virtues of the Hindoos; our luxury with their frugality, our extravagant pomp and vain show with their simplicity and economy; our total neglect of religigious duty, with their scrupulous exactness in the discharge of every rite recommended by their religion: under these influences, chaplains and missionaries may preach the beauty of Christianity, but these Idolaters will naturally demand proof of the superiority of our religion in the lives of its professors.-What answer can we give to this question which they put with an air of triumph? This has been the cause of heart breaking to me since I came here; yet bad as we are, there has been an improvement within the last twenty years. Infidelity is not so hardened, profaneness is not so unblushing, and there are now some eminently pious people among us: indeed when men or women become religious in this country, they are distinguishedly so. I am intimately acquainted with three young men, officers in the army, of high talents, extensive acquirements, and an entire devotedness to the glorious cause of Christianizing India : with this view they have devoted themselves to the study of the native languages, and are preparing a dictionary of the Maharatta the ancient tongue, in order to the right translating the Scriptures into it; these three are talking of quitting the army and becoming missionaries. They have all high prospects: one of them is the brother of an English nobleman; yet are they willing to take up their cross and sacrifice all this world has most tempting to follow Christ. This would be of immense consequence to the cause; for they have great influence among the Brahmins, are universally known to them, and are greatly esteemed by them for their knowledge of the languages. Two of them are brothers, and with a view of qualifying themselves for explaining the Gospel See Stillingfleet's Conference, where this argument is urged with great force by the Jesuit, as opposed to the general principle of Protestantism. to the natives, such is the devotedness of Captain in particular, that he employs the greater part of his income (£700 out of £900 in the year) in support of the various Societies which have for their object the propagation of Christianity in this country. One of the three is in this camp and of the greatest use to me, in all my schemes for the improvement of the natives. Some of my favourite plans I am sorry to say have received a temporary check. There are some native Christians in this camp, who are without any means of Christian instruction; to these poor men I have been most anxious, to give instruction, and with this view, have translated one of the Gospels, or rather from the four have selected such passages as might give a continued view of the life and doctrines of Christ. I submitted to this labour because I found that Henry Martyn's translation, excellent as it is, is in too high language to be understood by the bulk of the uninstructed natives; and my object has been to make such a translation as might be understood by them, and I believe I have succeeded. I have also written an Hindoostanee sermon, on the attributes of God, as a dissuasive against idolatry; but when I was about to proceed, an intimation was made to me that this could not be permitted, as being against a standing regulation which forbids all interference with the religious opinions of the natives but I shall apply to the government, and have no doubt I shall obtain leave to go on in this good work. The regulation is against molesting the Idolaters in the exercise of their own rites, not against giving instruction to Christians who are desirous of it. You will be happy to hear that my royal pupil is going on delightfully, he is most desirous of obtaining a knowledge of the English language, which I trust in the ways of God will be the road to Christian knowledge: but at present I am compelled to be circumspect, for the Brahmins have a watchful and jealous eye upon me; and in the present circumstances any attempt to introduce Christianity into my lessons would be the means of excluding me the palace, and thus finally defeating the object I have in view; but I have completely succeeded in shaking their belief in many of the precepts of their Shaster, concerning the phenomena of nature, by explaining to them the true theory of these phenomena,-thus they are told by their Shaster, that the eclipses are produced by the agency of demons, they believe also that the common meteor is a spirit falling from heaven after his stock of merit is exhausted. I have instructed them in the truth of both these phenomena, and they have listened to these easy lessons on natural philosophy with a degree of attention that has astonished me. I have as auditors on these occasions the ex-Rajah, the reigning Monarch (my own pupil,) the prime minister, several of the nobles, and a number of the chief domestics who are all men of good families. More will be gained by this mode of proceeding than may at first sight appear: their religion and their philosophy rest on the same authority, and must stand or fall together. As soon as he is able to read the Bible in English, I shall give him some of the easier passages as lessons : I hope besides, ere long, to be able to translate into Caochee one of the Gospels for his perusal. If I could gain this young man to the cause, it would be a great step towards gaining influence in the whole country. Let your prayers be with me in this work, God will give the increase in his own way. I bless him that he has put into my hands such means of being useful as have not yet been enjoyed by any except Scwartz. My own vigour and health is a wonder to myself and to every one." CALCUTTA.