THE CHRISTIAN NATURALIST. 137 



shewn an apathy to its extension, which our Roman Con- 

 querors would have been ashamed of, as if we feared 

 that too much religious zeal would weaken our con- 

 quests, or as if we had arrived at the conclusion that 

 the religion which is an acknowledged benefit to our- 

 selves, would be no benefit to others. This has been 

 the case, especially with regard to India.* Happily, 

 how&ver, there are signs that the spirit of the nation 

 is at length awakening from its long trance of apathy 

 and selfishness. And we trust the day is not far dis- 

 tant when as a people we shall roll away from us this 

 reproach of being indifierent to the spread of our 

 religion, and of being more anxious to unfurl the flag 

 of commerce, than the blood-red banner of the cross. 

 It is a consideration for those especially who now 

 share in the blessing of a plentiful harvest, whether 

 they are sufficiently sensible of their obligations to the 

 ** Lord of the harvest." The bounty of heaven, which 



• We allude to the custom of collecting a tax from pilgrims 

 going to the shrine of Juggernaut, and the employment of 

 British Soldiers to do honour to the idolatrous festivals of 

 the Hindoos, by military attendance and parade on these occa- 

 sions, as well as to the very small and disproportionate aid 

 which has been granted by the British Senate, to the exteniioa 

 of Christianity in this the most important of its colonies. 



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