of the Ministry. They have established a System of Education for all ranks, nearly throughout the whole of the Diocese; and even persuaded some of the Syrians, poor and penurious as they found them, to contribute towards the support of the Schools. They have exercised amongst them, and taught them to admire, a purer mode of worship than their own; and that without making one observation, upon the vanity of the superstitions of their Church, that could wound their feelings. Let this conduct be contrasted with that of the Jesuits towards this interesting people: and let these facts speak in reply to the Abbé Dubois' assertion, that all the success the Missionaries had to boast of among them was, the having prevailed upon many of their Priests to marry. But he is greatly mistaken, if he think that they "boast of" even this unexampled success. Promising as appearances are, and happily as every thing concurs to promote their object, they attribute all to the superintending Providence of the Almighty. In their weekly consultations, previous to entering upon business, they unite in prayer to God, for wisdom and direction: in the same spirit of dependence upon Divine Aid, they prosecute all their labours: and sure I am, that, so far from "boasting of" what they have done, they render the glory to Him, to whom only it is due. SECTION VI. THE DUTY AND POLICY OF PROMOTING CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA; AND THE NECESSITY OF IMPROVING THE CHARACTER OF THE SERVANTS OF GOVERNMENT, BOTH EUROPEAN AND NATIVE. It has long been customary, in certain quarters, to decry all Missionaries in the East, and to predict the downfal of our Indian Empire, as the inevitable result of their proceedings. And, though the experience of more than twenty years has proved that such apprehensions are without foundation (the extension and increasing stability of our Eastern Dominion having more than kept pace with the progress of Missionary Exertion), yet even now there are not wanting individuals, who, upon every shadow of a pretext, step forward to repeat assertions, which have been often confuted, and to retail prophecies, which the actual issue of the measures upon which they are founded have long since proved fallacious. The Abbé Dubois is one of this number. He also sounds his note of alarm upon the question; though he must know it to be as "stale a subject" as that of burning the Hindoo Widows upon the Funeral Pile. I also beg leave to sound an alarm-though with a very different trumpet. Instead of predicting the ruin of the Honourable the East-India Company's dominions, as the consequence of Missionary undertakings, I hesitate not to assert, that it were better to abandon all their Eastern acquisitions, than to discourage the propagation of Christianity; or even to stand neuter, and use no means to promote that object, throughout their extensive Empire. A fearful load of responsibility rests upon them! The history of all Nations proves, that every event is under the Almighty's controul. By Him" Nations and Empires rise and fall, flourish and decay." The triumphs and defeats of armies, unless viewed in connection with the sovereign purposes of God, are of less moment, in His sight, and in that of every wise and good man, than the descent and evaporation of the morning-dew. But when regarded as links in that chain of events upon which the stupendous designs of Jehovah are suspended, they assume an importance, with which no other consideration can invest them. We may instance the successive rise and fall of the Chaldean, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman Monarchies; compared with the Sacred Prediction, and actual accomplishment of designs, which were fulfilled, without the intention, or even knowledge, of the immediate agents employed, by a wise and all-controlling Providence, to carry them into execution! Let us instance, also, the universal success of the Roman arms in the reign of Augustus, so evidently intended to tranquillize the world, and prepare it for the Advent of the Prince of Peace! Every one conversant with the history of the British Empire in India will know, that the acquisition of territory has long ceased to be the object (if indeed it ever were the object) of the English in waging war with the Native Powers. Self-defence alone seems to have called them into the field, against the French, Hyder, Tippoo, and other formidable enemies. At the close of the last Mahratta War, the Marquis of Hastings publicly and distinctly avowed thus much, in reference to that campaign: and I know not of a single instance upon record, wherein the British have taken up arms for the purpose of molesting an unoffending Prince, however insignificant and defenceless, much less of despoiling him of his dominions. Sir John Malcolm*, speaking of the extension of the British Empire in India, says, "We have been reluctantly compelled, by events far beyond our power to controul, to assume the duties of Lord-paramount of that great Continent." "Increase of territory will, in spite of all our efforts, come too rapidly. The cause which has compelled, and will continue, beyond all others, to compel us to increase our dominion, lies deep in the character of our powert." This he proceeds to explain: but it shall suffice here to remark, that God has often seemed to permit the Wicked Spirit (as in Ahab's case, 2 Chron. xviii. 18-22.) to inspire the Counsellors of Native Princes with the spirit of infatuation which has urged them on to provoke hostilities against themselves, until the British have had no alternative, but to deprive them of all power in future to disturb their peace. In this way has the major part of our Indian Territory been transferred to our Memoir of Central India, vol. II. p. 264. |