-- BIBLE SOCIETY.-Remarkable instance of Benefit from even imperfect Translations of the Scriptures. At the Anniversary of the Calcutta Bible Association, held in January of last year, the Venerable the Archdeacon, who was in the chair, stated a fact which had recently occurred; and which strikingly shews the benefits that may result from the circulation of the Word of God, even though it be in the form of a translation executed in a very imperfect manner : "About twenty years ago, when I was stationed at Chunar, a native Roman Catholic used to visit me for religious instruction. There was not at that time any translation of the Scriptures to be put into his hands: I, therefore, selected some of the most important passages of the Bible; and, according to the best of my ability, dictated a translation of them -very imperfect, it is true-to the poor man, who wrote it on a number of pieces of loose paper. I soon lost sight of him, and heard nothing of him for many years; but have been lately informed by the Rev. Mr. Wilkinson, of Gorruckpore, that a short time ago he had been called to visit this same man when upon his death-bed. On entering into conversation with him, he was surprised by the extent of his acquaintance with Scriptural religion, and the propriety of the feelings which he expressed in reference to the solemn situation in which he was then placed. He asked an explanation; when the poor man produced the loose slips of paper, on which he had written my translations. On these it appeared that his soul had fed through life; and, through them, he died such a death that Mr. Wilkinson entertained no doubt of his having passed into glory." GERMANY. Extract of a letter from the Rev. Missionary to the Jews. Dantzig, 20th March, 1828."You have often been uppermost in our hearts and thoughts, and especially when we hold all our dear Christian friends in remembrance at the throne of grace, the only communion alas ! which we are now permitted to hold with them. However delightful the contemplation, that Christians can thus be present in spirit, yet we could not and cannot but deeply feel our separation nothing but the sense of duty, and that it is the Lord's appointment, can cheer us. It is now only when we are deprived of Christian friends and Christian society, that we feel how the Lord alone can be the support and comfort of his people. During our journey, which was a very long and tedious one, but through which the Lord has very graciously kept us, we met with very few Christian people; but where we did, it was very refreshing to us. At Ebberfield, where we remained Sunday, there are many very dear and faithful servants of Christ; where much also is doing for the extension of His kingdom: it is a few miles from Count Von der Ruker's Institution, whom I also visited, and found him a very excellent man indeed; I do not think his character is sufficiently known he is indefatigable in the cause of the Redeemer. You are no doubt acquainted with that part of Germany by Rupert, there is a very extensive and truly evangelical Tract Society in Ebberfield, or more commonly called the Wupperthat; they have two Missionary Societies, and one Seminary for training missionaries. VOL. VI. At Berlin also, the cause of truth, as well as that of the Jews, is in a very flourishing state. Circumstances would not allow us to remain there longer than two or three days. Miss N -'s plans are a good deal the subject of conversation there. There is every Sunday evening a meeting of Jewish proselytes amounting to fifty; and the king has given permission to have a separate (German) service established for them, and a special minister to be appointed in Goser we staid a fortnight, where the Jewish school, established in connexion with our Society is in rather a flourishing state. We arrived in Dantzig about Christmas time. We first endeavoured to get the English church, which we found, as was reported, shut up for the last two years, a very handsome chapel, and the clerk living in the house which belongs to it: the English inhabitants were very careless, and discouraged us on every side, but when we offered to have service gratuitously, they could not refuse, and we have had service hitherto very regularly, and well attended; this is in many respects very important to our mission, but we are standing on very delicate ground, As yet we have not the direct permission from the consistory, without whom nothing can be done here. I speak in plural, as I