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fore the arrival of our teachers; till then there was nothing but fighting, and bloodshed, and murder; now, we can sleep in safety, for there is peace amongst us. These examples are as good as a thousand. They shew that the gospel is still the same, and that the effects of the gospel are still righteousness and peace.

Much is said in the word of God, about the power of divine truth to soften the heart, to destroy its natural hardness and pride, and to produce gentle ness, meekness, and humility. The following is a fine instance of its melting efficacy on an American Indian. The stoicism, or inflexible severity of mind, and general callousness of disposition for which these savage: tribes have been so long remarkable, is completely subdued by the gos pel.

• Whenever I saw a man shed tears,' said a Susquehannah convert, I used to doubt whe ther he was a man. I would not have wept, though my ene mies had cut the flesh from my bones: that I now weep is of God, who has softened the hardness of my heart!

In the first ages of the church the faithful were noted for their brotherly affection, for their sympathy and liberality to the poor and afflicted members of Christ. Many of them to their power, and beyond their power, exerted themselves to supply the wants of the needy and destitute. A more admirable illustration of this heaven-born principle was never afforded, than by the shivering Greenlanders on a very interest ing occasion.

When they were told of a most dreadful calamity which had be fallen one of the Indian settlements in America belonging to the Moravian brethren, they were

so impressed with the relation, that they burst into tears, and immediately offered to make a contribution for the relief of the unfortunate sufferers. I,' said one, have a fine rein-deer skin, which I will give.'---' I,' cried a second, have a new pair of rein-deer boots, which I will send them.' And I,' said a third, will send them a seal, that they may have something to eat and to burn.' The whole scene was extremely interesting, affording a fine display of the simplicity and benevolence of their hearts. Their contributions, indeed, when turned into money, were of little value; yet the Missionaries did not choose to reject them." To them we may justly apply the fine compliment paid by Paul to the churches of Macedonia" In a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, abounded to the riches of their li berality."--2 Cor. viii. 2.

The impracticability of converting the inhabitants of certain re gions of the globe-the utter hopelessness of ever removing some of their habits, propensi ties, and prejudices, have often been urged as arguments against Missionary attempts. According to some, who pretend to be more than ordinarily wise and prudent, who rank themselves amongst the philosophers of the age, who, at the same time, are disposed to compliment christianity, when it comes in their way, as a very wise and good system, for very wise and good people-according to some of these sages, the natives of sundry parts of this world, are too stupid and degrad ed, to be able to comprehend the gospel, or submit to its sublime morality. In other places their customs are so powerful and so

adverse to its reception, as to defy christianity to change them; while, in some favoured spots, the people are already so enlightened, and so moral, that they stand in little need of a better system, and are more likely to be attached to the old, than to embrace a new religion.

Now, all this may appear very b plausime, and correct reasoning, by those who wish to be considered shrewd thinkers, and even the friends and advocates of human improvement. The conclusion is, the poor Missionaries are spending their lives in prosecuting a Utopian scheme of reformation; and their friends at home are exhausting their intellectual energies in devising irrational plans; and emptying their purses in the vain attempt to execute them. Such men, no doubt, congratulate themselves on their superior discernment, and their wiser economy.

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Unfortunately for them, but providentially for the cause of Missions, we have two unanswerable modes of replying to these redoubtable arguments. We can say, in the first place-Christianity is a revelation from God, and not a cunningly devised fable of men ;-it must, therefore, according to its own predictions, which have never been found to fail, prove too powerful for prejudice, passion, and custom; and become in the end-the religion of the world.

Not content with resting our cause here, though we defy them to disprove our premises, or deny our conclusion, we can go a step farther;—we can adopt their own weapons, and by an induetion of the best established facts, prove the moral certainty of our success. We will bring their reasonings and theories to the

test of experiment, and overwhelm them with evidence which cannot be controverted. We will shew, not only that their reasonings are false, and their assertions unfounded, but also that our gospel has triumphed where they predicted its defeat, and that our Missionaries have been most successful, where they would have foretold their disgrace.

