Government in Bengal shall declare that it is utterly impracticable to lessen the frequency of the Immolation of Females by any means, THE

AUTHOR WILL NOT CEASE TO CALL THE ATTENTION

OF THE ENGLISH NATION TO THIS SUBJECT.

TANJOR E.

THE Letters of KING GEORGE the FIRST to the Missionaries in India, will form a proper、 introduction to the account which it is now intended to give of the Christian Hindoos of Tanjore. The first Protestant Mission in India was founded by Bartholomew Ziegenbalg, a man of erudition and piety, educated at the University of Halle in Germany. He was ordained by the learned Burmannus, bishop of Zealand in his twenty-third year, and sailed for India in 1705. In the second year of his ministry he founded a Christian Church among the Hindoos, which has been extending its limits to the present time. In 1714, he returned to Europe for a short time, and on that occasion was honoured with an audience by His Majesty George the First, who took much interest in the success of the Mission.

He was also patronized by "the Society for "promoting Christian Knowledge," which was superintended by men of distinguished learning and piety. The King and the Society, encouraged the Oriental Missionary to proceed in his translation of the Scriptures into the Tamul tongue, which they designated "the grand work." This was indeed THE GRAND WORK; for wherever the Scriptures are translated into the vernacular tongue, and are open and common to all, inviting inquiry and causing discussion, they cannot remain "a dead letter." When the Scriptures speak to a heathen in his own tongue, his conscience responds, "This is the word of God." How little is the importance of a version of the Bible in a new language understood by some! The man who produces a translation of the Bible into a new language (like Wickliffe, and Luther, and Ziegenbalg, and Carey) is a greater benefactor to mankind than the Prince who founds an Empire. For the "incorruptible seed of the word "of God" can never die. After ages have revolved, it is still producing new accessions to truth and human happiness.

In the year 1719, Ziegenbalg finished the Bible in the Tamul tongue, having devoted fourteen years to the work. The peculiar in

terest taken by the King in this primary endeavour to evangelize the Hindoos, will appear from the following letters, addressed to the Missionaries by his Majesty.

"GEORGE, by the Grace of God, King of Great "Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the "Faith, &c. to the Reverend and Learned Bar"tholomew Ziegenbalgius and John Earnest Grund"lerus, Missionaries at Tranquebar in the East "Indies.

"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 the Christian faith, doth, by the grace "of God, prosper, but also because that, in this our kingdom, 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 find.

us ready to succour you in whatever may tend to

promote your work, and to excite your zeal. We

assure you of the continuance of our royal favour.

"Given at our Palace of Hampton

"Court, the 23d of August,

A. D. 1717, in the 4th year

" of our Reign."

"GEORGE R."

The King continued to cherish, with much solicitude, the interests of the mission, after the death of Ziegenbalgius; and in ten years from the date of the foregoing letter, a second was addressed to the members of the mission, by his Majesty.

"Reverend and Beloved,

"From your letters dated Tranquebar, the 12th of "September, 1725, which some time since came to "hand, we received much pleasure; since by them we "are informed, not only of your zealous exertions in the prosecution of the work committed to you, but also "of the happy success which hath hitherto attended "it, and which hath been graciously given of God.

"We return you thanks for these accounts, and it "will be acceptable to us, if you continue to com"municate whatever shall occur in the progress of your

"mission.

"In the mean time, we pray you may enjoy strength "of body and mind for the long continuance of your "labours in this good work, to the glory of God, and

the promotion of Christianity among the heathens; "that its perpetuity may not fail in generations to "come*.

"Given at our Palace at St. James's,

"the 23d of February, 1727, in

"the 13th year of our Reign."

"GEORGE R."

Niecampius, Hist. Miss.

But these Royal Epistles are not the only evangelic documents, of high authority, in the hands of the Hindoos. They are in possession of letters written by the Archbishop of Canterbury, of the same reign*; who supported the interests of the mission with unexampled liberality, affection, and zeal. These letters, which are many in number, are all written in the Latin language. The following is a translation of his Grace's first letter; which appears to have been written by him as President of the "Society for promoting "Christian Knowledge."

"To Bartholomew Ziegenbalgius, and John Ernest "Grundlerus, Preachers of the Christian Faith, "on the Coast of Coromandel.

"As often as I behold your letters, Reverend Brethren, addressed to the venerable Society instituted "for the promotion of the Gospel, whose chief honour "and ornament ye are; and as often as I contemplate "the light of the Gospel, either now first rising on the "Indian nations, or after the intermission of some ages

again revived, and as it were restored to its in"heritance; I am constrained to magnify that singular "goodness of God in visiting nations so remote; and "to account you, my Brethren, highly honoured, "whose ministry it hath pleased him to employ in

* Archbishop Wake.