suppose you are aware that I am together with Mr, A a clergyman, and a member of Cambridge. "As regards our mission, we have much reason to thank the Lord that we have been sent here, whilst we have many things to discourage and to try us; the Jewish field here is very large, there are 5 or 6000 Jews, who are all sunk either in ignorance and superstition, or in infidelity. They have 5 synagogues, and two chief Rabbins.We have been very well received by one, who is a liberal minded man. can say on the whole, we have been extremely well received by all (and a great number) whom we have visited. They have all listened to me (my colleague does not yet speak German) with the greatest attention, when I declared the truth of the Gospel, and proved it from Moses and the Prophets, the subject was quite new to them, and here, as every where, their ignorance of the sacred Scriptures is awful, and if the Society does nothing more, than to make them attend to their own Scriptures, it will be a good point; and this can be in no way bet3 c I ter accomplished than by the mode in which they proceed, distributing parts of the Old Testament, and tracts, and especially by establishing schools for the children. This we are very anxious to accomplish, and to that end we have written for permission to the Ministerium. We have had an overwhelming number of Jews of all classes coming to us for books, and to converse on the subject. One Saturday I had about 50 Jewish children in my room, to whom I spoke of the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament, and pointed out his office and character. I found some of them exceedingly acute and sensible. A great number of adult Jews came to me some evenings to read Isaiah, when I had abundant opportunities of preaching to them Jesus as the only means of acceptance with God. I find the most advantageous mode of preaching to them is to begin with the fall of man, of which they are particularly ignorant, and to lead them to repentance. It remains a truth, that before the Saviour appears savingly to the heart and conscience of any sinner, his forerunner must first preach repentance. Several Jews have put down their names to send their children to our school as soon as it shall be established. But 'Satan will never allow the work of the Lord to go on undisturbed, and he has already felt his kingdom intruded upon by us, and therefore hath begun to resist. One of the Rabbins has publicly preached in the synagogue against us, and warned his people not to come to us, nor to take books of us, this seems to have had its desired effect in a great measure, for since then, very few Jews have come to us; nevertheless we go on, and do not despair, the seed of life hath been already widely sown in Dantzig, and we must wait patiently to see its fruit. We have one young man who comes to us for instruction, and from all his proceedings we have reason to believe that his soul is rightly affected towards the Lord. There is also a Jewish physician a few miles from here, who together with his wife and family will be baptised shortly in Danzig. I was together with him, and believe him to be an earnest disciple of the Lord. It cannot possibly be doubted, that a great change is going on amongst the Jews, and I would trust also amongst the Gentiles in Germany This part of it, is certainly yet groping in spiritual darkness, nevertheless lights are rising every where. The state of religion in Dantzig is certainly very flat. There are a great number of churches, but most of the preachers are rationalists. There is however one Dr. ——, who preaches the gospel powerfully, in the largest and first Church in Dantzig, he would certainly be very much persecuted and despised, if it were not for his great talents which command respect, so he gets off with the mere name of enthusiast. It is a pleasing fact, that wherever he preaches, the church is crowded, and he does not spare them. He is a great comfort to us-we meet very often together to read English, which he understands well-and also once in the week he hath a meeting to read. He is divinity lecturer at the Gymnasium here, which is a very large preparatory College for the University, but you may judge of the state of things, by the fact, that he is allowed only to lecture one hour in the week: yet this is a subject of thankfulness." AUSTRIA. Trieste.-Copy of a letter from Rev. M. J. M., dated Trieste, March. 22, 1828. "Most of the European monarchs, are now occupied, and have been for the last quarter of a century, to ameliorate the political, civil and moral condition of the Jews, and does not this, must not this affect their religious state? There is not a petty state in Germany where the situation of the Jews has not been considered lately, and various enactments passed to promote Christianity; in fact I cannot call it by any other name, when I witness the effects of these enactments, removing civil disability, encouraging industry, and enforcing education. About a fortnight ago the chamber of Representatives in the Kingdom of Wurtemburgh, discussed in a long and warm debate the state of the Jews in that Kingdom, and how to ameliorate it, that the people might be placed upon a scale with the other subjects: and what think you was the result? To encourage and further a liberal system of education. "Probibit," said one of the deputies, "the study of the Talmud, put it down, it can and may be suppressed, because it is of human institution. It must be put down, because while the educated Jew disregards it, the superstitious and villainous seeks refuge under its tenets, to patch up his villainy and bigotry.”