Do they maintain that mental or moral degradation is so great in particular spots, as for ever to mock all attempts to enlighten and to reform the unhappy race? We ask where these people are to be found? Are the Hottentots any portion of these hopeless beings? Are the Greenlanders degraded? Or are the Esquimaux near the lowest point in the scale of wretchedness, brutality, and mental imbecility? Is not the greatest possible degree of demoralization, to use a favourite philosophical term, to be found among these people? Then, be it known to these objectors to evangelical exertion, that among these very hordes of barbarians—these brutalized tribes of our species, the brightest proofs of the suitability and invincible power of the gospel are to be found. If they suspect our testimony, let them look to the well accredited statements in the History of Missions.' If they cannot believe them, let them depute some of their number to go on a voyage of discovery, and investigate things on the spot. We assure them it would be found as interesting as a trip to Otaheite to see the transit of Venus; and, by way of hint, we shall tell them some of the points where they may see the greatest misery, and the most wonderful transformations to happiness and cultivation that ever the earth has ex

hibited. After they arrive at the Cape of Good Hope, they may visit Bavian's Kloof, a Moravian settlement. From that they may proceed to Caffraria, and examine what has been done at Bethelsdorp. When tired of investigation here, they can go on to Zak River, in the country of the Boschemen; and there, perhaps, they will find among many of the same description, "A woman, who, when she first appeared," Mr. Kitcherer, the Missionary, could scarcely persuade himself was of the human species, her carcass was so filthy, and her whole carriage so extremely brutal. Many a time he thought, surely it is impossible that such a being should be converted. Yet she believed, and was baptized; and after wards became one of the most active, industrious, and useful mem bers of the congregation."

After trying whether they or the Missionaries can best bear the heats of Africa, they may next see which of them will endure with most patience the cold of Greenland. In that dismal and inhospitable region, they will see what the gospel is capable of doing, both in the Missionaries and their followers. Here they will see the faith of Christ, not only humanizing the barbarians of the north pole, but also completely destroying their most deep-rooted natural prejudices. There is nothing, perhaps, to which the Greenland females have so rooted an aversion, as the suckling of strange children. Hence, among the savages, when a woman dies, and leaves an infant behind her, the unfortunate father has no other resource but to bury it alive immediately. In such cases, a Greenland woman has no thought, or feeling of

compassion; yet the gospel, by its transforming influence, overcame this barbarous prejudice.'

If from Greenland they proceed to Labrador, they may call at Nain and Okkak, and Hopedale. In these Missionary settlements they will find Esquimaux, who, a few years ago, knew scarcely any thing but about kajaks, and sledges, and snowhouses; who had neither an alphabet, nor any idea of written language; they will find some hundreds of these ignorant, degraded, abandoned savages, engaged in conning their spellingbook, or learning their catechism, or reading with ease, pleasure, and profit, a printed edition of the gospel. We defy all the philosophers of the earth to produce such effects as these, or to give a rational account of them without admitting the divinity of the gospel, and the Almighty influence which accompanies its promulgation.

We have already noticed the power of the gospel in subduing prejudice, as well as in elevating the degraded children of nature. The most powerful passion in the American Indians, is the love of war and of strong liquors: passions which no human means seem capable of extinguishing. Yet these fierce and brutal tribes, who, under the influence of li quor, more resemble demons than men, have been completely brought under subjection by the testimony of Jesus; and the love of war and drinking altogether eradicated. "A stranger Indian who was carrying a barrel of rum for sale, called at a village where he heard the gospel; he was so convinced of his sinfulness and misery, that he resolved to alter his manner of life. He accordingly returned the barrel of rum

to the trader at Pittsburgh, declaring that he would neither drink nor sell any more spirituous liquors, for it was against his conscience, He, therefore, begged him to take it back, adding, that if he refused, he would pour it into the Ohio."

