636 



Abbe Dubois^ State of Chvidianit^ in India. 



severe reproof fioai those to wbqm it is 

 addressed. 



The Christirxii religion is at the present 

 time become so odious, that in several 

 parts of the country a Hindoo, who 

 should happen to have friends or con- 

 nexions among the natives professing 

 this religion, would not dare to own it 

 in public, as he would be exposed to 

 severe reproof for holding a familiar 

 intercourse with (in their opinion) people 

 so degraded. 



Such is the state of degradation to 

 which Christianity has been reduced in 

 these latter times, and which must be 

 imputed in a great degree to the im- 

 moral and irregular conduct of many 

 Europeans in every part of the country. 

 Besides the Christians of the Calholio 

 persuasion, there are still existing in 

 some parts of the country small congre- 

 gations of the Lutheran sect; but they 

 are held, if possible, in a still higher de- 

 gree of contempt than the former. 



I'RESENT CHRISTIANS. 



■\Vlien I was at Vellore, four years 

 ago, in attendance on a numerous con- 

 gregation living in that place, having 

 been informed that the Lutheran mis- 

 sionaries kept a catechist, or native reli- 

 gions teacher, at that stalion, on a salary 

 of five pa;;odas a month, I was Ifd to 

 suppose that they had a numerous Hock 

 there ; but I was not a little surprised 

 when, on enquiry, I found that the 

 whole congregation consisted of only 

 three individuals, namely, a drummer, 

 a cook, and a horse- keeper. 



In the meantime, do not suppose 

 tliat those thin congregations are wholly 

 composed of converted pagans ; at least 

 half consists of Catholic apostates, who 

 went over to the Lutheran sect in times 

 of famine, or from other interested 

 motives. 



It is not nncommon on the coast to 

 see natives who successively pass from 

 one religion to another, according to 

 their actual interest. In my last 

 journey to Madras, I became acquainted 

 with native converts, wiio regularly 

 changed their religion twice a-jcar, and 

 who f(ir a long while were in the haldt 

 of being six months Catholic, and six 

 mouths Protestant. 



Behold the Lutheran mission esta- 

 Mished in India more than a century 

 ago ! Interrogate its missionaries, 

 ask them what were tlieir successes 

 during sk long a period, and through 

 what means were gaiticd over the few 

 firosei.^les they mudo I Ask them whe- 

 ih'^r tlie interests of their sect arc im- 

 proving, or whether they are gaining 



ground, or whether their small numbers 

 are not rather dwindling away ? 



Behold the truly intkistrious, the tin- 

 affected and unassuming ]\Ioraviaii 

 brethren! Ask them how many con- 

 verts they have made in India during a 

 stay of about seventy years by preaching 

 the Gospel in all its naked simplicity? 

 They will cai.didly answer, " Not one ! 

 not a single man !" 



Behold the NcstoriansinTravancore ! 

 Interrogate tiicm ; ask them for an 

 account of their success in the work 

 of pi selylism in these modern times? 

 Ask " <;ni whether they are gaining 

 groi .id, and whether the interests of 

 their ancient mode of worship is inr- 

 proving? They will reply, that so far 

 from tills being the case, their congrega- 

 tions once so flourishing, and amounting 

 (according to Gibbon's account) to 

 200,000 souls, arc now reduced to less 

 than an eighth of this number, and are 

 daily diminishing. 



Behold the Baptist missionaries at 

 Sera m pore ! Inquire what are their 

 spiritual successes on the shores of the 

 Ganges? Ask them whether they have 

 really the well-founded hope that their 

 indefatigable labours in endeavouring to 

 get the Holy Scriptures translated into 

 all the idioms of India will increase their 

 successes? Ask them whether those 

 extremely incorrect versions, already 

 obtained at an immense expense, have 

 produced the sincere conversion of a 

 single Pagan ? And I am jicrsuaded, 

 that, if they are asked an answer upon 

 their honour and conscience, they will 

 all reply in the negative. 



OBJECTIONS. 



^^ hat will a well bred native think, 

 when, in reading over this holy book, he 

 sees that Aiiraliam, after receiving the 

 visit of three angels under a human 

 shape, entertains his guest by causing a 

 ealf to be killed, and served to them 

 for tlieir fare? The prejudiced Hindoo 

 will at once judge that both Abraham 

 and bis heavenly guests were nothing 

 but vile pariahs; and, without further 

 readhig, he will forthwith throw away 

 the book, containing (in his opinions,) 

 such sacrilegious accounts. 



"W hat will a Drahmin say, wlien he 

 peruses (he details of the bloody sacri- 

 fices piescribed in the Mosaical law in 

 the worship of the true God ? lie will 

 assuredly declare, tliat the God who 

 couhl be pleased w ith the shedding of 

 the blood of so many victims immo- 

 lated to his honour, must undoubtedly 

 be a dii-ity of the same kind (tar be fiom 

 me the blafphemy) as the mischie\ous 

 Hindoo 



