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THE

CHRISTIAN OBSERVER.

No. 152.]

AUGUST, 1814. [No. 8. Vol. XIII.

RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

EAST-INDIA MISSIONS.

THE

(Continued from p. 415.) HE Report of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, published in 1774, contains a number of important details respecting the progress of its Missions. Messrs. Fabricius and Breithaupt, at Madras, state, that they had made several journeys to different places, confirming the scattered Christians, and occasionally discoursing to the Heathens in Choultries and other places. "Many heard with much attention what he (Mr.F.) delivered concerning the great folly and sin of idolatry, and the excellency of the Christian Religion. In Coveripawk he met with a Pandaram, who rejected all idol-worship, and asked Mr. Fabricius to bear him say the prayer which he every day made to God. It was long, but full of the choicest expressions of a creature who honours and loves his Creator above all things, and who acknowledges his own sin and vileness. Mr. Fabricius was very much pleased with it, and told him, that if he prayed in that manner with the sincerity of his heart, trusting to the Redeemer of mankind who has made satisfaction for our sins, he would not fail of being accepted by God."

They announce that the printing of the Tamul New Testament was finished, and that they had received some benefactions in India which had fully supplied the wants of the Mission.

Messrs. Hutteman and Gerické had been much employed in Jaying before the heathens the necessity of turning to the one true God, through CHRIST, OBSERV. No. 152.

Christ the only Mediator between God and man. "That their success," they observe, "does not answer their wishes and endeavours will be no wonder to those who know their circumstances. Unsupported by any outward authority and assistance, despised by the proud Heathens and Mohammedans, hated and opposed by European Infidels, and perfect strangers in a distant pagan country, it may easily be conceived what obstacles they must meet with in the discharge of their ministerial functions; obstacles under which they could not bear up, did they not trust in the promises given to the faithful servants of Jesus Christ, and feel, in some measure, the internal support of the Blessed Spirit."

The fruit of their labours, during the year, had been twelve converts from Faganism, and nine from Popery. They were much aided by two of their native catechists. One of them is stated to keep school in the morning, and in the afternoon to go from village to village preaching the Gospel, or reading select parts of the New Testament and other religious books, printed at Madras and Tranquebar. The other "visits the Christians daily from house to house, repeats with them the ser mons they hear on Sundays, inquires into their lives and conduct, and every night brings his account to the Missionaries, who call on those who live disorderly, and admonish them in the spirit of meekness; if they continue refractory, exclude them from the sacrament; and, if that does not reclaim them, separate them from the communion of the church."

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Mr. Swartz states his having added Sattianaden, since so well known for his long and faithful labours as a minister of the Gospel, and another young native, to his catechists, now eight in number. "These two young men, who are of the highest cast, improved so remarkably in knowledge and piety, that Mr. Swartz conceived great hopes of their becoming useful in instructing their brethren." Se venty persons, partly Heathens and partly Roman Catholics, had been received into the congregatiou.

an hymn, after which Mr. Swartz preached a sermon on a suitable subject, concluding with a prayer and another hymn. The whole was done in the Malabar language; and the king, together with a great many people, seemed pleased with what they had heard; but the bramineys looked upon it as a dangerous innovation."

"In the course of the year, he had several times visited Tanjore, in order to strengthen the congregation, and to try whether, by frequently preaching the word in that populous city, some impression might be made on the inhabitants. For this purpose he took with him three of his catechists, who went among them morning and evening, laying before them the glorious truths of the Gospel, and inviting them to the obedience of faith. Mr. Swartz had several conversations with the king about religion, who, on the second day after his arrival, being informed that he was explaining the doctrines of Christianity to his officers, desired to hear him himself: but Mr. Swartz had hardly spoken a few words when the great brami ney (as they call him) came in, before whom the king prostrated himself to the ground, and afterward stood before him with his hands folded, while the other placed himself on an elevated seat. He made signs to Mr. Swartz to talk to the proud braminey, who heard all with seeming attention, but without any reply. After this the king asked several questions concerning repentance, and desired Mr. Swartz to marry a couple of Christians in his palace: the bridegroom was an European, a captain at Tanjore; the bride the daughter of another captain, born of European parents. He readily consented, and performed the ceremony in as solemn a manmer as possible. They began with

"In the monsoon time some people beyond Colleroon, amounting to about forty, with their children, desired to be instructed. These Mr. Swartz visited himself, and, finding the best part of the village inclined to embrace Christianity, he had left two catechists there, and ordered every thing for the building of a small church, promising to return to them very soon."

The Danish Missionaries at Tranquebar give an account of the ordination of Philip, one of their oldest catechists, to be one of their priests.