If we are told that our success has been chiefly among barbarous and ignorant nations, we repel the assertion, by facts of the same stubborn nature, with those which we have adduced to shew what christianity can do in the worst circumstances. Is India a civilized country? Are the Hindoos a race of savages? Are the Brahmins illiterate and ignorant men? On the contrary, are not the civilization of India, the moral culture of the Hindoos, and the learning of the Brahmins, prodigiously exaggerated by the men who wish to represent the natives of the East as beyond the reach of the gospel, or scarcely needing its assistance. We have often been solemnly assured,

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You cannot convert the Hindoos-you cannot root out their superstition-you cannot set aside the influence of cast. In reply to all these imposing dogmatisms, we say in the simple, but dignified language of the men whose testimony is worth ten thousand such assertions, "The door of faith is opened to the Hindoos, who shall shut it?

in of the cast is broken, Who shall mend it?" At this moment hundreds, we may say thousands, of the natives of India, under the influence of the gospel, have abandoned their casts -have forsaken the religion of their fathers have voluntarily kindled their fire with the gods whom they worshipped,-and are uniting with the formerly bated and despised Europeans

in serving the true God, and waiting for his son Jesus Christ. The Brahmin, the Sooder, and the Mahometan, are to be seen eating at the same table, and performing to each other acts of mutual love. The Shaster and the Koran are laid aside for the New Testament. The votary of Brahma and Mahomet at once reject their ancient faith-their debasing superstitions—and their national prejudices; and are now preaching with success to their countrymen the faith of Jesus Christ. At this hour the most learned natives of Hindoostan are employed in translating and circulating the christian scriptures, which they entertain no doubt will one day as completely supersede their Pagan Shasters, as the Bible now occupies the place of heathen mythology in Europe. O! could we but transport all who feel most assured that India will never be converted, to Serampore, and place them beside Carey, and Marshman, and Ward-surrounded by their pundits, and the vast apparatus of men and materials that are engaged in translating the scriptures into five and twenty languages of the East, we should be highly delighted with observing their confusion and astonishment. That this would lead them to believe the message of mercy. themselves, we do not suppose; but it would unquestionably induce them to re-consider their predictions, and to utter in future no oracular responses respecting the conversion of the world.

We thus consider ourselves as furnished with an answer from fact to every objection against attempts to evangelize the heathen, and with much important illustration of the practical benefits which must result to the hea

then world from the introduction The scriptures are multiplying at

of the gospel. We meant to have pursued this train of thought a little farther to have pointed out the tendency of christianity to destroy despotism and oppression-to unite the nations of the earth in peace and amity-to diffuse temporal happiness as well as spiritual blessings and also to have shewn its holy and powerfal influence in the heroism, unwearied exertions, and patient sufferings of those who have left all, that they might preach aanong the heathen the unsearchable riches of Christ ;-but we must remember we are writing a Review, and not a Dissertation.

The subject is truly delightful the scene which is now passing before our eyes is transcenlently glorious. Little more than twenty years ago, the silence of death seemed to pervade the whole christian world-all was langour, apathy, and torpor: Contending sects looked shy, or met in angry collision, and the prosperity of Zion was sacrificed to the interests of parties. Christians did not appear to think that the salvation of the heathen was any business of theirs: they were ignorant of the miseries of others, and did not wish to be informed. But what hath God wrought!

Now, all is bustle and animation. The kingdom of Christ has received a new impulse, which is increasing in energy the farther and wider it extends. The asperies of party feeling have been smoothed down, and men can now look one another in the face without anger or wrath, or malice. Societies have been multiplied, plans of usefulness have been devised, and numerous Missions have been sent out to the four corners of the earth.

a rate so extraordinary, as at once to eclipse all past exertion, and to afford the most certain hope, that proceeding in the same ratio for twenty years to come, the whole reading world will be supplied with Bibles. Success is attending our operations in every quarter of the world; and, while speculators are talking and writing about the regeneration of the universe, the regenerators are actively employed, (though in a very different way) and the process of renovation is rapidly proceeding. Connecting the affairs of the Redeemer's Empire with the universal peace which now reigns over the world, we anticipate with no ordinary confidence the glorious things which a few years will unfold. We already see Satan falling like lightning from heaven; and, ere long, we hope to hear the voice of the angel proclaiming- The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ, who shall reign for ever and ever !'

'The dwellers in the vales, and on the rocks and the moun

Shout to each other;

tain tops From distant mountains catch the flying joy:

Till, nation after nation, taught the strain,

Earth rolls the rapturous Hossanah round.

Discourses on the principal points of the Socinian Controversy, by RALPH WARDLAW. Price, common, bds. 5. fine, do. 9s.

(Continued from vol. 1, p. 470.)

We find it will be utterly impossible to present our readers with such copious extracts as we

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