—With this the debate ended. I cannot enter here into a disquisition on the correctness of this argument, but I quote it for the purpose of shewing that these Governments are intent on ameliorating the state of the Jews, and effectually to promote Christianity amongst them by education. The Scriptures, I maintain, warrant us, nay, command us to employ such human means as present themselves to us most readily and likely to do good; and I say again and again in the case of the Jews, as in that of the heathens in India and elsewhere, (and look into the Missionary Register, and see what is there said of their expectations indepen dently of education)—education is the means, elementary for children, and for adults that befitting their years. It is totally impossible in this country to effect any thing by correspondence, if any thing is to be achieved, it must be done by personal visits. All letters going or coming from the interior, are opened and read at the Post-Office at Vienna, on this account I have not written to the Rabbi but I shall certainly visit him on a tour I intend making in Hungary. I think also of going into Dalmatia, a country in which the Jews are very numerous, and have never been visited by any Christian missionary. I lately visited a Jewish fam ly living about 80 miles from this, in a country only inhabited by Catholics and Greeks, and where the Jews are not generally tolerated, they are well disposed towards Christianity, and I hope ere long to prepare them for the reception of baptism. "I have in conclusion to mention a most interesting case, I have already named to you a family who formerly applied to me for baptising their children. This family removed from thence to Milan, but about ten days ago Mr. Hcame here to consult with me, what to do in respect to his children. I suspected him at first of worldly motives, but his behaviour and conversation has completely shaken my opinion. He breakfasted with me on this day week before he left for Vienna; and during our conversation he uttered the following sentiments: "I am now 60 years of age, and in 10 years more, according to the usual period allotted to mankind, I shall sink into the grave - but, alas! what a prospect what a gap-what a void.I have no religion, and I know that this alone can smooth our way, and prepare us for the grave and death, but here is all darkness and despair, (this he repeated with an intensity of feeling I have seldom witnessed,) I am determined my children shall not live thus-shall not die thus-they shall have a religion-they shall be baptised as Protestants, and be educated in that faith. Popery is all a lie and a delusive priestcraft to deceive the vulgar-they shall be Protestants, I am too old to be baptised, but my wife says she has no objection to Christianity. Indeed she is much better than I am, she prays every evening to the Almighty, in a most feeling manner; he repeated again and again that he would go to England, and take his three children thither to be baptised to avoid all difficulties in this country. I gave him a letter of introduction to Mr. M- at Venice, who informed me he had much conversation with him the morning be presented my letter. Mr. M. invited him in the evening, when he read with him the 7th chapter of Isaiah, and the 3d of 1. John; he was much struck, and said, "I wish to believe-I wish my children to believe." He again expressed his determination of going." The Society, to the plans of which (as countenanced by the king of Prussia) allusion is made in the above letter, is that denominated "The Friends of Israel," whose object is stated in the following paragraph extracted from their Report: "To establish congregations of believing Israelites, giving them proper" Pastors who will feed them with knowledge and understanding"-" To open schools for the scriptural education of their children, in which the instruction will comprise reading, writing, arithmetic, and the elements of common trades: the girls to be taught needlework, but the Bible to be the ground work of all-by which, with the blessing of God they will be led to the knowledge of the Messiah's name." "It is hoped Committees will by degrees be established on the plan alluded to, which shall be presented to the public; but the Friends of Israel do not wish to publish any thing but what is in actual operation; and then no misapprehension of their proceedings can take place, which are open to the examination and investigation of all who chuse to enquire into them." Extract of a letter, dated Bulm, April, 21, 1828. |