"This person (in whose history there is something very remarkable) had been kidnapped when he was ten years old, and brought from his native place to Tranquebar, whither his mother followed, seeking him every where for several days, but in vain. At length being told that the Mission Church was dedicated to the one true God, she made a vow that if he would restore her son to her within ten days, they would both become his servants. Accordingly she found him within. the time, but, unmindful of her promise, offered a sacrifice to an idol, and returned into her own country. But being reproved in a dream for having neglected to fulfil her vow, when she awoke she told the matter to her son, and without conferring with her other relations, immediately returned to Tranquebar, and, after proper instruction, was baptized, 10gether with him and one of his sisters; after which she ministered for many years in the church, teaching the catechism in private houses. Philip, having been baptized, was further instructed in the town school, served one of the Missionaries for

some time, and, being thought able to be a schoolmaster, was intrusted with that office. After this he was employed as a catechist; and, having shown himself faithful in that station, they trust he will make a good country priest. There were present at his ordination the governor and other European gentlemen, and a great many Christians belonging to their town and country Congregations."

Their churches had received an increase of 106 adult Heathens and 27 Papists. The number of their communicants amounted to 1377, and the children taught in their schools to 258.

The congregation of Mr. Kiernander, at Calcutta, had been increased by 41; of whom 7 were adult Heathens, and 11 converts from Popery. The communicants were 69 English and 104 natives. The schools contained 49 scholars.

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Among the seven adult converts from heathenism mentioned above, one was a woman, a native of Macassar, about thirty years of age, who came from Chinsura, and stayed at Calcutta upwards of two months to be instructed. She had an earnest and serious desire after the knowledge of God and her Redeemer Jesus Christ, and received instruction with an open heart, testifying her gratitude for the Divine mercy and goodness towards her. She had been since married to a Dutch gentleman at Chinsura, and gave great satisfaction to all by her Christian-like behaviour. Another was a young Mohammedan woman, who had been since married to a soldier; the rest were of the Bengal cast."

One of the converts from Popery "was a Portuguese woman, about thirty-two years of age, from Chandernagore, who had been for a considerable time an inhabitant of Caleutta, and was married to an European carpenter. Her son was one of the out-scholars, who used to read at home in an evening in the New

Testament, from whence by degrees she derived some knowledge, which, by the blessing of God, had brought her to a resolution of renouncing the errors of Popery, and coming over to the Protestant Church. Another was a Portuguese man, an inhabitant likewise of Calcutta, who some time before had a desire to disengage himself from the Romish communion, but had been continually bindered by his wife: but she being since dead, he had accomplished his former design,and had brought over with him two daughters and a son; the latter of whom is still one of the out-scholars. Others were Portuguese women married to Protestant husbands at Calcutta ; and on Nov. 29, being the first Sunday in Advent, the Rev. Mr. Marcellino Joseph Ramalhete, a Romish priest, publicly renounced Popery, on which occasion a sermon was preached by Mr. Kiernander. This person had been awakened about four years before, when Mr. Bento abjured, with whom he had had a long and intimate acquaintance, and had since that time secretly corresponded with him, and had read the Bible and other good books with which Mr. Kiernander had furnished him; till at last his search after the truth had been blest, having wrought in him a full conviction of the errors of the Romish Church, and a firm resolution (which he had accordingly executed) of forsaking her communion. There were like wise at Calcutta one or two more priests, who it was hoped would give place to the truth."

Mr. Diemer, a native of Germany, was this year sent out from England as an assistant for Mr. Kiernander.

In the Report for 1775, the letters of the Madras Missionaries announce an increase of 121 adults; so that their church began to be too narrow for the congregation. "This great increase of their flock they attribute, in some measure, to the scarcity of provisions, and the readiness of the Missionaries to lend

assistance as far as possible, and to procure employment for the indigent, which has induced many to come and to desire to be instructed; nor did they choose to reject them, as God frequently makes calamity the means of softening the hearts of the children of men, and bringing them to repentance."

Messrs. Hutteman and Gerické, the Missionaries of Cuddalore, lament the abominable ceremonies to which they are forced, from time to time, to be witnesses. Their congregation had gained an accession of 54 adult Heathen, and 36 Papists. "Nothing," they write, " can be more deplorable than the state of the Romish Church in India.

"They had, in the course of the year, frequently sent their catechists into the country to preach the Gospel among the Gentiles; in particular, Jesardijan, who was formerly a popish catechist, had been to Tanjore, in May, to see his relations, who are bigotted Roman Catholics, and had frequent conferences with them and others, arguing against their errors from Scripture. When they asked him the reason why he left their church, he answered them that, during his stay among them, he had never heard of the Bible; but, accidentally meeting with that Divine Revelation, and comparing it with the Romish faith, he was surprized at the disagreement: that, reading the Second Commandment, he was amazed to find that it prohibited, in the strongest terms, all image worship, and that the Church of Rome had shamefully curtailed it: that Mr. Swartz had urged upon him his baptismal vow, which bound him to serve only the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, without mentioning the Virgin Mary, or any other saint. "Mr. Gerické has, likewise, been five times into the country, visiting Christians and preaching to the Heathens. In the month of November he was absent for a fortnight, on a journey to Tirunamaley, twelve leagues distant from Cuddalore, a place which is famous for a feast

