66 good friend, fhould intereft himself fo warmly "in what concerns God only. He hath given to "his creatures different minds and different in clinations, which naturally lead them to differ "in opinion. We admire variety in the material "world: why not equally admire it in matters of "religion? Have we not then reafon to believe, "that God takes pleasure in all the different forms "of worship? Had it been the intention of God, "to produce uniformity in religion, he would have "formed all men with the fame mind." Bernier introduces fome Gentiles of Hindoftan defending their religion much in the same manner: "That 66 they did not pretend their law to be universal; "that they did not hold ours to be false, as, for "ought they knew, it might be a good law for us; and that God probably made many roads to "heaven." With respect to the other caufe above mentioned, the defire of putting people in the right road. To reafon others into our religious principles, is natural; but it is not always prudent. I wish my neighbour to be of my opinion, because I think my opinion right: but is there no danger of undermining his religious principles, without eftablishing better in their flead? Ought I not to reftrain my defire of making converts, when the attempt may poffibly reduce them to abandon religion altogether, as a matter of utter uncertainty? If a man of clear understanding has, by fome fome unhappy means, been led into error, that man may be fet right by fair reafoning: but beware of endeavouring to convert people of low parts, who are indebted for their creed to parents, to education, or to example: it is fafer to let them reft as they are. At any rate, let us never attempt to gain profelytes by rewards, or by terror: what other effect can fuch motives produce, but diffimulation and lying, parents of every secret crime. The Empress of Ruffia ufes a method for converting her Pagan fubjects of Kamfkatka, no less agreeable than effectual; which is, to exempt from taxes for ten years, fuch of them as profefs the Chriftian religion. This practice may be political; but it tends not to advance religion, and is deftructive of morality. Terror, on the other hand, may be equally effectual, but is not altogether fo agreeable. The people of Rum, one of the Hebrides, were Papifts till the beginning of the prefent century, when in one day they were all profelyted to the Proteftant faith. Maclean of Coll, their chieftain, went to the island with a Proteftant minifter, and ordered all the inhabitants to appear on Sunday at public worship. They came, but refufed to hear a Proteftant minifter. The chieftain reafoned with them but finding that his reafonings made no impreffion, he laid hold of the most forward; and having made a deep impreffion on him with his cane, cane, pushed him into the church. The rest fol lowed like meek lambs; and from that day have continued firm Proteftants. The Proteftantifm of Rum is ftyled by their Popish neighbours the faith of the yellow stick. To apply any means for making profelytes, other than fair reasoning, appears to me a ftrange perverfion. Can God be pleased with using rewards or punishments, or can any rational man justify them? What then fhould move any one to put them in practice? I fhould be utterly at a lofs to answer the question, but for a fact mentioned more than once above, that the rude and illiterate judge by fight only, not by reflection. They lay weight on the external visible act, without thinking of intention, which is not vifible. In truth, the bulk of mankind reft upon the external profeffion of religion: they never think of the heart, nor confider how that ftands affected. What else is it but the external act merely that moves the Romish miffionaries to baptize the infants of favages even at the moment of expiring? which they profecute with much pious ardour. Their zeal merits applause, but not their judgment. Can any rational perfon seriously believe, that the dipping a favage or an infant in water will make either of them a Chriftian, or that the want of this ceremony will precipitate them into hell? The Lithuanians, before their converfion to Chri ftianity, ftianity, worshipped ferpents, every family entertaining one as a household-god. Sigifmundus, in his commentaries of Mufcovy, reports the following incident. A converted Chriftian having perfuaded a neighbour to follow his example, and, in token of his converfion, to kill his ferpent, was furprised, at his next vifit, to find his convert in the deepest melancholy, bitterly lamenting that he had murdered his god, and that the most dreadful calamities would befal him. Was this person a Christian more than nominally? At the end of the last century, when Kempfer was in Japan, there remained but about fifty Japan Chriftians, who were locked up in prifon for life. These poor people knew no more of the Chriftian religion, but the names of our Saviour and of the Virgin Mary; and yet fo zealous Chriftians were they, as rather to die miserably in jail, than to renounce the name of Chrift, and be fet at liberty. The inhabitants of the island Annaboa, in the gulf of Guinea, have been converted by the Portuguese to Chriftianity. No more is required of them, as Bofman obferves, but to repeat a Pater Nofter, and Ave Maria, confefs to the priest, and bring offerings to him. I cannot with fatisfaction conclude this Sketch, without congratulating my prefent countrymen of Britain upon their knowledge of the intimate connection that true religion has with morality. VOL. III. Ff May |