celebrated at the full moon in November, when an enormous lamp is lighted on the top of a steep hill, to see which the poor deluded wretches think very meritorious. The day before, they walk round the hill, in procession, washing in the tanks, and worshipping in the pagodas, of which there is a great number at the foot of this hill. Here Mr. Gerické saw a multitude of pandarams, and other priests, in various attitudes. Some were buried in the ground, having only a space left to draw breath: others were standing on their heads: others dancing about with flaming torches under their arms: some were stretched out naked on thorns: others lay on ropes, fastened to trees, with fire under them. The intent of all this was only to move the people to charity, which they implored with the utmost vehemence. Mr. Gerické found it no difficult matter to convince the pagans of the futility of their worship; they confessed it in plain terms.'

"

Mr. Kiernander writes, that the Protestant Church in Calcutta had received an accession of sixteen adult Heathens, natives of Bengal, and six Roman Catholics. He complains much of the non-observance of the Sabbath by the Europeans at Cal cutta.

The Heathens cease from labour on their own festivals, and then we consent to stop our works; but on Sundays the natives are allowed to go on with their labours, which are not suspended even during the time of public worship.

Mr. Swartz gives a favourable account of the Mission at Trichina. poly, and of the schools attached to it. He had made two journeys to Madras, in the course of which he conversed freely with the natives, setting before them the vanity and sinfulness of their idolatrous prac tices, together with the excellency of Christianity.

The churches belonging to the Mission at Tranquebar had received an increase of 275 adult Heathens and 49 Papists. Their schools

contained upwards of 300 children. They had printed of the Tamul Bible nearly to the end of Leviticus.

The Report for 1776 states the church at Madras to have had an increase of 77 members, and that at Cuddalore of 30 adult Heathens and 19 Papists. Mr. Kiernander, at Calcutta, reports an addition of 17 adult natives; one of whom, Gunnesavn Doss, had been employed as Persian interpreter and translator to the Supreme Court. The Mission at Trichinapoly, under Mr. Swartz, had received 206 converts from Heathenism.

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Among these converts Mr. Swartz has mentioned a young man of the higher tribe, who had deliberated above three years whether he shonld embrace the Christian Religion. His numerous relations had been the greatest obstacle he had to overcome: he had, however, followed his conviction. The Heathens shunned and reviled him, whilst he bore it with humility, yet without being dejected; and, soon after, his countrymen, seeing that they could not depress his spirits, had acknowledged the wrong they had done him, and had even entreated him to read to them some passages of the New Testament. In a village not far from Tirutchinapally a whole family had been converted to Christianity; but, on their return home, all the village was enraged against them, refusing them a share in the most common acts of kindness, and even forbidding them to walk in the public road. As they suffered all this, however, with humility and with some degree of cheerful boldness, the Heathens grew ashamed of their former conduct, and behaved at least with common humanity towards them.

"In a village to the left, another whole family had been converted. The son-in-law was the principal man in the village, who, incensed at his father-in-law for having embraced the Christian Religion, desired him not to return any more.

By gentle representations, however, the rage of the people had subsided, so that another family had been brought over, and Mr. Swartz was in hope of shortly seeing the whole place inhabited by Christians.",

At Tranquebar, the increase of the different congregations amounted to 421 souls.

A Missionary, named the Rev. Mr. Schoelkopff, a native of Germany, was this year sent out to India by the Society, with a view to assist Mr. Swartz at Trichinapoly. The Charge delivered on this occasion, in Latin, by the Rev. Mr. Bourdillon, contains so much excellent counsel applicable to all times and circumstances, to Ministers in England as well as to Missionaries in India, that we are induced to make a few extracts from it:

"The ultimate end of your calling is the eternal salvation of souls. What a sublime, I had almost said, apostolical employment! the importance of which you ought always to place before your eyes."

"Behold, to your charitable and watchful care are committed these souls, which, tempted and overcome by the subtilty of the devil, soon fell from the state in which they were created, were ensnared in sin, and devoted to eternal misery. To restore and save them, the Son of God himself came down from heaven, preached the Gospel, shed his blood, suffered death upon the cross; and, being afterwards exalted to the right hand of the Father, appointed pastors, that to every creature under heaven the doctrine of salvation might be published, and the way laid open to the man sions of everlasting happiness.

"For this purpose, and this alone, we have made choice of you, and we exhort, nay, we entreat you, that, in the discharge of so excellent and important an office, your diligence may never fall short of our expectation."

"Come, then, beloved brother, and laying aside all the cares of

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